Stewart Brown was only four years old when he was introduced to the magic of the Brant Inn. It was August 1942, and his father was playing baritone-saxophone and clarinet with a Toronto-based orchestra.

The band had a gig at the Brant Inn, and the Brown family was along for the ride.

Young Stewart's first memory was not of a big touring American band or the glitz of the popular night club. He most remembers the coleslaw.

In fact, it left such a lasting impression that Mr. Brown "didn't voluntarily" touch the cabbage salad again until 20 years later.

Brant Inn Memories relives the glory days of the once-popular destination that put the little town of Burlington on the map. The book is a project of the Burlington Historical Society, and is authored by Mr. Brown, a one-time Dundas resident who worked for the Hamilton Spectator for 42 years.

Fats Waller, Sophie Tucker, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams and Liberace all played the Brant Inn during the Depression, the Second World War and the '50s and '60s. CBC's Dominion Radio Network broadcast the sounds of Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and other big name bands across Canada on a weekly basis, and for many years, broadcaster Paul Hanover hosted a popular Friday night show, Meet Me at the Brant Inn, on radio station CHML.

The music has long since faded, but the excitement of Brant Inn's 40 years in the entertainment spotlight finds the perfect pitch through the pages of Brant Inn Memories.

Mr. Brown highlights the stars, along with focusing on lesser luminaries like chef Howard Fung Lee, more commonly known as Slim, "Miss Duz," the manager of the dining facilities, star-struck owner John Murray Anderson, ushers and car parkers.

Brant Inn Memories is available in bookstores for $24.95, as well as from Chapters/Indigo online or direct from the publisher at www.canadianheritagebooks.com.