philadelphia restaurants in the 1980s philadelphia restaurants in the 1980s

Jackson Mahomes, the brother of two-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, is being investigated for allegedly shoving a waiter and forcibly kissed the female owner of an Overland Park, Kansas, restaurant last Saturday. Your Dad Steve was a great boss back then. anno 1980). Most extant diners likely came from a New Jersey factory. The buildings were built between 1859 and 1918. Gus Tsionis Steak House Gus Tsionis . But it was. Mostly latchkey kids, we stuck together after class ended. But dinner there was a big treat when I was a child in the 60s. On the plus side, he replaced the communal booths. I look for a good value balanced against the general experience. Given the extent of his investments along the corridor, I dont think youll find anyone who has made a bigger bet on its comeback. Talula's Garden. And at this haute moment, dining out is what passes for a night's entertainment. MONDAY - FRIDAY. Ive come here often, with family and friends in tow, and we enjoy whatever we order, particularly when I select something off the specials list. I cant remember the name. The city's vibrant restaurant scene has grown tremendously in recent years. I liked its gritty spirit. For some reason that roll along the roofline became an extremely popular motif on retro-styled diners starting back in the mid-1990s. While no bells ever rang After the end of the Laotian Civil War associated with the Vietnam War in the 1970s, a group of Hmong refugees settled in Philadelphia. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. Do remember the Diner on Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr called the Blu Comet around late 1950s till 1972. The second was on the South Side of the 1600 Block of Passyunk Ave, which was across the street from the first diner where the two avenues intersect. Formerly known as Mil-Lees Luv-Inn Diner, the K Diner on Rising Sun features Korean Specialties as well as a good American-style breakfast. Photograph by I. George Bilyk The old-school guys who built up these businesses now have kids with college degrees who dont see themselves working 18-hour days for two-percent margins. Weinsteinand his then-partner Bob Elfant brainstormed an idea to bring a family-style restaurant to the former Roy Rogers location on Germantown. Today, the K stands for Korean, and while youll find Asian specialties on the menu, you can also get a good, old-fashioned American breakfast. Sorry, Bern, but thats just not true. The diners manager approached me on the sidewalk demanding to know why I was taking pictures. | Photo: Randy Garbin Moreover, many Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America have settled in North Philadelphia. Facebook/A Slice of the 80s. However I a native Philadelphian can attest to the experience of eating in diners. In fact, during the diners golden age, owners of freshly minted diners would have grand opening ceremonies that featured the cutting of the keys. interested in a peak at early aughts dining, the restaurants That the primavera (or portions of it) might have come straight out of the Sysco catalog? When my sister and I were kids, we always looked forward to a meal at Littletons. https://m.facebook.com/lhapachapter/posts/memories-of-the-blu-comet-diner/3824830150954142/?locale=ne_NP&_rdr, It was known fondly as the greasy spoon by the Villanova students. Palumbo's, 9/Catharine: Decent gravy joint, but the ambience was sooo 1950s. The diner was originally built by Fodero of Bloomfield, New Jersey. Sometimes it requires a fresh approach and maybe one that most might think is crazy. One of the most tragic losses to the roster of Philadelphia diners came with the demolition of the long-suffering Wayne Junction Diner. The sense of lawlessness was pervasive. It didnt help my impression of the place when I watched Richard Kubach, Jr. on a television segment of WQEDs Pennsylvania Diner Roadtrip explain that the semi-circular booths where total strangers often sat at the same table enhanced the diners sense of community, when,more accurately, his practice increased customer churn. (215) 735-5562. Restaurants. I grew up in one as my father owned the Domino Diner. It is incorrect to state The Melrose Diner is the third diner placed at that location when there were three separate location. Weinstein and his wife traveled all over the northeast checking on leads for available diners, settling on Palookas days if not hours before the dinersowner planned to bulldoze it. French Restaurants Continental Restaurants Restaurants. This was no bland suburb, no Peyton Place. Like the renovations at the Melrose, they could have been much worse, and Petrogiannis even applied a restrained and classy palate to the interior. You really cant ask for a more comforting example of comfort food than croquettes, and you cant find a better example than at the Dining Cars. Weinstein topped off the whole project with a neon sign almost worthy of the Las Vegas strip, something few do anymore. What I like, you may not. It was unnecessarily renovated in 1996 both inside and out, which stripped away some of the incomparable stainless work. Please like & follow for more interesting content. Tumbleweeds of garbage traveled by. This was where we went to try new things to kiss, to reveal secrets, to drink, to smoke. He said I didnt have the right name. Later, the park would get a curfew; wed get in trouble for standing bare-legged in the fountain; wed be turned out while tux-wearing dancers ate fancy food. He was the publisher and editor of Roadside Magazine and RoadsideOnline, a magazine and website that promoted its Recipe for an American Renaissance: Eat in diners. Center Citys population is growing. Then there were our parents, the incense vendors, all those hookers on Broad and on 13th, my Quaker teachers with the puzzling facial hair. Schuylkill River Park, now family-friendly with its dog park (with special areas for big and small dogs) and creative landscape architecture, was rather seedy. as pictured in Philadelphia magazine in 1980. I visited the site of the former Aramingo, and it looked like about the only thing left to it was the foundation, so I chose not to include it in this list. Sep 13, 2019 - Restaurants that I ate at as a child..most no longer exist. A beaten down Mountain View diner that looks like the owners use it for storage or maybe converted it into a kitchen for their sports bar addition. Airys cedarbrook plaza. The Frazer Diner in Frazer is the only un altered Jerry O Mahony diner in existence.Built between 1929 and 1935 it was originally the Paoli but was moved to Frazer on Lancaster Ave, in 1957. We knew every corner of each others homes, including whose Rittenhouse Square rooftop made for the best water-balloon launching pad. These days, the legend lived on in Abington, until just a few days ago. That was largely original but sparsely patronized. Anyone can buy an old Winnebago or shipping container and call it a diner, but the term comes from builders to describe their newer, better more stationery lunch wagons to be sold and set up across the country. Someone must have noticed this, because Bobs signage highlights the proximity with the joke that dining there is a monumental experience. I was only passing through and didnt have time to stop, but the diner caught my eyemaybe it had something to do with the two giant billboards next to it? The ovation he received brought tears to his eyes Philly loved Teddy and he lived Philly. All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.See the list. But theres something about the national retail chains, about the people in teal, about the loss of diners and movie theaters in all their sticky-floored glory that makes me feel Center City has edged a bit too far toward the post-Giuliani NYC model of moneyed, sterilized urbanity. The Queen Village space was just gorgeous, too. I hope someone who loves diners reads this story and is moved to buy it and restore it. I also remember the great food in diners. The transformation will shatter your heart to see how the owners destroyed one of the worlds most gorgeous authentic diners and covered over or demolished the surface materials and original fixtures, most of which you cannot get or remake anywhere. It could have been dee dees it was about a half mile north of the aramingo. Diner manufacturers eventually centered in northern New Jersey, where for a good 70 years they produced iconic stainless steel restaurants. That looks like the store Teddy Pendergasss first manager had a beauty products center. The famed space at 1532 Walnut St. was briefly The Farm & Fisherman. Back then, these were not only the primary vectors for graffiti, but had torn and broken seats and rusted poles. Jose Garces might have had historical preservation in mind when he took Putting one in a museum is all well and good, but if you cant actually eat there whats the point? Its where I met my husband. Philadelphia restaurants long gone and greatly missed.My top-of-mind most-missed five:1. National retailers like Intermix and Michael Kors are coming to Walnut Street, where rents soar above the national average. But tax issues forced the spot to close earlier this year, which is a shame Phillys Greek scene is in something of a shambles (though were optimistic about the upcoming Koukouzeli), so it was exciting to see a concept pushing the envelope. There were also those nightclubs and discos: lan, Black Banana, Artemis, Revival, London Victory Club which, in glossy Studio 54 hindsight, must make Center City sound somewhat glamorous. Places Near Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA with 80s Night Clubs. the menu had a nice selection at great prices of salads,omelettes and sandwiches with also a speciality. In fact, you can still visit the previous diner in Newburgh, New York. McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia. The diner was built by Paramount and it still features the companys trademark wedding cake corners with the gazing ball ornament. Where else can you be greeted by name and your kids asked after? If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) In 1998, with diners at the peak of their resurgence, Ken tossed the idea into mix, and the hunt commenced. Now these places are a CVS, a Mandee, an empty lot, a soon-to-be-demolished historic relic. My boyfriend was pulled into an alley between Walnut and Chestnut and held at knifepoint; my necklace was ripped off while I was walking; my mother was mugged; purses were torn from shoulders; people threw bottles into store windows on days when the Phillies lost. The OMahony diner came to Philadelphia in the 1960s from Medford, Massachusetts where it operated as Carols Diner. Please let me know. But amid the onslaught of new restaurants opening all over the city year after year, there are the fallen soldiers: old-school spots that got priced out due to rising rents, hotshot chefs whose ambition outstripped their business sense (or maybe just their luck), and concepts that made great food but, for whatever reason, just didnt take. Thanks to a tip by someone who grew up in the Olney neighborhood I managed to find this diner which, up until that point, existed on no one elses list. The wagons, eventually manufacturedby several different companies, grew bigger and more ornate and semi-permanent. You wont leave hungry. I always make Bobs a stop on my 25-cent tour of Philadelphia. This is a diner built by Kullman Industries, which at the time wasthe oldest diner builders in the country. Great photos on the wall. The transit stations and concourses were so much more dismal back then that now when I find a SEPTA station unpleasant, I recall what used to be and think, Aw, thats just a tiny puddle of pee. Many of us went to preschool, elementary school and high school together. To Philadelphians of a certain age, the mere mention of the word diner meant the Melrose, an attitude cemented by the diners own long-running jingle, Those who know go to the Melrose.. Fond memories. I want a good meal at a reasonable price, but I also want to connect with actual peoplestaff and customers. Formerly known as Mil-Lees Luv-In, the diner did indeed have something of a hippie vibe during that era with its love beads and trippy menu graphics. In Mt. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Joes daughter Nancy runs the diner today, and itrecently received national attention thanks to Guy Fieris Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives program, which spotlighted their chicken croquettes. That would be so bad for me some 50 years later. greater. The seafood was tasty, the atmosphere was perfect and the vibe was upbeat. Eagle II The Kubach family, for whatever reason, apparently had a long-standing no photography policy in-or-outside of the diner. The banquet room at Tiffanys has been used as a filming location for Pennsylvania Lottery commercials. As I write, the diner is now boarded up after a fire closed it down last January. Trolley Car Diner, 7619 Germantown Avenue. This makes Hiroki, which opened in 2019, a welcome . 1. Or that the chef erred on the salty side with the otherwise tender pot roast? Back in the '80s, the place to go in Philadelphia for a punk rock show was the Khyber. We look to blogs such as these for straight talk, not depends on who you ask waffling. Pepsi Joe's (AKA Happy Paradise) (10th, above Race). Philadelphia dining. with snapper soup on the menu, theres no way that this newish iteration Everyone enjoys eating out at Santa Barbara's amazing array of eateries. It took another ten years before I managed to furtively snap a shot of the diners interior. Or maybe I just miss my old neighborhood. RESTAURANT & BAR HOURS. Diner-wise, this ones only for hard-core fans. Traces of the old diner mixed in with interior renovations atKims Korean Barbecue in Olney. See more ideas about memories, restaurant, howard johnson's. (2) Midtown Diners During the 1980s, many Vietnamese and other Asian immigrants settled in the city, particularly in the Italian Market area. The name was Carrolls Diner (not Carols) It was the familys last name. Freshly ground meat, a Melrose tradition, has been replaced by portion control. What is going on with this cemeterybillboards, a diner? For fifteen bucks, do you overlook the fact that the mashed potatoes were instant? Joe Palookas sports bar was to serve as one of several attractions in an ambitious heritage tourist development in Wilkes-Barre called Market Square that included the Lehigh Valley train depot, the Stegmaier brewery, a nightclub, and a collection of Pullman sleeper cars repurposed as a hotel. . The Big Greek Diner has generally thrived through the overall decline of the industry since the 1960s, largely because its owners reacted to the advance of minimized menus of fast food chains by piling it on. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Plus I always thought the Jersey diners had the best coffee I ever tasted, next to my dads that is. Forget its name but it sure was crowded at 2 am! Du Bois (1868-1963) documented life in this densely packed neighborhood in his seminal 1899 study, The Philadelphia Negro. Khyber Pass Pub. Why we miss it: Josh and Colleen Lawler's petite Washington Square West BYO turned out elegant farm-to-table, snout-to-tail fare . I remember going there as a kid with my dad and grandfather. Weinstein likes to cite, with some justification, the dinerschicken croquettes (a long Philadelphia culinary tradition) and milk shakes, and I can whole-heartedly vouch for the croquettes. They ruled that neighborhood. | Photo: Randy Garbin. absolute game changer, forever shifting the trajectory of Philadelphia Not sure if they serve diner fare besides the chinese menu. It was the kind of spot where everyone felt at home, the drinks were cheap, and the food was simplebut delicious. In the face of extreme competition, age, new layers of regulation, and increasing overhead, viability for a 50-seat, short-order restaurant becomes a Herculean task. for the luncheonettes griddled cheeseburgers or hand-scooped milkshakes, this Both Olexy and Sikora have since gone on to better things: heowns conceptsin Wilmington and Kennett Square, and shesbecome an iconic restaurateurinPhilly. The combo comes, oddly enough, with a dollop of tuna salad as well as fried shrimp, a crab cake, schrod, and scallops, my particular favorite. the end, hosting lavish breakfasts and brunches, power lunches and dinners Despite economic woes (recession and inflation), the energy crisis, urban decline, crime, and escalating restaurant prices, restaurant-going continued to rise. The big DeRaffele diner featured soaring folded-plate roof line, expansive plate glass windows, and a space-age interior that restaurateurs in places like New York and San Francisco spend a small fortune to recreate. Most of the time contractors use them to cover up the roof-top air conditioning units and to add additional height for increased profile. Polynesian-themed, date night spot on the 1700 block of Walnut Street. Can a diner still call itself Jewish-American after a Greek immigrant buys it? So true. Parents kept their stashes in the open. It was the Ritz for quite awhile and since has gone through many name changes. The original diner was built in the 1930s by OMahony, but at some pointprobably in the late 1950san expansion to the front of the diner almostdoubled the seating and added stainless steel cladding to the exterior. I live around the corner from the Oak Lane Diner. Does anyone have any information about what the Diner might have been called. What ever became of Littletons at Ogontz & Cheltenham Avenues? The diner has its own history that stretches back to the 1870s when food vendor Walter Scott in Providence, Rhode Island modifiedhis horse-drawn freight wagon into something akin to modern day food cartsand trucks seen all over Center Citya small vehiclefrom which hot meals are dispensed. Back then, it was like there was no one on duty. The point is, it was plenty neighborhoody. There are rats in Rittenhouse Square. The author in front of her house on Rodman Street with her father. Philadelphia Fish & Co. 207 Chestnut. The award-winning restaurant's unique dining style is a collaboration between celebrated restaurateur Stephen Starr and Aimee Olexy. The place had a well earned reputation for great food and friendly wait staff, and it was ruined, just like that. | Photo: Randy Garbin. All the golden goddesses! This city has been the butt of jokes for so long going back to W.C. Fields, after all that its still hard to believe that newcomers and investors finally consider it worthy. More often than not, the grill goes cold and a suburban chain moves in. People from Vietnam settled here in the 1980s and 90s, an influx that gave rise to hybrid French bakeries such as Ba Le (606 Washington Avenue) and noodle parlours like Pho 75 (1122 Washington . | Content Licensing, Copyright 1996-2023 GAYOT All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Disclaimer Terms of Use GAYOT (pronounced guy-OH) The Guide To The Good Life. Philadelphia's culinary world has long turned heads nationwide, only to bask in the spotlight once again when the prestigious 2022 James Beard Awards named 16 local chefs and restaurants as semifinalists. Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, My grandfather, Peter, built the heritage diner and then my dad, Steve, changed it to Sophias Diner and Stacys Pub. The Commissary - in its orginal configuration. Le Bec-Fin was a French restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that first opened in 1970.Owner and founder Georges Perrier named the restaurant after the French colloquialism for "fine palate". It was the most expensive item on the menu at $7.99!When they knocked it down they built a McDonalds there which I worked at for for 9 years! $$. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Revolution House, but for 60-plus years, this Second and Market corner was Sad long after selling and the fire. Center City Philadelphia has exclusive retail, superb restaurants, imposing new skyscrapers. Its ashame it changed hands so many times after the Ritz and failed each and every time. I worked for your grandfather Pete and your Dad from the age of 12 to 17 at the Heritage. Bobs was built by the Jerry OMahony company in Elizabeth, New Jersey at its post-war peak. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. | Photo: Randy Garbin. As the word "Olde" in its name implies, McGillin's is Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern. over the Bookbinders building between Front and Second on Walnut Street, but even Every diner taken over by the Michaels diner group, has suffered a precipitous drop in quality. Photograph by I. George Bilyk. In excellent condition, Weinsteinhad little restorative work to do, but he nevertheless faced a daunting task of connectingthe diner with the existing Roy Rogers building. Thanks to the internet you no longer have to waste hours of time and tankfuls of gas visiting local history museums, antique shops, and libraries to find vintage photos of diners and other roadside attractions consigned to history or often transformed into something else. One of the most tragic losses to the roster of Philadelphia diners came with the demolition of the long-suffering Wayne Junction Diner. Now demolished to make it a storage lot. I suppose so. But I think its also that we Center City kids of the 70s and early 80s enjoyed a lot of freedom in our comparatively down-at-its-heels, unmanicured downtown. Sbraga told him he had fond memories of dining with his family at the Pub in Pennsauken, N.J. during the 1980s. Silk City But Taco Angelenosstraightforward, L.A.-style tacos flavorful slow-braised meats, a simple toppings bar of chopped onion, radish, cilantro and curtido, and seitan for vegetarians this is West Philly, after all filled that void. From there, unfortunately, it was all downhill. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. Also now gone. Recently, a seersucker-and-madras-clad man at a Mural Arts event I went to railed against graffitis cancerous, corrosive effect on Philadelphia. Stephen Starr converted a mid-1960s Fodero diner and appropriately swanked the joint up making it one of the citys best known martini lounges. Patty Brett, the owner of the uniquely unchanging Doobies at 22nd and Lombard, remembers packs of wild dogs running loose in the area: There were many abandoned churches and gas stations in our neighborhood. I forget its name at the time, but it could have been Stacys Place.. Behind the foreboding, Darth Vader-like facade sits a late-1930s Silk City diner that serves up the most basic of menus. I like mostly everything, but when I come for breakfast I get the omelette simply because Ive yet to find another true diner in the region that makes them as perfectly as Bobs. Required fields are marked *. In its heyday, the . Everyone take care! The big sign outside advertises homemade bread, which you can get on the side with one of your breakfast dishes. . From international The big Greek-style diner still reigns supreme in the Northeast Corridor. Up until that time the Mulholland family ran, what was in my estimation, the best of the big Philly diners in terms of its preservation, food, and overall hospitality. But the retail counter was nixed and replaced with a full-service bar 2013 andearlier this year, the conceptbecame one of the surprisingly few casualties in Garces Groups recent restructuring due to outstanding debts. Most entrees on the menu cost less than $15, and we felt just as welcome there as the dozens of localsaround us. . I like how Starrs designers paid loving homage to the Mad Men era by stripping away some of the diners original colonial-style trappings. Thats wear Teddy Pendergass made his first public appearance and sang since his terrible accident. They really dont build them like this anymore. The next event in Phoenixville Public Library's co-sponsored "Community Gardening around the Village" series will take place on Sunday, March 5, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. From there, others imitated his success until Samuel Jones in Worcester, Massachusetts began building and selling more of these lunch wagons for others to operate. The Mayfair, The Country Club, likewise. Continue with Recommended Cookies. He gave me my first French kiss at the TLA, back when it was a movie theater that showed cartoons during the day, repertory film at night, and Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight. Trolley Car strikes that rare balance between food quality and attitude. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Days Deli was my favorite, until it closed; the rumor was that someone affiliated with the restaurant had put the profits up his nose. It adjoined a convenience store, and in back were rows of booths where you could while away hours smoking cigarettes with Jasons, Jennifers and Michaels. Im both stunned that they chose Philly and aggravated by all their complaints which, if theyve moved here from Portland, can be quite numerous. Philly has been in the midst of a long-lived restaurant boom that shows no signs of slowing. Im not a fussy eater. Kabobeesh serves Indian and Pakistani food. Thank you meme. I feel like I cant truly enjoy a vacation or visiting a town without going to a local diner. Somewhere under that brooding exterior is a shiny, 1950s structure. Word has it that Bobs owner Jim Evans has the place up for sale, but as hes currently asking an obscene amount of money$1.9 milliondont expect any major changes soon. There are now two Farm & Fisherman Taverns, one in Horsham and one in Cherry Hill. That is, until 2008 when Bennigan's went bankrupt. Instead, Chef and owner Kevin Sbraga invites guests to be instantly transported to the 1980s at Juniper Commons, his new restaurant on South Broad Street in Philadelphia. The food is better, but kids dont go there to spill secrets over a shared can of seltzer and a ham and cheese sandwich. Spice Grill in Port Richmond. Northern Liberties was the land located north of the original 1682 boundary of Philadelphia and early purchasers of land in Philadelphia would also be granted a lot in Northern Liberties. 2400 Market St 4th Fl. Meanwhile, the western blocks of South Street became a bustling African American shopping and entertainment strip. I admire them for sticking it out. And so on. Now home to the trendy Mexican restaurant Lucha Cartel, Philadelphia Fish & Co. was a staple in Old City. Judging by the all the online reviews, past impressions, and tips from fellow diner fanatics, the desserts remain the menus real attraction. http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/no-it-s-not-your-opinion-you-re-just-wrong-updated-7611752, You would be better served by using classic instead of real, Another great diner is 4 Seasons on Cottman and Blvd. Good soups and lunch. Senior year, a friend and I went to see Hannah and Her Sisters. I have been telling my now hubby that my parents and family would go there after bowling .They were in a league. But once upon a time, before the city's restaurant renaissance, downtown Philly was renowned less for its munchies than for its dark and sexy nightclubs. vending machines-meets-restaurant featured walls of serve yourself windows If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. But Chifa was also the first Garces restaurant to falter, closing after four years in business. My last visit for Sunday breakfast found the place busier than the OHare Airport at Thanksgiving, and the meals met with my partys expectations, except for the home fries. Required fields are marked *. The fact that so few pristine examples remain should give anyone with an appreciation for aesthetic and structural quality reason enough to at least go in one and get a cup of coffee on a regular basis. Children playing in the Art Museum fountains in August 1973. 2. There was also Jersey Queen Dairy who began delivering milk in the city by horse and carriage. Seen here in 1993 during a bus tour of the regions diners sponsored by the Society of Commercial Archeology, the sale of the 1940 Paramount attracted a great deal of interest, but ultimately no takers. The Crime rates in the 1980s Philadelphia were very high. I guess he wasnt here in 1976, when KAP the Bicentennial Kid tagged the Art Museum and the Liberty Bell. could hold a candle to the Old Original Bookbinders. Bringing the spirit of the decade to life with quintessential . Little PetesClosed in: 2017The iconic 24-hour diner at 17th and Chancellor was one of the dwindling number of places in the heart of Center City where folks from all walks of life could congregate over a plate of scrapple or corned beef. | Restaurant Rating System