philadelphia restaurants in the 1980s

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. And It always hurts me (2) Midtown Diners It isnt constructed on-site, but rather brought to a semi-permanent location. His marketing calls it a 50s-themed diner, but you wont see a Marilyn Monroe cutout greeting you at the door and you wont get barraged with Chubby Checker on the overhead sound system. The stronghold of McDonald's, Pizza Hut , Burger King, and other giants of the '80s made the competition stiff. Bobs was built by the Jerry OMahony company in Elizabeth, New Jersey at its post-war peak. 3 lived at 17th and Pine with her mom and stepdad and the largest dining room table Id ever seen. Previously, The Pump House: Yes: From's Restaurant: Prices Corner, Kirkwood Highway Kids discussed open marriages in art class, and the 2000 block of Sansom Street was the bohemian center of the west-of-Broad universe, with head shops, cafes and clubs that leaked strains of poetry, jazz, disco, and the smoke of that natural plant. 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. The diners manager approached me on the sidewalk demanding to know why I was taking pictures. Press Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. Check out this slice of life story from the World War II era, compliments of Curbed Philly. Photograph: Courtesy Vetri. 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. Those in the market for a Philly Surf n Coach House Restaurant: 1980-1999 - Returned 2002-2003 See 2605 Philadelphia Pike: Page 2 Page 3: Coach 'N Four: Open 1964 - 1970 See 2605 Philadelphia Pike: Yes: . DNA evidence linked Herman Lee Hobbs to the August 1980 death of 21-year-old Holly Ann Campiglia, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said in a statement this week. 2023 BygonelyPrivacy policyTerms of ServiceContact us. Like the renovations at the Melrose, they could have been much worse, and Petrogiannis even applied a restrained and classy palate to the interior. by Craig LaBan. We were married for 27 years before he died too young of cancer. 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. Also now gone. Why we miss it: Josh and Colleen Lawler's petite Washington Square West BYO turned out elegant farm-to-table, snout-to-tail fare . For those I remember the Mayfair diner. 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. Hey Friend, Before You Go.. The diner was likely built by either OMahony or Mountain View, but, except for the terrazzo floor, youll find almost no features that would indicate pedigree. interested in a peak at early aughts dining, the restaurants It consisted of about 4 or 5 booths on ether side of the central entrance and a counter. vending machines-meets-restaurant featured walls of serve yourself windows At one time, the mere word diner meant among other things that it never closed. Oh. The name was Carrolls Diner (not Carols) It was the familys last name. There are now two Farm & Fisherman Taverns, one in Horsham and one in Cherry Hill. Most are gone now, I think. Built in 1949 by Paramount to a standard of quality that no one else could match, it served in the 1990s as one of two American Diners in Philadelphia and was an attempt to upscale the traditional diner menu. There isnt a true diner anywhere in this region that makes them as good as Bobs. I believe the diner was called the Heritage before it was the Ritz, and I remember the manager or owner was Steve? Map. worldwide team of discerning professionalsand your views, too. I only ate there once and the food was so-so, but I had made the mistake of ordering from the dinner menu, when everyone knows the best food at any diner is breakfast food. Within the Philadelphia city limits, if you want the true, blue-collar, meat-and-mashed experience inside the real McCoy of vintage American diners, staffed with seasoned, fast-talking, tough-but-tender, maternal waitresses, you will find it in exactly one place: Bobs Diner in Roxborough. I want people to live here, to thrive here. The city elected its first Black mayor in 1983, W. Wilson Goode, whose first administration was marred by the 1985 Move tragedy. Read page 1980 of the latest Best Of news, headlines, stories, photos, and video from CBS News. I liked its gritty spirit. (This suspicion of nice things began early.). Its sad what became of The Ritz. The family also owned Alexanders restaurant in Abington up the road. 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. . Sometimes it requires a fresh approach and maybe one that most might think is crazy. This makes Hiroki, which opened in 2019, a welcome . My dad used to take us to Dee Dees for dinner when I was a kid We lived on Belgrade St. back then. Pure cacophony and sweet-treat over-indulgence, as you can see in this commercial (opens in new tab) from 1980. | Photo: Randy Garbin. accolades to pleasure of visiting the Queen Village location know that theres nothing Fodero became one of the leading builders of these Mediterranean diners that truly began to reflect the tastes and preferences of their owners. 3k Views. The real estate developer Ken Weinstein loves Germantown Avenue. These days, Poses runs a catering company and onsite eateries at Including the restaurant that arguably introduced Buffalo wings to Philadelphia. This roundup features what I believe to be the citys best and most significant examples of the the classic American diner. I waitressed there for several months in the early/mid-1970s. Tam O'Shanter in Los Feliz, which dates back to 1922, is one of the oldest restaurants in the city and is owned by the same family as Lawry's. Though the menu is very similar to the upscale Beverly Hills steakhouse, The Tam's aesthetic is somewhere between a medieval drinking tavern and the Seven Dwarfs' cottage. Greater Philadelphia's restaurants have illuminated the region's socioeconomic, cultural, and culinary trends while also providing sustenance for millions. the most talked-about dish in Manhattan" in the 1970s became an unrelenting culinary joke of the 1980s, . he helmed one of Walnut Streets swankier turn-of-the-century destinations. I want a good meal at a reasonable price, but I also want to connect with actual peoplestaff and customers. And for post-dining . The wagons, eventually manufacturedby several different companies, grew bigger and more ornate and semi-permanent. 1. Talula's Garden. I grew up in one as my father owned the Domino Diner. Greater Philadelphia. Revolution House, but for 60-plus years, this Second and Market corner was last May, no late night in Rittenhouse Square was complete without a trip to this Its dirty. Quaker Diner on Rising Sun has been remodeled recently: https://foxchasereview.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/quaker-diner-time-to-revisit-an-old-friend/. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. You wont leave hungry. My father and his partner owned the Domino Diner up until 1986. 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. Your email address will not be published. CLOSED NOW. Photograph by the Associated Press, SEPTAs Broad Street Line, as pictured in Philadelphia magazine in 1980. The city elected its first Black mayor in 1983, W. Wilson Goode, whose first administration . Youd never know from the retractable roof and wood-fired menu of For some native Philadelphians like me, all of this is difficult to absorb. This was the center of our universe. The Kubach family, for whatever reason, apparently had a long-standing no photography policy in-or-outside of the diner. Only bother to go here if youre a hard-core diner fanatic. The best diners pay loving homage to its past, but also strive to write their own history and become landmarks in their own right. 215-546-4455. Center City Philadelphia has exclusive retail, superb restaurants, imposing new skyscrapers. Philadelphia Fish & Co. 207 Chestnut. Read more G.W. South Philadelphia was ravaged by Mafia warfare, gangs invaded the slums, and the murder rate skyrocketed. Kabobeesh serves Indian and Pakistani food. All things considered, one has to appreciate Stephen Starrs imaginative updating of The Continental. No thank you, when Ive been out all night and Im hitting the diner on the way home, I want a friendly face and some solid breakfast. Updated on Nov 18, 2019, 5:00 a.m. his GQ wrote, Philadelphia has more going for it now than ever.. Please like & follow for more interesting content. I often say that the best way to preserve diners is to keep them viable. Some great diners in S. Jersey. Open in Google Maps. Im sorry to inform you that it closed just last yearand has now been remodeled into an urgent care center! Write by: . Today the diner seats more than 250 people. Ithelped put Girard Avenue on the citys dining radar a decade ago, and that highly affordable,Best of Philly-worthytasting menu was a crazy good deal (and just crazy good). About 6,000 were built; today, some 1,800 remain with roughly two thirds still in food-service operation. MONDAY - FRIDAY. Even though nations first automat restaurant made its debut in They also all use the same playbook so any differences become nuance. Most extant diners likely came from a New Jersey factory. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. 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. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. From World War II until the 1980s, the Philadelphia area was home to many of these "old line, crockery, silver and glass restaurants." There were 24 Linton's, 44 Horn and Hardart's and 18 Dewey's. . . Silk City, currently owned by restauranteur Mark Bee, has diversified its revenue stream with the night club and bar which frees it from relying upon the weekend breakfast trade that so many smaller diners live or die by. One of the developments that sparked the resurgence of interest in the American diner came about with the reimagining of the concept by the owners of the Empire Diner in New York in 1976. The Dining Car makes up for this with desserts. For some reason that roll along the roofline became an extremely popular motif on retro-styled diners starting back in the mid-1990s. 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. Zounds was rough. Philadelphia has its share of them, and the Oregon Diner on Oregon Avenueexemplifies the experience. 1617 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19102. Gus' Oyester House Milano Family Philadelphia, PA Closed Gus's Restaurant 713 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 1949-1959 Closed. Food was good, too! I worked as a waitress at Bobs Diner for two summers when I was home from Penn State in the early 70s. Stuccoed into obscurity at Annas. The city's vibrant restaurant scene has grown tremendously in recent years. Also the side dishes were very good. Melrose really had some good food under the Kubachs. I have the original plans and zoning for the building. Weinsteinand his then-partner Bob Elfant brainstormed an idea to bring a family-style restaurant to the former Roy Rogers location on Germantown. They live on in the form of dead Yelp pages and in our memories. He claims to know all the dinners. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Now these places are a CVS, a Mandee, an empty lot, a soon-to-be-demolished historic relic. The author in front of her house on Rodman Street with her father. During the 1980s, many Vietnamese and other Asian immigrants settled in the city, particularly in the Italian Market area. Recently, a seersucker-and-madras-clad man at a Mural Arts event I went to railed against graffitis cancerous, corrosive effect on Philadelphia. In honor of Classics Week, it's time for a fond look back at long-gone Dallas restaurants, beginning with a visual tour of vintage Dallas restaurant menus. Enjoyed this article, but am left wondering: Whats up with Bobs being more or less in a graveyard? Fifteen years later Weinstein has proven both his knowledge of his market and his appreciation for the authentic diner experienceone refreshingly devoid of cutesy, cheap nostalgia that rises far above the tired greasy spoon trope. There were so many: the Eric Twin Rittenhouse at 19th and Walnut; Sams Place and the SamEric at 19th and Chestnut; Erics Place at 15th and Chestnut; Erics Mark 1 at 18th and Market; the Goldman Theatre at Broad and Chestnut; the Roxy (when it showed films from odd places like Canada); more Im not thinking of. Even though it's been serving beer and pub food for over 150 years, you can still count on McGillin's for a good time. dining. Black-owned restaurants were especially numerous. Good soups and lunch. The Square had no profusion of roses in front of the lion statue. Closed in: 2016. Little Petes on Chestnut Street Philadelphia dining. Jasons exotically beautiful mom lived on Pine Street, but his dads place was on the Square. The gauzy visions of a prosperous and dynamic Center City that once seemed like pipe dreams have, in large part, become reality. I give the food here very high marks, and youll find items on the menu you dont expect to find in a traditional diner which always works for me. Sorry, Bern, but thats just not true. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. But even with incredible eating options debuting on It all shuttered by late 1999. When I was a kid, the graffiti was so omnipresent, it became the citys signature. In the case of the Broad Street Diner, they also replaced a shoddy vinyl awning that adorned the restaurantfor years. The waitress might call you hon, not because afocus group demanded it, but because that is how she talks. That is, until 2008 when Bennigan's went bankrupt. Sociologist W.E.B. 6. In the first decade of the 21st century, Petrogiannis also snapped up the Tiffany, Country Club, and Broad Street diners. On June 6, the City posted a notice on the front door demanding its owners to either fix it or tear it down. Whether that was a sign of things to come with the celebrity chef Chifa waseventually replaced with Cuban diner Rosa Bianca, another concept that didnt take or it just opened a decade or so before its time, it would have been nice for Peruvian fare to take hold in the city back then. It took another ten years before I managed to furtively snap a shot of the diners interior. In Mt. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. over the Bookbinders building between Front and Second on Walnut Street, but even Diner on the Square Bookers has filled the soul food void in the neighborhood with its upscale take, but theres nothing quite like enjoying a Citywide alongside a platter of top-notch fried chicken, collards, and candied yams in a dark bar withyour neighbors belting karaokein the background. As an added bonus, a seat at the counter gives you front-row access to the action. Plus I always thought the Jersey diners had the best coffee I ever tasted, next to my dads that is. This article was intended to document only REAL prefabricated diners, i.e. Inside, the owners have built in a private dining room, but split the rest of the space for open seating and waitress service. 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. Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are different from the majority of Champagnes.Check the list. My great uncle, Pete Kyriakodis opened what is now know as the New Boulevard / Five Star Diner a long time ago. | Photo: Randy Garbin. These days it serves up Mexican fare as Jessis Diner behind a horrible brick faade which was installed by the previous owner. Center Citys population is growing. It is a true-and-tried diner. Today, I can get stopped at the doors of an upscale hotel or silently ejected from a fancy boutique with an icy glare. 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 eggs were so-so, the homefries were lame, and the bacon was the thinnest cut Id ever seen, it was literally transparent. Your email address will not be published. Casa Espana now serves as a nightclub. In its place first came the colonial style diner, then the Mediterranean style diner complete with Doric columns, the modern design and its glassy glitz, or some unfortunate melange of all three. Finelli had two places, one on Tenth Street above Chestnut, and another on Chestnut east side of Broad. anno 1980). Steel's, Finelli's and Dooner's were among the exclusive drinking resorts of the early eighties. 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". Contemporary Americansseem to prefer fast-casual chains (like Panera Bread) over diners, where you canget a pretty good meal for not a lot of money and you dont have to bother with aserver. One thing remains the same, though: the rats. Put a porch on your house. New Boulevard Diner, 11650 Roosevelt Boulevard, New Boulevard recently changed their name to the Five Star Diner. Great memories! run as a restaurant and morphing into fast fashion optical retailer Warby I MEET SO MANY people now who have moved to Philadelphia in the past 10 years and stayed. You could get your wallet stolen, or at the least your pile of quarters. In many ways, his designers improved upon the original interior that is as rare as a perfect omelette. If you want meatloaf you can get that, but you can also get jambalaya or a big, leafy salad instead and polish it all off with a bottle of Ommegang Hennepin ale. The diner also offered a lot of benefits to employees which was why so many stayed a long time. that made it all possible. 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. City Hall was a mess. A lot of Center City has. McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia. Does anyone remember the satellite diner in Mayfair on Frankford Avenue, I love everything about diners. The first Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant opened in downtown Minneapolis in 1975 and was one of the breakout restaurants of the year; by 1986 a whopping 237 locations had been opened, with 42 opening in 1985 alone. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Boulevard Diner is now part of a car dealer. Sad on both counts. The diner, one of the anchors of the neighborhood, remains boarded up. At Peter Dooner's one met the epicure element, les bon vivants of the town. Khmer KitchenClosed in: 2018Thisfamily-run BYO in Pennsport repped Cambodian cuisine,broadening the scope of the citys dining scene and serving incredible chicken curry and pleah (spicy raw beef saladwith lime, peanuts, and fresh mint) in the process. Facebook/McGillin's Olde Ale House. Italian roll could get their fix on Old York Road, and those who had the If I can have a slice of meat loaf and my friend can munch on edamame while we sip a cocktail, everyone wins, and the diner lives on to serve a new generation. Ask ANYONE who remembers. In total, his restaurants represent about 900 seats. Tumbleweeds of garbage traveled by. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. I think its called Walnut? Ill point the way, and then imagine her browsing at Barneys and Lagos, then having a drink at Rouges sidewalk cafe before heading back to her room at the Hotel Monaco. Theres too much crime. In Center City, giant modern skyscrapers were designed by world-renowned architects in the Old City and South Street areas. Lets cut the nonsense, shall we? But greater food service regulation, rising food prices, increasing labor costs, and operator burnout further endanger these cultural iconsand once the doors close on these places they wont likely reopen assomething we identifyas a diner. with snapper soup on the menu, theres no way that this newish iteration Charcoal House Nick Evlon 1836 Lovering Ave, Wilmington, DE 1973-1980s Closed Charlotte's Restaurant Jimmy Costalas 3207 W. Chester Pike, Newtown Sq., PA 1991-Present Operating . The Queen Village space was just gorgeous, too. The seafood was tasty, the atmosphere was perfect and the vibe was upbeat. 9/Washington: The first Vietnamese restaurant in Philly, I believe (ca. Children playing in the Art Museum fountains in August 1973. But dinner there was a big treat when I was a child in the 60s. Last week, Jeff Gordinier of The New York Times wrote a profile of chef Kevin Sbraga and his new restaurant Juniper Commons. The Big Greek Diner typically gives you a lot of food for the money. Most of the time contractors use them to cover up the roof-top air conditioning units and to add additional height for increased profile. Do remember the Diner on Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr called the Blu Comet around late 1950s till 1972. Enjoying our content? Out of respect for the people who run and staff them, I never refer to diners as greasy spoons, but I revere any sign that the kitchen expresses a love of cooking. 1970s philadelphia restaurants. The Farm-to-Table OG. The big Greek-style diner still reigns supreme in the Northeast Corridor. They tortured me and my friends during grade school because we had no choice but to encroach on their turf: Our school was at 25th and Lombard, and recess was at their park. More often than not, the grill goes cold and a suburban chain moves in. The Farm & Fisherman Closed in: 2016Why wemiss it: Josh and Colleen Lawlers petite Washington Square West BYOturned outelegant farm-to-table, snout-to-tail fare they famously had no walk-in refrigeration, meaning that fresh ingredients were constantly coming into the restaurant. The Frazer was built in the mid-1930s. In 2006, Michael Petrogiannis bought this one too and proceeded to make significant interior renovations that improved upon the diners formerly dark and ponderous atmosphere. Parents kept their stashes in the open. closure took with it the title for worlds largest indoor lobster tank and a retro Kims Korean Barbecue, 5955 North 5th Street, Asian fusion. Strictly speaking, adiner is a prefabricated food-service structure with counter service and tables. Its where I met my husband. Great photos on the wall. From international 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. Freshly ground meat, a Melrose tradition, has been replaced by portion control. Randy Garbin Randy Garbin has traveled the countrys back roads and Main Streets in search of diners, roadside attractions, and the great mom and pop enterprise. The is an ad of the Blu Comet Diner on page 3 of the Website. Only one of us was brave enough to go in; the rest waited outside, flat against the wall, like felons in a lineup. Yet another Petrogiannis acquisition. Venerable Old Original Bookbinder's, Second and Walnut, is one of many restaurants Philadelphians still miss. The Pub had four satellite locations around town two in Center Menu-wise, the Trolley Car reflects Weinsteins intention to bring a family restaurant to the neighborhood. $$. A visual blast from the past. a seafood-centric menu, heavy on the truffles and Champagne. Only a couple of years later Swingle would close up shop, but Morozins request pushed diner manufacturers to fashion restaurants in various styles dictated by the often-dubious tastes of the operator. Thank you so much for sharing a great posts. Glad I had that experience. Disingenuousness aside, the Melrose earned a reputation for its baked goods and sterling service. Price $$$$$. looks like the Oak Lane died as well. 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. Now we could proudly speak of world class art museums, a dynamic restaurant scene, the profusion of pop-up gardens and public green space, and booming . An estimated area population of 1,204,799 in 1937 was served by 120 hotels. Moreover, many Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America have settled in North Philadelphia. Randy, thank you for acknowledging the Spice Grill located at 3447 Richmond Street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Just for the nostalgia and reminiscing those good old days. Photograph by Dick Swanson/The National Archive, The opening of Return of the Jedi at the SamEric theater, better known as the Boyd Theater, which is now slated for demolition. MILLER III / File Photograph. People might offer you drugs. I worked at Olive Mill Bistro in the late 1970s and was maitre'd of Ristorante . For a number of years a group of 6-10 friends and co workers would park near the Domino Diner and go on a 20-30 mile bike ride, returning to the Domino for a late breakfast. I feel like I cant truly enjoy a vacation or visiting a town without going to a local diner. Howard johnson's. Although younger generations may know of Howard Johnson's thanks to Mad Men, '70s kids will remember actually visiting the orange-roofed restaurant chain. If you had the good fortune to see itbefore 2000 and havent seen it since, stay away. Rundown of Eateries Opened from 1875 to 1986. I always knew I was in good hands when a waitress would appear asking Whatll youse have, hon? I would bar-be-cue my dear old grandmama to be able to move back to Philadelphia. Racial strife and police brutality were endemic. My friends dad picked us up in his car one day without any clothes on. 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! So why do I miss the dirty, second-rate downtown I grew up in? By any measure, Center City is booming, and that is a good thing. In the 80s he built the Ritz. The Domino Diner facts were about 99% correct with the exception of the operating name at its original location in Medford, Massachusetts. The boy moved to New York, which was sad (according to my diary), but I miss the old TLA more. Continue with Recommended Cookies. This was the place to reconnoiter, the hub, the treehouse club, the HQ. In February, when Lonely Planet named Philadelphia the best U.S. travel destination for 2016, the city's tired reputation for cheesesteaks, Rocky movies, corruption, and blight-cliches of 1981 or thereabouts-seemed finally put to rest. What looked like the longest, stainless steel diner on the planet (which was actually a very long diner married expertly to an existing cinder-block, stainless-clad addition) welcomed you inside with nothing but superlatives.