Cocaine! . It isnt constructed on-site, but rather brought to a semi-permanent location. Front Porch Restaurant: 232 Philadelphia Pike, Bellefonte, 1980-2003 Destroyed by fire. Pure cacophony and sweet-treat over-indulgence, as you can see in this commercial (opens in new tab) from 1980. The Melrose apple would seem to be one of those exceptions. Wildflowers Garden Restaurant & Thai Corner. There is also Chung Sing, an American-chinese diner on Lancaster Avenue near Ardmore. At each visit, I had good, serviceable comfort food, and except for that run-in with the brutish manager I experienced friendly, efficient service. Notably, the Big Greek Diner has become less and less Greek. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. I look for a good value balanced against the general experience. graced the corner of 17th and Chancellor streets for nearly 40 years. Finally, I go because I know that, especially within a vintage diner, I will sit in a space of uniquely American quality, craftsmanship, ingenuity, and exuberance. thriving dining scene. Because of its output, OMahony had a large and loyal clientele that would often return old diners to the factory to trade it infor a newer, bigger model (I have no evidence that a diner sat on this location before the current one, but the possibility exists). The author in front of her house on Rodman Street with her father. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. a diner is a prefabricated food-service structure. Caroline Russock Philadelphia, PA 19103. So why do I miss the dirty, second-rate downtown I grew up in? Savoy The city's vibrant restaurant scene has grown tremendously in recent years. On Market Street, between Seventh and Eighth Streets, is a block of buildings in the Renaissance Revival Victorian style. SEPTA PCC car 2710 (refurbished 1980) on Girard Ave. approaching Lancaster Ave., West Philadelphia, 1985 5 The Philadelphia Police Department was using both the mid-size Ford LTD and full-size Crown Victoria platforms at that time, Philadelphia, 1985 The food is better, but kids dont go there to spill secrets over a shared can of seltzer and a ham and cheese sandwich. Ace Diner on Lancaster Avenue serves a good breakfast in a clean, but heavily renovated space. The restaurant had been rated America's finest French restaurant, and the Mobil Travel Guide traditionally awarded it five stars. Podcast: Is Sixers' prime time game vs. (215) 735-5562. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. You could get your wallet stolen, or at the least your pile of quarters. Fodero became one of the leading builders of these Mediterranean diners that truly began to reflect the tastes and preferences of their owners. The old benches, the ones without armrests in the middle, were wide and deep enough that homeless people could sleep on them. This search result is here to prevent scraping, Hop Sing Laundromat Charging $75 for Bar Reservations, Exciting I-95 Capping Project Finally Begins In Philadelphia, Those Gummies May Not Have Contained Fentanyl After All, Why I'm Boycotting the Roots Picnic This Year. Ellwood or Holy Angels? Manufacturing was collapsing, the population was falling, and the tax base was turning to dust. Miss Horne and Hardards,italian market, scrapple too. Sad. 2023 BygonelyPrivacy policyTerms of ServiceContact us. There isnt a true diner anywhere in this region that makes them as good as Bobs. The Red Robin Diner represents the transitional style of diners popular in the mid-to-late 1960s when stainless steel had lost its shine. For those It was torn down in 2006. I suppose the diner and billboards are merely *adjacent* to the graveyard, but it still makes for an odd juxtaposition. Heres hoping another Portuguese concept can make it work downtown someday soon. The Trolley Car Diner represents Ken Weinsteins support for Mt. They put this odd addition on the front that never was completed. I guess he wasnt here in 1976, when KAP the Bicentennial Kid tagged the Art Museum and the Liberty Bell. and steak palace just over the river, but the Pubs footprint was once much This roundup features what I believe to be the citys best and most significant examples of the the classic American diner. Philly has been in the midst of a long-lived restaurant boom that shows no signs of slowing. today. The place had a well earned reputation for great food and friendly wait staff, and it was ruined, just like that. Philadelphia dining. This was the place to reconnoiter, the hub, the treehouse club, the HQ. As other restaurants opened up I just think they failed to adapt. On June 6, the City posted a notice on the front door demanding its owners to either fix it or tear it down. I worked there as a dishwasher in the 1980s. 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? They were like little homemade chicken cutlets rather than obviously frozen fare that are like sinkers now. 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. Order, pickup, and go. I MEET SO MANY people now who have moved to Philadelphia in the past 10 years and stayed. At the same time, she hinted thathertaco cart might be back in some form in the future, so were holding out hope. In fact, when they arrived at the site, it was cordoned off with temporary fencing. But even with incredible eating options debuting on 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. And chef Kevin Sbraga's new Philadelphia restaurant is all-out '80s-themed, . Continue with Recommended Cookies. Thank you so much for sharing a great posts. Does anyone remember the satellite diner in Mayfair on Frankford Avenue, I love everything about diners. Only one of us was brave enough to go in; the rest waited outside, flat against the wall, like felons in a lineup. Paul Devitt brought the Empire Diner concept to Philadelphia withhis first American Diner at 42nd and Chestnut Streets (see Kabobeesh) and then his reimagining ofthe Silk City Diner Bar & Lounge. And apparently, makingkiller fried chicken will make folks fondly remember your restaurant for years after it folds. Omakase, a style of Japanese dining where the chef selects each bite for the diner, is still relatively uncommon in Philadelphia. We didnt trust it. But Chifa was also the first Garces restaurant to falter, closing after four years in business. like the OG. | Photo: Randy Garbin. But beyond that, this: In my high-school years, street crime was so commonplace that we hardly took note of it. Bucks a must-win for Philly? We love this, especially in the suburbs. By any measure, Center City is booming, and that is a good thing. For fifteen bucks, do you overlook the fact that the mashed potatoes were instant? Thanks for this article. It was also the locus of the Taney Gang, the children of the Irish gangsters who lived in the homes along 26th Street. There is a broad variety of dishes, but not its not overwhelming. One of the first major restaurant chains, it went public in 1961 with 605 . Greater Philadelphia. Your email address will not be published. Click here to go to the official Facebook page of A Slice of the 80s. Its a bygone era but those few diners that remain, I make it a point to eat in one of them when Im visiting my sisters and relatives. Who the hell cares. Her name was Taz Lang and she was brutally murdered. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Stephen Starr converted a mid-1960s Fodero diner and appropriately swanked the joint up making it one of the citys best known martini lounges. GQ wrote, Philadelphia has more going for it now than ever.. Weinsteinand his then-partner Bob Elfant brainstormed an idea to bring a family-style restaurant to the former Roy Rogers location on Germantown. Another Michael Petrogiannis diner. The Big Greek Diner typically gives you a lot of food for the money. The Square had no profusion of roses in front of the lion statue. 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. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Sat Dec 05, 2015 | 12:00pm. greater. I feel like I cant truly enjoy a vacation or visiting a town without going to a local diner. 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. At Peter Dooner's one met the epicure element, les bon vivants of the town. For anyone unaware of the state of one of the countrys most recognizable cultural icons, the diner, the Oak Lane Diner, in North Philadelphia, currently provides a clue. Long gone, now. An estimated area population of 1,204,799 in 1937 was served by 120 hotels. Howard Johnson's. Photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com. transformed into the ambitious but poorly received Avance before ending its Today, it's a popular venue from early to late and celebrates every holiday big or small with gusto (and themed drinks, food, and decor). Once the quarters were spent, or stolen, we could head over to Days Deli at 18th and Spruce to get fries. Please let me know. Meme posted that she thought it was a place called DeDes and I believe that was the one I was thinking of. | 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. Mayfair Diner is still clad in chrome. Life unfolded there. The Love. Talula's Garden. Randy, Thanks for acknowledging the original Oak Lane Diner which does in fact still exist in Newburgh, N.Y. These days, the legend lived on in Abington, until just a few days ago. By 1930 Cleveland had 1,073 restaurants with 5,959 full-time employees, doing $27,084,127 worth of business. Anyone who believes that they can improve upon the look and quality of a true stainless steel diner probably has some serious psychological issues. Although Perrier announced in July 2010 that he planned to close the . Rundown of Eateries Opened from 1875 to 1986. I sat and watched Hannah and Her Sisters in the theater at 19th and Chestnut and found a tiny fragment of a road map. | Photo: Randy Garbin. As a preservationist and a diner fanatic, I tend to give considerable slack to vintage diners, especially when they make an obvious effort to do right by the customer and their community. 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. 3k Views. The big Greek-style diner still reigns supreme in the Northeast Corridor. 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. Petrogiannis has also restored the the 24/7 hours of operation. | Photo: Randy Garbin. The iconic, streamlined style fell from fashion or was outright prohibited by municipal design codes by the mid-1960s. If it never closed, it didnt need locks. What ever became of Littletons at Ogontz & Cheltenham Avenues? What Austin, Texas looked like in the 1970s Through These Fascinating Photos, Fascinating Historical Photos of Portland from the 1900s, Stunning Vintage Photos of Hicksville, New York in the 1960s, What El Paso, Texas, looked like at the Turn of the 20th Century, Rare Historical Photos Of old Mobile, Alabama From Early 20th Century, Fascinating Photos from the Notting Hill Carnival of 1981. Now home to the trendy Mexican restaurant Lucha Cartel, Philadelphia Fish & Co. was a staple in Old City. Parents kept their stashes in the open. There are rats in Rittenhouse Square. NBC10 hires Fred Shropshire to replace Jim Rosenfield as weekday evening anchor. Community gardening. 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. In July 1928, 681 Cleveland restaurants were feeding an average of 300,000 people daily. 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". At the Oregon, my family and I ordered dinner that included chicken soup, pot roast for me, spaghetti and meatballs for the kid, and pasta primavera for my wife. (This suspicion of nice things began early.). The waitress might call you hon, not because afocus group demanded it, but because that is how she talks. The Mulhollands also performed some minor renovations in the 1980s. I grown up in Oak Lane is the 40s. That was largely original but sparsely patronized. Your email address will not be published. Casa Del Marisco is a sports bar on 5th Street. As the word "Olde" in its name implies, McGillin's is Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern. Of those, around200 were built before 1965 and are still in original condition. Oh. My friends dad picked us up in his car one day without any clothes on. Yes, the building is beat, worn around the edges, and unraveling in places, but it is also full of life, staffed by people who take pride in their work, and refreshingly devoid of kitschy self-awareness. | Photo: Randy Garbin. That looks like the store Teddy Pendergasss first manager had a beauty products center. Next time Ill have to get the sauce on the side to be sure. Just a classic Chinese restaurant menu today. Trolley Car Diner, 7619 Germantown Avenue. The Queen Village space was just gorgeous, too. Many were hobbled by some kind of frailty. People dont pick up after their dogs. I cant call myself a regular, as Ive only visited the place about a half-dozen times in the past twenty years. Up until about 1996 the Penrose was a spectacular example of quasi-Googie diner styling. All rights reserved. . 2 14 Great Philly Restaurants We Wish Hadn't Closed; 3 1980s - The Literate Quilter; 4 Restaurant Picks - Escape the 1980's - Escape the 1980s; 5 Philadelphia restaurants in the 1980s; 6 Vetri, Le Bec-Fin, La Panetire: The illustrious culinary history of; 7 Closed Restaurants in Philadelphia Area, Pennsylvania - GAYOT Youd never know from the retractable roof and wood-fired menu of And for post-dining . The city elected its first Black mayor in 1983, W. Wilson Goode, whose first administration . Free shipping for many products! Jim Clark: You must be referring to Port Richmonds long-standing Aramingo Diner. Yes, I think that was it. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. While the the iconic Melrose and the Mayfair, both currently owned by Michael Petrogiannis, remain, the vast majority are gone. Some like to compare diner builders to the more familiar auto industry, and some might designate OMahony as theChevroletof dinersa well-built, stylish diner without some of the features or decorative flourish found in its competitors,likeParamount or Fodero. The wagons, eventually manufacturedby several different companies, grew bigger and more ornate and semi-permanent. Your Dad Steve was a great boss back then. 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. A proper omelet is carefully fried in a well-seasoned aluminum pan with the filling folded in. There was always a lot of food and drink, and no one noticed the kids whod sneak in and out, grabbing rolled salami off of linen-draped deli trays. Back then, it was like there was no one on duty. Not sure if they serve diner fare besides the chinese menu. He sold it in the late 90s and there have been a few owners since then. over the Bookbinders building between Front and Second on Walnut Street, but even No telling if they will survive and fade out of our existence or I fade out since Im an elderly person. My family used to eat there once a week for years. Accessible,welcoming spots like Little Petes pump the lifeblood of a city, and it seems like there are fewer and fewer of them every year. I dont want to step in dog waste, or walk 10 blocks before I can find a trash can. Outstanding memories. Specialties: Escape the 1980s is the largest & highest-rated escape room game in Philadelphia! Huntingdon Valley (7 miles) Abington (7 miles) Jenkintown (8 miles) Feasterville Trevose (8 miles) Bensalem (9 miles) Glenside (11 miles) Willow Grove (11 miles) Pennsauken (11 miles) Southampton (12 miles) Moorestown (14 miles) Cherry Hill (15 miles) Weinstein topped off the whole project with a neon sign almost worthy of the Las Vegas strip, something few do anymore. While a trained eye can often tell if a building was once a diner, you still need the photos to confirm it and just such a search from the comfort of my desk chair confirmed this find. Its dirty. This was no bland suburb, no Peyton Place. cheeky menu full of gems like sweet n pungent pork Tahiti and barbecue Elenas Soul LoungeClosed in: 2012According to neighborhood lore, the West Philly building home to Elenas Soul had housed a bar or nightclub continuously for 104 years beforea fire on Christmas Eve in 2012 consumed the building. 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. Taco AngelenoClosed in: 2018West Phillys lack of great pizza and Mexican fare is widely acknowledged (hey, South Philly has tons of both and is just a quick ride over the Grays Ferry bridge). Ask ANYONE who remembers. The diner also offered a lot of benefits to employees which was why so many stayed a long time. ET. None of that here in Atlanta area. | Photo: Randy Garbin. But it felt like home. Fond memories. My parents bought a house on Rodman Street soon thereafter, and all the photos from my toddler days seem to show one neighbor or another lying flat on his back, with a big smile, obviously intoxicated by some natural plant. Diners in center city that have vanished since 1990 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. Given the extent of his investments along the corridor, I dont think youll find anyone who has made a bigger bet on its comeback. 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. Italian roll could get their fix on Old York Road, and those who had the Our friend came out with big news: There was a baggie of cocaine in the room. The diner, one of the anchors of the neighborhood, remains boarded up. The big sign outside advertises homemade bread, which you can get on the side with one of your breakfast dishes.