Wow! The city's vibrant restaurant scene has grown tremendously in recent years. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. Modo MioClosed in: 2017Peter McAndrewss Modo Mio didnt feel like an Italian restaurant it felt like eating in Italy. My grandfather purchased the property and had the diner built in the 50s It was then Jersey Queen Diner. 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. "We were in Philadelphia, February 18-19, for a belated Valentine's and for some wedding planning preparations, and decided that a restaurant named The Love" more. I moved into the neighborhood only a few months before it burned. Seen here in 1993 during a bus tour of the region's diners sponsored by the Society of Commercial Archeology, the sale of the 1940 Paramount attracted a great deal of interest, but ultimately no takers. 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. Boulevard Diner is now part of a car dealer. 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. Required fields are marked *. Great photos on the wall. A proper omelet is carefully fried in a well-seasoned aluminum pan with the filling folded in. absolute game changer, forever shifting the trajectory of Philadelphia But it felt like home. Commissary, were expanding palates throughout the region with international Days Deli. Find closed restaurants in Philadelphia at GAYOT.com. People dont pick up after their dogs. 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). Does anyone remember the Leonards diner at cottman and torresdale ave. A couple of notesthe Boylevard Diner is now closed, the K Diner was first known as rhe Crest Diner and around 1978-79 it became Mil-Lees Luv-in, and Casa DEspana on Whitaker Ave was formerly known as the Franklin Diner, which was a local icon and was always busy. Back then, it was like there was no one on duty. Many of us went to preschool, elementary school and high school together. The restaurants 2002 Click here to go to the official Facebook page of A Slice of the 80s. I worked there as a dishwasher in the 1980s. Photograph by I. George Bilyk. as pictured in Philadelphia magazine in 1980. Yesterday, in the same building, I found a bottle of sunscreen. | Photo: Randy Garbin. I loved this article. Theres too much crime. Forget its name but it sure was crowded at 2 am! All-in-all, the Melrose still mostly looks and feels like the Melrose. 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. that made it all possible. 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. If you removed the cover from the Oregons menu and dropped it on a table at the similarly-sized Penrose diner on the other end of South Philly, no one would likely notice for a week or so. Was there a Galaxy Diner located on Erie Ave. below I Street back in the Sixties / Seventies ? For the most part, the Big Greek Diners all serve more or less the same thing. It could have been dee dees it was about a half mile north of the aramingo. It was another amazing Paramount-built diner, similar to the Oak Lane. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. Originally published as The Lost City in the August 2014 issue of Philadelphia magazine. This chain of Fitler Square wasnt much better. Quaker Diner in Five Points on Rising Sun Avenue. 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. Along with an array of punch-packing tropical drinks, Pub Tiki boasted a Like a big diner should, it greets all customers at the door with a barrage of baked goods. I look for a good value balanced against the general experience. On Sun, 17 Sep 2000 19:33:55 -0400, Ruth Savitz Howard Johnson's. Photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com. The Dining Car makes up for this with desserts. The Love. It was anything but. The city elected its first Black mayor in 1983, W. Wilson Goode, whose first administration . Enjoyed this article, but am left wondering: Whats up with Bobs being more or less in a graveyard? Photograph by Dick Swanson/The National Archive, Eddie Gindi seems genuinely excited as he stands at the dais in the Union League. Between 1913 and 1956, the companys tagline boasted, In our line, we lead the world. By the time they built Bobs, OMahony enjoyed a reputation for building high-quality, streamlined diners. The gauzy visions of a prosperous and dynamic Center City that once seemed like pipe dreams have, in large part, become reality. 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. Bobs was built by the Jerry OMahony company in Elizabeth, New Jersey at its post-war peak. Your email address will not be published. PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL sorry for me because they assume Center City wasnt a real neighborhood. ONE BOY WHO accompanied our Bellevue wanderings was the son of a South Street fortune-teller. Serving food at this scale involves choosing your battles carefully, as you cant make everything from scratch. 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. Silk City But beyond that, this: yeah, they have food but, really I just love the atmosphere and the memories of being 18 long ago. Map. the well-worn griddle. Plus I always thought the Jersey diners had the best coffee I ever tasted, next to my dads that is. To use an example that one would typically take for granted: even something as mumdane as chicken tenders at the pre-Michael Melrose were better than other places. Oh, what about Middletons Diner? 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. MmClosed in: 2012Abelovedneighborhood spot (Fitler Square) serving quality New American fare is a beautiful thing. Stuccoed into obscurity at Annas. Great article thank you. If it never closed, it didnt need locks. As the word "Olde" in its name implies, McGillin's is Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern. 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. Find out more about his work and writings at www.randygarbin.com. memorable shutters. The Queen Village space was just gorgeous, too. Frisco BBQ restaurant raises $33K for boy with rare blood cancer . a seafood-centric menu, heavy on the truffles and Champagne. 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. I enjoyed the article. Anyone who believes that they can improve upon the look and quality of a true stainless steel diner probably has some serious psychological issues. Your email address will not be published. The history of restaurants in the Nation's Capital. 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. For those Yet again, it could have been much worse. Philadelphia opens restaurants as often as Lady Gaga changes outfits. It isnt a converted rail car. 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. This roundup features what I believe to be the citys best and most significant examples of the the classic American diner. Read page 1980 of the latest Best Of news, headlines, stories, photos, and video from CBS News. I maintain a very high regard for Bobs because it represents one of the last of a dying breed. 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. Bobsadheres very closely to the basic diner credo: Serve good food at reasonable prices in a clean and friendly atmosphere. How could we not love this place? Only bother to go here if youre a hard-core diner fanatic. Easy parking. January 29, 2015. 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. PhillyVoice Contributor, 6 great places to break up with someone in Philly, 5 Philly hoods you wouldnt have recognized 60 years ago, a particularly damning review from Craig Laban, Jason Kelce could make a 'Saturday Night Live' cameo with his brother Travis hosting, School District of Philadelphia to relocate Building 21 students following asbestos exposure, Eagles wide receiver Zach Pascal robbed at gunpoint in Maryland, Eli Lilly slashed insulin prices, starting a race to the bottom. It was unnecessarily renovated in 1996 both inside and out, which stripped away some of the incomparable stainless work. McD's in Montreal used to as late as 1980 (and the Quarter Pounder could actually turn out medium rare ..)-bebopper. Somewhere under that brooding exterior is a shiny, 1950s structure. From long-livedgreasy spoonsto concepts from hotshot chefswho flamed out, we'rerememberingthese much-loved spots taken from us too soon. What I wrote about Kabobeesh applies to the Penrose as well. Continental Dining Car & Market, 8826 Frankford Avenue, The sprawling Dining Car Diner look like an architectural version of B-9, the robot from Lost In Space.| Photo: Randy Garbin. I want a good meal at a reasonable price, but I also want to connect with actual peoplestaff and customers. I hope the place has gotten better since then, Im not going to spend my money or time to find out. Last year, Philadelphia was feted in the New York Times, the Toronto Star, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Food & Wine, the Globe and Mail, Cond Nast Traveler, Bon Apptit, and countless online outlets. During the Mummers Parade, my friends and I would zoom through the halls of the Bellevue-Stratford hotel, dashing between parties full of strangers in the rooms that faced Broad Street. The Dom was a hub for the area for a long time. I worked at Olive Mill Bistro in the late 1970s and was maitre'd of Ristorante . Free shipping for many products! Diner manufacturers eventually centered in northern New Jersey, where for a good 70 years they produced iconic stainless steel restaurants. 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. 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. French Restaurants Continental Restaurants Restaurants. Thomas Hawk, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0. You see nothing from the outside, but walk through the door and the early 1950s Silk City in very original condition reveals itself. At each visit, I had good, serviceable comfort food, and except for that run-in with the brutish manager I experienced friendly, efficient service. Diner long gone. . Great memories! | Photo: Randy Garbin. 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". Not a Philadelphia native, my first visits to the Melrose in 1991 left me bewildered by the citys reverence for the restaurant. They were attacked in discriminatory acts, and the citys Commission on Human Relations held hearings to investigate. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Petrogiannis put his own stamp on things with a silly turret-like roofline to raise the diners profile. He sold it in the late 90s and there have been a few owners since then. This article was intended to document only REAL prefabricated diners, i.e. Required fields are marked *. Parents kept their stashes in the open. by Craig LaBan. There isnt a true diner anywhere in this region that makes them as good as Bobs. little slice of Americana in Old City enjoyed a glorious run from 1950 The food is better, but kids dont go there to spill secrets over a shared can of seltzer and a ham and cheese sandwich. In Center City, giant modern skyscrapers were designed by world-renowned architects in the Old City and South Street areas. Book online. Can a diner still call itself Jewish-American after a Greek immigrant buys it? Overcooked eggs with ingredients scrambled in does not an omelette make. Garces Trading Co.Closed in: 2018Before beer and wine were in grocery stores around Philly, there was Garces Trading, a BYO witha then-exciting (and beautiful) wine cellar inside the restaurant, which specialized in gourmet goods and sandwiches with the celebrity chefs signature touch. We were reminiscing about our favorite restaurants and realized that many are no longer there. dining. | Restaurant Rating System 11 talking about this. Im sorry to inform you that it closed just last yearand has now been remodeled into an urgent care center! a weekly basis, its worth taking a moment to pay homage to the restaurants The former Boulevard Dinernow called theFive Star Dineris all glass and steel and looks like a small, Reagan Era officebuilding. The other is Silk City on Spring Garden Street. Facebook/McGillin's Olde Ale House. The Frazer was built in the mid-1930s. Kabobeesh serves Indian and Pakistani food. 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. They have about four things available for lunch and two of them are a turkey club sandwich served either with bacon or turkey bacon. 8 Lesser-Known Abortion Funds to Support Post-Roe, Your Guide to This Weeks Eagles-Giants Playoff Game. The banquet room at Tiffanys has been used as a filming location for Pennsylvania Lottery commercials. You could get your wallet stolen, or at the least your pile of quarters. 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. the most talked-about dish in Manhattan" in the 1970s became an unrelenting culinary joke of the 1980s, . In 1920 Cleveland had 76 hotels, serving 796,841 townspeople. . Kyrie Irving added 40 and . Last week, Jeff Gordinier of The New York Times wrote a profile of chef Kevin Sbraga and his new restaurant Juniper Commons. 3 lived at 17th and Pine with her mom and stepdad and the largest dining room table Id ever seen. Theres little left to see inside its cave-like interior. In 1982, the movie Diner came out and launched the careers of five unknown actors and director Barry Levinson. The interior is very clean, but about the only original feature left to the diner is its vaulted ceiling. By Antonio Gardella. This was where we went to try new things to kiss, to reveal secrets, to drink, to smoke. Since then, it's grown up, gotten a job, and emerged as the much more responsible . 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. | About Us I go to a diner to immerse myself in the neighborhood, especially in a city like Philadelphia that still has so many of them, each with their own distinct identities. looks like the Oak Lane died as well. Rating 15/20. 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. In the first decade of the 21st century, Petrogiannis also snapped up the Tiffany, Country Club, and Broad Street diners. I remember when this first opened in about 1966. where customers would insert coins and help themselves to a la carte plates 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. After closing Mm,chef-owner David Katz hasbeen a culinary director at Honeygrow and is now spearheading Capogiros nationwide expansion. Keep up the great work! Most of the time contractors use them to cover up the roof-top air conditioning units and to add additional height for increased profile. The children of the suburban boom became adults and had children of their own. Susan and Lizzy were on Panama, right across the street from each other, while Liz No. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. A DeLorean is no longer necessary to return to the golden age of MTV and the Brat Pack. Order, pickup, and go. All the golden goddesses! The award-winning restaurant's unique dining style is a collaboration between celebrated restaurateur Stephen Starr and Aimee Olexy. The iconic, streamlined style fell from fashion or was outright prohibited by municipal design codes by the mid-1960s. They also all use the same playbook so any differences become nuance. So why do I long for the old days? I cant call myself a regular, as Ive only visited the place about a half-dozen times in the past twenty years. Gus' Oyester House Milano Family Philadelphia, PA Closed Gus's Restaurant 713 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 1949-1959 Closed. 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. Little Petes on Chestnut Street 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. Center City is still mourning the passing of this 24-hour Greek go-to that 3k Views. Although it didn't hold up against Chili's, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's, there was a time when it was fairly ubiquitous throughout the states. 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. Sit in the Square, as we did, and it was a pageant: People were black and white, gay and straight, rich and poor. The Mulhollands also performed some minor renovations in the 1980s. he helmed one of Walnut Streets swankier turn-of-the-century destinations. Rundown of Eateries Opened from 1875 to 1986. Trolley Car strikes that rare balance between food quality and attitude. And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. Good soups and lunch. Senior year, a friend and I went to see Hannah and Her Sisters. Yet I sometimes miss the grimy Center City of my youth. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. Rockefeller. Living now in Georgia, diners are much missed by this 91 year old Philly/south Jersey lad. There was no single grown-up world, no monolith. Life unfolded there. Maybe Grace Kelly never dropped in for a cup and a slice of pie, and I suspect very few pairs of tasseled loafers shuffled across its terrazzo floors, thoughnot that the diner wouldnt welcome either. Given the extent of his investments along the corridor, I dont think youll find anyone who has made a bigger bet on its comeback. 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. graced the corner of 17th and Chancellor streets for nearly 40 years. The Kubach family, for whatever reason, apparently had a long-standing no photography policy in-or-outside of the diner. At the end of the 1980s, the city was on the verge of bankruptcy. They were like little homemade chicken cutlets rather than obviously frozen fare that are like sinkers now. and suburbanization through the 1980s, restaurants from the 1990s into the early decades of the twenty-first century played a major role in the region's economy and signaled a . You might expect to get dental work inside rather than a good breakfast. The boy I loved unrequited all through high school was on 21st and Delancey. Hey Friend, Before You Go.. I remember a Frankford Ave in Mayfair in the 1980s and 90s full of really memorable shops like Joe's Butcher, Bredenbecks Bakery (spelling), Moes Deli, the Jock Shop, Mayfair Movies, Devon Theater, 5&10 store, DePalma's Bakery, Video Village, Seafood America, the clock store at Bleigh Ave, Mayfair Jewlers, McDonalds, Mayfair Madrid, a ton . Both Olexy and Sikora have since gone on to better things: heowns conceptsin Wilmington and Kennett Square, and shesbecome an iconic restaurateurinPhilly. This breakfast, lunch and A bakery and an expanded dining room was added later. The eggs were so-so, the homefries were lame, and the bacon was the thinnest cut Id ever seen, it was literally transparent. 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. Only one of us was brave enough to go in; the rest waited outside, flat against the wall, like felons in a lineup. 12 Restaurants That Define Philadelphia Dining. Definitely wish we could have one more dish here. 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 . To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. One of the first major restaurant chains, it went public in 1961 with 605 . In fact, when they arrived at the site, it was cordoned off with temporary fencing. Reviews on 80s Themed Restaurants in Philadelphia, PA - Bud & Marilyn's, The Dandelion, Dirty Franks, Louie Louie, Butcher and Singer, Harper's Garden, McGillin's Olde Ale House, Raven Lounge, Atlantis, The Lost Bar, The Fillmore Philadelphia 4. Today the diner seats more than 250 people. In Philly, it was hard to tell what adulthood was. the end, hosting lavish breakfasts and brunches, power lunches and dinners 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. The story of how the Trolley Car came to Mount Airy begins with a few too many beers. Cherry soda before closing its doors in 1990. Polynesian-themed, date night spot on the 1700 block of Walnut Street. My lastvisit did nothing to change that general impression. Now home to the trendy Mexican restaurant Lucha Cartel, Philadelphia Fish & Co. was a staple in Old City. the menu had a nice selection at great prices of salads,omelettes and sandwiches with also a speciality. Lets cut the nonsense, shall we? 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.