11 talking about this. Restaurants. Years later I moved to Roborough and became a semiregular. accolades to where customers would insert coins and help themselves to a la carte plates 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. . It has been so long, but that name rings a familiar bell. Despite economic woes (recession and inflation), the energy crisis, urban decline, crime, and escalating restaurant prices, restaurant-going continued to rise. Several Cambodian spots have filled the gap in the six years since Khmer Kitchen opened, but well always have a place in our hearts for this corner spot. Oak Lanesprospects dont look good. 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. We love this, especially in the suburbs. 2. The Domino Diner suffered a fire eight years ago and is likely abandoned now. One of the best diners in the northeast is Andonios on Krewstown Rd. They ruled that neighborhood. Read page 1980 of the latest Best Of news, headlines, stories, photos, and video from CBS News. Now demolished to make it a storage lot. My family used to eat there once a week for years. 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. And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. Required fields are marked *. nest and fried wontons with complete with a mysterious dunking sauce. 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. Now home to the trendy Mexican restaurant Lucha Cartel, Philadelphia Fish & Co. was a staple in Old City. Greater Philadelphia's restaurants have illuminated the region's socioeconomic, cultural, and culinary trends while also providing sustenance for millions. | Photo: Randy Garbin. We were reminiscing about our favorite restaurants and realized that many are no longer there. You could come out boasting that your waitress was a thirty-year veteran which is no small thing in a business known for its employee turnover. I hope someone who loves diners reads this story and is moved to buy it and restore it. Mario Batali has called this unassuming 40-seat trattoria in the Center City area of Philly "possibly the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast." The elevated cuisine is prepared by Marc Vetri, who was trained by celebrated chefs in Bergamo, Italy, and who has won a James Beard Award for his . 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 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Unused Pre-1980 BOOKBINDERS RESTAURANT Philadelphia Pennsylvania PA v5934@ at the best online prices at eBay! 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. Map. | Photo: Randy Garbin. The Olde Bar, located in Philadelphia's landmark Old Original Bookbinder's, is a contemporary oyster bar and cocktail lounge steeped in the city's nautical and culinary traditions. The seafood was tasty, the atmosphere was perfect and the vibe was upbeat. Alexanders transitioned into a new concept very successfully under that same family but the Oak Lane Diner was sold. (2) Midtown Diners New Boulevard Diner, 11650 Roosevelt Boulevard, New Boulevard recently changed their name to the Five Star Diner. I moved into the neighborhood only a few months before it burned. for the luncheonettes griddled cheeseburgers or hand-scooped milkshakes, this Center City fared better than most neighborhoods, but it wasnt immune. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Look here for profiles of the District's many. THERE WERE A PAIR of arcades on Chestnut Street between 15th and 17th: the dark, dirty Zounds, and the shiny new Supercade. There is alot of history to that piece of property. Period. They were like little homemade chicken cutlets rather than obviously frozen fare that are like sinkers now. as pictured in Philadelphia magazine in 1980. It isnt constructed on-site, but rather brought to a semi-permanent location. Like a big diner should, it greets all customers at the door with a barrage of baked goods. Glad I had that experience. It was great fun. That was largely original but sparsely patronized. Im sorry you cant agree with a simple fact, but Ive been listening to this sentiment for more than thirty years. The city elected its first Black mayor in 1983, W. Wilson Goode, whose first administration was marred by the 1985 Move tragedy. My father owned the diner from 1981- 2000. My favorite diners get creative, while still serving up the classics and preferably with fresh ingredients. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. Those children of the 1970s and 1980s grew up in and around the suburban malls. Photograph by I. George Bilyk. Forget its name but it sure was crowded at 2 am! Red Robin on Frankford Avenue was well liked. The diner offers a basic, no-frills menu. https://foxchasereview.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/img_1435.jpg, http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/no-it-s-not-your-opinion-you-re-just-wrong-updated-7611752, https://foxchasereview.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/quaker-diner-time-to-revisit-an-old-friend/, https://scholarship.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/bitstream/handle/10066/13686/19471217_OCR.pdf?sequence=10&isAllowed=y, https://m.facebook.com/lhapachapter/posts/memories-of-the-blu-comet-diner/3824830150954142/?locale=ne_NP&_rdr, https://www.facebook.com/lhapachapter/posts/3824830150954142. In its heyday, the . 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 . Owner Vanessa Jerolmack kept prices affordable and turned a once-vacant lot into a family-friendly seasonal gatheringplace for the neighborhood, but she made the tough choice to not reopen for the summer season this year. The Frazer is certainly one of the oldest examples of a pristine OMahony, but I could probably list at least a half dozen others that are in similarly pristine condition. 2400 Market St 4th Fl. My father worked as a manager at Whitney & Patterson Paper Company at 5th & Bristol in the 70s into the 80s. I look for a good value balanced against the general experience. The stronghold of McDonald's, Pizza Hut , Burger King, and other giants of the '80s made the competition stiff. Trolley Car strikes that rare balance between food quality and attitude. How could we not love this place? And the space at 22nd and Spruce became Fitler Dining Room,which was then transformed into its currentoccupant, Trattoria Carina another beloved neighborhood spot. Burgers you expected to find for a buck fifty in such a place now cost five dollars, but the money bought you an expertly grilled fresh half-pound of meat served on a fresh-baked roll served with hand-cut French fries. "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. Alex, you are correct. Sad on both counts. Joe was a veteran of the industry and had previously owned the Torresdale Diner just south of Academy Road and needed to expand. 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 . A Slice of the 80s is located at 19 Congress St, Bradford, PA 16701. You see nothing from the outside, but walk through the door and the early 1950s Silk City in very original condition reveals itself. Sbraga told him he had fond memories of dining with his family at the Pub in Pennsauken, N.J. during the 1980s. Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionalsand your views, too. 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. The big Greek-style diner still reigns supreme in the Northeast Corridor. 1. In 1980, this magazine called subway trains slums-on-wheels. Buses werent much better. I may allow some slack for most diners, but, in my mind, a well-run diner must do two things perfectly every time: Coffee and home fries. Boulevard Diner is now part of a car dealer. The Hmong population in Philadelphia left for other cities in the United States between 1982 and 1984, and three-quarters moved to live with relatives in other states. I have been telling my now hubby that my parents and family would go there after bowling .They were in a league. It isnt a converted rail car. It could have been dee dees it was about a half mile north of the aramingo. Oak Lane Diner on North Broad looking worse for wear. The old benches, the ones without armrests in the middle, were wide and deep enough that homeless people could sleep on them. If you had the good fortune to see itbefore 2000 and havent seen it since, stay away. In its last incarnation, old heads from the Leroys Showcase Lounge days drank alongside members of the queer punk bands playing shows upstairs. The diner was built by Paramount and it still features the companys trademark wedding cake corners with the gazing ball ornament. I admire them for sticking it out. | Photo: Randy Garbin. I want a good meal at a reasonable price, but I also want to connect with actual peoplestaff and customers. The Franklin Institute, but his biggest contribution to the city has to be While most of the damage occurred in the kitchen, the diner has seriously deteriorated after what looks like an outright abandonment. By Antonio Gardella. 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. Love Your article and thank you for doing the research. There is a broad variety of dishes, but not its not overwhelming. In my high-school years, street crime was so commonplace that we hardly took note of it. 8 Lesser-Known Abortion Funds to Support Post-Roe, Your Guide to This Weeks Eagles-Giants Playoff Game. Snow WhiteClosed in: 2011Philly has lost a lot of its great diners in recent years. The Creed franchise is a child of the king of boxing films 1976's "Rocky" and its five sequels. In 1968, they traded up to a ten-sectioned monstrosity that Diners of Pennsylvania describes as an Arabian fantasy of stone, beige stucco, and arched windows. The family decided on thestyle after a trip to Las Vegas and, to the best of anyones knowledge, Fodero built none others like it. AS A PERSON WHO works in Center City and who writes about real estate and economic development I cant claim to be disappointed by downtowns success. The Penrose had it all in spades. Philadelphia dining. The iconic, streamlined style fell from fashion or was outright prohibited by municipal design codes by the mid-1960s. Talula's Garden. https://scholarship.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/bitstream/handle/10066/13686/19471217_OCR.pdf?sequence=10&isAllowed=y, It was fondly known as the greasy spoon among the Villanova students: But Chifa was also the first Garces restaurant to falter, closing after four years in business. From long-livedgreasy spoonsto concepts from hotshot chefswho flamed out, we'rerememberingthese much-loved spots taken from us too soon. Once the quarters were spent, or stolen, we could head over to Days Deli at 18th and Spruce to get fries. I mean, Ive been singing Phillys praises since I was a kid, but the moniker Filthadelphia (and its concomitant reputation) was so widespread, it was the first thing a new friend brought up to me when we met during my semester abroad. those built in factories and brought to their locations. looks like the Oak Lane died as well. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Just dont ask him when the actual trolleys will return to the tracks on Germantown Avenue. At the beginning of June, the City served a notice tothe owners that stated they had 30 days to either fix it or demolish it. Sorry, Bern, but thats just not true. Philly's dance-club scene set for a comeback. Enjoyed this article, but am left wondering: Whats up with Bobs being more or less in a graveyard? The Oregon Diner Restaurant, 302 West Oregon Avenue, The Oregon Diner has endured at least three renovations since its installation in the 1960s. 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. 3k Views. It was launched by Howard Johnson himself in the 1920s as a soda fountain and lunch counter, and by 1954 there were 400 outposts in 32 states. Up until about 1996 the Penrose was a spectacular example of quasi-Googie diner styling. While authorities would not release a report on the alleged incident, police have been . Center City is still mourning the passing of this 24-hour Greek go-to that 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. 15. Lombard streets served up an only-in-Philly menu of hot dogs, fishcakes and Champ On June 6, the City posted a notice on the front door demanding its owners to either fix it or tear it down. 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. | Photo: Randy Garbin. McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia. Then there were our parents, the incense vendors, all those hookers on Broad and on 13th, my Quaker teachers with the puzzling facial hair. A full ten years before the culture rediscovered the vintage diner, Joe Morozin wanted his new diner to look like something out of the 1930s, but at about six times the size. Previously, The Pump House: Yes: From's Restaurant: Prices Corner, Kirkwood Highway last May, no late night in Rittenhouse Square was complete without a trip to this Back then, it was like there was no one on duty. Your Dad Steve was a great boss back then. 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 Farm-to-Table OG. Its where I met my husband. Both the Melrose and the Mayfair shared a particularly endearing practice of pinning their waitresses with the year they started service. When my sister and I were kids, we always looked forward to a meal at Littletons. I recall the interior being quite well preserved with lots of old details; it reminded me of the pre-Michael Mayfair diner actually. Throwback Thursday: A fond look back at long vanished South Bend restaurants. 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. until 2011. The sense of lawlessness was pervasive. yeah, they have food but, really I just love the atmosphere and the memories of being 18 long ago. Michael Petrogiannis got his start working in this diners kitchen. These days, the legend lived on in Abington, until just a few days ago. The Love. I saw with my own eyes, he says, the massive money and time being spent to make Philadelphia a retail center. Philadelphians, he says, are fashion-savvy, creative and artistic: They get it.. Children playing in the Art Museum fountains in August 1973. Today the diner seats more than 250 people. Rockefeller. menu full of gems like deviled crabs, herring in sour cream and oysters In the first decade of the 21st century, Petrogiannis also snapped up the Tiffany, Country Club, and Broad Street diners. 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. The big sign outside advertises homemade bread, which you can get on the side with one of your breakfast dishes. Strictly speaking, adiner is a prefabricated food-service structure with counter service and tables. Moreover, many Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America have settled in North Philadelphia. Can a diner still call itself Jewish-American after a Greek immigrant buys it? Which is now a fair hibachi buffet. Country Club Diner, another one under the Petrogiannis umbrella, still adheres to its Jewish-American menu established by the Perloff Family. website lives in perpetuity. In the 80s he built the Ritz. Horn & Hardarts 54th & City Ave. | 818 Chestnut Also, I didnt have an omelet at the Oregon, but I can say with some authority after trying dozens of times in places just like these, the Big Greek Diner cant make a proper omelet to save their lives. Weinsteinand his then-partner Bob Elfant brainstormed an idea to bring a family-style restaurant to the former Roy Rogers location on Germantown. Hey Friend, Before You Go.. today. 1982 Having introduced nouvelle cuisine at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, Chef Wolfgang Puck presents "California cuisine" to patrons of his new chic-casual Sunset Strip restaurant, Spago. the most talked-about dish in Manhattan" in the 1970s became an unrelenting culinary joke of the 1980s, . 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. The story of how the Trolley Car came to Mount Airy begins with a few too many beers. | Photo: Randy Garbin. So true. Im not a fussy eater. A million dollars later, the end result today includes a craft beer shop that sells over 450 brands and a well-designed dining area that preservesthe streamlined atmosphere of the original Mountain View-manufactured diner. There are now two Farm & Fisherman Taverns, one in Horsham and one in Cherry Hill. Modo MioClosed in: 2017Peter McAndrewss Modo Mio didnt feel like an Italian restaurant it felt like eating in Italy. People dont pick up after their dogs. Facebook/A Slice of the 80s. But what about the diner? I grew up in one as my father owned the Domino Diner. Like the renovations at the Melrose, they could have been much worse, and Petrogiannis even applied a restrained and classy palate to the interior. 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. The executive vice president and co-owner of Century 21 department stores is explaining why a new Philadelphia location at 8th and Market is the logical next step for a chic discount chain that until now has stuck to New York and New Jersey. You might take drugs. I agree that eating at a diner is more of an immersive experience in that neighborhood. 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. Fond memories. And for post-dining . They also all use the same playbook so any differences become nuance. Developers are breaking ground on skyscrapers. And so on. Black-owned restaurants were especially numerous. Stuccoed into obscurity at Annas. It took another ten years before I managed to furtively snap a shot of the diners interior. Philadelphia way back in 1902, 115 years later, the concept still feels What I like, you may not. How would I find my way? It consisted of about 4 or 5 booths on ether side of the central entrance and a counter. 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: . Community gardening. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Or we could go to Deluxe Diner for milkshakes; the Midtowns I through IV; one of the two Little Petes; or even R&W, which was kind of repulsive but good for private conversations in the empty back room. Not dwelling on the past is one of the prime benefits of Philadelphias Oh. | Photo: Randy Garbin, When the Kubach family owned the Melrose Diner they managed to build up something of a one-diner empire. It is a bona fide, old-school diner in continuous operation since it opened in 1947. Last summer, Kurt Vile played a concert in that now clean, bright courtyard, and I looked at the people in line at food trucks, friends meeting up and hugging each other, people dancing, and I thought, What the hell happened to this place? That courtyard has gone from 12 Monkeys to Frank Capra on Ecstasy. Yet I sometimes miss the grimy Center City of my youth. chilled slices of melon for dessert. Brunch: 12-3pm Dinner: 4-10pm Happy Hour: 4-6pm. | Photo: Randy Garbin. My parents met at a diner somewhere near Elkins Park in the mid-1930s that was run by a couple named John and Gay. This is a diner built by Kullman Industries, which at the time wasthe oldest diner builders in the country. And instead of a suburban Dairy Queen parking lot, we had Rittenhouse Square. Building is still there. The Crime rates in the 1980s Philadelphia were very high. My father and his partner owned the Domino Diner up until 1986. 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. 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. In Philly, it was hard to tell what adulthood was. At Peter Dooner's one met the epicure element, les bon vivants of the town. 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. 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. Bucks a must-win for Philly? I remember the original Oak Lane diner to be a red Formica looking building very small. The OMahony diner came to Philadelphia in the 1960s from Medford, Massachusetts where it operated as Carols Diner. For fifteen bucks, do you overlook the fact that the mashed potatoes were instant? 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. Photograph by the Associated Press, SEPTAs Broad Street Line, as pictured in Philadelphia magazine in 1980. What I wrote about Kabobeesh applies to the Penrose as well. Philadelphia Fish & Co. 207 Chestnut. It was the Ritz for quite awhile and since has gone through many name changes. But, I do remember going to lunch there with my dad and having a Liberty Bell shape burger during the bicentennial year when I was about 13. SATURDAY - SUNDAY. 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. From the New York Metro Area all the way down to D.C., andespecially in New Jersey, you still see them everywherethe expansive diner-restaurants with menus that seem to specialize in EVERY DISH EVER MADE! If you cant get it atone of these places you probably never heard of it anyway. But dinner there was a big treat when I was a child in the 60s. Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are different from the majority of Champagnes.Check the list. 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. a diner is a prefabricated food-service structure. Your email address will not be published. pleasure of visiting the Queen Village location know that theres nothing Snow Whites space at 2nd and Market was reopened under the same ownership as Revolution House,a kid-friendly yet upscale spot for pizza, beer, and pub grub, but it just doesnt have the same cachet. It's RADICALLY different from all the others: It's a Pure Energy, bubble gum pop, super charged, time-travel thrill! 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). I can say i have a lot of respect for these structures. This is a stock, late-1960s Fodero diner similar to Lancers Diner in Easton Road in Horsham. Also now gone. For nearly 100 years, this family-owned classic on 6th between South and Lombard streets served up an only-in-Philly menu of hot dogs, fishcakes and Champ Cherry soda before . 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Caroline Russock Greater Philadelphia. 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. Found this pic of the Quaker Diner on Rising Sun https://foxchasereview.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/img_1435.jpg. Yes, I think that was it. Continue with Recommended Cookies.