South Philadelphia was ravaged by Mafia warfare, gangs invaded the slums, and the murder rate skyrocketed. Ride Trains. Oak Lane Diner on North Broad looking worse for wear. Perhaps youre thinking of Robinsons Diner on Island Avenue near Buist (SW Philadelphia)? If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Click here to go to the official Facebook page of A Slice of the 80s. It's no secret that Philadelphia is a city that loves to eat. Formerly known as Mil-Lees Luv-In, the diner did indeed have something of a hippie vibe during that era with its love beads and trippy menu graphics. More often than not, the grill goes cold and a suburban chain moves in. Sad on both counts. 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. 2. The Trolley Car Diner was built by the Mountain View Diner Company of Signac, New Jersey, which seemed to do extremely well selling diners in the Wyoming Valley up into the Binghamton, New York area. Updated on Nov 18, 2019, 5:00 a.m. 182059211. Weinstein and his wife traveled all over the northeast checking on leads for available diners, settling on Palookas days if not hours before the dinersowner planned to bulldoze it. The Melrose Diner is the third diner placed atthat location, all ordered by Richard Kubach, Sr. . There were also those nightclubs and discos: lan, Black Banana, Artemis, Revival, London Victory Club which, in glossy Studio 54 hindsight, must make Center City sound somewhat glamorous. Levis Hot Dogs. today. After its rise, fall, and rediscovery, the American diner may indeed serve up its last plate of meatloaf well within the lifetime of anyone born since 1980. Kyrie Irving added 40 and . Campiglia was from New Jersey . Sbraga told him he had fond memories of dining with his family at the Pub in Pennsauken, N.J. during the 1980s. Now R&W is the Japanese restaurant Zama. Community gardening. Kullman would later become the first of the builders to produce retro-style diners on a regular basis, but before then you had diners like this one. Hard core diner fans feel tingles up their inseams upon such discoveries. I dont want a Rittenhouse Square ringed by abandoned construction sites rather than beautiful hotels. While the the iconic Melrose and the Mayfair, both currently owned by Michael Petrogiannis, remain, the vast majority are gone. Kanella SouthClosed in: 2018With Kanella South, it finally felt like Konstantinos Pitsillides finally had the right tools a spit, a wood-burning oven to really show off his skills. The point is, it was plenty neighborhoody. Melrose really had some good food under the Kubachs. Gus' Oyester House Milano Family Philadelphia, PA Closed Gus's Restaurant 713 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 1949-1959 Closed. One of my favorite Philadelphia restaurants of all time was Frankie Bradley's. I went there for years, and usually ate prime rib, which was . My dad used to take us to Dee Dees for dinner when I was a kid We lived on Belgrade St. back then. Now these places are a CVS, a Mandee, an empty lot, a soon-to-be-demolished historic relic. 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. The vibrant restaurant scene is right up there with historical sites on the list of qualities that draw visitors to town food is a strand of culture just as important as the museums and concert halls, and chefs are the city's big celebrities. The original diner was built in the 1930s by OMahony, but at some pointprobably in the late 1950san expansion to the front of the diner almostdoubled the seating and added stainless steel cladding to the exterior. pleasure of visiting the Queen Village location know that theres nothing For those I suppose the diner and billboards are merely *adjacent* to the graveyard, but it still makes for an odd juxtaposition. The Crime rates in the 1980s Philadelphia were very high. The idea brought about national attention and before long books about diners appeared, photorealism paintings of diners sold in Soho galleries for $50,000, and brands wanted to shoot their commercials in a real diner. MILLER III / File Photograph. At one time, the mere word diner meant among other things that it never closed. Northeast: Mayfair Then and Now The Franklin Institute, but his biggest contribution to the city has to be At the same time, she hinted thathertaco cart might be back in some form in the future, so were holding out hope. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. Meme posted that she thought it was a place called DeDes and I believe that was the one I was thinking of. The Mulhollands also performed some minor renovations in the 1980s. I was just starting to understand that Id have to become a grown-up, and I didnt really know what that meant. Heavily remodeled 50s-style diner that currently serves Asian food. In total, his restaurants represent about 900 seats. Im both stunned that they chose Philly and aggravated by all their complaints which, if theyve moved here from Portland, can be quite numerous. The Rise And Fall Of Philadelphia's Diners - Hidden City Philadelphia 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 . a weekly basis, its worth taking a moment to pay homage to the restaurants Being a person from the 60s it brought me fond memories of the diners. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. The author in front of her house on Rodman Street with her father. This roundup features what I believe to be the citys best and most significant examples of the the classic American diner. They really dont build them like this anymore. Finelli had two places, one on Tenth Street above Chestnut, and another on Chestnut east side of Broad. As far as the food at Bobs, I must loudly sing the praises of the omelets. 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. There was also Jersey Queen Dairy who began delivering milk in the city by horse and carriage. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Fodero became one of the leading builders of these Mediterranean diners that truly began to reflect the tastes and preferences of their owners. Black-owned restaurants were especially numerous. Randy, thank you for acknowledging the Spice Grill located at 3447 Richmond Street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Or maybe I just miss my old neighborhood. The Dining Car makes up for this with desserts. These 1980s Restaurants Didn't Stand the Test of Time - Eat This Not That Du Bois (1868-1963) documented life in this densely packed neighborhood in his seminal 1899 study, The Philadelphia Negro. We knew every corner of each others homes, including whose Rittenhouse Square rooftop made for the best water-balloon launching pad. Favorite Resaurants That Aren't There Anymore - Philadelphia Forum A diner renovation nightmare in West Philly | Photo: Randy Garbin. Press 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. National retailers like Intermix and Michael Kors are coming to Walnut Street, where rents soar above the national average. 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. 77 Restaurant memories 1970-90 ideas - Pinterest The Trolley Car Diner represents Ken Weinsteins support for Mt. But Taco Angelenosstraightforward, L.A.-style tacos flavorful slow-braised meats, a simple toppings bar of chopped onion, radish, cilantro and curtido, and seitan for vegetarians this is West Philly, after all filled that void. The story of how the Trolley Car came to Mount Airy begins with a few too many beers. Sad long after selling and the fire. 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. It was the Ritz for quite awhile and since has gone through many name changes. SATURDAY - SUNDAY. I remember the original Oak Lane diner to be a red Formica looking building very small. It did have Oak Lane Diner on the front in Art Deco style. Snow WhiteClosed in: 2011Philly has lost a lot of its great diners in recent years. Howard Johnson's. Photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com. My grandfather, Peter, built the heritage diner and then my dad, Steve, changed it to Sophias Diner and Stacys Pub. Sociologist W.E.B. The audience at this meeting of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. laps it up. Continue with Recommended Cookies. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. It is a true-and-tried diner. See more ideas about memories, restaurant, howard johnson's. Last week, Jeff Gordinier of The New York Times wrote a profile of chef Kevin Sbraga and his new restaurant Juniper Commons. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Well regarded by the Oak Lane neighborhood, the current diner is at least the second to sit at that location. 20 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia - Time Out He claims to know all the dinners. Another Michael Petrogiannis diner. It is a bona fide, old-school diner in continuous operation since it opened in 1947. Joe Palookas sports bar was to serve as one of several attractions in an ambitious heritage tourist development in Wilkes-Barre called Market Square that included the Lehigh Valley train depot, the Stegmaier brewery, a nightclub, and a collection of Pullman sleeper cars repurposed as a hotel. Revolution House, but for 60-plus years, this Second and Market corner was Most of the time contractors use them to cover up the roof-top air conditioning units and to add additional height for increased profile. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 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. Front Porch Restaurant: 232 Philadelphia Pike, Bellefonte, 1980-2003 Destroyed by fire. Anyone who believes that they can improve upon the look and quality of a true stainless steel diner probably has some serious psychological issues. 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. The restaurant had been rated America's finest French restaurant, and the Mobil Travel Guide traditionally awarded it five stars. For fifteen bucks, do you overlook the fact that the mashed potatoes were instant? Great memories! The best diners pay loving homage to its past, but also strive to write their own history and become landmarks in their own right. Supercade was too fresh and clean. Back to the '80s - South Philly Review I worked at Olive Mill Bistro in the late 1970s and was maitre'd of Ristorante . Manufacturing was collapsing, the population was falling, and the tax base was turning to dust. They were attacked in discriminatory acts, and the citys Commission on Human Relations held hearings to investigate. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. Eagle II Ellwood or Holy Angels? The current Case Del Mariso was old school diner. Restaurants long gone - Pennsylvania: Dining - eGullet Forums Up until that time the Mulholland family ran, what was in my estimation, the best of the big Philly diners in terms of its preservation, food, and overall hospitality. HAPPY HOUR. There was a diner on Aramingo Avenue we use to stop in back in the early 60s after a night of bar hopping. The Penrose had it all in spades. And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. Modo MioClosed in: 2017Peter McAndrewss Modo Mio didnt feel like an Italian restaurant it felt like eating in Italy.