MILLER III / File Photograph. 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. 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. 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. A hole-in-the-wall with the best Chinese food in Philadelphia. Not a Philadelphia native, my first visits to the Melrose in 1991 left me bewildered by the citys reverence for the restaurant. Fodero became one of the leading builders of these Mediterranean diners that truly began to reflect the tastes and preferences of their owners. today. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) French Restaurants Continental Restaurants Restaurants. Eagle II Airys cedarbrook plaza. I worked as a waitress at Bobs Diner for two summers when I was home from Penn State in the early 70s. Rundown of Eateries Opened from 1875 to 1986. 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. | Photo: Randy Garbin. little slice of Americana in Old City enjoyed a glorious run from 1950 Back in the '80s, the place to go in Philadelphia for a punk rock show was the Khyber. Your email address will not be published. There is also Chung Sing, an American-chinese diner on Lancaster Avenue near Ardmore. The wagons, eventually manufacturedby several different companies, grew bigger and more ornate and semi-permanent. And chef Kevin Sbraga's new Philadelphia restaurant is all-out '80s-themed, . PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL sorry for me because they assume Center City wasnt a real neighborhood. We do, and it was great. Before the Four Seasons transitioned into the sleek, new Logan Hotel, the ground Turf, i.e. Today we are so fortunate to have more choices for casual or exquisite fine dining experiences. The Melrose Diner is the third diner placed atthat location, all ordered by Richard Kubach, Sr. Mayfair Diner is still clad in chrome. 12 Restaurants That Define Philadelphia Dining. | Restaurant Rating System 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. Not because of the food, especially, but because we would each get a lollipop with a face on it at the cash register. Ride Trains. The award-winning restaurant's unique dining style is a collaboration between celebrated restaurateur Stephen Starr and Aimee Olexy. I have the original plans and zoning for the building. What I wrote about Kabobeesh applies to the Penrose as well. They really dont build them like this anymore. One of the first major restaurant chains, it went public in 1961 with 605 . I sorely miss them since I live in Florida. The Penrose had it all in spades. The diner was built by Paramount and it still features the companys trademark wedding cake corners with the gazing ball ornament. Ace Diner on Lancaster Avenue serves a good breakfast in a clean, but heavily renovated space. Alex, you are correct. The first was installed in 1935, the second in 1940, and the current structure built by Paramount Diners of Haledon, New Jersey came to Snyder Avenuein 1956. 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. I started at 13 yrs old. looks like the Oak Lane died as well. Diners in center city that have vanished since 1990 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. 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. Updated on Nov 18, 2019, 5:00 a.m. 5. Shame its all gone now. Price $$$$$. The iconic, streamlined style fell from fashion or was outright prohibited by municipal design codes by the mid-1960s. 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. DjangoClosed in: 2008Before there was Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr as successful a restaurant businesspartnership as the city has ever seen there was Aimee Olexy and Bryan Sikora, chef and Olexys then-husband. This roundup features what I believe to be the citys best and most significant examples of the the classic American diner. . Definitely wish we could have one more dish here. Kabobeesh serves Indian and Pakistani food. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Dinner: 4-10pm Happy Hour: 4-6pm. The Mayfair Diner ended an 80-year run under the same family in 2006. The big sign outside advertises homemade bread, which you can get on the side with one of your breakfast dishes. Why we miss it: Josh and Colleen Lawler's petite Washington Square West BYO turned out elegant farm-to-table, snout-to-tail fare . Map. Most extant diners likely came from a New Jersey factory. his My father and his partner owned the Domino Diner up until 1986. There is alot of history to that piece of property. Our game holds from 2-14 players and is an awesomely fun thing to do in Philadelphia for ages 8+. All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.See the list. 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. I dont want a Rittenhouse Square ringed by abandoned construction sites rather than beautiful hotels. The Big Greek Diner typically gives you a lot of food for the money. Sometimes one or two exceptional items can make a restaurant a landmark. Trolley Car strikes that rare balance between food quality and attitude. Thomas Hawk, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. A proper omelet is carefully fried in a well-seasoned aluminum pan with the filling folded in. Whether or not hes actually improved on any of them depends on who you ask. Hows the 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. Look here for profiles of the District's many. None of that here in Atlanta area. The diner was originally built by Fodero of Bloomfield, New Jersey. The diner takes its name from the company that built it. That was largely original but sparsely patronized. The restaurant had been rated America's finest French restaurant, and the Mobil Travel Guide traditionally awarded it five stars. Sometimes it requires a fresh approach and maybe one that most might think is crazy. menu full of gems like deviled crabs, herring in sour cream and oysters A bakery and an expanded dining room was added later. It did have Oak Lane Diner on the front in Art Deco style. 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. Places Near Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA with 80s Night Clubs. Petrogiannis put his own stamp on things with a silly turret-like roofline to raise the diners profile. It was the kind of spot where everyone felt at home, the drinks were cheap, and the food was simplebut delicious. Italian. Youll find only three stainless steel diners in near-original condition (Trolley Car, Silk City, and Bobs Diner), and two more (Melrose and Mayfair Diner) with renovations that, while they could have been much worse, still stripped away classic features. Diner-wise, this ones only for hard-core fans. Philadelphia way back in 1902, 115 years later, the concept still feels 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. The audience at this meeting of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. laps it up. The boy moved to New York, which was sad (according to my diary), but I miss the old TLA more. What do you like most about this 80s-themed restaurant in Pennsylvania? 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. 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. . It was anything but. | Photo: Randy Garbin. | Photo: Randy Garbin. The fact that so few pristine examples remain should give anyone with an appreciation for aesthetic and structural quality reason enough to at least go in one and get a cup of coffee on a regular basis. I always make Bobs a stop on my 25-cent tour of Philadelphia. 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. This is a stock, late-1960s Fodero diner similar to Lancers Diner in Easton Road in Horsham. Or maybe I just miss my old neighborhood. Hey Friend, Before You Go.. In Philly, it was hard to tell what adulthood was. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. 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. Clip ref BF5044.Night. 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: 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. Weinsteinand his then-partner Bob Elfant brainstormed an idea to bring a family-style restaurant to the former Roy Rogers location on Germantown. GQ wrote, Philadelphia has more going for it now than ever.. 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.. Foursquare. Not dwelling on the past is one of the prime benefits of Philadelphias Today, I can get stopped at the doors of an upscale hotel or silently ejected from a fancy boutique with an icy glare. Jose Garces might have had historical preservation in mind when he took And the space at 22nd and Spruce became Fitler Dining Room,which was then transformed into its currentoccupant, Trattoria Carina another beloved neighborhood spot. 8013 Castor Avenue, (215) 342-3005; 2153 S. Hancock Street, (215) 462-1637, lipkinsoriginalbakery.com. One thing remains the same, though: the rats. Bobs was built by the Jerry OMahony company in Elizabeth, New Jersey at its post-war peak. The second was on the South Side of the 1600 Block of Passyunk Ave, which was across the street from the first diner where the two avenues intersect. 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. 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. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Talula's Garden. A visual blast from the past. McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia. I was just starting to understand that Id have to become a grown-up, and I didnt really know what that meant. Ask ANYONE who remembers. Sometime in the aughts theystripped out more. Restaurants. dinner dining room with views of the Swann Fountain was elegant up until MONDAY - FRIDAY. The more creative individuals in the restaurant business began to see that a diner didnt just have to be about meatloaf and brown gravy and it certainly didnt just have to appeal to truck drivers and middle America. legendary carrot cake. Supercade was too fresh and clean. He said I didnt have the right name. RESTAURANT & BAR HOURS. There are rats in Rittenhouse Square. This was where we went to try new things to kiss, to reveal secrets, to drink, to smoke. . Susan and Lizzy were on Panama, right across the street from each other, while Liz No. Now R&W is the Japanese restaurant Zama. No, I dont consider Bobs a family restaurant. The diner also offered a lot of benefits to employees which was why so many stayed a long time. 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. 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). In 1981, Joe Morozin went to the Swingle company of Middlesex, New Jersey and asked for something a little different. Mostly latchkey kids, we stuck together after class ended. Thank you. In the 80s he built the Ritz. My friends dad picked us up in his car one day without any clothes on. The food is better, but kids dont go there to spill secrets over a shared can of seltzer and a ham and cheese sandwich. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Maybe the Big Greek Diner doesnt earn superlatives, but if you come with a group of people who cant come to any kind of culinary consensus, nothing fits the bill better than this. In part, its basic childhood nostalgia. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. Thank you so much. * Close to CC - 6 Min cab from center cityl. Community gardening. The diner has its own history that stretches back to the 1870s when food vendor Walter Scott in Providence, Rhode Island modifiedhis horse-drawn freight wagon into something akin to modern day food cartsand trucks seen all over Center Citya small vehiclefrom which hot meals are dispensed. To Philadelphians of a certain age, the mere mention of the word diner meant the Melrose, an attitude cemented by the diners own long-running jingle, Those who know go to the Melrose.. My wife and I had the London broil, fried seafood combo, and the minestrone soup. It is not a storefront. In fact, you can still visit the previous diner in Newburgh, New York. Petrogiannis has also restored the the 24/7 hours of operation. Also now gone. Menu-wise, the Trolley Car reflects Weinsteins intention to bring a family restaurant to the neighborhood. Required fields are marked *. Only one of us was brave enough to go in; the rest waited outside, flat against the wall, like felons in a lineup. Rundown of Eateries Opened from 1875 to 1986. Do you have any original pictures of the diner that you would be able to share? Your email address will not be published. Oak Lanesprospects dont look good. Days Deli. They also all use the same playbook so any differences become nuance. Now these places are a CVS, a Mandee, an empty lot, a soon-to-be-demolished historic relic. Jim Clark: You must be referring to Port Richmonds long-standing Aramingo Diner. Outstanding memories. those built in factories and brought to their locations. This was the center of our universe. What ever became of Littletons at Ogontz & Cheltenham Avenues? 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: . Brunch: 12-3pm Dinner: 4-10pm Happy Hour: 4-6pm. a seafood-centric menu, heavy on the truffles and Champagne. flavors. The Queen Village space was just gorgeous, too. The city had already issued the demo permit. Live in a walkable community. He currently works as an independent website developer and art director. Venerable Old Original Bookbinder's, Second and Walnut, is one of many restaurants Philadelphians still miss. Many of the mentioned ones, I have the privileged to say, I ate there. One year, we heard a judge was hosting one of these parade-watching parties. Philadelphia restaurants long gone and greatly missed.My top-of-mind most-missed five:1. Order, pickup, and go. The seafood was tasty, the atmosphere was perfect and the vibe was upbeat. 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. a particularly damning review from Craig Laban, not even a change in ownership in 2012 could save the grand dame of Inside, the owners have built in a private dining room, but split the rest of the space for open seating and waitress service. And It always hurts me Days Deli was my favorite, until it closed; the rumor was that someone affiliated with the restaurant had put the profits up his nose. It adjoined a convenience store, and in back were rows of booths where you could while away hours smoking cigarettes with Jasons, Jennifers and Michaels. Order Online. Snow WhiteClosed in: 2011Philly has lost a lot of its great diners in recent years. thriving dining scene. The Pub had four satellite locations around town two in Center They have about four things available for lunch and two of them are a turkey club sandwich served either with bacon or turkey bacon. 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. Philly has been in the midst of a long-lived restaurant boom that shows no signs of slowing. The Fat Hams hot chicken | Photo by Vanessa Beahn. The interior is very clean, but about the only original feature left to the diner is its vaulted ceiling. 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. McD's in Montreal used to as late as 1980 (and the Quarter Pounder could actually turn out medium rare ..)-bebopper. See more ideas about memories, restaurant, howard johnson's. We tried the apple pie with vanilla sauce, which made for a decadent pairing. 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. Today the diner seats more than 250 people. Overcooked eggs with ingredients scrambled in does not an omelette make. The old benches, the ones without armrests in the middle, were wide and deep enough that homeless people could sleep on them. Every now and then, a well-dressed woman will stop me and ask for directions: Where is the shopping street? In many ways, his designers improved upon the original interior that is as rare as a perfect omelette. There are now two Farm & Fisherman Taverns, one in Horsham and one in Cherry Hill. There is a broad variety of dishes, but not its not overwhelming. 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. ET. The diner, one of the anchors of the neighborhood, remains boarded up. The first was on the North Side of the 1600 Block of Snyder Ave. These days, Poses runs a catering company and onsite eateries at Frank Rizzo dominated City Hall, first as police commissioner, then as mayor. I recall the interior being quite well preserved with lots of old details; it reminded me of the pre-Michael Mayfair diner actually. Big diners like Melrose, with few exceptions, typically serve awful fruit piesgloppy, over-sweet fillings poured into industrial strength crusts. A diner renovation nightmare in West Philly | Photo: Randy Garbin. 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. Great memories! Heavily remodeled 50s-style diner that currently serves Asian food. 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. Strictly speaking, adiner is a prefabricated food-service structure with counter service and tables. Its ashame it changed hands so many times after the Ritz and failed each and every time. Silk City Too eager. The pillars around the fountain were chipping, like teeth losing their enamel. Behind the foreboding, Darth Vader-like facade sits a late-1930s Silk City diner that serves up the most basic of menus. https://www.facebook.com/lhapachapter/posts/3824830150954142, I am looking for a dive in dinner in pa in the 1950s It was I think back then near the Phila airport. 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. last May, no late night in Rittenhouse Square was complete without a trip to this As the word "Olde" in its name implies, McGillin's is Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern. I just couldnt remember where it was. Anyone who believes that they can improve upon the look and quality of a true stainless steel diner probably has some serious psychological issues. | Photo: Randy Garbin. greater. But the Lawlers outgrew their downtown space and chose to retool andrelocate their farm-fresh ethos to the suburbs. 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. Black-owned restaurants were especially numerous. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. My family used to eat there once a week for years. It isnt a converted rail car. Sociologist W.E.B. Free shipping for many products! As an added bonus, a seat at the counter gives you front-row access to the action. The Melrose apple would seem to be one of those exceptions. I used to work at the Ritz diner mainly as a busboy in the late 80s early nineties. When Harry Markellos partnered up with George K and opened Horsham Towne I worked there and met my wife of 40 years! He got puckered and red in the face and stomped out of the room. Revolution House, but for 60-plus years, this Second and Market corner was Philadelphia has its share of them, and the Oregon Diner on Oregon Avenueexemplifies the experience. 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. This chain of Now demolished to make it a storage lot. 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. I ended up working in the factory after high school from 81 to around 84 and the diner was still going strong. One of the most tragic losses to the roster of Philadelphia diners came with the demolition of the long-suffering Wayne Junction Diner. Center City is still mourning the passing of this 24-hour Greek go-to that Does she imagine shes in some sophisticated, classy city? It took another ten years before I managed to furtively snap a shot of the diners interior. We were reminiscing about our favorite restaurants and realized that many are no longer there. And one that I love, at least as far as the cemetery is concerned. While the the iconic Melrose and the Mayfair, both currently owned by Michael Petrogiannis, remain, the vast majority are gone. My lastvisit did nothing to change that general impression. Koo Zee DooClosed in: 2013A 50 Best Restaurants-worthy (rare) Portuguese restaurant inNorthern Liberties (rarer) run by a James Beard Award-nominated chef (yep)? NBC10 hires Fred Shropshire to replace Jim Rosenfield as weekday evening anchor. St. Joseph County police searching for missing 12-year-old girl. The wife loved the steak, but couldnt finish it. The Dom was a hub for the area for a long time. I hope the place has gotten better since then, Im not going to spend my money or time to find out. Sylvester Stallone started it all with the iconic film that won an Oscar for best film . the well-worn griddle. 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. Howard Johnson's is synonymous with 1950s and '60s dining. That is, until 2008 when Bennigan's went bankrupt. The stronghold of McDonald's, Pizza Hut , Burger King, and other giants of the '80s made the competition stiff. Tags:Broad Street Diner Melrose Diner restaurant history. From international That's what Bennigan's, an Irish-themed bar and grill, offered in the 1980s. Up until about 1996 the Penrose was a spectacular example of quasi-Googie diner styling. The current Case Del Mariso was old school diner. | Photo: Randy Garbin. March 4, 2023 / FoxNewsFeeds. And for post-dining . Those children of the 1970s and 1980s grew up in and around the suburban malls. 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. The history of restaurants in the Nation's Capital. Clearly, someone at Bobs Diner paid very careful attention in omelette making class. 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. As late as the 60s, they were all over the northwest suburbs in Montgomery county: Hatboro, Horsham, Willow Grove, Glenside, and many others.