While the the iconic Melrose and the Mayfair, both currently owned by Michael Petrogiannis, remain, the vast majority are gone. Bobsadheres very closely to the basic diner credo: Serve good food at reasonable prices in a clean and friendly atmosphere. Photograph by Dick Swanson/The National Archive, Eddie Gindi seems genuinely excited as he stands at the dais in the Union League. From 1994 until 2008, The Striped Bass graced the expense account set with Not dwelling on the past is one of the prime benefits of Philadelphias They live on in the form of dead Yelp pages and in our memories. Diner-wise, this ones only for hard-core fans. Howard Johnson's. Photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com. 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. In Mt. 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. At one time, the mere word diner meant among other things that it never closed. I hope someone who loves diners reads this story and is moved to buy it and restore it. Kyrie Irving added 40 and . As an added bonus, a seat at the counter gives you front-row access to the action. This was the center of our universe. The seafood was tasty, the atmosphere was perfect and the vibe was upbeat. On the plus side, he replaced the communal booths. 2023 BygonelyPrivacy policyTerms of ServiceContact us. from the Pittsburgh area to Philadelphia, with . They were like little homemade chicken cutlets rather than obviously frozen fare that are like sinkers now. Michael Petrogiannis got his start working in this diners kitchen. So why do I miss the dirty, second-rate downtown I grew up in? There is alot of history to that piece of property. Crime spiked. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. 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. Diner manufacturers eventually centered in northern New Jersey, where for a good 70 years they produced iconic stainless steel restaurants. I feel like I cant truly enjoy a vacation or visiting a town without going to a local diner. The Oregon Diner Restaurant, 302 West Oregon Avenue, The Oregon Diner has endured at least three renovations since its installation in the 1960s. Period. The older ones began appearing in the late-1980s and early-1990s, started or inspired by German immigrants that had once settled there. I can say i have a lot of respect for these structures. legendary carrot cake. Thank you. 1310 Drury Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Moreover, many Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America have settled in North Philadelphia. The best of them will serve you something that usually tops out at fair-to-good. The Trolley Car Diner represents Ken Weinsteins support for Mt. In fact, when they arrived at the site, it was cordoned off with temporary fencing. 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. I enjoyed the article. Remember when farm-to-table was an exciting new thing rather than a Portlandia punchline? I ended up working in the factory after high school from 81 to around 84 and the diner was still going strong. Children playing in the Art Museum fountains in August 1973. Tags:Broad Street Diner Melrose Diner restaurant history. The Frazer was built in the mid-1930s. Joe was a veteran of the industry and had previously owned the Torresdale Diner just south of Academy Road and needed to expand. He got puckered and red in the face and stomped out of the room. 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. 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. People were mugged a lot, and women didnt travel in most Center City areas alone.. In the first decade of the 21st century, Petrogiannis also snapped up the Tiffany, Country Club, and Broad Street diners. And chef Kevin Sbraga's new Philadelphia restaurant is all-out '80s-themed, . Read page 1980 of the latest Best Of news, headlines, stories, photos, and video from CBS News. You can still find at least a half-dozen examples of their diners built between 1948 and 1954. Airys continued revival. In the late 1970s, the Dewey's restaurants in Philadelphia began to fold, victims to competition from national fast food chains like . Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. The food is better, but kids dont go there to spill secrets over a shared can of seltzer and a ham and cheese sandwich. This is a stock, late-1960s Fodero diner similar to Lancers Diner in Easton Road in Horsham. home to a stuck-in-time, chrome and vinyl diner. Put a porch on your house. I agree that eating at a diner is more of an immersive experience in that neighborhood. | Photo: Randy Garbin. People might offer you drugs. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. Little Petes on Chestnut Street Howard Johnson's is synonymous with 1950s and '60s dining. The iconic, streamlined style fell from fashion or was outright prohibited by municipal design codes by the mid-1960s. Too eager. 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 . Trolley Car Diner, 7619 Germantown Avenue. THERE WERE A PAIR of arcades on Chestnut Street between 15th and 17th: the dark, dirty Zounds, and the shiny new Supercade. In 2000, he openly declared that love when he slipped on its fingerone shiny gem in the form of a stainless-steel clad diner trucked in from Wilkes-Barre. Yet another Petrogiannis acquisition. 1617 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19102. 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 . 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. dinner dining room with views of the Swann Fountain was elegant up until Many were hobbled by some kind of frailty. Center City Philadelphia has come into its own: exclusive retail, superb restaurants, imposing new skyscrapers. 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. I thought that place next to Nabisco was called The Ritz in the 80s & early 90s. Petrogiannis put his own stamp on things with a silly turret-like roofline to raise the diners profile. HAPPY HOUR. The Farm-to-Table OG. If someone ever takes the initiative to remove the brick, Ill send you a photo. Penrose Diner in 1993 before renovations completely changed the character of the restaurant a few years later. That was largely original but sparsely patronized. 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. Was there a Galaxy Diner located on Erie Ave. below I Street back in the Sixties / Seventies ? And for post-dining . 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.. ET. Retro restaurant enthusiasts might be familiar with The Pub, a salad bar I remember going there as a kid with my dad and grandfather. | Photo: Randy Garbin. There arent enough bike lanes. Wildflowers Garden Restaurant & Thai Corner. 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. The Aramingo Diner, another long-time Philly institution, became a medical office. 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. Yesterday, in the same building, I found a bottle of sunscreen. The Melrose Diner is the third diner placed atthat location, all ordered by Richard Kubach, Sr. I maintain a very high regard for Bobs because it represents one of the last of a dying breed. Sep 13, 2019 - Restaurants that I ate at as a child..most no longer exist. All the golden goddesses! Commissary, were expanding palates throughout the region with international Center City fared better than most neighborhoods, but it wasnt immune. The eggs were so-so, the homefries were lame, and the bacon was the thinnest cut Id ever seen, it was literally transparent. Your email address will not be published. These days, Poses runs a catering company and onsite eateries at A DeLorean is no longer necessary to return to the golden age of MTV and the Brat Pack. ONE BOY WHO accompanied our Bellevue wanderings was the son of a South Street fortune-teller. It was also the locus of the Taney Gang, the children of the Irish gangsters who lived in the homes along 26th Street. The family also owned Alexanders restaurant in Abington up the road. 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: Open in Google Maps. As other restaurants opened up I just think they failed to adapt. Snow WhiteClosed in: 2011Philly has lost a lot of its great diners in recent years. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. I visited the site of the former Aramingo, and it looked like about the only thing left to it was the foundation, so I chose not to include it in this list. Youd never know from the retractable roof and wood-fired menu of I always make Bobs a stop on my 25-cent tour of 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. Pizza with Duck Sausage wins quick stardom. 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. Brunch: 12-3pm Dinner: 4-10pm Happy Hour: 4-6pm. | Photo: Randy Garbin. * Top Rated - Rated Best . Theres too much crime. Her name was Taz Lang and she was brutally murdered. Silk City, currently owned by restauranteur Mark Bee, has diversified its revenue stream with the night club and bar which frees it from relying upon the weekend breakfast trade that so many smaller diners live or die by. Four Seasons is a restaurant not a diner. The first was on the North Side of the 1600 Block of Snyder Ave. Lots of graffiti on everything, and a general fear of walking down the street late at night. An estimated area population of 1,204,799 in 1937 was served by 120 hotels. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Philly's dance-club scene set for a comeback. Great memories! At Peter Dooner's one met the epicure element, les bon vivants of the town. RESTAURANT & BAR HOURS. One of the most tragic losses to the roster of Philadelphia diners came with the demolition of the long-suffering Wayne Junction Diner. The city does have some great Portuguese spots (Cafe Liz and Peruvian hybrid El Balconcito come to mind), but theyre all solidly in North or Northeast Philly. But after three and a half years, slow weeknights at Koo Zee Doo prompted owners Carla Gonalves and David Gilbertto close down. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . But the Lawlers outgrew their downtown space and chose to retool andrelocate their farm-fresh ethos to the suburbs. 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. 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. 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. Does anyone have old photos of the Marlane Diner on Marshall Rd in Upper Darby and/or the Industrial Diner (much older), on Industrial Hwy? So true. 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 . If there are photos of this grand 1920s OMahony in its original setting, Id love to see them. In Philly, it was hard to tell what adulthood was. Manage Settings little slice of Americana in Old City enjoyed a glorious run from 1950 The wife loved the steak, but couldnt finish it. My parents would take me to DeeDees diner every Friday for the fried seafood platter. 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. 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. South Philadelphia was ravaged by Mafia warfare, gangs invaded the slums, and the murder rate skyrocketed. THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Garden. Though, waiting around for a seat is a form of torture, especially for anyone trying to shed a muffin top. The combo comes, oddly enough, with a dollop of tuna salad as well as fried shrimp, a crab cake, schrod, and scallops, my particular favorite. Then there were our parents, the incense vendors, all those hookers on Broad and on 13th, my Quaker teachers with the puzzling facial hair. Kims Korean Barbecue, 5955 North 5th Street, Asian fusion. chilled slices of melon for dessert. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. But I think its also that we Center City kids of the 70s and early 80s enjoyed a lot of freedom in our comparatively down-at-its-heels, unmanicured downtown. Racial strife and police brutality were endemic. It was torn down in 2006. I grown up in Oak Lane is the 40s. Just for the nostalgia and reminiscing those good old days. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. | Photo: Randy Garbin. It could have been dee dees it was about a half mile north of the aramingo. The diner also offered a lot of benefits to employees which was why so many stayed a long time. Book online. 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.. 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. At least another great concept tookModo Mios place at 2nd and Girard: Cadence, our pick for 2018s Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant. 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.

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