Diner manufacturers eventually centered in northern New Jersey, where for a good 70 years they produced iconic stainless steel restaurants. Many of the mentioned ones, I have the privileged to say, I ate there. It is a bona fide, old-school diner in continuous operation since it opened in 1947. 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 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". something of a Greek tragedy during its final days. Since then, it's grown up, gotten a job, and emerged as the much more responsible . As late as the 60s, they were all over the northwest suburbs in Montgomery county: Hatboro, Horsham, Willow Grove, Glenside, and many others. Black-owned restaurants were especially numerous. There was the Duck Lady (who quacked); the Pigeon Lady (who stood for hours with pigeons all over her); the Wow Bum, who just yelled, Wow!; any number of bag ladies whod walk through the Square laden with belongings; the men who exposed themselves. | Photo: Randy Garbin And at this haute moment, dining out is what passes for a night's entertainment. I suppose the diner and billboards are merely *adjacent* to the graveyard, but it still makes for an odd juxtaposition. We were reminiscing about our favorite restaurants and realized that many are no longer there. Somewhere under that brooding exterior is a shiny, 1950s structure. I am too an avid Diner lover tho. The Franklin Institute, but his biggest contribution to the city has to be 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: . 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 Philadelphia, PA 19103. But the retail counter was nixed and replaced with a full-service bar 2013 andearlier this year, the conceptbecame one of the surprisingly few casualties in Garces Groups recent restructuring due to outstanding debts. The other is Silk City on Spring Garden Street. ET. Judging by the all the online reviews, past impressions, and tips from fellow diner fanatics, the desserts remain the menus real attraction. When you attempt to offer as much as the Oregon does for that many people, greatness becomes nearly impossible. Manufacturing was collapsing, the population was falling, and the tax base was turning to dust. Book online. interested in a peak at early aughts dining, the restaurants Randy, Thanks for acknowledging the original Oak Lane Diner which does in fact still exist in Newburgh, N.Y. Crime spiked. Bringing together international flavors in a time before the term "fusion" had any culinary connotations, Frog and its casual counterpart, The Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. At the end of the 1980s, the city was on the verge of bankruptcy. Anchoring the east side of South Philly, the Oregon Diner has uncertain pedigree, but almost certainly emerged from one of the major diner factories in the 1960s. From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. You can still find at least a half-dozen examples of their diners built between 1948 and 1954. 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. The Mayfair Diner ended an 80-year run under the same family in 2006. It did have Oak Lane Diner on the front in Art Deco style. Put a porch on your house. I worked for your grandfather Pete and your Dad from the age of 12 to 17 at the Heritage. Putting one in a museum is all well and good, but if you cant actually eat there whats the point? It isnt a converted rail car. This chain of 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. But Chifa was also the first Garces restaurant to falter, closing after four years in business. More often than not, the grill goes cold and a suburban chain moves in. If anybody rememberit. Photograph: Courtesy Vetri. | Photo: Randy Garbin. I cant call myself a regular, as Ive only visited the place about a half-dozen times in the past twenty years. 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. Four Seasons is a restaurant not a diner. with snapper soup on the menu, theres no way that this newish iteration 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. Sad long after selling and the fire. | Photo: Randy Garbin. 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. 5. . Photograph by I. George Bilyk As far as the food at Bobs, I must loudly sing the praises of the omelets. Sat Dec 05, 2015 | 12:00pm. A hostess sometimes had to take names out in the lobby. I can say i have a lot of respect for these structures. The diner offers a basic, no-frills menu. the menu had a nice selection at great prices of salads,omelettes and sandwiches with also a speciality. Caroline Russock As I write, the diner is now boarded up after a fire closed it down last January. From the looks of things, it has also seen several makeovers, the last one happening a year ago, making any effort to detect original features futile. Open in Google Maps. 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. In Philly, it was hard to tell what adulthood was. Steel's, Finelli's and Dooner's were among the exclusive drinking resorts of the early eighties. 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. 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. Live in a walkable community. He currently works as an independent website developer and art director. | Restaurant Rating System It was anything but. 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. Sandy and her three sisters lived at 22nd and Delancey, across from Valerie and, randomly, Julius Erving, whod open the door sometimes, be very tall, and close the door again. When we walked to school at 17th and the Parkway, dealers would try to sell us drugs (and I have no doubt they sometimes succeeded). Joe was a veteran of the industry and had previously owned the Torresdale Diner just south of Academy Road and needed to expand. In fact, when they arrived at the site, it was cordoned off with temporary fencing. 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. HAPPY HOUR. December 10, 2014. 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). People dont pick up after their dogs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Center City Philadelphia has exclusive retail, superb restaurants, imposing new skyscrapers. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Went to Ellwood, Wagner, and Central. It isnt constructed on-site, but rather brought to a semi-permanent location. Philadelphia opens restaurants as often as Lady Gaga changes outfits. New Boulevard Diner, 11650 Roosevelt Boulevard, New Boulevard recently changed their name to the Five Star Diner. My top three (almost a three-way tie) are: 1. I do miss the original owners, but maybe it was time for a change as in the last few years food quality had noticeably declined and the hours were cut back. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art in August 1973. People might offer you drugs. My parents would take me to DeeDees diner every Friday for the fried seafood platter. Horn & Hardarts 54th & City Ave. | 818 Chestnut Fodero became one of the leading builders of these Mediterranean diners that truly began to reflect the tastes and preferences of their owners. Restaurants. Anyone can buy an old Winnebago or shipping container and call it a diner, but the term comes from builders to describe their newer, better more stationery lunch wagons to be sold and set up across the country. Ride Trains. 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. Though a big diner, the Dining Car represents a rare breed that mostly excels in the kitchen, which explains the lines out the door during the dinner and weekend breakfast hours. Funny, converted to an urgent care centerback then after a night of drinking thats what the diner was to us. A decadent four-course tasting menu is the sole dining option at James Beard award-winning . greater. My grandfather, Peter, built the heritage diner and then my dad, Steve, changed it to Sophias Diner and Stacys Pub. Palumbo's, 9/Catharine: Decent gravy joint, but the ambience was sooo 1950s. I was just starting to understand that Id have to become a grown-up, and I didnt really know what that meant. Melrose really had some good food under the Kubachs. Long gone, now. Airys continued revival. It's no secret that Philadelphia is a city that loves to eat. The last time I wandered in I found an angry looking man in a suit managing the place, and very scared looking waitstaff scurrying about everywhere. The buildings were built between 1859 and 1918. I like how Starrs designers paid loving homage to the Mad Men era by stripping away some of the diners original colonial-style trappings. But it was. If there are photos of this grand 1920s OMahony in its original setting, Id love to see them. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) The boy moved to New York, which was sad (according to my diary), but I miss the old TLA more. Was there a Galaxy Diner located on Erie Ave. below I Street back in the Sixties / Seventies ? In 1981, Joe Morozin went to the Swingle company of Middlesex, New Jersey and asked for something a little different. Even though nations first automat restaurant made its debut in Big diners like Melrose, with few exceptions, typically serve awful fruit piesgloppy, over-sweet fillings poured into industrial strength crusts. I worked there as a dishwasher in the 1980s. Privacy Policy. Koo Zee DooClosed in: 2013A 50 Best Restaurants-worthy (rare) Portuguese restaurant inNorthern Liberties (rarer) run by a James Beard Award-nominated chef (yep)? South Philadelphia was ravaged by Mafia warfare, gangs invaded the slums, and the murder rate skyrocketed. $$. Oak Lane Diner on North Broad looking worse for wear. Diner on the Square 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. Yet another Petrogiannis acquisition. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Podcast: Is Sixers' prime time game vs. 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. Now these places are a CVS, a Mandee, an empty lot, a soon-to-be-demolished historic relic. Can a diner still call itself Jewish-American after a Greek immigrant buys it? . Meme posted that she thought it was a place called DeDes and I believe that was the one I was thinking of. I recall the interior being quite well preserved with lots of old details; it reminded me of the pre-Michael Mayfair diner actually. 6. There was a diner on Aramingo Avenue we use to stop in back in the early 60s after a night of bar hopping. Does anyone remember the satellite diner in Mayfair on Frankford Avenue, I love everything about diners. There is a broad variety of dishes, but not its not overwhelming. It was the kind of spot where everyone felt at home, the drinks were cheap, and the food was simplebut delicious. The Melrose Diner underwent a relatively light, though completely unnecessary exterior renovation in 2010. 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. 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. In its place first came the colonial style diner, then the Mediterranean style diner complete with Doric columns, the modern design and its glassy glitz, or some unfortunate melange of all three. Too eager. Spring Garden Pizza & Restaurant, 1137 Spring Garden Street, Great breakfast at Spring Garden Pizza andthe owners are sweet as pie. last May, no late night in Rittenhouse Square was complete without a trip to this We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Luckily, you can still get thatCypriot goodness at Kanella Grill at 10th and Spruce. Our game holds from 2-14 players and is an awesomely fun thing to do in Philadelphia for ages 8+. It was replaced with a stainless chrome and larger diner about 1949-50. I remember when this first opened in about 1966. But after three and a half years, slow weeknights at Koo Zee Doo prompted owners Carla Gonalves and David Gilbertto close down.