Its ashame it changed hands so many times after the Ritz and failed each and every time. What looked like the longest, stainless steel diner on the planet (which was actually a very long diner married expertly to an existing cinder-block, stainless-clad addition) welcomed you inside with nothing but superlatives. Koo Zee DooClosed in: 2013A 50 Best Restaurants-worthy (rare) Portuguese restaurant inNorthern Liberties (rarer) run by a James Beard Award-nominated chef (yep)? I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life. Jose Garces might have had historical preservation in mind when he took If there are photos of this grand 1920s OMahony in its original setting, Id love to see them. Forget its name but it sure was crowded at 2 am! Lots of graffiti on everything, and a general fear of walking down the street late at night. After closing Mm,chef-owner David Katz hasbeen a culinary director at Honeygrow and is now spearheading Capogiros nationwide expansion. There arent enough bike lanes. They put this odd addition on the front that never was completed. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Cant beat the prices and food anywhere. | Photo: Michael Bixler. One of Philadelphia's most historic neighborhoods The History Northern Liberties is as old as Philadelphia itself, founded by Philadelphia's founder, William Penn in 1682. 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. Diner long gone. Im sorry to inform you that it closed just last yearand has now been remodeled into an urgent care center! A place that shows you what all the locals are about. Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionalsand your views, too. 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.. 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). Heavily remodeled 50s-style diner that currently serves Asian food. The Broad Street sat closed for many years beginning in the early 2000s, and one report had Stephen Starr interested in reopening it. 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. An estimated area population of 1,204,799 in 1937 was served by 120 hotels. In 1981, Joe Morozin went to the Swingle company of Middlesex, New Jersey and asked for something a little different. 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. And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. accolades to Do you have any original pictures of the diner that you would be able to share? It was the kind of place where if you wanted to rape a girl or light a homeless guy on fire, you could get away with it. Oak Lane Diner on North Broad looking worse for wear. today. Heres hoping another Portuguese concept can make it work downtown someday soon. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Back then, these were not only the primary vectors for graffiti, but had torn and broken seats and rusted poles. The boy I loved unrequited all through high school was on 21st and Delancey. Bucks a must-win for Philly? 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. Order, pickup, and go. What is going on with this cemeterybillboards, a diner? the menu had a nice selection at great prices of salads,omelettes and sandwiches with also a speciality. Kyrie Irving added 40 and . If so, please share it with your friends and family to help spread the word. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. 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. Price $$$$$. 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. Write by: . From a design perspective, the Dining Car represents something of a diner industry anomaly. Seeing the Mayfair for the first time in 1991 was a jaw dropping experience. Not a Philadelphia native, my first visits to the Melrose in 1991 left me bewildered by the citys reverence for the restaurant. (2) Snow White | Photo: Randy Garbin. . People were mugged a lot, and women didnt travel in most Center City areas alone.. Former St. Joseph County Democratic Party Chair Butch . Airys cedarbrook plaza. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. over the Bookbinders building between Front and Second on Walnut Street, but even For a number of years a group of 6-10 friends and co workers would park near the Domino Diner and go on a 20-30 mile bike ride, returning to the Domino for a late breakfast. My great uncle, Pete Kyriakodis opened what is now know as the New Boulevard / Five Star Diner a long time ago. Trolley Car strikes that rare balance between food quality and attitude. Sweet Tom, who took me to both proms and was basically my first husband, lived at 25th and Lombard. 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. Shame it sits the way it does. the end, hosting lavish breakfasts and brunches, power lunches and dinners One year, we heard a judge was hosting one of these parade-watching parties. 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. 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. There is also Chung Sing, an American-chinese diner on Lancaster Avenue near Ardmore. Only bother to go here if youre a hard-core diner fanatic. The city's vibrant restaurant scene has grown tremendously in recent years. Somewhere under that brooding exterior is a shiny, 1950s structure. This was no bland suburb, no Peyton Place. 215-546-4455. My father worked as a manager at Whitney & Patterson Paper Company at 5th & Bristol in the 70s into the 80s. Center City fared better than most neighborhoods, but it wasnt immune. Only a couple of years later Swingle would close up shop, but Morozins request pushed diner manufacturers to fashion restaurants in various styles dictated by the often-dubious tastes of the operator. But what about the diner? Continental Talula's Garden. The Mulhollands also performed some minor renovations in the 1980s. | Photo: Randy Garbin. But problems with the logistics of the space and rent hikes got to be too much for the chef, whosstill got Paesanos, Monsu,and Heffe Tacos. Not dwelling on the past is one of the prime benefits of Philadelphias Yes, I think that was it. In Mt. People might offer you drugs. Thank you meme. My parents met at a diner somewhere near Elkins Park in the mid-1930s that was run by a couple named John and Gay. The is an ad of the Blu Comet Diner on page 3 of the Website. Quaker Diner in Five Points on Rising Sun Avenue. . | Photo: Randy Garbin, When the Kubach family owned the Melrose Diner they managed to build up something of a one-diner empire. This is a diner built by Kullman Industries, which at the time wasthe oldest diner builders in the country. 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. THERE WERE A PAIR of arcades on Chestnut Street between 15th and 17th: the dark, dirty Zounds, and the shiny new Supercade. So why do I long for the old days? I ended up working in the factory after high school from 81 to around 84 and the diner was still going strong. The Commissary - in its orginal configuration. Maybe Grace Kelly never dropped in for a cup and a slice of pie, and I suspect very few pairs of tasseled loafers shuffled across its terrazzo floors, thoughnot that the diner wouldnt welcome either. I have been telling my now hubby that my parents and family would go there after bowling .They were in a league. interested in a peak at early aughts dining, the restaurants I MEET SO MANY people now who have moved to Philadelphia in the past 10 years and stayed. 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. 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. A proper omelet is carefully fried in a well-seasoned aluminum pan with the filling folded in. Enjoying our content? It could have been dee dees it was about a half mile north of the aramingo. It was anything but. Photograph: Courtesy Vetri. It was the most expensive item on the menu at $7.99!When they knocked it down they built a McDonalds there which I worked at for for 9 years! Pizza with Duck Sausage wins quick stardom. To order the clip clean and hi-res or to find out more visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. 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. Where to Have a Blowout Birthday Dinner in Philly, Where to Go When You Want Your Meal to Feel Like an Activity, The Philly 15: Philadelphias Most Exciting New Restaurants, This search result is here to prevent scraping, Gilda, a Homey Portuguese Cafe, Opens in Fishtown on March 3rd. Hiroki. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. As other restaurants opened up I just think they failed to adapt. You wont leave hungry. The audience at this meeting of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. laps it up. In my high-school years, street crime was so commonplace that we hardly took note of it. Love Your article and thank you for doing the research. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Randy, thank you for acknowledging the Spice Grill located at 3447 Richmond Street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. I remember when this first opened in about 1966. Well regarded by the Oak Lane neighborhood, the current diner is at least the second to sit at that location. Ask ANYONE who remembers. 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. ONE BOY WHO accompanied our Bellevue wanderings was the son of a South Street fortune-teller. His new old-style diner came by truck in six sections, pieced together on site. It has been so long, but that name rings a familiar bell. Privacy Policy. And one that I love, at least as far as the cemetery is concerned. graced the corner of 17th and Chancellor streets for nearly 40 years. Just dont ask him when the actual trolleys will return to the tracks on Germantown Avenue. Center City Philadelphia has exclusive retail, superb restaurants, imposing new skyscrapers. Which is now a fair hibachi buffet. The big sign outside advertises homemade bread, which you can get on the side with one of your breakfast dishes. Supercade was too fresh and clean. But even with incredible eating options debuting on Philadelphia, PA 19103. But beyond that, this: All things considered, one has to appreciate Stephen Starrs imaginative updating of The Continental. Sat Dec 05, 2015 | 12:00pm. South Philadelphia was ravaged by Mafia warfare, gangs invaded the slums, and the murder rate skyrocketed. His marketing calls it a 50s-themed diner, but you wont see a Marilyn Monroe cutout greeting you at the door and you wont get barraged with Chubby Checker on the overhead sound system. As an added bonus, a seat at the counter gives you front-row access to the action. The original porcelain panels with Oak Lane Diner painted on them survive underneath the brick. nest and fried wontons with complete with a mysterious dunking sauce. Children playing in the Art Museum fountains in August 1973. Yet another Petrogiannis acquisition. It's RADICALLY different from all the others: It's a Pure Energy, bubble gum pop, super charged, time-travel thrill! Sep 13, 2019 - Restaurants that I ate at as a child..most no longer exist. MILLER III / File Photograph. 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). Enjoyed this article, but am left wondering: Whats up with Bobs being more or less in a graveyard? The other is Silk City on Spring Garden Street. Gus' Oyester House Milano Family Philadelphia, PA Closed Gus's Restaurant 713 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 1949-1959 Closed. 1983 The Food Marketing Institute reports that 2/3 of all fish consumed in the U.S. is eaten in restaurants. That beautiful buildings courtyard was the kind of place you either avoided or walked through as quickly as possible, dodging mysterious puddles and smells, with soot or something like it crunching beneath your feet. cheeky menu full of gems like sweet n pungent pork Tahiti and barbecue Sad long after selling and the fire. until 2011. Days Deli. 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. McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia. The Big Greek Diner typically gives you a lot of food for the money. But the jewel in the restaurant groups crown was Pub Tiki, a | Advertising floor of the hotel was home to The Fountain. | Photo: Randy Garbin. Not because of the food, especially, but because we would each get a lollipop with a face on it at the cash register. Sometime in the aughts theystripped out more. Khmer KitchenClosed in: 2018Thisfamily-run BYO in Pennsport repped Cambodian cuisine,broadening the scope of the citys dining scene and serving incredible chicken curry and pleah (spicy raw beef saladwith lime, peanuts, and fresh mint) in the process. Up until about 1996 the Penrose was a spectacular example of quasi-Googie diner styling. 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. Today, the K stands for Korean, and while youll find Asian specialties on the menu, you can also get a good, old-fashioned American breakfast. Greater Philadelphia's restaurants have illuminated the region's socioeconomic, cultural, and culinary trends while also providing sustenance for millions.