PrintWhat restaurant would you bring back?
The thread on bringing a restaurant with you got me to thinking about the ones that have already gone away, and that we would like to bring back to life. I have one that I am sure is much better in my memory than it was in real life, but there was a restaurant around me when I was a kid that was like an old-fashinoed diner, where the servers had rollerskates and would even dance and sing on the table tops to certain songs. There was a jukebox and everything. And the food, as I recall, was decent, too. It was just a fun experience that I would really like to have back.
So, what would you like to bring back to life and enjoy again? And if you know, what happened to it? Was it a mom and pop that just wnet out after they got too old? Was it sold out to a larger corporate place?
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18 Comments:
Howard Johnson's.
Jacques Pépin said it so well here.
schnitzel at 9:55AM on 04/11/08
hmm... I have to say I loved Chi-Chi's... I loved their fajitas, I loved their HOT salsa, their chips, the fried ice cream. *sigh* sadly, they had a massive Hepatitis outbreak that started with green onions, they were on the verge of bankruptcy before the outbreak and eventually closed shop in the US. It was one of the only local "mexican" restaurants in my area. It's sorely missed.
Southern_bella at 10:06AM on 04/11/08
@Southern_bella, some Chi-Chi's products are still available at Kroger and other grocers, including the mix for that sweet corn cake. Click here for more info.
LunaPierCook at 10:16AM on 04/11/08
Riordan's in Annapolis...I have so many great memories there...my parents took me there as a child ( my brother and I would always get the new england clam chowder and potato skins), first date with my husband, Saturday nights with friends. Im getting weepy just thinking about it ;(
hammondcheese at 10:23AM on 04/11/08
hi there! oh I know about the salsa's at the store, but they're not the same as the ones they served in the restaurants. I've tasted them... just not the same. : (
Thank you though! That website's changed since the last time I perused it!
Southern_bella at 10:24AM on 04/11/08
@schnitzel- there is still a ho-jo's in Lake George, NY, about an hour north of Albany. Orange roof, clam strips and all.
Kerosena at 10:50AM on 04/11/08
The original Luchow's on 14th Street.
Lutèce, with André Soltner back at the helm.
The original La Côte Basque.
I could go on . . . .
Gourmet Guy at 11:17AM on 04/11/08
Marche! It used to be in the Pru in Boston, and it was FANTASTIC. Cafeteria-style gourmet, made to order, with every kind of food imaginable, and awesome crepes. Also a really fun atmosphere and decor, and really affordable. Sometimes I'd go just for the bruschetta. Sad, no idea why it closed!
embolini9 at 11:31AM on 04/11/08
Chadwick's, Lexington MA! I grew up about 20 minutes from there and it was so much fun. Mainly sandwiches (IIRC) and ice cream, an old-timey diner type place with gongs and whistles on your birthday. Only place around that had birch beer, which the men in my family love. It was such a huge part of my childhood and I really wish I could take my husband there.
wellred at 11:56AM on 04/11/08
I would bring back the Taco Bell on Broadway in Seattle. How could they close a restaurant in a Sir Mix-a-Lot song?
unarata at 12:50PM on 04/11/08
The diner in Woolworth's--The first and only time I went to one I was about 5 or 6 with my mom's friend who was babysitting. I remember having the best cheeseburger ever! I was only 5 (or 6) and I ate two cheeseburger with everything, some fries and a drink.
There was a Chinese restaurant called Rangoon in Newport News, VA that closed in the early eighties when I was still a kid. The chef owner was a classically trained Chinese chef and his food was amazing. We went every week for his famous noodles and delicious food. My parents remained friends with him and his family. He passed away this past year and Mom and I spent a couple of hours on the phone just talking about how many great meals we had at his restaurant and how we have not been able to find its equivalent even after all these years.
wookie at 1:50PM on 04/11/08
Slightly OT, but I'd bring Friendly's (home of my peanut butter cup sundae obsession) out here to the wild tundra of Minnesota.
tacroy80 at 2:00PM on 04/11/08
There was a fantastic vegan Chinese place in Port Chester, NY, calld Green Symphony. They made my all-time favorite dish, Veggie taro chicken a la king. I sometimes dream of that meal. WHY did they have to close? :'(
Stufsocker at 2:31PM on 04/11/08
Cuvee Notre' Dame in Philly's Spring Garden section. There was no finer Belgian restaurant. DON'T EVEN talk to me about Monk's - the food there is crap.
BITTER at 2:35PM on 04/11/08
Chimney Corners in Stamford, Ct. Wonderful steaming popovers, the best fried chicken and white gravy.
bessfour at 3:20PM on 04/11/08
The Bell House in Franconia, PA. They claim the Liberty Bell was hidden there during the Revolutionary War (must have been on it's way to a church in Allentown where history says it was hidden). Anyway, it had a "Cheers" atmosphere, awesome live music and terrific food. It is located on a dangerous, strange inward curve in the road and many restaurants have tried and failed there. Too bad.
PerkyMac at 3:42PM on 04/11/08
@wellred, I echo your Chadwick's sentiment! I grew up in Lexington and it was the hottest spot in town for so many years! We're all still mourning its closure, there's a facebook group about it :)
embolini9 at 4:11PM on 04/11/08
I kind of miss the nice restaurants that department stores used to have. The ones in Wanamaker's and the local Baltimore ones like Hutzler's and Hochschild-Kohn. Where ladies would hang their handbags on those little hooks on the corner of the tables and all the food was homemade right there. I think they all sort of disappeared in the late 70s and early 80s.
RichardCrystal at 4:03PM on 04/14/08