Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

As a former 80s teen, I can make a whole grocery list of treats, goodies, delicacies and delights that first appeared on the food scene or rose to popularity in the 80s.

Diet coke
cherry coke
cherry 7-Up
Snapple beverages
fruit snacks
microwave popcorn
Capri Sun pouched beverages
juice boxes
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
sun-dried tomatoes
pasta salad
Nerds candy
Bonkers candy
Blue raspberry flavored items (including Berry Blue Kool-Aid which looked like Windex but was very tasty stuff!)
Frozen yogurt (the sweet, ice-creamy type, not the more acidy stuff you get at places like Pinkberry in today's times)
"Gourmet" jellybeans (like the Jelly Belly brand, made popular by then-head-honcho Reagan)
Stuffed baked potatoes
Fried potato skins
Mozzarella sticks

Dang it, now I have an urge to put on a miniskirt and some flavored lip gloss and munch on some fruit snacks and sip a Capri Sun beverage while listening to "Let's Dance" by David Bowie!

Fage 2% Total yogurt
Eggland's Best eggs
4% cottage cheese
water
fresh fruit

plus:
empty mugs ready for ice cold milk to be poured in :)

I was in my early teens to early twenties in the 80's.
Microwave popcorn
Skittles
Sushi
Pasta
gourmet pizzas
gourmet burgers with odd toppings
Micro brews
portabello mushrooms
wine coolers
fajitas
low fat everything
new and improved everything
Starbucks
nutrasweet
all kinds of salads but with light dressings
ranch everythng
honeymustard everything
chicken wings
vegetarian foods that tastes good
jolt
chamberry

Okay the idea of having grandmothers in the kitchen is great, as that is exaclty what inspired me to start cooking and baking in the first place.

I have been thinking lately that I would have something like "Oven Love" and spend the time bringing people back to baking, everything from cookies to yeast breads, fancy to simple. I think that people (at least my friends and colleagues) all seem to have this fear of their oven and baking in general and look at my food in awe (things like chocolate chip cookies, nothing that spectacular), when they could easily do the same in their own homes, but instead buy theit baked goods from supermarkets or petrol stations. I just would love to show people how easy it is.

And considering how many things are in even the most basic breads in the supermarket, like HFCS and hydrogenated oils, these would be much simpler. And (here's a little trivia that I learned while living abroad), did you know that there is too much sugar in McDonald's buns to be considered bread in the EU? Funny, I thought.

Maybe a cooking program with kids in which mothers cook w their kids and look up for great recipes that appeal to the "little stomachs". The program should focus also on teaching little kids how to cook. Those beginners will amaze us w their super creations and twice the fun!!!

Ecto coolers!

pudding pops
sugar smacks
bingorillas

I'd have to agree that a lot of the foods mentioned above predated the '80s by a lot. Even microwave ovens for home use were a '70s thing. My grandmother got an original Radarange when they first came out. She remodeled her kitchen around a built-in model. This was in '73.

I was with her when she saw it demonstrated at an appliance store. It was like magic. The demonstrator put little slices of hot dog on a PAPER plate, covered it with a paper towel and it was sizzling hot in THIRTY SECONDS! Unheard of!

The good news is that the microwave (that is now 35 years old!) still works beautifully. It had to have a broken dial replaced a decade or so ago and the repairman tested it for leaks. It was still leak-free! They sure don't make 'em like they used to.

Salad bars were huge in the '80s. Even Wendy's had one.

I'm making a list for my next visit! I was only there for 3 full days and had my son and parents in tow so I couldn't be as adventurous foodwise as I would have liked.

I saw Good Times and considered stopping for custard but didn't- now I regret it! I saw Jake and Telly's in Old Colorado City but didn't see Adam's in Manitou- is that in what my cousin called the old bathhouse?? I'm also sorry I missed the Omelette Parlor. I definitely need to make another trip!

@oddcouple- my uncle lives on San Miguel (blvd, I think) and Union sounds familiar. My dad had us all over town. He grew up there and every time he goes back he can't believe how much the place changes. I was there 16 years ago but don't remember a blasted thing from my first trip! I love the area and would probably live there if given a chance.

I know that it was mentioned earlier, but as someone who feels truly ancient reading this thread I wanted to offer my own historical perspective. I had my first Orange Julius in 1969 in Seattle. I remember Johnny Carson (feh to those who don't know who Johnny is) mentioning Orange Julius a lot once he moved from NYC to LA. Tab was the dieting woman's drink of choice in the 60s. It was one of the first diet sodas. Bugles are another childhood memory. Even then we recognized the little pockets of grease in each end of the Bugle horns could not be good for anyone.

John

Weljwm - I remeber Ale 8, I had it in Kentucky for the first time in the 80's. I have found it outside of Kentucky (Southern OH) with in the past 10 years, and then now days it is all over here. It is so refreshing and delicous. You may be able to get it from their website, www.ale8one.com.

Also from the 80's I remember:
Tyson frozen chicken patties
Tater tots
TV Dinners

Tofu Pups.

Tahiti treat?