I remember having a birthday lunch at the Sussex Centre location in Mississauga and ordering the enormous "Kitchen Sink" sundae. He explained that they required the dress code to prevent vagrants from across the street at the railroad yards from entering the establishment. . Captain Johns Seafood Restaurant was in a ship named the Jadran, which in an earlier life had cruised the Mediterranean Sea. The prices were more modest and the steaks were almost as good. I remember if they sat you in the back you looked over the ravine. It opened in 1976 in an old house, and remained until 1984. I cannot recall the prices but I think it was reasonably priced when compared to similar restaurants downtown. Bring your appetite so you can sample culinary experiences for every taste and graze on boundless options . During the '50s when dining out meant Chinese food or steak and more. Asked . La Provencal at 23 St. Thomas Street (great escargot), Julies Mansion at 515 Jarvis Street, Gastons at 595 Markham Street (famous for its French onion soup), Sutton Place on the top floor of the Sutton Place Hotel, Valhalla Inn in Etobicoke, and the Black Angus Steak House on Dundas West (Etobicoke). He was a very smart businessman as well as a big-hearted individual. That is, until 2008 when Bennigan's went bankrupt. Toronto Archives, F1526, fl0067, item 17 . Park & Lawrence) & have the the Maple Leafs sign Polaroids of us sitting on their knees, we were that young. The Graf Bobby Restaurant on Wellington Street. I spoke to a cook called Jimmy at the Dairy Freezer at St. Clair & Caledonia who told me he used to work at the Dixie Prime. Charles (waiter) had a fabulous memory. Frank Vetere Pizzeria. 10 Places. 0111. I worked at the Whitney Block at Queens Park 66/67 and we would stop by occasionally for a drink before heading home. This steak House is still in business. The only other eatery I remember from the 1950s is the Honey Dew restaurant located on the mezzanine level of the Odeon Carlton Theatre, which served fish and chips and Ritz Carlton hotdogs, along with the famous Honey Dew orange drink. Great Breakfasts. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Memories of Torontos restaurants of the past, Plans for Waterworks Building at 505 Richmond Street West, Captain Johns Seafood RestaurantToronto. The food fashion cycle quickened as diners discovered a taste for arugula, radicchio, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, sushi, crab cakes, Pad Thai, mesquite grilling, and fresh ingredients. By the time it lost its hilariously terrible nameit was re-branded "Toby's. 111 King St E, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1G6 Canada +1 416-361-9666 Website. I recently read an article about it but dont recall where! And some fan favoriteslike Burger Chef, G.D. Ritzy's, and Howard Johnson'sfell by the wayside. By the 2000s, Chi Chi's fell apart thanks to a combination of bankruptcy and a fatal hepatitis A outbreak traced back to green onions served at one of their Pittsburgh restaurants. Greektown, also known as The Danforth, is a commercial-residential neighbourhood and ethnic enclave in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It is located on Danforth Avenue, between Chester Avenue and Dewhurst Boulevard, in east Toronto.Named after Asa Danforth, Jr., an American contractor who designed Queen Street and Kingston Road, the area is known for its architecture dating back to as early as 1910 . Share. Closed in 1986, Larry's Hideaway was a revered dive bar on Carlton Street that brought many of the punk and new wave artists of the day to Toronto for the first time. Back in the 80s/90s a lot of corporate chain restaurants had unique distinctive decor. Great places to eat before or after going to the movies at one of two screens at the Hollywood Theatre, the first cinema in Toronto specifically built to show talking pictures in 1930, or the Hyland Odeon Theatre. Maybe a beer or two at Hemmingways, and dinner at Arlequins. Remember JJ Muggs at the Eaton Centre? . Other places: an Italian restaurant at Bayview Village (where Il Fornello is now), Max's (now O&B) and before it was Max's, I think it was a pub called Charlie's (shut when I was six or so). That was the original Underground Railroad. Thank you for this post. During the years 1980-1986, I did a lot of street photography in Toronto. homefinder.ca 4 days ago Report Ad 3 Pictures 1004 Kingston Rd, Toronto, On M4E1T2, Toronto, Toronto $ 69,999 However, my first experience with its barbequed chicken was at 362 Yonge Street, which remains in existence today. Notable acts include: Teenage Head, Black Flag, and Bauhaus. Toronto has some great restaurants, delis and buffets. In the background is the Coronet (Savoy) Theatre. The only food that was prepared outside our home was a take-out order of fish and chips from Oakwood Fish and Chips, located on Oakwood Avenue, north of Rogers Road. . Sure would like to know who you are. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. A friend from high school worked there on Fridays after school (LPCI) and she always went home exhausted! Eds Warehouse, big prime rib, fun decor. Many of these places I remember my parents going to and talking about. 163 Spadina Ave., 3rd Flr., 416-260-2222, alorestaurant.com So much of what makes Edulis exceptional is its steadfast adherence to serendipity: Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth so often change. To my surprise, I could find not only no pictures but no references at all. I started going to Switzers on Spadina in 1955. They were fully licenced & served a specialty calledbobos. I believe the location was by the LCBO store by Yonge & Shaftsbury. And thanks to Toronto History 's photo archive, we can take a peek at what exactly was going on in the city in the city 40 years ago. The Restaurant Boasts Of Its Food And Location. Do you know if it was open in 1945? A throwback to another time and era. I am researching Macedonian owned restaurants 1945/1946 in Toronto, around the High Park area, walking distance from symington ave., and most of them did not serve Macedonian food back thenanyone remember a name? Post by United Bakers Dairy Restaurant. Running restaurants, especially, three, must have been tough with the long hours etc. Inside, near the entrance, there was a replica of Copenhagens famous statue of The Little Mermaid, from the Hans Christian Anderson tale. My dad was a bartender there and then the maitred. Or the owners name? When we arrived, we discovered that a tie and jacket were indeed mandatory, as it was Eds Warehouse on King Street. The location way out near the airport was good for a while. Oh for the good old days. Thankfully not all of our beloved retro chains have sad endings: Mothers Pizza Parlour & Spaghetti House, another fondly remembered family joint - returned from the grave back in 2013. It was small and romantic with a great atmosphere dark, sheer curtains hanging from the ceiling, very quiet inside. Founder & Webitor-in-Chief of DelectablyChic! One simple one was the RED HOT stand in the annex of Eatons hot dogs and mustard with a napkin and orange pop loved them. It started in the thirties & I think it had closed by about 1990. Dining in Toronto in the 1960s architecture toronto historic Toronto historic toronto buildings Toronto toronto architecture Toronto history Toronto's restaurant of the past Memories of Toronto's restaurants of the past October 5, 2015 johndougtaylor Dining in Toronto in past decades was far different to the culinary scene that the city now offers. China House Eglinton west of Bathurst I remember Floritine Court, first on west side of Church St. south of Adelade, then east side of Church St. just south of Richmond. May 20, 2018 #43 I beleive to this day, it was Charles way to draw attention to the principals remark. The 1980s were unkind to Mothers, and even though Blue Jays Ernie Whitt, Loyd Moseby and Cito Gaston invested in the company (there was even "Ernie Whitt Specials") and helped market it along with Duel dodger Dennis Weaver! Toronto Gone represents the final photos, the ones I have not posted before or published. Add to Favorites 1980's Toronto Blue Jays Sticker Collection Starliner Permanent Stickers Collectible . A very interesting trip down memory laneso many of the spots that I had long forgotten about. Also, in the West end tucked away in a very confusing triangle of Dundas, Bloor St and Kipling was Millers Country Fair. Businessman Brian Alger acquired the expired trademark to Mother's Pizza - one of his favorite brands growing up (along with the Pop Shoppe, which he also acquired) - then teamed with Restaurateur Geeve Sandu to reboot the franchise using the same original formula. On its the south facade, there was a green neon sign that created the outline of a steer. They were Macedonian, but the food was contemporary of the time. We need more of these memories postedthe guitarist who played at the 33rd? Does anyone remember Griffiths on Queen Street East in the Beach(es)? Three very good restaurants in the Yonge and St. Clair area were Rhodes, owned by Tom Kristenbrun on the west side and Bofinger Brasserie that sat between the two theatres. I have memories of falling asleep (on weekends when I could work in the coat check room to make dimes and quarters, in the back of the Dixie location waiting for banquets etc to end. The other favourite buffet in that decade was the Savarin Tavern, located at 336 Bay Street. I came of age to attend real restaurants in the 1960s, in a decade when more Torontonians were beginning to discover the delights of dining out. I only have a childhood memory of it but it may have been between King Street and the Esplanade. One of the walls had a huge hand drawn mural of Leonardo himself. It helped that before Taco Bell got a stranglehold on the GTA in the mid-1990s, Chi Chi's was the only ubiquitous Mexican game in town. Another restaurant I remember fondly, always appropriate for special occasions, was Winstons at 120 King Street West. They had the seafood restaurant upstairs. I think it was located at 12 Adelaide. It was reported that John Turner had his own table at Winstons. Chinese Food Restaurants, Asian Restaurants. Toronto Archives, F1257, item 0504. They also served excellent salads. Read more See all (124) Ratings and reviews 4.5 641 Could someone remember the name. We were in elementary school and we always shared a huge communal bowl of ice cream (all six or seven of uswe obviously did not believe in germs back thenhahaha). It was expensive, but the food was wonderful. Two teenagers, even girls, can eat a lot! 1980s - Restaurant patios at Ontario Place or marina. Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - outside. My sister and I used to streetcar it to Jesse Ketchum Public school. It contained three dining roomsthe Bali Hai Room (Polynesian), the Dickens English Inn (roast beef) and Caesars Room (Italian). It was another enterprise of Harry Barbarian, who owned the famous steak house on Elm Street. Dads were happy to sink their $2 steins of house lager while the legendary free-with-dinner Frank Vetere's soda glasses can still be found at local thrift shops. Ask Vancouver's memory keeper, John Atkin, anything about Vancouver history, then hit "send.". The menu is ever-evolving, but memorable mouthfuls include pleasure-pocket taleggio cheese, grape, and onion agnolotti; and delicate hamachi topped with xo sauce, tomato consomme, and creme . 17. My hangout restaurant was the Boardwalk, a typical Canadian style diner, run by a family from Macedonia. That is not Tom Jones Steak House. We were offended, as the clothes they offered were grubby looking, and we were certainly not hobos. The Sign of the Steer Restaurant at 161 Dupont Street in 1955, the neon sign of a steer visible on the south wall. In the space recently vacated by Menalon, the 50ish-year-old Greek diner and dive bar, is Paradise Grapevine, Bloorcourt's favourite new wine bar . As in big fat Lardys? Toronto Restaurants; Use the app to find the best restaurants and hotels everywhere Be the first to get news and update about the MICHELIN Guide Subscribe Michelin will process your personal data to (i) manage your subscription (ii) and measure the performance of our campaigns and analyze your interactions with our communications. Because Maple Leaf Gardens was a few blocks south of it, it was very busy on nights when the Leafs played home games. Ponderosa was a popular birthday destination in the 80s, owing to the group friendly prices, kid friendly zones and fun-tastic birthday hats. Closed now : See all hours. Opening week, New City Hall Photographer: Toronto Fire Department,1965 Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue Photographer: Eric Trussler, 1962 O'Keefe Centre opening Photographer: Alexandra Studio, 1960 Waiting at traffic lights It was dark and expansive, with stuffed seagulls and angels and god-knows-what else hanging from the ceiling and booths on multiple levels. The Sign of the Steer was a large restaurant located at 191 Dupont Street, where it intersects with Davenport Road. John Letnik purchased it and sailed it from Yugoslavia to Toronto. It was our favourite downtown restaurant. Thank you very much for contacting me. At the time it was what would be called a greasy spoon with a counter and those revolving bar stools. The restaurants housed an authentic Cowboy styled atmosphere with saloon doors, stag horns, wood walls, yellow and brown uniforms for the staff and red and white checkered table clothes. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The Bagel King The original bagel place Eglinton west Lichee Garden. Their favourite (and a family treat for birthdays) for many years was Carmens. 641 reviews #39 of 5,196 Restaurants in Toronto $$ - $$$ Bar Contemporary Canadian 100 Front St. West Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, Ontario M5J 1E3 Canada +1 416-368-2511 Website Menu Closed now : See all hours COVID-19 update: See the added health and safety measures this property is taking. floor of the TD building. On the north side just East of Parliament was Macedonian Village. Always lots of men in suits lol. Toronto's multicultural roots are deliciously reflected in over 7,500 restaurants across 140+ neighbourhoods. Another favourite of many Torontonians was the Georgian Room on the 9th floor of the old Eatons store at Queen and Yonge Street. Dave, Hamers Fish and Chips Eglinton near Oakwood Sadly the owner left to take over the Aston Martin Car Company in ENGLAND and the restaurant rapidly went south becoming a poor shadow of its former self. 5 out of 5 stars (101) $ 50.00. A popular pregame location. We lived upstairs and had to look after the coal furnace during off hours. Its new owners began substituting lobster-flavoured pollock for real lobster meat, and the Mermaid closed shortly thereafter. The same strip mall also had a Becker's, a Chinese restaurant and a few other businesses! My grandfather and his brothers owned a restaurant in the 1950s at Yonge and Adelaide, The Manor Grill. The names of the dishes so were unfamiliar to most Torontonians that menus at the Acropole were useless. I remember the first time I went there with a friend. These restaurants were favourites when we visited Loews Uptown or the Town Cinema Theatre on Bloor Street East. Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen. It had many outlets throughout the city, but the one we frequented the most was on the west side of Yonge, south of Bloor Street. My mother and grandfather worked at Bassels and thats where my parents met. The president of the National Restaurant Association reported that the country's half million restaurants enjoyed rising sales throughout the mid-1970s, with 1975's take 16% higher than the year before. I remember my father saying that it had a bad reputation as a gang hangout. I worked at Ontario Hydro in the late 60s and all the girls went to Bassels or Mallonys after work to meet guys! Peter Basel was a kind and generous man and my mother (Madge) remained friends with Doris Cox who I believe was the manager or accountant until their passing. The meal consisted of thick juicy slices of tender roast beef, mashed potatoes, green peas, and Yorkshire pudding. Fat Pasha. Yonge St east side next to the cut rate jewelry store Lindys Steak House somewhere you could get a steak with 1200 pees and yesterdays roll and the waiters always wore a tie. Named after the ranch in TV's long running oater Bonanza, Ponderosa offered up affordable chopped steak, baked potatoes, all-you-can-eat salad bar, coconut cream pie and mushroom gravy smothered fries. The Ports of Call also had two bars the Singapore Bar (Asian) and the Batton Rouge Bar (French), the latter featuring dancing. One woman prepared in the kitchen. Club: Boa Caf, 25 Bellair Years in operation: 1989-1998 History : This is a tale of two interconnected yet vastly different Toronto venues, each influential in its own way. TOPS restaurant at the corner of Dundas and Yonge, I remember the TOPS restaurant on Yonge, spent many a late night in a booth there, people-watching with some friends. A lot of artists frequented it. Ahhh- In the late seventies The Geneva on Queen E of Parliament north side for breakfast feta and onion omelette to die for. As a young boy, we would see movies at the Willow Theatre on Yonge Street, between Sheppard and Finch. Your email address will not be published. Rhodes had a front area on the north side of the entrance fronting the fine dining room that featured local jazz musicians Thursday to Saturday evenings. We were wearing freshly-ironed sport shirts and neat trousers. It opened in 1963, and for the next decade was one of the citys most popular dining establishments. And what was it most recently? Theres a couple more restaurants that have gone away that bring back nemories. Another fave of mine was The Moorings, best lobster thermidor in the city! My grandad was the bartender and my mother the cashier. South on Bay, down some steps, dark, red banquettes. Dinner on our first night. 24. Not much of a happy ending for that "celebration". Recent publication entitled Torontos Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen, by the author of this blog. I loved Frans on Yonge St across from Sams. Another bargain restaurant chain we frequented in the 1960s was the Steak and Burger. Name of restaurant circa 1960s, NE corner of Church and Wood Streets. I met my first husband there. Thank you so much I was privileged to enjoy most of these wonderful establishments over three decades. 514 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON M5N 1A5 Get directions. NW corner of Yonge and Bloor, and IIRC there was another on Bloor near Spadina. I believe that the coupon had a value of $20, and it covered the entire cost of the meal. To view previous blogs about movie houses of Torontohistoric and modern, and Torontos Heritage Buildings: http://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/links-to-toronto-old-movie-housestayloronhistory-com/. We also offer outdoor dining on our glass enclosed, heated Terrace/Veranda year-round. It eventually suffered from chain restaurant disease and become bland (cilantro/garlic-free salsa). The Goulash Pot at Yonge and Bloor was another Hungarian restaurant. Would certainly add the Vikings for relaxed but very nice dining; Frank Hansen was the owner/manager. Started in 1972 by Frank Vetere, the red and green shutters and offbeat interior (mixing Carnival mirrors, cartoons and great moments in Pizza history) provided an imaginative setting, bested only by their Chicago style deep-dish toppings heavy pizza which oozed that authentic Italian touch and was rightfully branded "the best pizza you've ever tasted". Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - view is east from Duncan. Sadly was not able to go there since covid and they are now closed. The food was superb, along with the service. Creightons restaurant on the ground floor of the Westbury Hotel was another place that garnered attention in the 1970s. Best of memories for her. Puppy Palace teen hangout on north Bathurst St. They served Tortierre, Roast Chicken and Sausages with Chutney. There were two famous buffet restaurants in Toronto in the 1960s. Of course, there a Chinese restaurant at the mall before Pearl took over (Yenching). At least the Zanzibar and the Swiss Chalet are still on Yonge. I fondly remember the Florentine Court on Church street. When I asked for something not on the menu, it was no problem. Chi Chi's Mexican restaurants - catchphrase "A celebration of food!" 181 Bathurst St., 416-364-9320, 416snackbar.com. La Chaumiere was also well known for its coq au vin and scallops Normandie. The old world charm was quite memorable. How I miss it! So many great memories in the article and all these wonderful comments. In the 1950s, high schools did not provide texts. The Steak and Burger on Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street in the 1970s. The main courses we enjoyed the most were Lobster Newburg, Lobster Cardinale, Lobster Thermidor, and Seafood Newburg. I want to say the name may have been Kon-Tiki? I grew up in Leaside and have dined at most of the restaurants you mention. I still remember when my mother discovered the delights of adding garlic to her recipes, much to the chagrin of my father. Lobster and ice cold beer on a hot July day, overlooking the harbour, was as close to heaven as Ill likely ever get. Those looking to dance could hit a number of spots near Yonge and Wellesley, like The Manatee, The Quest, Katrina's, Club David's , The Maygay (later Charly's), and Cornelius, which sat above biker bar The . It remains in business today (October 2015) and is now operated by the son of its original owner.
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