Question of the Day | 09/06/2009 5:00 am

Trader Vic's, Horn & Hardart, Schrafft's … What now-extinct food establishment still tugs at your memory?

Originally published July 2009

Joan Ganz Cooney | 07/29/2009 11:00 pm

Joan Ganz Cooney Bids Adieu to Stork Club and Other Fun Restaurants

I miss going to Toots Shor’s with people the owner considered important because the restaurant was fun and he was a character, and also the Stork Club. Billingsley liked young people and celebrities and I was in the former category.

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Candice Bergen | 07/29/2009 11:00 pm

Candice Bergen Relives the Flavors of Wil Wright's Ice Cream Parlor

A much-missed food establishment would be appreciated only by Marlo as an old Beverly Hills girl: Wil Wright’s Ice Cream Parlor, which was perfect. There were two in Beverly Hills but one south of Wilshire, which was my fave, and it had dark red walls, little cartoons of angels with wings and halos in tiny white lights on the walls. Gilt wire ice cream chairs. And white marble tables. They had an espresso ice cream that was coffee with coffee grounds in it, and they served all orders with mini-macaroons in crisp, translucent envelopes. It became the template for a spot of nostalgic comfort and ice cream.

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Marlo Thomas | 07/29/2009 11:00 pm

Marlo Thomas Can Still Smell Trader Vic's

Ohhh, Trader Vic’s. I can still smell it. It was the best — rum drinks with gardenias, yummy spareribs, great atmosphere. I didn’t realize how much I miss it.

7 Comments

Judith Martin | 07/29/2009 11:00 pm

Judith Martin Reflects on Her Experiences at Drugstores With Soda Fountains

Drugstores with soda fountains. Because my father specialized in what were then called Underdeveloped Countries (up from Backward Countries, but not yet up to Emerging Nations), we were always having to be immunized against hideous diseases. He believed in one-stop shots, so my brother and I would be hauled down to get four shots at once — in each arm and each leg. But it was worth it, because afterward he took us across the street to the drugstore and bought us ice cream sodas.

2 Comments

Jane Wagner | 07/29/2009 11:00 pm

Jane Wagner Misses the People Just as Much as the Places Themselves

You just mentioned the very ones I would have thought of. Here in Los Angeles, there was also the drive-in Tiny Naylor’s, which I really miss, too. Now I’m thinking of all of them: the old Tick Tock in Hollywood, The Thistle Inn in Glendale. And, as much as the places themselves, the people you’d see there.

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Goodnessl, great memories. Don Large was our choral director, and he took care of us (choral members) like a father. When he knew we should enter competitions, we just "did!" (Don’t remind me of that - guess who had to sing at Belle Isle, and the wind came up and plasted this very modest young lady’s gown up onto her face … but she kept singing… garter belt showing, and all!)

James, a friend of our family was manager of "The Fisher" during my youth - Jack died suddenly from lung cancer, but smoke he did - all the time. I adored that man, and his family. I can still "see" the dome - nothing will ever erase that; never needed photographs, my brain developed every place, thing, and person I was ever impressed about, or with. I can still smell the unique scents that met us entering the building, in fact. Amazing memories.

Radio is still one of my closest friends. A h.s. classmate re-built a wooden case AM-FM radio for me, and sent it to me during the time I was confined to bed due to the effects of childhoood polio - just a few years ago. I had told him that I missed my wooden case radio, because there was no such sound since (not even BOSE), and VOILA - one appeared on my doorstep within 10 days. He had quite a time finding an original switch it needed, but find it he did, and rebuilt it. I treasure that gift, and my high school friend. He’s also the builder of an incredible electric train village, which he puts back up every Thanksgiving in their basement in Detroit. It now fills the entire huge area - and it’s as fascinating as any I’ve seen.

What we are chatting about here is values; values that never diminish, and corporate America has yet to grasp the importance of values (per se).

I was saddened to hear about Ernie - and I hope somehow he knows of the "messages" and thoughts being sent over the ethers to him. If you ever have contact with him tell him that a Wolverine "out west" is thinking about him. I’m so danged homesick at this time of year, it’s terrible. Thank goodness we’ve had rain (almost daily), and the moisture is noticable - such makes fallen vegetation the most excellent parfume in the world - no one can replicate the scents of Fall!

Doggone it! (tears)

By C jay on 09/11/2009 6:17 pm

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Choc full O’Nuts coffee shops.

By Francine Martin on 07/30/2009 4:24 pm

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The ‘big’ Isaly’s on the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section. Skyscraper cones…of real, old fashioned ice cream.

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 07/30/2009 4:37 pm

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Mary-Contrary…yeah, they used to have great hotdogs at the old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. That Skyscraper Cone sounds great! Wonder how the food is at that incredible baseball stadium in Pittsburgh, PNC Park?

By James the Game on 07/30/2009 5:55 pm

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James, PNC trully is a ‘Cathedral of the Game.’ But if you are a Pirate fan (sadly I am)…no team left to play (or pray there). they keep trading everyone away (the Buccos are the Minor League of the Majors….grrrr….)

Alot of good ‘yinzer’ food at PNC…Primanti Brothers (of the coleslaw and fries on the sandwich) have a place there.

And…as a Tiger fan…you should appreciate the Buccos ‘farm system.’ Jimmy Leyland came from the Pirates (and I knew his wife, Katie, growing up).

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 07/30/2009 9:08 pm

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yeah, I know Leyland managed the Pirates in the early 1990’s, during the Barry Bonds era. Leyland was in the Tigers’ system years before that.

What the Pirates need to do is bite the bullet, and shell out the big bucks (pardon the pun) for a couple years, in order to build up the fan and talent bases. The Tigers lost an American League-record 119 games in 2003, and hadn’t made the playoffs in 20 years until 2006, when they went to the World Series. That was Leyland’s first year as Detroit’s skipper. Tigers owner Mike Ilitch finally opened up his wallet after that 2003 embarrassment, and brought in Pudge Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers and Magglio Ordonez - expensive free agents. Meanwhile, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski selected hard-throwing pitchers in the draft, and continues to.

So, that’s a blueprint for the Pirates to turn it around: a few expensive free agents, and use draft picks and trades to acquire hard-throwing pitchers. As Dombrowski learned the hard way last year, you also need good infield defense. So, he went out and acquired a good-fielding shortstop (Adam Everett) and catcher (Gerald Laird). The problem is, Detroit may not have enough hitting to hold onto first place.

By James the Game on 07/30/2009 9:42 pm

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Bless your heart, I’d almost forgotten them. And the Isaly’s chipped chopped ham sandwiches.

By Sally K on 09/08/2009 3:32 pm

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Hey, Candace, what abou the little joint right up the street from Trader Vic’s owned by Patsy D’Amore called Casa D’Amore who had a room deicated to ‘Ole Blue Eyes with a family table right at the Matre’d station as you entered the restaurant. Then there was a place called Scandia, one of the only 5 star restaurants located on Sunset Boulevard where I celebrated my 21st back in the good ‘ole days. And you couldn’t leave Hollywood without visiting Frascati at the Corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights where, when Sally Struthers owned it, I just happened to catch an impromtu performance by Billie Joel, before he became Billie Joel.

Those were the days my friend.

By Jane Silver on 07/30/2009 7:14 pm

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Oh my, Jane. You mentioned Scandia and I immediately salivated. I was in the animation business then and we went out every day for a grand 2 hr. lunch. Scandia was one of our favorites. What a menu!

By Patrice Baldwin on 07/30/2009 10:43 pm

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Hey, Marlo, what abou the little joint right up the street from Trader Vic’s owned by Patsy D’Amore called Casa D’Amore who had a room deicated to ‘Ole Blue Eyes with a family table right at the Matre’d station as you entered the restaurant. Then there was a place called Scandia, one of the only 5 star restaurants located on Sunset Boulevard where I celebrated my 21st back in the good ‘ole days. And you couldn’t leave Hollywood without visiting Frascati at the Corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights where, when Sally Struthers owned it, I just happened to catch an impromtu performance by Billie Joel, before he became Billie Joel.

Those were the days my friend.

By Jane Silver on 07/30/2009 7:22 pm

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Howard Johnson’s Clam rolls with the special fish sauce!

By Janna S. on 07/30/2009 7:55 pm

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Scandia. The veal. They had a way with veal.

By Baby Snooks on 07/30/2009 10:50 pm

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In Manhattan (NYC) my husband surprised me with my engagement ring at the famous Lindy’s. Wasn’t too romantic then, but could sure go for some of that cheesecake I passed up that nite back in ‘62.

By julie winston on 07/30/2009 11:36 pm

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It was a chain, but when it left it took with it forever my favorite lunch treat: Hot Shoppes, Junior’s filet of haddock sandwich on a sesame seed steak roll with lettuce and tartar sauce. And an Orange Freeze to wash it down! Heaven!

Oh, please somebody, bring back filet of haddock sandwiches and orange freezes. Have we fished away all of the haddock? You rarely see it anymore, and it was my fav.

By MaryPage Drake on 07/31/2009 9:08 am