When I asked for something not on the menu, it was no problem. I recently read an article about it but dont recall where! It was real nice. Mary Johns, I think was on Elizabeth St. around Gerrard. . During the '50s when dining out meant Chinese food or steak and more. 1 of 4. La Chaumiere was also well known for its coq au vin and scallops Normandie. Upstairs was where everyone went for their delicious steaks! Because it was considered a classy restaurant, we felt very grown-up whenever we went there. The majority of their remaining locations were unceremoniously gobbled up by Outback Steakhouse, with nary a drop of salsa left behind. Closed now : See all hours. Swiss Chelet bright red/white colours, i remember some locations had the Swiss alps wallpaper mural. Toronto Restaurants of the 80s and 90s prosperegal May 10, 2018 1 2 3 4 5 Next prosperegal Senior Member Member Bio Joined Jan 31, 2009 Messages 1,140 Reaction score 45 May 10, 2018 #1 For those of us who grew up in the city/suburban Toronto in the 80s and 90s: which ones were your favourites? Paradise Regained the restoration of the Paradise Theatre. I remember the Prime at Dixie Plaza. He explained that they required the dress code to prevent vagrants from across the street at the railroad yards from entering the establishment. Remembering the early days of the Swiss Chalet, they only served 1/2 or 1/4 chicken with french fries and NO cutlery. I once attended a wedding reception in the banquet room in the basement of the Swiss Chalet at its Yonge Street location. 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. It opened in 1976 in an old house, and remained until 1984. Two teenagers, even girls, can eat a lot! Husband & wife moved and still operate a fine restaurant in the Gattineau area. Pickin Chicken, Lake Shore Blvd West (1980s) by Patrick Cummins. It arrived in November 1975 and was docked at the foot of Yonge Street, at 1 Queens Quay. Required fields are marked *. Check out the list of all Restaurants in Eglinton Avenue East. When I had a little money Lindys on Younge and when I was broke The Blue Cellar on Bloor or Grossmans on Spadina. I was only about 28 or 29 at the time. We ordered a very expensive bottle of white wineLoved the place. This is where I attended a wedding reception in its banquet room in the basement. Bayer Senior Member. That is not Tom Jones Steak House. The dessert was spumoni ice cream. It was small and romantic with a great atmosphere dark, sheer curtains hanging from the ceiling, very quiet inside. However, my first experience with its barbequed chicken was at 362 Yonge Street, which remains in existence today. 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 In the seventies I remember the Constantinople on Queen Street West of Parliament. Also a haunt of people performing @ OKeefe Centre. When my friends and I attended theatres such as Sheas Hippodrome, The Imperial, Loews Downtown, Biltmore, Savoy or the Downtown, we sometimes splurged and went to the Chicken Palace at 404 Yonge Street, where we ordered deep fried chicken and french fries, served in a wicker basket. My mom It was dark and expansive, with stuffed seagulls and angels and god-knows-what else hanging from the ceiling and booths on multiple levels. . Brings back so many memories! One note is that Carmans has reopened. Park & Lawrence) & have the the Maple Leafs sign Polaroids of us sitting on their knees, we were that young. My sister and I used to streetcar it to Jesse Ketchum Public school. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. 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. 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? As in big fat Lardys? And yeah, the Beggars Banquet Music Festivals. A friend from high school worked there on Fridays after school (LPCI) and she always went home exhausted! Sep 13, 2019 - Restaurants that I ate at as a child..most no longer exist. Frank Vetere's menu also included mouth-watering Italian sandwiches, burgers, pasta and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. And I recall a place called the Muddy York. Thank you very much for contacting me. Hi there, I DO remember The TRAC very well. My Dad, Basil, owned all three Prime restaurants, with the last one, in Dixie Plaza, being the busiest. Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - outside. It was our favourite downtown restaurant. It was very posh ! That was the Underground Railroad. We used to hop in a cab from Mississauga/Etobicoke and spend our pay cheque at the Ports of Call and always to the Bali Hi room and then afterwords, would go out to Yorkville to a bar. It was impressive when a person drove past it at night. Good times in the early 60s. I believe they were licensed so you could order a fine wine or beer with 800 Sq Ft Of Property With A To-Go Option As Well. La Chaumiere Restaurant at 77 Charles Street East, near Church Street, opened in 1950, and was the citys first truly French dining establishment. These restaurants were favourites when we visited Loews Uptown or the Town Cinema Theatre on Bloor Street East. Also, in the West end tucked away in a very confusing triangle of Dundas, Bloor St and Kipling was Millers Country Fair. It started in the thirties & I think it had closed by about 1990. I remember if they sat you in the back you looked over the ravine. In the Beaches for a bunch of years, there was Loons on Queen, for quite a while the best food in the Beach. Please read the cookie policy for more information or to delete/block them. The meal consisted of thick juicy slices of tender roast beef, mashed potatoes, green peas, and Yorkshire pudding. I believe this is the only 5 star restaurant in Toronto and it lives up to that rating. Le Select just came to mind. It was in the indoor part of a strip mall and sold bread (delicious challah!! Your still missing a few, when I had money Bigliardis on Church. More recently, I really miss Lee Gardens on Spadina! Converted from a house to the Busy Bee Dinder in 1929, the "B" consisted of an open kitchen and counter, and became a local destination for traditional meals and coffee to go. The one on St Clair was open all night. Alo is the ultimate Toronto French fine-dining experience. After attending the theatre, we visited Bassels where we usually ordered coffee and pie with whipped cream, or if we went to Bassels in the evening, before the theatre, we had a western sandwich and fries. I miss it to this day! In 1948, owner George Nicolau renovated and expanded the Busy Bee and renamed it the Senator. A lot of artists frequented it. 14 Places. You just picked everything up in your fingers. For her, there was no turning back. They had wonderful fried chicken and collard greens. your dinner. . At least the Zanzibar and the Swiss Chalet are still on Yonge. I remember the Toronto Radio Artists Club well. I remember a few Macedonian restaurants now long gone. So many great memories in the article and all these wonderful comments. At the time it was what would be called a greasy spoon with a counter and those revolving bar stools. Dining in Toronto in past decades was far different to the culinary scene that the city now offers. I inquired if I should wear a tie and jacket and was told that they were unnecessary. The appitizers, the main course, the deserts were all served exactly as ordered but the tea or coffee was missed by one person, the principal, who had to ask for his drink. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The old world charm was quite memorable. It did not last long under the new management. As I recall it was not a large establishment, but the cuisine was delectable! Cherry Street Bar-b-que. Lime Ricky's on Eglinton was the first to come to mind. I remember going to Lime Rickey's (I think it was on Steeles?? Hemingway's is the bar where deals have been made, law students have networked and everyone else has just had fun since the 1980s. #4 1213 Bayview Ave, Toronto, On M4G2Z8, Toronto, Toronto $ 95,000 Popular Thai Restaurant Serving Lunch & Dinner, In Toronto. One of the first restaurants my friends and I visited was the Swiss Chalet. Bassels on the southeast corner of Gerrard and Yonge Streets in April 1954. Ahhh- In the late seventies The Geneva on Queen E of Parliament north side for breakfast feta and onion omelette to die for. This restaurant still exists today. From the late-1960s until the 1980s, the name of the Maitre d' was Tage Christensen. In fact, Frank Vetere's actually trademarked the name "Deep Dish Pizza". Other exotic foods of my childhood were the free samples and greasy treats at the CNE, which we loved. 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. Another bargain chain of steak houses was Ponderosa, named after the fictional ranch in the TV program Bonanza. These restaurant chains offered affordable steaks that were reasonably tender. 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. May 20, 2018 #43 The Steak and Burger on Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street in the 1970s. Name of restaurant circa 1960s, NE corner of Church and Wood Streets. Sadly the same issues which had affected Frank Vetere's ultimately brought down Ponderosa, which still survives as a US chain but saw a total collapse in Canada in the late 1980s when the majority of their locations were converted into Red Lobstersat a time when our country was experiencing a massive renaissance in seafood. 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). Yes the music was fabulous as was the atmosphere. I miss Ginsburg and Wong in the Village by the Grange, as well as Mr. Greenjeans in the Eaton's Centre. He knew the chain from Montreal and was watching for my expression when they didnt bring cutlery. They were fully licenced & served a specialty calledbobos. I believe the location was by the LCBO store by Yonge & Shaftsbury. Long gone but fondly remembered. Asked . It was near a Toys R Us) for a friend's birthday several years in a row. Load It had one of the first salad bars in TO. Answer: Bonanza Ponderosa Both these were family steak houses owned by actor Dan Blocker who played HOSS on the tv hit series called BONANZA about the Ponderosa ranch. This restaurant suffered the same fate as the Mermaid. My family never forgot his generosity. On its the south facade, there was a green neon sign that created the outline of a steer. The well-seasoned spicier foods that ethnic eateries offered were challenging the more bland style of dishes that Canada inherited from Great Britain. Could someone remember the name. Yumm Burgers.the ice cream place in Cloverdale Mall that had the salted almond sundaes. Our pizza joint was Salernos, occasionally wed win vouchers to dine at Peppios (where the Sign of the Steer was). From the CNE to Scarborough Town Centre, here's what Toronto looked like in the 1980s. Best of memories for her. A throwback to another time and era. It was called The Ports of Call. John Letnik purchased it and sailed it from Yugoslavia to Toronto. Fond memories of Georges Spaghetti House on Dundas St. famous for its pizzathis from visits from the late 50s to early 60sas well as the Jazz combo that played near the entrance. Moe Pancers DelicatessenThe original Bathurst & York Downs3. The Silver Rail Tavern in the 1950s, located at 225-227 Yonge Street. I think it is still there. Eds restaurants and the Royal Alex were the impetus that started the gentrification of King Street West. Larry's Hideaway. Does anyone remember Griffiths on Queen Street East in the Beach(es)? We visited LHardys frequently, and when I asked a waiter if I could have a menu as a souvenir, he gave me one that had not been used. South on Bay, down some steps, dark, red banquettes. Another fave of mine was The Moorings, best lobster thermidor in the city! 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