Northeast Philadelphia - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia But tax issues forced the spot to close earlier this year, which is a shame Phillys Greek scene is in something of a shambles (though were optimistic about the upcoming Koukouzeli), so it was exciting to see a concept pushing the envelope. This is the week we lost them. Everyday rush hour.95, off at Allegany (95 didnt go all the way through yetremember that? Lombard streets served up an only-in-Philly menu of hot dogs, fishcakes and Champ Kanella SouthClosed in: 2018With Kanella South, it finally felt like Konstantinos Pitsillides finally had the right tools a spit, a wood-burning oven to really show off his skills. Hi my name is Lynda Master Santaniello When I found this website, it made my heart not hurt, as much for those who knew of my parents. During the 1890s, some of Philadelphia's ubiquitous oyster vendors, who previously sold their catch from carts on the street, moved into more permanent accommodations. Sorry for your losses. Great stuff! Originally founded as a bread bakery in the 1920s, Port Richmond staple Tacconelli's didn't start using its oven for pizza until the end of WWII. Until The self titledFinest in Chinese Cuisine, was a weekend hotspot. Admiral Fighting Bill Halsey on a Victory poster, Leahy, left, and King, top right, in conference with Generals George C. Marshall, right, and Henry Hap Arnold, top left, Admirals King, top left and Leahy, behind FDR, at the Yalta Conference in June 1945. Vasanta Bhavan is a chain of speciality vegetarian restaurant started in the year 1969 by Mr.A. Langhorne to Adams and back. And apparently, makingkiller fried chicken will make folks fondly remember your restaurant for years after it folds. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1996. The hotel and its restaurant struggled to remain open during the twentieth century and eventually fell victim to Prohibition and the Great Depression. FLATIRONS CENTER FIELDER BOB MILLER THREW OUT A GUY AT FIRST BASE IT WAS UNREAL,WHAT AN ARM.FLATIRON WON THE GAME 1-0 ON A LOU CATALINE DOUBLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING . These days, the legend lived on in Abington, until just a few days ago. Philly has been in the midst of a long-lived restaurant boom that shows no signs of slowing. The new eatery paid homage to Bookbinder's dcor and menu. menu full of gems like deviled crabs, herring in sour cream and oysters On Christmas and Easter, expect long lines and early sell-outs. White Dog Cafe is one of Philly's earliest adopters of farm-to-table, organic-only cuisine, opened in 1983 by activist-turned-restaurateur Judy Wicks. It is very hard on our family. While Cinco de Mayo is a day that many celebrate Each summer The Mann Center screens movies but these movies arent your typical screenings. The Hatcheries. I lived on Stamford street. Le Bec-Fin served its final dinner service in June 2013. The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel at Broad and Walnut Streets featured several of the city's most glamorous dining rooms. two restaurants and a 14,000-square-foot banquet hall to host events. Philadelphia is Extending the Ban on Indoor Dining! Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age. And the space at 22nd and Spruce became Fitler Dining Room,which was then transformed into its currentoccupant, Trattoria Carina another beloved neighborhood spot. Good memories! Thats where we played pinball. Try subscribing if you didnt already via the quick and easy button on the rightside menu. is a neighborhood staple under the guidance of Frank Galloway, but now after 51 years, the business is in new hands. Hines, Mary Anne, and William Woys Weaver. Josies was towards Convent Ave.Baldwins was in the strip of stores. EDDIE. Yet New Jersey, with key transportation routes between New York and Philadelphia as well as hundreds of suburban communities, contained more diners, per capita, than any other U.S. state. The storied spot was the scene of an attempted mob hit in the late '80s. Italian roll could get their fix on Old York Road, and those who had the American cuisine and the vodka bar was a big draw here as it was on of the more livelier spots along Main St. Philadelphias elite, well-to-do and socialites gathered here at what is perhaps Phillys most legendary restaurant. But Chifa was also the first Garces restaurant to falter, closing after four years in business. The small bakery opens up early and closes by mid-afternoon or whenever it sells out (which can happen pretty quickly on weekends), so don't wait. A trip to the 9th Street landmark, which sells a lot more than just bread and rolls, is always a good bet. During the Gilded Age, Green's dining room was a popular gathering spot for Philadelphia's upper-class ladies and gentlemen. In 1973, restaurateur Neil Stein (b.1941) opened the Fish Market at Eighteenth and Sansom Streets in Philadelphia. LOL, or Slim Jim sandwiches from 7-11 across the street!! Sounds like a typical Saturday afternoon back in the 70s! The Continental Hotel (Ninth and Chestnut), the citys most opulent, contained a main dining room and gentlemens caf. In the Washington Hotels kitchen (20 S. Sixth Street), co-owner Elizabeth Rubicam prepared what was considered the best terrapin (marsh turtle) dishes in the region. The Fat HamClosed in: 2017Well alwayslove the Fat Ham for its hot chicken, but the memories are bittersweet: chef-owner Kevin Sbragas empire grew too big too quickly, and not long after the flagship Fat Ham shuttered, the rest of his concepts went with it. In 2010, the hotel became known as the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Sink it in the spinning ball and the seal would bark, arrrh arrh.arrh free game, free game ! or similar. Best Jewish Deli near Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Thanks to cheap beer and citywide specials, its a popular hangout for a wide variety of characters. The famed space at 1532 Walnut St. was briefly 3. Please feel free to add your own recollections regardless of where or when you lived in NEP! THEY HAD THE BEST LOOKING UNIFORMES IN THE LEAGUE AND WERE ALL GREAT GUYS AND A LOT OF FUN TO BE AROUND.THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!! The Frankford Avenue business district, between Harbison and Solly avenues, has transformed from a bustling entertainment and retail mecca, during the 1950s through much of the 1990s, into a place where nail salons, restaurants, bars and vacant buildings abound. 1720) in Sewell, New Jersey; and Jessops Tavern (est. Around the city, many former oyster stalls became full restaurants, including Snockeys (Second Street and Washington Avenue. In 1922, hoping to capture motorist traffic between Philadelphia and New York, Pflug opened Evergreen Farms on Roosevelt Boulevard, a suburban caf advertised as most beautiful restaurant in the country. For those lacking the means or time to patronize department store or hotel restaurants, the region offered dairies, rathskellers, ice cream parlors, lunch wagons, cafeterias, automats, and quick lunches (luncheonettes). The Sarcone's name is omnipresent around town, as serving hoagies or roast pork on Sarcone's bread is a real selling point for area sandwiches. North along Broad Street, the Lorraine Hotels Caf Lorraine could accommodate three hundred people for dinner. The majority of department store diners were middle- to upper-class women while lower- to middle-class men patronized lunch counters inside Broad Street Station and the Reading Terminal. Philadelphia Memories - Part VI. ; ^). Bjelopera, Jerome. 22 Philly Bakeries for the Most Delicious Pastries, Cakes, and Baked Goods. I appreciate you mentioning him. Immediately following Pennsylvania's establishment in 1681, Quaker settlers constructed a meetinghouse, built in 1684, and post office at William . FLATIRONS PITCHER GEORGE ULMER STRUCKOUT ALL 21 BATTERS IN THE 1ST GAME AND THE STADIUM WENT WILD. Many of Philadelphias diners, including the Melrose, the South Street, the Oregon, the Broad Street, and the West Oak Lane, became neighborhood landmarks. I remember the miniature golf at Stanwood and the Blvd, the last hole had a seal with a rotating ball. Memories of My Northeast Philly, circa 1966-1974 Mike, That was it !!! My wife was lived just beyond Holme Circle and I lived in Olney. Jose Garces might have had historical preservation in mind when he took Little PetesClosed in: 2017The iconic 24-hour diner at 17th and Chancellor was one of the dwindling number of places in the heart of Center City where folks from all walks of life could congregate over a plate of scrapple or corned beef. In Northeast Philadelphia, there was a small gas station on the Oxford Circle roundabout with a very large Hi-Arc sign which dominated the neighborhood skyline. Mirroring the regions economic disparities as thousands of immigrants arrived during the Gilded Age, Philadelphia and the areas larger cities (Wilmington, Camden, and Trenton) developed ethnic and working-class neighborhoods with tiny eateries serving Italian, Polish, German, and Irish food. Clip ref BF5044.Night. Whether that was a sign of things to come with the celebrity chef Chifa waseventually replaced with Cuban diner Rosa Bianca, another concept that didnt take or it just opened a decade or so before its time, it would have been nice for Peruvian fare to take hold in the city back then. until 2011. DjangoClosed in: 2008Before there was Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr as successful a restaurant businesspartnership as the city has ever seen there was Aimee Olexy and Bryan Sikora, chef and Olexys then-husband. In its last incarnation, old heads from the Leroys Showcase Lounge days drank alongside members of the queer punk bands playing shows upstairs. Good memories! I just came across your blog. Before Stephen Starr oversaw a national empire of more than 35 restaurants, Copyright 2012-17 Wooder Ice - All Rights Reserved. Hi! The wait was was usually long but worth it. Upper-class men dined at Greens Restaurant (Eighth and Chestnut Streets), the New Bingham Caf (Eleventh and Market Streets), and Boothbys (Thirteenth and Chestnut Streets). Unfortunately Palumbos succumbed to a fire that destroyed this community treasure. They included Jose Garces (b.1971) (Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Rosa Blanca), Marc Vetri (b.1968) (Osteria, Amis, Vetri), Michael Solomonov (b.1978) (Zahav, Federal Donuts, Percy Street BBQ), and Chris Scarduzio (b.1965) (Brasserie Perrier, Table 31, Mia). website lives in perpetuity. This chain of FLATIRON drew more fans than the Phillies did back then for home games at CONNIE MACK. Anyone remember name of dance club on Holme Circle from 1970s? These 18 old-school institutions remain today more or less the same as they were when they were founded, which means the classic restaurants, dive bars, bakeries, and sandwich shops below represent a taste of Philly's history. Prominent Philadelphians, such as bank president Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), retained Latouche for private banquets. I must have seen it 500 times. The most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region. The original spot was launched in the 1950s, and the chain grew based on its popular beer-steamed hot dogs, fried seafood, and frosted glass beers. I went to Judge and LaSalle. All rights reserved. Parkinson's other claims to fame include its popular ice cream and selection of fresh tropical fruits and imported chocolates. Chop houses served as the forerunner of modern steakhouses; in the 1960s and 1970s, Philadelphias Frankie Bradleys, Arthurs, Leibowitzs, and Mitchells, as well as Wilmingtons Constantinos House of Beef, appealed to those with a fondness for beef. William Penn (1644-1718) noted in the 1680s that Philadelphia contained a handful of taverns with a good meal to be had for sixpence, but it was not until the 1750s that taverns began serving table dhte (ordinary food) with locally obtained produce, meats, and grains. These days, Poses runs a catering company and onsite eateries at Now, the chef is attached to the upcoming Fitler Club, and yet another concept, Tipsy Bistro, has opened in the Fat Hams former home. THE BOMBERS WON BOTH GAMES 5-2 AND 2-0 IT WAS AWSOME. Those in the market for a Philly Surf n Best Restaurants in Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA - Vanilla Cafe, Caf Carmela, House of Thai Cuisine, Dim Sum Factory - Krewstown, Chop Cheese Restaurant & Lounge, Asadero los tios, Macaroni's Restaurant, Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse, Yu Shang Chuan , Nori Ramen & Poke Bowl Shad, plentiful in the Delaware River and later celebrated by local artist Thomas Eakins (1844-1916), was especially popular. I lived on Axe Factory Road. last May, no late night in Rittenhouse Square was complete without a trip to this I still have mine from when I was a kid. While mainstays such as Bookbinders and Le Bec-Fin lasted into the 2000s, a new generation of talented chefs challenged them by opening popular restaurants and catering to millennial tastes. Classic American fare doesnt sound like something you would go out of your way for, but Square Peg did more than a great job to bring cool twists to classic American dishes. Now, well have the opposite a luxury hotel erected by New York developers ona spot thatmany Philadelphiansconsiderhallowed ground. Vesuvius. I WAS 12 AT THE TIME AND ILL NEVER FORGET IT, THANKS DAD. The high cost of liquor licenses in the state of Pennsylvania led to a large number of BYOB restaurants in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. In 1904 the original building was replaced by a much larger structure, which itself was expanded several times in the early twentieth century to become The Grand Dame of Broad Street, as it was often called. We used to go Genes alot back then but then moved out of Phily after being married. SANGEETHA VEG RESTAURANT, Chennai (Madras) - Tripadvisor a particularly damning review from Craig Laban, not even a change in ownership in 2012 could save the grand dame of Philly would be nothing without its dive bars and Dirty Frank's is a prime example, chugging along at 13th and Pine since 1933. The first automat, opened in 1902 at 818 Chestnut Street by Joseph Horn (1861-1941) and Frank Hardart (1850-1918), set the standard for quick restaurant meals for people on the go. Fine dining experiences continued with the nineteenth-floor restaurant called XIX, which serves contemporary American cuisine from the former South Garden Room. How could we not love this place? Nepa, Stephen. 17 Defunct Philly Restaurants Philadelphians Want Back Had The Bulletin route across Ashton from Joes and Masters on Tremont and Maxwell for years. Youd never know from the retractable roof and wood-fired menu of Specialties: The Mayfair Diner has been a favorite of the Philadelphia area since 1932. Just about everyday were hearing about new restaurants opening up or new menu changes which makes it a challange to keep up with Philadelphias lightening fast food scene. By 2015, the city boasted more BYOB eateries per capita than any other U.S. city. You just about summed it up except for pinball at Josies.. Keep going you creative writing fool. Snow Whites space at 2nd and Market was reopened under the same ownership as Revolution House,a kid-friendly yet upscale spot for pizza, beer, and pub grub, but it just doesnt have the same cachet. Looking down #2 (Billy Bones) from the green. New waves of immigration from Asia and Latin America remade the areas restaurant scene by opening pho and dumpling houses, Korean BBQs, sushi bars, and taquerias in neighborhoods from East Passyunk Crossing to Cheltenham. Knew Betsy as well. I dont remember one on Holme Circle. An intriguing move that simply didnt work out. A post shared by Jen Poirier (@myviolett) on Mar 16, 2018 at 4:08pm PDT. Center of this Universe: Ashton & Willits Roads Phillys Best Restaurant Patios and Rooftops, The Best Date Night Restaurants in Philly, This search result is here to prevent scraping, Just Listed: Eagleville Riverside Contemporary House for Sale, The Most Bizarre Moment from Last Night's Philly Mayoral Debate. I just cant remember. Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. My friends down there were baffled by my aggressive driving. Sure we didnt have hipster menus, large craft beer selections or trendy food trucks but restaurants had to crank out top notch dishes with little promotion. We used to run up the angled sides to get up on the roof of it. Bringing together international flavors in a time before the term "fusion" had any culinary connotations, Frog and its casual counterpart, The Along with food on conveyor belts, this place was Jetsonesque but unfortunately it folded and so to did the many memories Philadelphians have of this joint. Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending on how the area is defined. The Radisson Philadelphia Northeast, located at 2400 Old Lincoln Highway in Trevose, . She went to Ryan then LaSalle and I went to Roman then Villanova. They proved so popular that discarded shells were used for ship ballast and street paving. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. But the Lawlers outgrew their downtown space and chose to retool andrelocate their farm-fresh ethos to the suburbs. Along with an array of punch-packing tropical drinks, Pub Tiki boasted a . Hi Im GLENN, YOUR DAD WAS THE BEST SPONSER FLATIRONS SOFTBALL TEAM EVER HAD. We tried ghee masala dosa, mushroom soup and. Something went wrong. MY NAME IS HENRY FERRIS I WAS THE DOOR MAN AT BOOKBINDERS FOR 32 YEARS AND I REMEMBER THE GUYS ON THE FLATIRON SOFTBALL TEAM THAT MR. TAXIN SPONSORED. Last year, chef Joey Baldino of local favorite Zeppoli in Collingswood inherited the club from his uncle. Napoli Village Pizza on Torresdale. THEY DRANK AND ATE ANTHING ON THE MENU FOR FREE ALL THE TIME AND BOY COULD THEY EAT . We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Elenas Soul LoungeClosed in: 2012According to neighborhood lore, the West Philly building home to Elenas Soul had housed a bar or nightclub continuously for 104 years beforea fire on Christmas Eve in 2012 consumed the building. Byberryand its tunnels. Its more upscale than its nearby competitors, with white tablecloths, chandeliers, and more formal service, but its never stuffy. There were a group of nuns sitting on the Cubs side, and allegedly Durocher asked the nuns to pray for the Cubs because the Phils were double distelfinking them. Male red panda weighs up to 14 lbs., and he knows how to relax! 16 Essential Restaurants in Northeast Philly. The thali was awesome! Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. I also learned to ride a motorcycle on these roads and had a job under the Girard Point Bridge. With the school building and the high wall in right, you could pretend you were playing in The Vet. After exploring sale options, owner of Radisson Philadelphia Northeast The two-story restaurant, located near Horticultural Hall on the Centennial grounds, was able to serve 1,200 customers simultaneously and included a tented outdoor seating area. When I lived in Germantown (birth-10 yo), we would wander all of 100 yards from our house to a place we simply called The Crack because the pavement was buckled and cracked by a huge chestnut tree. Doesnt matter I dont recall the name. IT WAS THE PHILLY MAJOR SOFTBALL LEAGUE. In some cases, people operated restaurants out of their homes, catering to friends and neighbors. We always played stickball down in the schoolyard. Perhaps Phillys hippest yet chic jazz restaurant, Zanzibar Blue played host to a whos who in jazz during its run from 1990 until it closed its doors in 2007. For many on this list social media wasnt a thing. By mid-decade, James Beard Foundation finalists and Top Chef contestants, including Marcie Turney (Lolita, Barbuzzo), Jennifer Carroll (b.1982) (10 Arts), Garces, and Masaharu Morimoto (b.1955) (Morimoto), further cemented Philadelphias national dining out profile with their acclaimed eateries. Lauber's German Restaurant at the Centennial Exhibition. Ive gotten into a Twitter conversation with Larry Shenk, whos a long-time Phillies exec. But the jewel in the restaurant groups crown was Pub Tiki, a Around Christmas, pound cake may be the only thing offered, as bakers scale up production for the busy season. Good stuff Chrissy. home to a stuck-in-time, chrome and vinyl diner. Funded by subscriptions, Pennsylvania Journal editor William Bradford (1719-91) in 1754 opened the Old London Coffeehouse (Front and High Streets), which contained separate floors for drinking alcohol and coffee and minimal food offerings. The sprawling market houses a mix of Philly icons, Pennsylvania Dutch classics, and new favorites. Philadelphia in the early 1970s underwent its first "restaurant renaissance." Prior to that decade, many downtown workers and residents felt the city lacked a reputable dining-out scene; some joined one of Philadelphia's many supper clubs to ensure a decent meal. Popularity for automats waned in the second half of the twentieth century with the rise of fast food chain restaurants. Horn and Hardart, founded by Philadelphian Joseph Horn and German-born Frank Hardart, expanded to nearly fifty locations in the city by its peak in the Great Depression, as well as some locations in New York City. The food was delicious. Center City is still mourning the passing of this 24-hour Greek go-to that Went to school with his son, Jack. Hanging onto bumpers in the snow. After 42 years of serving tasty American comfort food, Friday, Saturday, Sunday closed its doors last year. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004. BIG GEORGE was clocked at 110 to 120 miles an hour. FLATIRONS SOFTBALL TEAM WERE TREATED LIKE KINGS BY JOHNNY TAXIN THE OWNER OF BOOKBINDERS. Great food! Definitely wish we could have one more dish here. Chain restaurants also expanded in the postwar years. cheeky menu full of gems like sweet n pungent pork Tahiti and barbecue We're behind on . By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Before the Four Seasons transitioned into the sleek, new Logan Hotel, the ground ONE NIGHT THEY CAME IN AFTER WINNING A TOURNAMENT IN ST. LOUIS AND LEFT ME A $ 1,150.00 TIP AND I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK. And dont forget Joes barbershop on Rhawn next to Pernas pizza. Philadelphia experienced a boom of hotel construction in the nineteenth century, and with each of these new hotels came new luxury restaurants. Are you Fast Eddie? Family-owned since it opened in 1924, this Port Richmond bakery makes a variety of sweets, but the Stocks name is by now pretty much synonymous with pound cake. Through centuries of urban growth, immigration, economic and cultural exchange, and changing culinary trends, the restaurants of Greater Philadelphia provided not only nourishment, employment, and entertainment but also allowed residents and visitors alike to experience and identify with the region. Frankie Masters, Josephs Delicatessen, wiffle ball, Holme Circle, Winchester Swim Club, St. Jerome Church & School, Father Dougherty, 25-minute Masses, Winchester, Colfax & Narvon lines , EJ Korvettes, Crown Cork & Seal, friendly football games, Angus Road, nasty football rivalry, Grant & Ashton, Grant & Academy, John Byrnes GC,the fence along Torresdale CC, Pollock School & playground, softball, FlatIron, chain-link basketball nets, the Big A, turtle jungle gym, huge angled sheet-metalslide, Route 20 & 88 bus, Philadelphia Electric Co substation (Ashton), North(east) Philadelphia Airport, Ryerson Road, Ryerson Circle, the 5 & 10 cent store (Willits), Shop n Bag(s), Free Soviet Jews (BNai BRith?? Used to visit the restaurant with my father, Jack Farrell, often. Accessible,welcoming spots like Little Petes pump the lifeblood of a city, and it seems like there are fewer and fewer of them every year. THEY WERE THE BEST TIPPERS THAT CAME INTO THE PLACE BY A LARGE MARGIN. Private dining clubs, including the Vesper, the Bellevue Court, Union League, Embassy, Saxony East, and Quo Vadis continued to thrive in central Philadelphia. The Bricks (come onfess up.). The Rise And Fall Of Philadelphia's Diners - Hidden City Philadelphia the end, hosting lavish breakfasts and brunches, power lunches and dinners MR. TAXIN WAS VERY PROUD OF THEM AND LOVED HIS TEAM. Not much launch angle. Stephen Nepateaches history and American studies at Temple University, Rowan University, and Moore College of Art and Design. Huberts,robin-egg blue police cars (post-74? A List of 50 Restaurants in Northeast Philadelphia Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. There's still a Blue Point Crab in NorthEast Philly, but it's not the one (later, two) I remember from Bustleton (Harbison?) I was 18. We used to take our cars to the Texaco across the street from Marks. This classic 24-hour diner opened in Northeast Philly back in 1932. That the 1970s . Northeast Philadelphia - Wikipedia Thanks for the memories, Ill add a few more: Snow plow coming to clear our street after a blizzard in 1960, sledding down Winchester Hill in the winter, hot dogs at the 5&10 store, donuts on Sunday from Al and Lous market on Welsh Rd (I think I got the name right! From either the late 60s or early 70s well into the 80s. Theres so much more, but specifics will come with the use of spare brain cycles and maybe a couple of Rolling Rocks. THEY WERE ALL GREAT TIPPERS AND FINE GENTLEMAN. Jakle, John A. and Keith Sculle. Tio Pepe. ), PTC, Crispin Gardens, pee wee football, little league, The Evening Bulletin, newspaper shack on Ashton near Winchester SC , (Disclaimer: Dysfunctional memory may result in not-completely-correct recollections. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. In the early 1800s, Philadelphia became more cosmopolitan as its merchants traded with the Caribbean, China, and Europe, leaving the area awash in foreign foodstuffs. she is and where she is. Never had a can/potato launcher Used to play at the Pennypack Circle mini-golf all the time. Many games he would have 19 or 20 Ks. James W. Parkinson, the son of a tavernkeeper, operated not only a famous restaurant at 180 Chestnut Street and produced Philadelphias most popular ice cream (Parkinsons), but also in 1851 bested New Yorks Delmonicos restaurant in a seventeen-course cook-off dinner (later called the thousand-dollar dinner) that earned him a standing ovation. While in Chennai, we wanted to try a pure veg restaurant. West Philadelphia and the Northeast. About US. Customers served themselves from the refrigerated glass compartments lining the restaurant's walls. It was across the Boulevard from the old Open Hearth that seemed to burn down regularly. Crumbling Commonwealth: Recently, I watched a documentary on DirecTV, called 'Commonwealth'. It is funny how a word or phrase brings back so many memories. ChifaClosed in: 2013At Chifa, Jose Garces focused on the relationship between Peruvian cuisine and its Cantonese influence,puttingyuca fries, lomo saltado, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes all on one glorious menu. Warsaw Cafe, which served Center City residents Eastern European fare for decades starting in 1979, before giving way to Jasmine Rice in 2011. Absolutely the best lunchmeats and sandwiches hands down!