Queen Bruin, google for Wat Thai. Several of the well-known L.A. Foodbloggers like Oishi Eats, Colleen Cuisine, Daily Gluttony and eatdrinknbemerry have reviewed it. I think a Christian Science Monitor article is out there too. Revel in the pictures.
It was totally an L.A. institution-I’ve taken anyone who comes to L.A. there and they always thought it was the most awesome thing ever. The problem was the food court ended up becoming a hotspot and then the residents in the neighbourhood complained. I’m semi-hopeful the Indonesian food that seems to happen weekly in Duarte might become the next Wat Thai.
My favorite Santa Barbara restaurant from the past is Paul Bhalla’s which had absolutely amazing Indian food. Nothing that is in SB now even comes close.
I doubt anyone’s gonna remember this one. Back in the '70s when I was very young, maybe six or seven, my parents took my siblings and me from Long Island into Manhattan to a restaurant where everyone ate in cars, placed throughout the restaurant. These weren’t the convertibles in Jack Rabbit Slim’s of Pulp Fiction – we’re talking huge, fancy Rolls Royces and Caddies. We only went once, but it was incredibly cool and seemed like the utmost in sophistication. Also, I think that was my very first Shirley Temple. Yum!
For the longest time I couldn’t remember the name of this restaurant, and in fact it seemed so bizarre that as I grew older I thought I’d dreamed it. But after a little research I discovered it was called the Auto Pub, and it was located near F.A.O. Schwartz here in Manhattan (in the G.M. building, which I suppose explains the theme). Of course now I’m sure I’d find it little better than the theme restaurants of today such as Hard Rock Cafe or Jeckyl ‘n’ Hyde, but back then? Made of awesome.
Atop the Steel Pier in Atlantic City – the focal point of that locatioon in the pre-casino days – there used to be a GIGANTIC billboard for Zaberer’s Restaurant.
Zaberer’s was a big place that served steaks and lobsters (the billboard was dominated by a painting of a lobster). The place was huge, and I seem to recall that it had gradiose plans to expand into a full-fledged entertainment complex. But that never happened.
Zaberer’s required jackets and ties on men and boys. Most people going to the Jersey shore didn’t bring anything but casual clothes, so they’d provide you with a jacket and tie if you didn’t have them.
By the way, this thread and site seem relevant to this thread:
There were two that I miss back from the days and evenings of my misspent youth - both were in Orland Park. Chi Chi’s and Cattle Company. Chi Chi’s had a shredded beef something or other that was to die for, and Cattle Company never carded me. Plus their steaks were good.
In the NE USA, from the 60’s to the 80’s there were fast food restaurants call “GINO’S”, owned by football player Gino Marchetti.
Home of the Gino Giant (a rectangular hamburger – take that, Wendy’s!), and the first fast food joint to roll out a salad bar, Gino’s was nice. Food was good for fast food and a nice alternative when their weren’t many fast food joints to choose from.
Gino’s also sold Kentucky Fried Chicken, back when KFC sold their product through other establishments, not their own.
I LOVED Gino’s when I was a kid. It was my first experience with KFC, and I didn’t learn until much later that Kentucky Fried Chicken was even sold elsewhere.* Gino’s also sold burgers. The restaurant that used to be Gino’s near where I grew up is still there, but it’s passed through many hands since, and is now a Wendy’s
*In Salt Lake City, KFC was sold through Harmon’s restaurants, and I believe it still is (they have both straight KFC franchises there and Harmon’s). You could get things like cooked carrots and other non-KFC veggies at Harmon’s, and some had waiters (!) The very first KFC franchise was in Salt Lake, and I ate at it, before it was torn down.
Little Tavern Hamburgers. Apparently there’s maybe one or two hanging on near Baltimore, but they’re pretty much history now.
And back in my home state of Arkansas, they used to have a hamburger chain called Minuteman.
Also, any dopers in Balch Springs/Mesquite, TX? There used to be a hamburger place called The Feed Sack that was awesome. I haven’t been in that area for at least 20 years, so I’m assuming there’s some townhouses sitting there now.
Ooh, I just looked it up and it seems to still be listed in the Yellow Pages…road trip!
I don’t recall the paper being yellow. I seem to recall white with writing on it. Perhaps it was yellow was before my time there or perhaps different stores used different paper. Maybe I should start an Ask The Former Naugles Employee thread.
Oh yes. The burgers had grease on the Grill side. The meat for the “Taco Bar” side had grease, too. The grease from the taco meat was poured into the refried beans (in addition to the lard), so the beans had plenty of grease, too.
I miss Boston Market and Kenny Rogers’ Roasters, whose menu offerings were similar. I know there are still some Boston Markets around, (not sure about Kenny Rogers’ Roasters). They both disappeared from my area around the same time.
Might as well note that I miss Roy Rogers restaurants very much, despite the fact that they still exist near me! Problem is…they are only located at Turnpike rest stops!
Double R Bar burger = Mmmmmm, burger with ham and cheese…Mmmmmm
Think that is a NE USA phenomenon near me. (Philly burbs/South Jersey)
CalMeacham, I miss Ed Zaberer’s for the nostalgia quotient. I will be passing the old Ed Zaberer’s that was located in North Wildwood, NJ tomorrow. The big site it occupied is still there with a mish mash of other establishments that are – and aren’t – making it. The Zaberers sign was there until the 90’s.
Used to have good radio ads that said ‘you are down the shore now’ in so many words. Part of the ‘down the shore’ culture that no longer exists.
The only thing that I remember about the Naugles papers was that there was a little picture of Dick Naugle and his four or five rules for success or something underneath.
A Google search shows that Naugle’s was merged with Del Taco in 1988 and most of the Naugle’s became Del Tacos.
There was a restaurant hubby and I went to on our honeymoon in Baltimore—I can’t remember its name right now but it had all kinds of artwork on the walls, the waitresses wore these very old-fashioned starched white uniforms and the menus were about a foot thick. He’d gone there a couple of times while up there on business, and we’d planned to go back a year or so after we got married, only to find out it was closed.
There are plenty of Boston Markets here in the Boston area (Duh!) and as far south as New Jersey, at least. Have they retreated from elsewhere in the country?
