We've gotten sort of nostalgic this week. Not sure if it's hormonal or the fact that we at pizza yesterday and haven't gotten a whole helluva lot of sleep, but something made us start reflecting on all the old eateries we luuuuuuuuuuved going to as a young adult/teen/kid/infant/speck, but can't no mo'.
Do you remember these places? Do you have any you want to add? If so, throw 'em down in the comments. Maybe the ghosts of restaurants past will delivery to you a singing waiter or a giant sundae in your sleep.
Columbo's: Pizza! Galaga! Pac-Man! Q-Bert! What? No one really liked Q-Bert, it's true. Anyway, there was just something about the checker-cloth covered tables and the parents letting us leave the table to go play games so they could get rowdy with pitchers of beer. No memories of if the pizza was actually good by culinary standards, but by kid standards it was awesome.
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant: They had the cool old-fashioned glass display of candy sticks at the counter, a giant birthday sundae, and a huge marching band drum that a waiter beat (and scared the shit out of some -- not gonna say which -- kids) with. Most everyone here that is a Dallas native hosted or attended a birthday party at either the Valley View or Town East location.
More after the jump...
Caruso's: Singing waiters, what?! Was the food good? Who cares!
There were singing waiters! And several of them were really good!
Next
Door: Red wall phones at the tables to place orders -- OK, seriously, who didn't try to call their mom in the
kitchen after going here? Also, who didn't practically get in a fistfight with a sibling over who got to order? And we really want to
know exactly how irritating it was to have to take virtually
unintelligible orders from children over a shitty in-house connection.
EZ's/Kip's:
It makes us sad to think about the razing of that mid-century modern
building that showcased Googie architecture in a way you just don't see
anymore. In it's later years, EZ's still had awesome diner decor, oldies
music (which kids always seem to think is cool), a great vibe and
peppermint shake that could blow your mind...but we prolly needed
another 7-Eleven more. Yeah, must be it.
The
Magic Pan: Pretty much instilled our love of NorthPark at an early
age. As one staff member said, "That's why it always smelled good when
you walked in the Lord & Taylor entrance. It smelled like a crepe."
The ham and cheese crepe was so simple and classic. The
Florentine...mmm. And the desserts. Can we please go back in time?
Il
Sorrento: Get your palm read, have a Caesar salad (the best ever)
made at your table, look at a gondola scene that's made to look like
it's not inside a building...What more could you ask for?
Honorable mentions
include the non-Irving Crystal's Pizza Palace, Shakey's Pizza, General
China and everything that's gone or still in existence except the Magic
Time Machine. That place will never die. Ever.
