What's Your Favorite restaurant that is no longer around?

[Lawrence Halcomb]

Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

[S***@nospamthesam.nul]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Zider Zee. First fast food restaurant I can remember as a kid because
it looked like a windmill. Man, it's been forever!

[Lawrence Halcomb]

Wasn't that a seafood place kind of like Long John Silver's?

[S***@nospamthesam.nul]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Wasn't that a seafood place kind of like Long John Silver's?

Sure was. Haute cuisine for Podunktown.

[Fatboy]

Post by S***@nospamthesam.nul

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Zider Zee. First fast food restaurant I can remember as a kid because
it looked like a windmill. Man, it's been forever!

Man I do miss this one also.

[Rick Massey]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

There's a lot of them. Jay's Marine Grill is one -- though their seafood
wasn't anything to celebrate about, their rolls and onion popovers were to
die for.

The Spanish Galleon in Medallion Center was also a favorite that I'll miss.

Rama Thai up in Denton was probably the only Thai place I'll ever miss, as
I'm not a huge Thai fan

The Burger Barn in DEnton is another loss -- they made great burgers, though
the "vallium" effect after eating there was always unusual.

And I'll always miss Shalimar in Righardson at Beltline and Central. They
had some of the best Indian Food I've ever had.

[Jeff]

Post by Rick Massey
The Spanish Galleon in Medallion Center was also a favorite that I'll miss.

Was the front of this place designed to look like a ship sticking out? If
so, I remember that (if not, I must be remembering another defunct place).
I remember being in awe of it as a kid.

-Jeff

[Rick Massey]

Post by Jeff

Post by Rick Massey
The Spanish Galleon in Medallion Center was also a favorite that I'll miss.

Was the front of this place designed to look like a ship sticking out? If
so, I remember that (if not, I must be remembering another defunct place).
I remember being in awe of it as a kid.

Yep. It was on the northeast corner of the shopping center.

It started out as a windmill, as it was originally a Zyder Zee location, but
when it changed hands they refitted it.

[d***@gmail.com]

Post by Rick Massey

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

There's a lot of them. Jay's Marine Grill is one -- though their seafood
wasn't anything to celebrate about, their rolls and onion popovers were to
die for.
The Spanish Galleon in Medallion Center was also a favorite that I'll miss.
Rama Thai up in Denton was probably the only Thai place I'll ever miss, as
I'm not a huge Thai fan
The Burger Barn in DEnton is another loss -- they made great burgers, though
the "vallium" effect after eating there was always unusual.
And I'll always miss Shalimar in Righardson at Beltline and Central. They
had some of the best Indian Food I've ever had.

Spanish Galleon!

[OCSDFW]

Bob's Big Boy.

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

[Venger]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

BoJo's sandwich shop in Tempe, Arizona. Ran by the guy who owned it,
went away when he did. Best subs ever. Fresh meat, toasted bread,
perfection.

Also not so happy that The Abbey went away in Frisco. Was my favorite
breakfast joint, food was hot, greasy, and there was a lot of it.

Venger

[Frater Mus]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Princess Chili (was that the name?). I think it closed because Texans
couldn't wrap their heads around cinnamon-tinged chili served over
spaghetti.

[Mark Shaw]

Post by Frater Mus
Princess Chili (was that the name?). I think it closed because Texans
couldn't wrap their heads around cinnamon-tinged chili served over
spaghetti.

Can ANYone, outside of Ohio? And, really: bringing Cincinatti-
style chili to Texas is just ASKING for trouble.

But: if any transplants or other weirdos want to try this abomi-
nation, Steak-and-Shake serves it.

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Mark Shaw

Post by Frater Mus
Princess Chili (was that the name?). I think it closed because
Texans couldn't wrap their heads around cinnamon-tinged chili served
over spaghetti.

Can ANYone, outside of Ohio? And, really: bringing Cincinatti-
style chili to Texas is just ASKING for trouble.
But: if any transplants or other weirdos want to try this abomi-
nation, Steak-and-Shake serves it.

I had a co-worker a few years ago who just raved about Steak and Shake's
chili-mac. I tried it and was underwhelmed, and the guy was actually
offended. I often tell people real chili does not need filler like
pasta, rice or beans - the meat, chiles and spices stand on their own.
I'm biased by my upbringing on that, though.

I like Ron White's routine on the Cincinnati chili thing. Paraphrasing,
he made a comment in a place about being surprised that Cincinnati had
so many chili places. The guy at the counter was offended, saying "I'll
have you know Cincinnati is the chili capital of the world." His
response was "Oh really? I'm pretty sure I can get some guy from Mexico
up with a goat and an onion who can kick your chili ass."

-Jeff

[Albert]

Jeff Edwards wrote:
chiles and spices stand on their own.

Post by Jeff Edwards
I'm biased by my upbringing on that, though.

Very, but when I judge chili cook-offs, I am constantly amazed by the things
people put in Texas chili, like corn, spinach and even kidney beans.

Original (not Texas) chili was a bean dish with peppers and when you added
meat it became "con carne".

JJ

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Jeff Edwards
chiles and spices stand on their own.

Post by Jeff Edwards
I'm biased by my upbringing on that, though.

Very, but when I judge chili cook-offs, I am constantly amazed by the
things people put in Texas chili, like corn, spinach and even kidney
beans.
Original (not Texas) chili was a bean dish with peppers and when you
added meat it became "con carne".

I'm interested in hearing more about this - can you point me to sources
on the origins? I had always heard the original dish was just meat,
spices and peppers without beans, created in the southwest portion of N
America (likely Mexico). Please understand I'm not saying you are wrong
on this - I'm really interested.

In terms of the things in chili, I had an employee recently whose family
was from Vietnam. At a cookoff we held, his family recipe included
mostly vegetables, including mushrooms and large chunks of just about
everything else in the produce section. To each his own - I voted for
the one a few spots down with nuclear-hot spice, meat and peppers.

-Jeff

[Albert]

Post by Jeff Edwards
I'm interested in hearing more about this - can you point me to sources
on the origins? I had always heard the original dish was just meat,
spices and peppers without beans, created in the southwest portion of N
America (likely Mexico). Please understand I'm not saying you are wrong
on this - I'm really interested.

Wiki will help.

However, the Spanish dish, (post chile pepper introduction) was a spicy bean dish.
I must make it perfectly clear that in Texas, beans are not allowed :-)

JJ

[Rick Massey]

Post by Jeff Edwards

Post by Jeff Edwards
chiles and spices stand on their own.

Post by Jeff Edwards
I'm biased by my upbringing on that, though.

Very, but when I judge chili cook-offs, I am constantly amazed by the
things people put in Texas chili, like corn, spinach and even kidney
beans.
Original (not Texas) chili was a bean dish with peppers and when you
added meat it became "con carne".

I'm interested in hearing more about this - can you point me to sources
on the origins? I had always heard the original dish was just meat,
spices and peppers without beans, created in the southwest portion of N
America (likely Mexico). Please understand I'm not saying you are wrong
on this - I'm really interested.

Right. It is my understanding that Chili as we know it was a cowboy dish
that came from cattle drives when they were preparing the remnants of a cow
or steer that met with an accident, and that they didn't use beans in it
because beans were another meal. The spicing was to hide the flavor of the
edgy meat.

There's also a story going around that the name "con carne" is to
differentiate from "con perro," as small dogs, (usually the chihuahua is
cited as the most common) were used in the original recipe.

[Lawrence Halcomb]

As an interesting aside, the Spanish word burrito means "little donkey".

[A***@matrix.com]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
As an interesting aside, the Spanish word burrito means "little donkey".

My mexican pals call a baby diaper a "burrito."

[Albert]

<http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili/ChiliHistory.htm>

You might find this funny, but it essentially American only. It misses out on
the entire history of chili and chili con carne in Spain.

JJ

[Jeff]

Post by Albert
<http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili/ChiliHistory.htm>
You might find this funny, but it essentially American only. It misses
out on the entire history of chili and chili con carne in Spain.

Great stuff - thanks for sharing. All the more ammo against my backwards
co-workers who call their bean abominations "Texas Chili". :) I like the
title "Soup of the Devil" - I may need to steal that. Also, I used to go
to the Pendery's spice store in Ft. Worth - I had no idea of the lineage.

-Jeff

[Frater Mus]

Post by Frater Mus
Princess Chili (was that the name?). I think it closed because Texans

Ahh, I think it was *Empress* Chili Parlor.

[TOM BLACKWELL]

Big Boy hamburgers (now found with the same kind of menu in Kentucky,
Ohio, Michigan, etc.)

Riscky's bar b que in the West End - Downtown Dallas

[Bill Gross]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Randy Simms BBQ in College Station.

Shanghai East in Houston Galleria.

[felton]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Little Gus's on Lower Greenville. Great Greek food at night, burgers
at lunch and breakfast on the weekends. I loved that place. Followed
by India House on Mockingbird across from the Dr Pepper facility and
just for good measure, The Old Church in the Knox Henderson area for
nostalgic reasons more than the food. Oh, and there was a great place
in Olla Podrida that featured home cooking ala Black Eye Pea that I
can't recall the name of but it was great.

[Gregory A Greenman]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Rusty Pelican. It was on the west side of Tollway, a bit north of
the Galleria. Great seafood place. I loved their shark steaks and
swordfish steaks. They closed when a bunch of construction on
Tollway made it hard for people to get to them. I'd guess that was
early '90s.

I just pulled up rustypelican.com. I don't know if this restaurant
is related to the one that was in Dallas or not. Apparently they
have one location in California. It is owned by Bubba Gump Shrimp
Company. I know that Rusty Pelican closed before Forrest Gump was
released, but it's possible that BGS acquired Rusty Pelican.

[Mark Shaw]

Oh, heck - I can't remember the name of the place. "Judge
something's." They had several locations around North Dallas,
including Belt Line and Coit, and Parker Road.

The biggie was two-for-one chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays.
Good cheap lunch for a group.

"Judge Bean's?"

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Mark Shaw
Oh, heck - I can't remember the name of the place. "Judge
something's." They had several locations around North Dallas,
including Belt Line and Coit, and Parker Road.
The biggie was two-for-one chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays.
Good cheap lunch for a group.
"Judge Bean's?"

Yeah, I think that's right. I ate at the one on Beltline in Irving once, I
think. I can't remember being too impressed. To be fair, that was right
before it closed, so I didn't have the chance to try it again.

-Jeff

[Dick Keats]

Post by Mark Shaw
Oh, heck - I can't remember the name of the place. "Judge
something's." They had several locations around North Dallas,
including Belt Line and Coit, and Parker Road.
The biggie was two-for-one chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays.
Good cheap lunch for a group.
"Judge Bean's?"
--
Mark Shaw moc TOD liamg TA wahsnm
========================================================================
"If you don't get a good-night kiss, you get Kafka dreams"
- Hobbes (not the philosopher; the other one)

Full name was "Judge Roy Bean's". I used to go to one at Midway and Beltway
in Addison.
They usually had live music.
Dick

[Rick Massey]

Post by Dick Keats

Post by Mark Shaw
Oh, heck - I can't remember the name of the place. "Judge
something's." They had several locations around North Dallas,
including Belt Line and Coit, and Parker Road.
The biggie was two-for-one chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays.
Good cheap lunch for a group.
"Judge Bean's?"
--
Mark Shaw moc TOD liamg TA wahsnm
========================================================================
"If you don't get a good-night kiss, you get Kafka dreams"
- Hobbes (not the philosopher; the other one)

Full name was "Judge Roy Bean's". I used to go to one at Midway and
Beltway in Addison.
They usually had live music.

They changed their name to Judge Beans' at some point, though. I liked their
food too, especially the free beer or burger on your birthday.

I also miss the Flying Tomato (later just The Tomato) up in Denton. And it's
a crime what they've done to that block -- absolutely nothing.

[The busman]

I used to like making the trip from Grand Prairie to the Flying Tomato but
the last time we were there, it was absolutely filthy. Maybe they knew that
the end was near? Kinda sad.
Andy

Post by Rick Massey

Post by Dick Keats

Post by Mark Shaw
Oh, heck - I can't remember the name of the place. "Judge
something's." They had several locations around North Dallas,
including Belt Line and Coit, and Parker Road.
The biggie was two-for-one chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays.
Good cheap lunch for a group.
"Judge Bean's?"
--
Mark Shaw moc TOD liamg TA wahsnm
========================================================================
"If you don't get a good-night kiss, you get Kafka dreams"
- Hobbes (not the philosopher; the other one)

Full name was "Judge Roy Bean's". I used to go to one at Midway and
Beltway in Addison.
They usually had live music.

They changed their name to Judge Beans' at some point, though. I liked
their food too, especially the free beer or burger on your birthday.
I also miss the Flying Tomato (later just The Tomato) up in Denton. And
it's a crime what they've done to that block -- absolutely nothing.

[OCSDFW]

Olympic Pizza. Was one on webs chapel by the strips clubs. Open late of
course.

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

[Douglas Johnson]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Gilbert's. Originally at Preston and Forest, then on Beltline in Addison. It
was the only deli I thought might stand a chance if it were New York. Nothing
else in Dallas comes close. Yes, I know about Bagelsteins.

Also Mainstream Fish at Preston and Forest. Wonderful casual seafood until the
M Crowd bought them and started jacking up the prices.

-- Doug

[Jeff]

Post by Douglas Johnson

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Gilbert's. Originally at Preston and Forest, then on Beltline in
Addison. It was the only deli I thought might stand a chance if it
were New York. Nothing else in Dallas comes close. Yes, I know about
Bagelsteins.

I guess I wasn't aware that was out of business - of course I hadn't
been there in many years. I've never been to New York, but this is the
only place I ever ate a sandwich that tipped to the legendary piles of
meat from some of the NY places I hear about. It's like the joke Mitch
Hedberg used to tell about going to the Carnegie Deli and getting his
sandwich (paraphrasing): "The woman asked if there was anything else I
needed, and I said yeah - a loaf of bread and some more people."

-Jeff

[Albert]

Post by Jeff
I guess I wasn't aware that was out of business - of course I hadn't
been there in many years. I've never been to New York, but this is the
only place I ever ate a sandwich that tipped to the legendary piles of
meat from some of the NY places I hear about. It's like the joke Mitch
Hedberg used to tell about going to the Carnegie Deli and getting his
sandwich (paraphrasing): "The woman asked if there was anything else I
needed, and I said yeah - a loaf of bread and some more people."
-Jeff

That is all they are nowadays, legendary. The last few times I was in ZNew
York, the deli myth was dying, as the places just served sad Jewish food, or
atrocious Polish derivatives. I know, there will be an exception, but I am do
not think you should have to go to Brooklyn for a decent sandwich :-)

JJ

[Pa]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

1. Rockyfeller Hamburgers in Fort Worth- 6 hamburgers for a quarter during
the depression years.



2. Coney Island-- 3rd and Main in Fort Worth ( 1930's) . Hamburger was 5
cents, RC Cola was 5 cents. New Liberty Theater in 1200 block of main
was 12 cents for a double feature. The 3 cents left over from a quarter,
would be spent in the Penny Arcade next door to the theatre.
We hitchiked to town and back from Castleberry. (Someone would always give
you a ride.) If their car was full, you could stand on the running board.


3. Steak and Ale Restaurants-- Good Food, quiet, clean.

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

I thought of a few more from many years ago - mostly late 70s or early 80s.
No idea why they closed down except they just fizzled:

Kip's Big Boy - someone else mentioned it as Bob's - I went to the one at
Davis near 183 in NRH/Hurst - loved the spaghetti and chili as a kid.

Po Folks - Before we had Black-Eyed Pea around here, there was this place
on Brown Trail in Bedford - I remember very little except that they had
great chicken and dumplings,

Peoples - Another spot on Brown Trail, I think - this was the first place I
experienced the mega salad/food bar.

Chow Soon - On Bedford Euless or Pipeline, can't remember - first place I
probably ever ate Chinese food as a kid. Followed by Lotus on Brown Trail.

Can't even remember the name, but there was a steak place in NE Mall near
Penny's - I'll always remember going there because my grandad loved the
beef tips with mushroom gravy.

Dos Gringos - I believe there is still a location in FW near downtown, but
I remember the one on Bedford Euless. We used to get what they called a
quesadilla before that was a common term - it was just a Mexican-style
pizza with cheese and guacamole.

Then, of course, although they are not entirely dead, I ate at Dairy Queen
many, many times as a kid at locations no longer in business.

-Jeff

[Lawrence Halcomb]

There used to be a Dairy Queen on Jim Miller Rd. Is it still there?

[Jeff]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
There used to be a Dairy Queen on Jim Miller Rd. Is it still there?

Not sure. There are a handful still around - I think the one in Coppell/N
Dallas on Beltline N of 635 is still there, for instance. That's the one
where Mark Cuban worked for the day after he made disparaging comments
about DQ a few years ago.

-Jeff

[Dick Keats]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Farfallo's in the North Dallas Bank building at SE corner of Preston and
LBJ.
Used it frequently for business dinners.
Very good food served on lower level and there was an adult watering hole on
the upper level that was also quite good.
Dick

[d***@gmail.com]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Joey Tomato's.
Sushi on McKinney.
Jorge's in Austin.

[Toni]

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Bagelsteins on Spring Valley and Coit. I'm not sure why they moved from their original location in a strip shopping center to a standalone building just a couple of blocks north on Coit. But that seemed to be end of them. Love their bagels and the Cheese Danish that was complementary with every meal.

Toni :)

[Mark Shaw]

Post by Toni

Post by Lawrence Halcomb
Share your favorite dining place that you hated to see close down. If
you know or can remember. tell when and why it closed down.

Bagelsteins on Spring Valley and Coit. I'm not sure why they moved
from their original location in a strip shopping center to a
standalone building just a couple of blocks north on Coit. But
that seemed to be end of them. Love their bagels and the Cheese
Danish that was complementary with every meal.

Cane Rosso in Fairview. I've eaten pizza all over the world, and
there are only an old wood shop teacher's handful of places I'd
put them up against. Fortunatly the Frisco location is still an
option.

Voila in Allen. More of a bakery than a restaurant, but pretty much
the only local place where one could get a proper baguette.