UTPro Instant Reports: Residential Density Spiking in Midtown. It started in the thirties & I think it had closed by about 1990. When did smoking come to an end in Toronto's restaurants? It specialized in seafood & served excellent fish & chips. The AYCE buffet now serves latkes with sour cream and apple sauce, blintzes, lox, challah French toast, bagels, gefilte fish and marinated salads for $35.95 a person. It was located in the southern half of a 19th century semi-detached house, which was on the west side of Church Street, a short distance south of Bloor Street East. We had our wedding reception upstairs at Scotts on Bloor street it later became Scotts Chicken Villa and then KFC. Another memory is The Raclette which was on Queen st W, probably east of Spadina on the south side. Remember most of the restaurants mentioned but we loved a little restaurant called Pot au Feu.it was on a street near University Ave and was in the basement. And what was it most recently? Alo is the ultimate Toronto French fine-dining experience. However, it was still demolished, though its facade was re-assembled inside the Northern Ontario Building. Mothers Pizza. Other exotic foods of my childhood were the free samples and greasy treats at the CNE, which we loved. Also like Vetere's, the Pizza was phenomenal, and their 99 cent Root Beer floats with take home glass were the stuff of playground legend. I once attended a wedding reception in the banquet room in the basement of the Swiss Chalet at its Yonge Street location. Always lots of men in suits lol. 16 Places . Or the broken pieces of crispy crunch chocolate bars, sold by the pound at Eatons candy counter, which wed munch as we walked the tunnel. Best 80s themed restaurants near me in Toronto, ON Sort:Recommended Price Good for Late Night Delivery Takeout 1. Notable acts include: Teenage Head, Black Flag, and Bauhaus. Contact me via the following: You must log in or register to post here. Sure would like to know who you are. Fat Pasha. My Favourite seafood restaurant in Toronto was The Mermaid, at 724 Bay Street, which opened in 1964. I always requested a table in the glass-covered courtyard as it was akin to dining in a garden. The Sign of the Steer Restaurant at 161 Dupont Street in 1955, the neon sign of a steer visible on the south wall. Chinese Food Restaurants, Asian Restaurants. 5 out of 5 stars (101) $ 50.00. Share. Find the best Toronto restaurants in Toronto, ON. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. The 1980s were a time that seems not-too-distant from today, but were a completely different world. Loved Le Savarin. I also remember the Tivoli on Yonge south of Gerrard on the east side. My family ate at virtually all the restaurants mentioned and more. TOPS restaurant at the corner of Dundas and Yonge, I remember the TOPS restaurant on Yonge, spent many a late night in a booth there, people-watching with some friends. For those of us who grew up in the city/suburban Toronto in the 80s and 90s: which ones were your favourites? Yes the music was fabulous as was the atmosphere. Regardless, this historic tavern is a reliable spot for beers and pub grub, imbued with Toronto history. Please read the cookie policy for more information or to delete/block them. Our favorite memories included breakfast at Sassafraz. Not much of a happy ending for that "celebration". Named after the ranch in TV's long running oater Bonanza, Ponderosa offered up affordable chopped steak, baked potatoes, all-you-can-eat salad bar, coconut cream pie and mushroom gravy smothered fries. Closed now : See all hours. Also was Western Sizzlin Sizzler Red Lobster was starting to come into it's own There were 2 UK fish & chips houses that we. Thanks for the memories! Another favourite of many Torontonians was the Georgian Room on the 9th floor of the old Eatons store at Queen and Yonge Street. Any good substitutes? The other Frans on College (which is still there) had the Spaghetti Cellar downstairs and it was nice too. Toronto Archives, F1526, fl0067, item 17 . Wasnt it Lardys? Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. I also loved Michi on Church as mentioned in your article (chicken yakitori) and Graf Bobby and Acropole but we went to one just east of Yonge at St. Clair. A very interesting trip down memory laneso many of the spots that I had long forgotten about. And thanks to Toronto History 's photo archive, we can take a peek at what exactly was going on in the city in the city 40 years ago. In my opinion, it was one of the best restaurants in Toronto ever. This is where I attended a wedding reception in its banquet room in the basement. Tom Jones Steak House on the corner of Colborne Street and Leader Lane in 1989. We need more of these memories postedthe guitarist who played at the 33rd? Read more See all (124) Ratings and reviews 4.5 641 comments, Toronto's buffet scene is shrinking but a few restaurants are still holding out, Jagmeet Singh calls out 'greedy CEOs' at Loblaws and Sobeys for high prices, Huge fast food brand likely behind viral 'TTC French toast guy' stunt in Toronto, Toronto shopper outraged as maple syrup prices more than double in a few months, Grocery store nailed with 13 infractions from Toronto health inspectors, Toronto restaurants reintroduce lunch in hopes that industry luck has improved. Bassels Restaurant, which occupied the equivalent space of three stores on Yonge Street. Toronto Restaurants Dig into Toronto's decadent food scene and find a restaurant for every taste. Which surprises me as it was a wonderfully bizarre experience. My family never forgot his generosity. I greatly enjoy their panzerotti. I was wondering if anyone else would remember Malloneys. Roaring 1920s style decor with wood and decorated glass, Tiffany lamps, red and white gingham, and Black & White silent films playing on screens all around the restaurant guaranteed Mothers was a place that once visited was never forgotten. One man served. He explained that they required the dress code to prevent vagrants from across the street at the railroad yards from entering the establishment. The passageway connected Eatons Queen Street Store to Eatons Annex. The majority of their remaining locations were unceremoniously gobbled up by Outback Steakhouse, with nary a drop of salsa left behind. Ponderosa was a popular birthday destination in the 80s, owing to the group friendly prices, kid friendly zones and fun-tastic birthday hats. Unfortunately, the boat was rammed by the Trillium ferry and sunk. Great Breakfasts. I dont think any of them are still around. I remember such a restaurant located on the East side of Yonge Street, just north of Summerhill Station. Does anyone recall The Toronto Radio Artists Club (TRAC)? Its new owners began substituting lobster-flavoured pollock for real lobster meat, and the Mermaid closed shortly thereafter. I worked in that restaurant! And I do remember the most popular dishes were hot-dog surprise, veal cutlet, hot hamburger and so on. Mr. Tonys Place at 100 Cumberland Avenue in Yorkville was also highly popular, even though it offered no printed menus. I remember the tunnel and the soft chocolate malted ice cream cones wed buy at one end of the tunnel. I remember if they sat you in the back you looked over the ravine. Yonge St east side next to the cut rate jewelry store Lindys Steak House somewhere you could get a steak with 1200 pees and yesterdays roll and the waiters always wore a tie. When it changed hands it cheapened the quality of the food but increased the prices. When I commenced working full time, in the 1960s, I had a few more dollars to spend. Does anybody remember the Club 12 in Toronto, I believe it closed in the late 50s. I am sure I saw and heard Moe Koffman on one of my visits. During the '50s when dining out meant Chinese food or steak and more. The closest I have come to getting the same flavor and texture is with a chain in Detroit. 17. Did you know him? Bayer Senior Member. My father would take me & my siblings on drives around downtown Toronto in the mid fifties. and the ceviche to start, followed ." 2. It had a name like the Percy House, but nothing came up googling that. Its . The restaurant was so successful that Ed Mirvish expanded and opened Eds Seafood, Eds Chinese, Eds Italian and Eds Folly (a lounge). Recent publication entitled Torontos Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen, by the author of this blog. The tables had candles in bottles dripping with years of wax. Bell Beefer. A couple has been running this Toronto Portuguese restaurant together for almost 15 years. As well as the Old Fish Market there was also the Market Grill on Church St. It was closed to make room for an apartment building and was relocated in the new building, but it lost its charm. . 1. The sign looks like El Toro. It was like dining in a beautiful forest. Read the 10Best Toronto reviews and view user's restaurant ratings. My Grandmother waitressed there for decades, in the 60s a special treat was to head down from the burbs (Scarberia, Vic. This was my first introduction to Chinese Food. In fact, Frank Vetere's actually trademarked the name "Deep Dish Pizza". Our children liked to say that we were married at KFC. Many other deceased or decimated chains not mentioned here - The Olive Garden, Lime Rickey's, JJ Muggs, Harvey Wallbangers, Bo Peep, Eddie Shack Donuts, Bobby Orr Pizza, etc - live on in our memories and through dusty promotional glassware found at garage sales or old commercials on YouTube. Your email address will not be published. Before closing this post, there are a few more restaurants that I would like to mention. Memory sometimes plays tricks, so if I have committed errors, I hope that readers will be understanding. Noticing the geography of your prefered restaurants, Im sure you must remember mine. Leo was the maitre de who was a very wonderful man who always remembered your name and what you had ordered the last time you were there. This steak House is still in business. The northern half of the semi-detached house was occupied by another well-known restaurantQuenelles. All collections in Toronto. I still have the menu today. It always feels good to share memories with others. China House Eglinton west of Bathurst " 16/05/2020 Cuisines: Canadian Reliable Halibut & Chips #1,836 of 6,034 Restaurants in Toronto 40 reviews 954 Queen St E 0.2 km from Queen Street We thought it was great. Rumours circulated that members of the mafia had been turned away at the door, and had put out a hit on the place. The food was superb, along with the service. By the early sixties, it was gone. You just picked everything up in your fingers. Also, in the West end tucked away in a very confusing triangle of Dundas, Bloor St and Kipling was Millers Country Fair. Chips in a cup Do you know if it was open in 1945? Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - outside. As well, there was a cafeteria in the Simpson Tower called the Panorama Room: that might be the establishment one of the commenters has referred-to as being a cafeteria in the store; varied ordinary English-American fare and preparation, for the most part, but decently priced and satisfying for a quick lunch or supper beyond the fast-food scale of fare, as well as having lots of window-glass. I believe Simpsons main restaurant was called the Arcadian Court, not Arcadian Room, at least for some period of time during its existence. In the Beaches for a bunch of years, there was Loons on Queen, for quite a while the best food in the Beach. Mealshare. The location way out near the airport was good for a while. From the late-1960s until the 1980s, the name of the Maitre d was Tage Christensen. My brother and I would have been 4 to 7 years old. It was small and romantic with a great atmosphere dark, sheer curtains hanging from the ceiling, very quiet inside. There was a second location on the east side of Yonge south of Charles. Hemingway's is the bar where deals have been made, law students have networked and everyone else has just had fun since the 1980s. Long gone but fondly remembered. Located in the heart of Hoggs Hollow just south of York Mills and Yonge, Toronto's famous Jolly Miller has been reborn as the Miller Tavern, complete with a bar lounge, elegant casual dining and one of the city's largest outdoor patios. your dinner. I still have a swizzlestick from Malloneys. The Old Fish Market Restaurant at 12 Market Street. FreePlay Toronto 8 Gastropubs It cost around 2 bucks. La Chaumiere on Charles Street, near Church Street in the 1960s. New Orleans Seafood & Steakhouse 334 reviews Closed today Steakhouse, Cajun & Creole $$ - $$$ Menu "The Cajun Calamari were made to perfection and very tender." 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. Kickass Burgers. Brown Derby Tavern at Yonge and Dundas (1970s). Napoleon restaurant was at 79 Grenville Street, a short distance west of Bay Street. NW corner of Yonge and Bloor, and IIRC there was another on Bloor near Spadina. I worked at the Whitney Block at Queens Park 66/67 and we would stop by occasionally for a drink before heading home. Its facade has changed greatly since the 1950s. Our favorite was the Savarin on Bay for lobster. Does anyone else remember the Balkan? I recall Bentleys as being on the east side of Yonge, a block or two south of Teddington Park. When we arrived, we discovered that a tie and jacket were indeed mandatory, as it was Eds Warehouse on King Street. Mary Johns, I think was on Elizabeth St. around Gerrard. Another fave of mine was The Moorings, best lobster thermidor in the city! And yes, they were licensed which was odd for the type of restaurant at the time. I was all grown up when I arrived in Toronto in 1987, but I remember my visits to Bemelmans; the original Bloor Street Diner where I met my first boyfriend; the early 90s version of City Grill at the Eaton Centre; and the Daily Planet at Yonge and Eglinton. Yeahthat was great. Greek cuisine was not well known in the 1960s. It contained three dining roomsthe Bali Hai Room (Polynesian), the Dickens English Inn (roast beef) and Caesars Room (Italian). The feature that I remember the most was the hors-doeuvres cart, which contained at least twenty appetizers, including escargot (heavy with garlic), trays of stuffed olives, stuffed mushrooms, wine-marinated anchovies, pureed cottage cheese with cognac and scallions, and quenelles of shrimp. It was very similar to the KFC of today. Le Select just came to mind. I remember it well, but was never inside it. Save. Cherry Street Bar-b-que. It was called Between Friends. Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - view is east from Duncan. One woman prepared in the kitchen. Also Ford Drugs on Yonge for the cheapest burgers around. It was also the era when post-war immigrants were changing the restaurant scene. Frank Vetere Pizzeria. It was named the Normac. Brings back so many memories! My grandfather and his brothers owned a restaurant in the 1950s at Yonge and Adelaide, The Manor Grill. It was called The Ports of Call. It was my first experience with Japanese food. The Florentine Court was on Church near Dundas. Known as the best Jamaican restaurant in Toronto, Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen serves traditional Caribbean cuisine with healthy culinary twists. I believe this is the only 5 star restaurant in Toronto and it lives up to that rating. Husband & wife moved and still operate a fine restaurant in the Gattineau area. In my eyes, the buffet was lobster-lobster-lobster. By now I am certain that you have guessed that I LOVE lobster. ), pastries, sandwiches and coffee. My favourite was the Paragon Restaurant on St. Clair West, near Oakwood Avenue. I beleive to this day, it was Charles way to draw attention to the principals remark. I remember so many events and celebrations over the years at these restaurants with family and friends.Thank you. Pj OBriens is currently in the building in the photo. View this Spot. When I came to Canada as a child from Denmark in the mid fifties Mermaid restaurant was called the Little Mermaid restaurant on Bay Street. Also remember the Prime, Salernos and the Sky Ranch. Toronto Gone represents the final photos, the ones I have not posted before or published. However, I have very pleasant memories of dining on the smaller ship of Capt. Ontario building with family and friends.Thank you more of these memories postedthe guitarist played. 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