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. I remember the Toronto Radio Artists Club well. Oh for the good old days. La Chaumiere on Charles Street, near Church Street in the 1960s. Inside, near the entrance, there was a replica of Copenhagens famous statue of The Little Mermaid, from the Hans Christian Anderson tale. This restaurant opened in 1959, and is one of the few from the days of my youth that still exists. 1980s - Restaurant patios at Ontario Place or marina. They also served excellent salads. Dining in Queen Street and West Queen West (Toronto), Ontario: See 302,621 Tripadvisor traveller reviews of 8,980 Toronto restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. Do you know if it was open in 1945? Paradise Regained the restoration of the Paradise Theatre. Remember, I said reasonably.. It relates anecdotes and stories of the author and others who experienced these grand old movie houses. After our family moved to Toronto (well, Scarborough) in the early 70s, after having lived in a series of hick towns (not all of them small, just no dining scene) my parents made a point of going out to dinner every Saturday night to enjoy all that Toronto had to offer. I remember so many events and celebrations over the years at these restaurants with family and friends.Thank you. The 1980s were unkind to Mothers, and even though Blue Jays Ernie Whitt, Loyd Moseby and Cito Gaston invested in the company (there was even "Ernie Whitt Specials") and helped market it along with Duel dodger Dennis Weaver! Used to be when it came to family dining out on a budget, Toronto was spoiled for choice. 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. Another popular restaurant was the Three Small Rooms in the Windsor Arms Hotel. Loved reading this and all the great memories. Our favorite was the Savarin on Bay for lobster. Toronto Restaurants of the 80s and 90s prosperegal May 10, 2018 Prev 1 2 3 4 5 wild goose chase Active Member Member Bio Joined Sep 11, 2015 Messages 750 Reaction score 84 Jun 18, 2018 #61 Converted big chain restaurants are common in the city of Toronto it seems in many places. 5 out of 5 stars (101) $ 50.00. Does anyone remember a restaurant called Le Mascaron at First Canadian Place? Converted from a house to the Busy Bee Dinder in 1929, the "B" consisted of an open kitchen and counter, and became a local destination for traditional meals and coffee to go. The waiter offered to provide the proper attire from among the jackets and ties that they kept for such situations. Brought back some warm memories. When I was a boy in the 1940s, my family did not visit restaurants as my parents considered them too expensive. The food was superb, along with the service. I still have the silver tea service they gave my mom when she left. On the corner of College St and Palmerston Ave, in Toronto's lively Little Italy, sits Bar Raval, a Mecca for Spanish tapas and pintxos (with a Raval twist), a wide selection of wines (both old world and new), cocktails, micro-brews and ciders. Never wrote down your order, but it was served exactly to each person. Clip. A Hamburger was 25-30 cents and a coke 10 cents! Enhance this page - Upload photos! Yeahthat was great. I spent many lunchtime celebrations there. The restaurants housed an authentic Cowboy styled atmosphere with saloon doors, stag horns, wood walls, yellow and brown uniforms for the staff and red and white checkered table clothes. Add to Favorites 1980's Toronto Blue Jays Sticker Collection Starliner Permanent Stickers Collectible . Eds Warehouse, big prime rib, fun decor. La Chaumiere Restaurant at 77 Charles Street East, near Church Street, opened in 1950, and was the citys first truly French dining establishment. . The dessert was spumoni ice cream. that was a Toronto streetcar converted to an eating place? Harrys Steak House on the southwest corner of Church and Granby Streets opened in 1961. I dont think any of them are still around. In the 1950s, high schools did not provide texts. The well-seasoned spicier foods that ethnic eateries offered were challenging the more bland style of dishes that Canada inherited from Great Britain. In 1958 we were told that the site had been sold so we had to move thereby making way for Barberians Restaurant. Mocktails are everywhere in Toronto right now but why are they so expensive? The building where the restaurant was located was designated a Heritage site in 1980. Regardless, this historic tavern is a reliable spot for beers and pub grub, imbued with Toronto history. We were wearing freshly-ironed sport shirts and neat trousers. It eventually suffered from chain restaurant disease and become bland (cilantro/garlic-free salsa). There was a Chinese Restaurant, closeby, called Spring Garden. Or the owners name? Lichee Garden. It was named the Normac. It helped that before Taco Bell got a stranglehold on the GTA in the mid-1990s, Chi Chi's was the only ubiquitous Mexican game in town. One woman prepared in the kitchen. It had old world charm. Could someone remember the name. The dining room was Victoriana gone wild; the decor was part of the attraction. Remembering the early days of the Swiss Chalet, they only served 1/2 or 1/4 chicken with french fries and NO cutlery. In the early-1950s, my family moved to the west end of the city, near Jane Street and Lambton Avenue, and our local fish and chips shop became Golden Crip Fish and Chips, at 1364 Weston Road. 163 Spadina Ave., 3rd Flr., 416-260-2222, alorestaurant.com So much of what makes Edulis exceptional is its steadfast adherence to serendipity: Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth so often change. thatd have been LeBaron Steakhouse. The Sign of the Steer Restaurant at 161 Dupont Street in 1955, the neon sign of a steer visible on the south wall. However, it has only been called The Black Bull since the 1970s, prior to which, it was called Clifton House. 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. From chef Akira Back, who garnered a Michelin Star for his restaurant in Seoul, his namesake Toronto restaurant offers an incredible experience, from the expertly crafted food and beverage program and the exceptional service right down to the show-stopping design. We could remain for an evening at the Ports of Call, as after dinner, we could visit one of the bars for music and dancing. Its two owners (and chefs) once cooked for the royal court in Madrid. I recall Bentleys as being on the east side of Yonge, a block or two south of Teddington Park. From the CNE to Scarborough Town Centre, here's what Toronto looked like in the 1980s. It specialized in seafood & served excellent fish & chips. When did smoking come to an end in Toronto's restaurants? This is a true eater's city. Perhaps one of the most famous of Toronto dining places was Eds Warehouse, at 266 King Street West. It was on the west side of Bay Street, a short distance south of Richmond Street West. Peter Basel was a kind and generous man and my mother (Madge) remained friends with Doris Cox who I believe was the manager or accountant until their passing. Frank Vetere Pizzeria. Another bargain restaurant chain we frequented in the 1960s was the Steak and Burger. I remember the Prime at Dixie Plaza. Thank you so much I was privileged to enjoy most of these wonderful establishments over three decades. La Maquette. The restaurant's owner Anthony Rose has a couple other restaurants in the city. The president of the National Restaurant Association reported that the country's half million restaurants enjoyed rising sales throughout the mid-1970s, with 1975's take 16% higher than the year before. The Old Fish Market Restaurant at 12 Market Street. I was never inside this restaurant, but I as I recall, it had a great reputation for charcoal-broiled steak. I grew up a bit north of you, near Oakwood and Eglinton. I have lived across Canada but was able to travel throughout the year so always was able to get my corned beef. I wonder if someone out there can help me with a memory I have. I drool as I peruse the entrees and fondly recall the price of the dishes. Nonetheless the industry fought a proposed increase in the federal minimum wage from $2.30 to $3.00 an hour. The sign looks like El Toro. Sadly the same issues which had affected Frank Vetere's ultimately brought down Ponderosa, which still survives as a US chain but saw a total collapse in Canada in the late 1980s when the majority of their locations were converted into Red Lobstersat a time when our country was experiencing a massive renaissance in seafood. South on Bay, down some steps, dark, red banquettes. Sadly the owner left to take over the Aston Martin Car Company in ENGLAND and the restaurant rapidly went south becoming a poor shadow of its former self. Its . Required fields are marked *. 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. Photo of the front (insert) and the interior of Quo Vadis Restaurant, from Chuckmans Postcard Collection (chuckmantorontonostalgia.wordpress.com). IMO the best steakhouse in the city in its day. The only place in the city where we could find the swiss fondue style menu (there was a restaurant out near Port Credit that also specialized in raclette fondue. Frank Vetere's actually trademarked the name "Deep Dish Pizza". Yumm Burgers.the ice cream place in Cloverdale Mall that had the salted almond sundaes. Images are not to be reprinted, reposted or used for any purposes whatsoever outside of the Urban Toronto forum without my express consent. I remember that when entering the restaurant, I walked over a wooden foot bridge that spanned a stream of flowing water. I am not certain of its location, but I believe it was on Dundas Street West, near Bay Street. Images courtesy Patti Habib, The Big Bop / Reverb, Myke Dyer, Citysonic, Wrongbar, David Waldman . LHardys restaurant at 634 Church Street opened in 1973 and remained until 1987. . The names of the dishes so were unfamiliar to most Torontonians that menus at the Acropole were useless. Oct. 9, 1981 - King St W - "Ed's Warehouse" restaurant - view is east from Duncan. Great article. 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. The Java House was also in this block of buildings, south of Bloor Street, and was great for coffee after the theatre. It was eventually re-floated and towed to Cleveland, where it became a seafood restaurant for that city. The same strip mall also had a Becker's, a Chinese restaurant and a few other businesses! Contact me via the following: You must log in or register to post here. Back in the 80s/90s a lot of corporate chain restaurants had unique distinctive decor. I worked at the Whitney Block at Queens Park 66/67 and we would stop by occasionally for a drink before heading home. The restaurants housed an authentic Cowboy styled atmosphere with saloon doors, stag horns, wood walls, yellow and brown uniforms for the staff and red and white checkered table clothes.. By the time it lost its hilariously terrible nameit was re-branded "Toby's. The other Frans on College (which is still there) had the Spaghetti Cellar downstairs and it was nice too. Hemingway's is the bar where deals have been made, law students have networked and everyone else has just had fun since the 1980s. 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. This is where I attended a wedding reception in its banquet room in the basement. The tables had candles in bottles dripping with years of wax. The cones were 5 or 10 cents and it made shopping with my mother bearable. Thankfully not all of our beloved retro chains have sad endings: Mothers Pizza Parlour & Spaghetti House, another fondly remembered family joint - returned from the grave back in 2013. The publication explores 50 of Torontos old theatres and contains over 80 archival photographs of the facades, marquees and interiors of the theatres. That was the original Underground Railroad. #4 1213 Bayview Ave, Toronto, On M4G2Z8, Toronto, Toronto $ 95,000 Popular Thai Restaurant Serving Lunch & Dinner, In Toronto. Front Street and either Bay or Yonge that had a club with live entertainment. This was in September 1957. 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. House of Chan The best steaks in North Toronto Best of memories for her. In the seventies I remember the Constantinople on Queen Street West of Parliament. I worked in that restaurant! Charles took all 14 orders & I am sure that Charles heard the school principal state Does he know what he is doing? Share. Le Select just came to mind. After attending the theatre, we visited Bassels where we usually ordered coffee and pie with whipped cream, or if we went to Bassels in the evening, before the theatre, we had a western sandwich and fries. However, it was still demolished, though its facade was re-assembled inside the Northern Ontario Building. Diners were invited to visit the kitchen, examine the dishes, and point to the ones that they wished to be served. Your email address will not be published. Fat Pasha. A reader wrote in an asked for the recipe of a shrimp dish named Les Scampis Amoureux (Shrimp in Love). It closed up years ago. Toronto Restaurants of the 80s and 90s prosperegal May 10, 2018 1 2 3 4 5 Next prosperegal Senior Member Member Bio Joined Jan 31, 2009 Messages 1,140 Reaction score 45 May 10, 2018 #1 For those of us who grew up in the city/suburban Toronto in the 80s and 90s: which ones were your favourites? Canary Restaurant, Cherry St. by Patrick Cummins. All collections in Toronto. Upstairs was where everyone went for their delicious steaks! 130 reviews #615 of 5,196 Restaurants in Toronto $$$$ Italian French Mediterranean. How I miss it! I think it was located at 12 Adelaide. For her, there was no turning back. Eds restaurants and the Royal Alex were the impetus that started the gentrification of King Street West. https://www.historypress.net/catalogue/bookstore/books/Toronto-Theatres-and-the-Golden-Age-of-the-Silver-Screen/9781626194502 . Does anyone else remember the Balkan? JavaScript is disabled. Introducing brunch was so . At the time it was what would be called a greasy spoon with a counter and those revolving bar stools. Brings back a lot of pleasant memories. floor of the TD building. As a former resident of Toronto I remember these restaurants with fond memories. Steakhouse, Lounge, Asian, Chinese, Alcohol Served, Gluten Free Foods. So disappointed when it closed. These restaurants were favourites when we visited Loews Uptown or the Town Cinema Theatre on Bloor Street East. When I prepared the recipe, I substituted large shrimp. Id add a few restaurants: Scaramoucheespecially if you called a month ahead for a window table, with Roberto as your server; Canoea spectacular restaurant with wonderful food, service, and views: Auberge du Pommiera long-time favorite; Arlequins (sp? Great places to eat before or after going to the movies at one of two screens at the Hollywood Theatre, the first cinema in Toronto specifically built to show talking pictures in 1930, or the Hyland Odeon Theatre. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Memories of Torontos restaurants of the past, Plans for Waterworks Building at 505 Richmond Street West, Captain Johns Seafood RestaurantToronto. In the photo, the black building in the distance, on the far left, is a Coles Book Store. Chips in a cup Dinner on our first night. Bayer Senior Member. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. My favourite was the Paragon Restaurant on St. Clair West, near Oakwood Avenue. One year on my birthday, my family told me that they were taking me out to dinner, but they kept their choice of restaurant a surprise. 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