On Sep 14, 7:53 pm, Arri London > wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>
> > Are there any food places you particularly miss? Either because you moved
> > or they closed? Like the 2nd Ave. Deli nearly disappeared.
>
> > For me it's Buntyns in Memphis. The original Buntyns was on Southern
> > Avenue. It was a real old-style diner, what with the round red vinyl and
> > chrome twirly "barstools" at the counter and pies and cakes in the glass
> > front cabinet. Homemade rolls that melted in your mouth and screamed
> > BUTTER! The best fried chicken and they did those battered quarter-fries, I
> > think. And the vegetables weren't out of a can, but this wasn't the place
> > to go if you expected steamed broccoli. Squash casserole, perhaps. There
> > was always a line out the door at lunch time. No parking to speak of. And
> > a hardware/feed store next door with dusty windows.
>
> <snip>
>
> Dozens and dozens. Mostly because of my having moved around; others
> because they changed ownership or closed.
> Hardly even know the names of most of them...just the place on *that*
> corner or down that street.
>
> Two stand out though, both closed.
>
> The 'Tea Rooms' Drury Lane, Bloomsbury in London:http://www.flickr.com/photos/estherase/51248209/
>
> This was taken (not by me) several years after it closed...used to look
> much nicer. Could occasionally run into theatre types there while having
> lunch.
>
> Rogg's kosher deli in Cannon Street Road, just down the street from me:
>
> http://www.oliviatemple.com/articles/simply_best.html
>
> His children didn't want to take over the business and now the entire
> building has been razed.

More Chicago

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Polish place under the el at Damen/
Milwaukee. Busy Bee. Sophie was ready to retire and none of the
kid's wanted it. Now the space is some overpriced yup feedlot before
hitting the overpriced yup bars. At least, as of two years ago. I
hear that the recent economy has devastated the boom there. No
sympathy from me. It was a nice neighborhood before the boom.

I never really cared for Sophie's Polish food - the galupki (stuffed
cabbage) had a sauce that tasted like bargain canned tomato soup.

But breakfast around the old formica horseshoe counter was a treat.
Sophie's family were cops, so a lot of them (cops off duty can be
decent people), old timers who have been drinking the same cup of
coffee for years, some living in the SRO upstairs and eating every
meal here. Some of the younger arty types (that was probably my
category). I usually had kiska and eggs.

Oh, and italian beef at Donald Duk's. I know there is Al's #1 and
other famous places, but when I was in school and $3.25 was a splurge
for dinner, there was this flthy shack down the street, run by folks
with an Ozark accent. Take out or picnic tables off the alley. Had
my first beef there. Spicy, soggy, dellicious.

There were a few Duks, but I think the economy or health dept. got to
them.

And while I'm at it, and getting hungry, there is great hamburger
place on Ashland, just north of North.
I know it's not called "Checkers" because that's a chain of drive-
thrus, but they do have a horrible cab-themed black/white/yellow tile
decor.

Their special, though (some is cute name that I can't remember) is a
great sloppy two-handed burger, good slaw and fries that probably were
shipped frozen, but in this context, forgivable.

Chompers. I think that's the name. The special might be a "Chomp-
pak".

Bulka