Jackson Heights Life

Get Connected => Jackson Heights of Yesteryear => Topic started by: Avela on December 27, 2007, 04:40:22 PM

Title: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Avela on December 27, 2007, 04:40:22 PM: Does anyone remember the Old Barn,The Savoy,The Dragon Seed etc...?
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: erospolitico on December 27, 2007, 05:30:45 PM: I remember the Dragon Seed vividly, I almost burst into tears when i pass its former home on the corner of 86th Street and 37th Avenue.

I am only in my twenties, and I will never forget the food, drinks, atmosphere, and not to forget the wishing well.

I also miss Winston Bagel's which was right across the street, where M & V Bagel's is now.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Ernie on December 28, 2007, 11:06:52 PM: Loved the atmosphere at Dragon Seed, beaded curtains/pu pu platter and all.

Most of all, I miss Luigi's. Great Osso Buco, Thursday special!
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: eddiestjohns on December 29, 2007, 07:14:12 PM: The Dragon Seed is my favorite restaurant of all time. Great food, great atmosphere with the beaded booths and and and the best drinks. It was a great place to bring a first date and impress them. Many times I would stop by the bar and get a Mai Tai or Zombie and have an appetizer at the bar. I remember after it closed I would be standing outside the Gemini Bar or Winston bagels and people from different neighborhoods would come looking for it. They thought they had the wrong block and couldn't believe it closed. It is a shame that very few places like this exist today. Most Chinese food places are now takeout.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Chuckster on December 29, 2007, 07:38:30 PM: Does anyone remember one of the young waiters from Luigi's named Vinny? He always offered very professional service and was extremely attentive to his customers. Prior to Luigi's closing, he managed to get a position as maitre d' at the Four Seasons in Manhattan. He was quite handsome as well.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Mr. C on December 31, 2007, 08:31:19 PM: I've only lived in JH for 4 years, so I don't remember any of the above. But Bud's Bar seemed like it was around long enough to have had a hitchin' post out front. Now that dive bars have become so popular in Brooklyn and Manhattan you have to wonder if Bud's could have just held on a little longer...

Sometimes you just need to kick back, drink some beers, play some darts, and listen to some CCR on the jukebox. Where do you turn? Novo? To classy. Terraza Cafe? Too loud. The Readypenny Inn? Too...something, that place weirds me out.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Chuckster on January 03, 2008, 06:34:58 PM: Has anyone tried the Cavalier Restaurant on 37th Avenue? I understand that since Luigi's left, Cavalier is now the longest standing restaurant in the neighborhood. I've been there only once hoping to rekindle the love that I felt for Luigi's, but was pretty disappointed. My husband said he felt as if he had walked into a time warp zone. This restaurant reminds of something you would see on that holiday movie set in the 1930s about a kid that wants a bebe gun for Christmas.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: eddiestjohns on January 03, 2008, 08:37:50 PM: Thge Cavalier is just an average restaurant with average food. They used to cater to an older crowd but many of there customers have died or moved into nursing homes They did make somne minor renovations a few years back and the bartenders and owners are pleasant people. Several years ago I used to stop in for a drink because there are so few bars in Jackson Heights but the bar is boring like the food.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Aronan on September 21, 2008, 07:05:22 PM: The Continental was a block or two down form the Cavalier very similar food and style. In face I think one of the rooms at the Cavalier is named the Continental Room in honor of the restaurant.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Chuckster on March 25, 2010, 02:55:41 PM: Quote from: eddiestjohns on December 29, 2007, 07:14:12 PM
The Dragon Seed is my favorite restaurant of all time. Great food, great atmosphere with the beaded booths and and and the best drinks. It was a great place to bring a first date and impress them. Many times I would stop by the bar and get a Mai Tai or Zombie and have an appetizer at the bar. I remember after it closed I would be standing outside the Gemini Bar or Winston bagels and people from different neighborhoods would come looking for it. They thought they had the wrong block and couldn't believe it closed. It is a shame that very few places like this exist today. Most Chinese food places are now takeout.

Lost City blogs about The Dragon Seed Restaurant. Apparently, the decor remains the same!

Inside The Dragon Seed! (http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2010/03/inside-dragon-seed.html)
The above blog entry was done as a follow-up to the entry linked below.

The Legend of the Dragon Seed (http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2010/02/legend-of-dragon-seed.html)
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Queenskid on March 25, 2010, 03:35:32 PM: I also remember the second Dragon Seed. It was on 37th near Junction Boulevard.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: earbears on March 25, 2010, 06:51:51 PM: Yep but I always favored the one on 86th street. Afterall, George - the owner - was always here and so friendly!
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Hank Stamper on March 26, 2010, 08:45:16 AM: Does anyone remember the Green Lodge? It was a small family restaurant on the southside of 37th between 84th and 85th.

It had about ten tables/booths --tops -- and was run by a Turkish family. It probably closed in the late '60s.

It was right down the block from Wolkes- which was a combination candy store (along the lines of Barracini's) and ice cream parlor. I think they made their own sherbet?

And Wolkes was right near Ellie's appetizing store, whose claim to fame, in addition to always having a huge pumpkin-headed scarecrow in front during Halloween, was having a scene from Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" filmed there.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: earbears on March 26, 2010, 09:38:39 AM: Hank - I remember all of it well. I keep looking for my Hitchcock "signature" which he gave me but alas, I cannot find it

We ate at the Green Lodge every Sunday night. Bill - the owner and baker - was such a nice man. Loved the food and remember having to wait outside for tables in the summer. There was always quite a crowd.

The deli was wonderful - clean, good food - remember the cole slaw fondly.

Wolkes was a family operation. The other store was on 90th street. They made the candies there. Mr. Wolkes was in the 90th Street store and Mrs. Wolkes was here on 85th Street. I believe they were German and very formal but extemely warm and nice. The chocolates were delicious and pretty.

Thoses were great days.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Hank Stamper on March 26, 2010, 11:27:02 AM: Yep the Green Lodge was a great place - low key, good food. I remember wooden salad bowls and good mashed potatoes of all things.

I remember being about 3 or so and getting Muenster cheese for the first time at Ellie's; can still remember the taste.

I had no idea there was a Wolkes on 90th. Near 37th also? About 20 years ago I read an article about a home- made ice cream place that opened on Long Island. The owner was named Wolkes so I reached out to him out of curiosity. Turned out he was a nephew? of the JH family. Must have been in his genes.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: elyaqim on April 03, 2010, 01:21:18 PM: Quote from: erospolitico on December 27, 2007, 05:30:45 PM
I remember the Dragon Seed vividly, I almost burst into tears when i pass its former home on the corner of 86th Street and 37th Avenue.

Despite the fact it has been closed sixteen years, Dragon Seed has a fan page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jackson-Heights-NY/Dragon-Seed-Restaurant/187603719948) on Facebook that appears to be maintained by former DS owner George Bow himself. A status update on Georgeâ€™s profile stated the original DS was open April 1949 to July 1993.

(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs236.snc3/22379_187626999948_187603719948_816266_4617161_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: toddg on September 18, 2014, 09:08:36 AM: While we're waiting to see what moves into the old Dragon Seed / Esquina Listo el Polla space, here's a links to some vintage pictures of the old Dragon Seed...
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=9152&forum=1&start=15
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: GuyJSmith on September 22, 2015, 03:04:48 PM: After seeing some links to pictures of the Dragon Seed, I followed them only to find a radically different restaurant from the one that existed in the 50s. The original had no Tiki Bar, no booths, just tasteful decorations and tables, and, of course, the requisite ceiling cove with red neon indirect lighting. And the food was the best outside of Chinatown (where Lee's, a second-floor establishment, was the best--often less than half the diners were Caucasian--a good sign in a Chinese restaurant down there). A very good place to eat. I'm glad I didn't see it metamorphosized.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Tarbender on March 11, 2016, 09:25:32 AM: There was a restaurant/bar located on 37th Avenue near 83rd St. opened just after WW-II !946 named the Flying Tiger that had a wooden airplane prop on the name hanging over the door. I was never in it by my folks and a lot of veterans used to go there to support the two fighter pilots who owned it. The other popular restaurant from the 1940's-'50s was Schrafft's on 82nd Street, between Roosevelt and 37th Avenue on the West side of the street. Lots of elderly residents went there for lunch and dinner. Bickford's was cafeteria style on the corner of the same block just at the entry to the elevated line. Had a summer job as a swing man at the Silvercup Bakery in L.I.C. and before I got on the train to L.I.C. at 3:45AM I would get a cup of java and a donut at the Bickford's (cheap, cheerful and open at that time dealing with night shift folk and early birds.) Great family celebration type restaurant on Broadway and 82 St (Elmhurst) was a German food place named, I believe, the Hofbrau. Great Roast Beef, Straganoff, Schnitzel, and Shomptort deserts. The beer steins must have been great but was out of my league as an under drinking age feather merchant.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: kelso444 on April 22, 2016, 04:36:28 PM: Anyone remember the 85 Club on the corner of 85th Street and Northern Blvd in the late 1950's
The Club and restaurant was owned by Ralph Javarrone(spelling?}
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: kelso444 on August 13, 2016, 12:42:09 PM: Hi
Anybody Remember a Jackson Heights bartender named Billy Brennan who worked in many bars during the 1950's-early 1960's
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: JHMNY on March 08, 2018, 12:22:18 PM: Here's a Queens Chronicle article published back in August of 2016 on The Savoia, one of the long-gone restaurants of Jackson Heights. According to the article, this restaurant had a run from 1939 to the mid-1970s.

The old Savoia: Now that’s Italian! (http://www.qchron.com/qboro/i_have_often_walked/the-old-savoia-now-that-s-italian/article_8db3a390-8a16-5e08-b891-eafbba5329d2.html)
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Vicki Unger on June 27, 2018, 06:13:59 PM: Anyone remember Armondo's Italian? Its been a while but i recall it being at 74-75 and 37th. I heard recently that their was a fire on that block and Armondo's moved.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: JHMNY on June 27, 2018, 06:54:58 PM: Quote from: Vicki Unger on June 27, 2018, 06:13:59 PM
Anyone remember Armondo's Italian? Its been a while but i recall it being at 74-75 and 37th. I heard recently that their was a fire on that block and Armondo's moved.

There was a fire back in 2014 at the Bruson Building, the building that originally housed Armondos. The restaurant was moved to 7316 Northern Blvd as a result.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: loanlady19 on July 18, 2018, 05:07:58 PM: My family owned a food and dairy store, Merit Farms on 82nd Street. There was an Ecuadorian restaurant around the corner, I'd love to remember the name.
Title: Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
Post by: Fdthird on May 13, 2019, 10:15:58 AM: I remember a coffee shop on 37th Ave between 83rd and 82nd that seemed to close almost yearly due to so tax issue, and then reopen within a week with a new name, but run by the same people. This would have been in the late 50s/60s I think.