Did You Know? Oh and dont forget Nadias you had to know about that place it was so buried deep in the South End! But the man who had been behind those delicious muffins for more than 30 years, baker John Pupek, wasnt ready to let go. My father took me to Locke-Ober while I was still in college in the 60s and as I recall the had one room for men and another for women and children. Which now-closed New England restaurants do you miss most? My whole family would meet for dinner there, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. The pu pu platter at the Aku-Aku in Cambridge (Fresh Pond). That is one restaurant my husband and I really miss! Photograph: Ed Massery with Tom Underiner. I always ordered the same thing for dinner: escargot followed by baked stuffed lobster. And their 3 lb back stuffed was great. There was always a line outside waiting to go inside for a wonderful dinner. Though its a solid, year-round neighborhood drinking and dining spot, it turns into a complete madhouse on game days during baseball season. Commodore, Noth Beverly Chinaland, Beverly, Green Barrel (at tbe bottome of Danvers State Hospital. It seems to me I remember they had a punch card when they took your order, Anyone remember The Skipper right over the bridge in Fairhaven,Ma. Its cool to us that these old legacy bands played in places that we pass every day and dont think twice about. Heck Allens is much missed, and even its replacement, Spuds, is now gone and my husband and I and several friends used to go there often. Gilchrist's building is still standing, although the store itself closed in 1977. The stand was enlarged a couple of times and in 1949 she built a restaurant on the same site which she had bought in 1939. Anybody remember anything more about it? I remember Anthonys Pier 4, but didnt go there very often. It has my favorite fried seafood in the Cape. I remember when The No Name was literally a shack on the waterfront with fishermen bringing their latest catch of blue fish coming in the back door. In Chinatown Yee Hong Guey. McIntyres in Rowley. A little late maybe, but cant forget Mama Leones in Boston {servicemen in uniform eat for free), the Kon-Tiki Room at the Sheraton-Prudential Center; The Commodore in North Beverly; The Junction for ice cream in Essex, MA ; Hojos all-you-can-eat clams (strips only)all across New England; Pilots Grill and Millers in Bangor, ME; The Sail inn near Bucksport, ME; The 95er in Bangor, ME; and Vallees Steak House at Exit 8 in Portland, ME; and McNamaras in Winthrop, ME. Saugus! Pewter Pot! Thanks everyone. Loved them both in the 70s-90s. We already have this email. Among the most famous of now-closed New England restaurants is Durgin-Park, a Faneuil Hall favorite for nearly two centuries before it shuttered in 2019. The Irish pub Lir on Boylston Street is . Ditto the Hilltop Steak House. Swampscott . Their Seafood Platter was stacked so high on the plate you thought it might tip over. After the bars closed we would go to The Egg and Eye! R.H. Stearns and C. Crawford Hollidge were in direct competition, as the former was located on Tremont Street, across from the Park Street subway station. Very found memories. From the Chinese palace Weylus to the giant (and rather unhappy-looking) bull at Full of Bull Roast Beef, restaurants and other attractions including a mini-golf course that featured a 50-foot-tall orange dinosaur competed for attention as vigorously as reality show contestants. Most famously, John F. Kennedy launched his political career at the hotel and proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at Parker's Restaurant. Also recall the Dinnerhorn in Portsmouthnot too far from Yokens. 12 Closed Places In Boston That Everyone Misses - OnlyInYourState The Brook Manor! Just imagine a gigantic Family Tree of New England eating establishments,with The NoName as the trunk..the amount of branches past present & future would astound you. Glad Dinis and Too House were mentioned by others. And a graduation dinner! Vanyaland editor Michael Marotta and photographer John Hutchings spent a day tracing Bostons long-gone clubs, and photo-documenting what exists in these spaces today. Ah, yes, I remember it so well. Johnsons is still there in Northwood, NH! ), then at a new location near the Aquaruim. Back in the day, this watering hole hosted prominent American patrons like Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, so stopping by here for a beer is basically a history lesson. . What better footsteps to follow than one of the Union Oyster Houses regular customers, Statesman Daniel Webster, a New Hampshire native who lived nearby, and was said to eat 36 oysters a day, always washed down with brandy and water. When I lived in North Andover and got my first FT job at WT Grants, my mother and I used to go shopping at the Peabody Mall. 2023 Vanyaland. And wed wait! Some Facebook comments have been lightly edited for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Brighams was great but you didnt give mention to Baileys in Harvard Sq! #BostonStrong The Pour House on Boylston 907 Boylston St #21, Boston, MA 02115 When you were a regular to Durgin Park you had your own waitress! For doughnuts Johnsons Dairy Bar on Route 4 in New Hampshire forget the town now but it was between Concord and Exeter. Santa and Mrs. Claus would make an appearance. Anyone remember Custys all you can eat lobster buffet in Rhode Island? Brighams in Arlington Heights. You get an all-you-can-eat salad bar for one reasonable price. They were old fashioned and comforting on a cold day. Heck Allens in Lynn, really good seafood and good prices too. also Warmuths they had a great B deck saladthere are so many that are gone and I miss them all. Very excellent service there. There was music and some of Santas elves would bring you a box of your own crayons and coloring pages while you waited for dinner. We already have this email. We ate there a couple of times . Favorite gone-but-not-forgotten bars and nightclubs in Boston: The However, his son Edward Filene took over and became the first person to introduce the idea of "bargain basement" pricing to the consumer. But on November 27, 1950, just four days after Thanksgiving, a massive fire leveled the restaurant. The chain of restaurants was born in the 1960s and spread to other New England states like Connecticut and New Hampshire. As of November 2019, all of the restaurants on this list are still in operation and any old historical Boston restaurants that have closed recently were left off the list. The Cock n Kettle was epic! I loved the Pewter Pot. I was just craving Souper Salad earlier today. The pizza was the size of the table. Kevin Bresnahan, Loved when my parents took me to the European. Founded in Boston by Eben Jordan and Benjamin Marsh in 1851, Jordan Marsh & Company was a pioneering department store that expanded throughout New England and beyond, becoming a popular anchor store as mall shopping took off in the 1950s and 1960s. Berneices, Cello House, Captains Table. My go to was Harvard Sq, probably the first to go due to rent prices. Marios or Manero across from Westport Ct train station was my dads haunt after commuting beck from NYC on the 5:25 or 6:10 evening train. Hey folks..The Toll House in Whitman,mayou know, the cookie and great restaurant. That meal alone was worth the sometimes hour-long wait. Felicias in the North End! Ive been to a couple of these restaurants like the Hilltop Steakhouse remember going there with my grandparents when I was little and going into the butcher shop too. How about ye old Wilton Diner, Wilton NH Although not a fine food restaurant, Howard Johnsons (New Englanders do not call it HoJos) IS a New England classic, and deserves a spot on this list. Today Bell in Hand is a full service restaurant as well as a bar and happening nightspot. Still have my best friends for life from there. When my three best friends and I got our first paying jobs in high school, we would dress up and go on Sundays. Stoddard's: Tucked away in the Leather District, this retro drinking and dining haunta favorite of Downtown Crossing's after-work crowdshas shuttered its doors. They were as good spot to actually rest while driving g long distances, Great ice cream, my favorites were the coffee flavor and the rum raisin. There were any weekend mornings having breakfast there and the muffins and coffee were great. This restaurant and club closed more recently, in 2016, but it is definitely missed. Boston's Hidden Restaurants: Restaurants That Have Closed Restaurants That Have Closed. One time my friend and I decided to grab dinner at Durgin Park and the mens Russian Chorus from Harvard was beautifully serenading the diners! This is where I spent my teens years in the 80s. They have a restaurant in Sanford Maine now , unfortunately no stuffed lobster or dessert but still good. In 2011, the Oak Room was gutted, leaving a familiar feeling for its fans while becoming a bright, shimmering bar and lounge that befits the hotels jazz age birth. The menu highlighted the restaurants deep roots, serving up traditional New England boiled dinners and pot roast, as well as steamed lobster, chowders, and broiled prime rib. The clam shack on Route 1 was called Els, our all time favorite place for clams. Best meal evah! Sheila M. Hawes, Bishops in Lawrence. Souper Salad on Newbury Street was tops for a summer day. Bittersweetthank you. Historically, gay bars were spaces where LGBTQ people could meet, exchange information, learn about events and politics, and form connections that might be . Lobster in the Rough, Route 28, Cape Cod. In 2011, the bricks-and-mortar store closed. Dad would go there traveling from Maine to Boston daily for work, back when it was just a diner. This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated. Kens was THE place to go in the 60s/70s for late night fare as Boston students of that era will attest to. It started as a hot dog stand by my grandmother,Stefania Danosky. It was across from the Plymouth public beach area. Gilchrist's opened in Boston in 1842 and, by 1964, there were multiple store locations across Greater Boston. Ive hit them all and have such fond memories. Great Scott: One of the area's most beloved music clubs has hosted its last concert.The 240-capacity Allston bar was an unofficial feeder for larger clubs like the Middle East and the Paradise. Cant believe no one mentioned an almost 60 year old establishment with an iconic neon whale! Their homemade mayonnaise was to die for. Sablones Veal n Vintage in Bostons East End. Loved going to Cafe Budapest for an elegant meal and great ambience. The town purchased the property and still runs the miniature golf course. I think the name had the word oyster in it. The four Boston gay bars that closed during the pandemic were a pointed reminder of changes the community has experienced for decades. Yokens, Hilltop, Valles, The Modern and Greenwich Turkey Farm in Nashua, and the Hanover House in Manchester and last but not least, the China Dragon in Hooksett. I have an old New England Travel guide,1951.. Always good, Always fun. https://www.tfrecipes.com/jordan-marsh-macaroon/. Here in New England, we develop pretty strong attachments to the places that serve us what, and how, we like best and boy, do we miss them when theyre gone. Well, its often not pleasant. Trader Vics was another fantastic restaurant, now gone. Then on to the next one. Willow Pond Kitchen on Rte 2A in Concord, MA. We were stationed at Hanscom Field in the late 1960s & would drive to the Willow Pond Kitchen just for the fried clams. Hugos Cohasset. So, whats sitting on these properties now? We always enjoyed these places: Jack & Marions, The Town Lynne, and Fantasias. We always stopped there. a whale steak. The Weathervane in Maine. Jimmys Harborside in Boston (next door to Pier Four) and The Pillar House in Newton. So many memories. also Warmuthshad a wonderful B deck salad. The Shiro in Berlin. Though now more a restaurant than a bar, you can still stop in for a drink. However, the flagship location in Boston closed for good in 1978. Boston Mayor Tom Menino, right, and Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci at Joe Tecces, Feb. 3, 1997. Learned to eat Fish & Chips there before I learned to like seafood. The last one I remember was off I-80 in central PA; I would pass it on the way to Bucknell U. to visit my daughter. If you had your elders with you, Felicia came around to your table to greet and talk with your elders, in her inimitable Italian way. ! Elizabeth Hunter Vasco, The iconic Fontaines chicken sign, which was a Boston landmark until 2005, greets visitors to @culinarymuseum! (Its clam chowder recipe continues to circulate online, still in demand after all these years). For 47 years, Johnny D's in Somerville was a popular music venue for acts ranging from the Dixie Chicks to Neil Young. Site was a parking lot for the reservation until 1982. The deli food was out of this world and if you were a people watcher late in the evening was great for that. How about Sandys on the bridge to the Cape, Redwood in Mendon, Coney Island in Worcester, of course Anthonys , The No Name, the Hilltop in Worcester, and the list goes on. Permanently Closed Restaurants and Bars in Boston - Do617 On weekends, wed get there a little early so that we could enjoy the live entertainment singing the standards. Great memories of that places. Chicken Delight Dini's was in business from 1926 through 1990 and this Tremont Street restaurant was renowned for its lobster and schrod. Out in Metrowest of Boston there was The Cock N Kettle restaurant in uxbridge. The then-Parker House Hotel had become a gathering place for transcendentalists and writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. She ran the Elm Street market in Waltham with her husband who I believe got in trouble with the law. As West Broadway undergoes massive development, including to the building in which Amrheins sits, one can only hope this bastion of old Southiedoes notdisappear in a cloud of gentrification. Loved Fontaines-! He would Fall in love,get married, start a family,buy a house in the suburbs..And with the skills he had learned,would open a diner or other restaurant there,sometimes a fish house,sometimes a full range of food.. And so on,spawning dozens,even hundreds of dining halls throughout New England..nobody knows how many for sure,a list was never kept.. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Im looking for the coconut macaroon recipe from Jordan Marsh or Filenes??? It was here that Dickens first read his magnificent novel, A Christmas Carol, in America. Legal Sea Foods - Charles Square: Located in the shadow of the Charles Hotel, the lone Harvard Square outpost of this local seafood emporium has shuttered. Owned by Borghild Anderson. My dad always got finn Haddie we kids would pronounce it. Old Timer Restaurant 155 Church Street Clinton, MA 01510; O'Leary's 1010 Beacon Street The Pewter Pot was also known for good coffee served in pewter pots and hearty chowders, sandwiches, and breakfast foods. The chocolate loving Dutch have been eating them for breakfast on toast for decades. This was supposed to be its death knell; instead, its popularity increased. Answer (1 of 9): The laws in Massachusetts require that bars stop serving alcohol at 2 am. Dineros Hull. It is located in a building that dates to the early 1700s and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Pier 4 and their enormous Yard of Ale was a favourite of my parents when visitors came to stay. And not only do these joints no longer exist, but what has replaced them condos, new businesses, university buildings have eradicated any trace of what went down. The menus were written in swoopy cursive. Massachusetts restaurants we miss - masslive.com They always loved hearing the drum then hearing their name being mentioned then getting their special ice cream. For ice cream Browns near Nuble Light ME. The Chart Room. The owners were the nicest. Miss them all! 10. I do remember that I enjoyed the food. It was also always a line to get into either locations. We enjoyed going there until the evening my wife got sick from the seafood. Explorateur: This all-purpose, all-day hangout was popular with Emerson students and area workers. The No Name was one of the most important restaurants in New England history! Check out their farewell post on Instagram. I remember my mom and dad taking my sister and I to the Hilltop Steak House many times in my much younger years. I had so many times there with friends as part of a day spent shopping or at the movies. According to their Instagram page, it's because of the coronavirus pandemic. There were Wanted posters and bull horns on the walls. I also loved the different steaks. I became a serious seafood lover and cook after my year at Honiss. The clams were fantastic Baileys sundaes were the best ever. Rte. Commodore was great, as was the General Glover House in ? Founded by Massachusetts native Edward Brigham in 1914, Brighams opened in the Boston suburb of Newton as a single shop, with the proprietor selling the ice cream and candy he made in the back room. I never forgot Anthonys !! Elishas and also the White Horse Tavern, both were in Milford NH. Two more owners saw the restaurant through its next 60 years, until it was finally sold in 2007 to Ark Restaurants, whose other holdings include Bryant Park Grill in New York City and Sequoia in Washington, D.C. During its long run, Durgin-Park flirted with expansion, operating satellite locations at Copley Place and Logan Airport for a time. Original Owner: James Hook. What about LockeOber in Boston? John Durgin and Eldridge Park took that over in 1827 (a third partner, John Chandler, came aboard in 1840, but by then it was apparently too late to add his name). Dcor included a large-wheeled 19th-century-style bicycle that hung on the wall, and for a while, a Superman cape could be found hanging in the phone booth in the back. My favorite place to eat while spending summers at the shore. The omissions are almost criminal: Chadwicks (Lexington), the Ground Round (various locations), the original Jamess Gate (Jamaica Plain, Boston), Jimmys Harborside (Boston), Locke-Ober (Boston), Pewter Pot (various locations), The Pillar House (Newton), Vinny Testas (various locations), the Wursthaus (Cambridge), and York Steak House (various locations). They were famous for their huge slabs of the tastiest Prime Rib you could have. A 68-foot-tall cactus sign is all that remains of this once-huge restaurant in Saugus. Gaslight: The South End has lost one of its Gallic mainstays, a bistro once graced by Tom Cruise, among others. My parents and I would go there for special meals. Fried Clam stand on Route 1 in York (? Yes The Cafe Budapest. Today, that number has been cut to less than half. But alas, all good things must come to an end. My mom never had much [while] raising me alone, but every so often shed get a few extra bucks and say, Guess where were going, Al? And it was like winning the lottery. Alicen McHugh Savary, Augustines. Anyone know? I felt badly when I heard of their fire and subsequent closure. Welicks in Franklin for their fried seafood and they were open year round, not like the roadside stands. Although Id only been there once about 10 years ago, it has a special sentimental place in my heart. demolished 2017 after years of eyesore status..but in its glory days,it boasted of charbroiled meats and steaming lobster ,in bold neon ,to the passing hordes.. Tango: The area's lone Argentinian restaurant finished up an 18-year run in the heart of Arlington Center. The Apolo dinner and Benjamins in Taunton MA, Tiny Jims in Buzzards Bay MA, and remember standing in line at York steak house chains around NE. How can we forget Jacob Wirth on Stuart St. in town? Here are the now-closed restaurants Boston.com readers miss the most We would go in town from Brockton to Christmas shop, and I took them there as a big treat after!! With the neon chicken sign waving you in with his wing.. Baileys ice cream in Wellesley and Belmont. Does anyone remember the Cranberry Bog Restaurant on RT 184 ( Providence-New London Turnpike) in North Stonington, CT? The waiters were all old men, and the pictures of movie stars who ate there were on the walls. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The interior of most locations had an old-Boston feel, with heavy wooden tables and dark-beamed ceilings. Famed not only for its Chinese fare, but for attracting top comedians and offering a Polynesian floor show.. The Layette House on Rte 1 Foxboro. There were a few great fun places south of Boston along Route 1. Actually, I just looked it up and, indeed, they are still open and have great reviews! In the late 1960s, Id always go there after giving blood to reconstitute my supply of red cells. After a pause, hed smile and say Do you want a Frankfurter? There were 2 photos of him on the walls when we visited, which made both my mother and I very happy. The Kowloon was the big attration on Route One, and still is. My favorite was Hilltop Steak House for the Lobstah pie! Hilltop ! Union Oyster House dates to 1826 when it opened as the Atwood & Bacon Oyster House. The ClamBox has taken its place with my family. I recall a place called JTs on Route 20 near or in Weston in the 70s and 80s. There is still one in Woburn that I know of. There are old bars in Boston, and then there are really old bars in Boston. All rights reserved. McIntyres when I came back home to Massachusetts Now the. We love Brighams ice cream BUT, they did NOT invent jimmies. Ever notice how many businesses, even very old well established ones, close after being sold to new owners? Great memories. At that point, ownership passed to Victors nephew, Luc Charpentier, who ran the restaurant until it closed in the mid-1990s. Still miss my favorite restaurant. In 1920, this shop started out as a humble dry goods store, but within a decade, it had changed direction to focus on women's clothing. Well,in their@100 year existence, this scenario played out again and again; a fisherman would come to the owner(Jimmy, Nick,Tony,etc. Oldest bars in Boston Photograph: Sarah Bentivegna 1. Dairy Bar along with great restaurant and craft brewery! A terrific restaurant that you should visit if you have the opportunity!! The food was so yummy, whatever you ordered. Does anyone remember the Scottish lion in Portsmouth NH? My mothers favorite uncle, Henry Meyer (who died when I was 3 mos old), worked there as a bartender for many years back in the 40s. A little further up Rte 1 was The Ship shaped like a sailing ship. Compiled between July 11 and July 15, 2016, with profound fondness and sorrow for the dearly departed watering holes of our youth: What was more exciting? Boston bars and gyms have to turn on closed captioning on all their TVs Anyone remember the name of the restaurant up a hill on Rte 3A in Plymouth, Ma? There is now a daycare center where it once stood, at the corner of Waltham Street and Concord Avenue. Best special occasion restaurant ever! We went there a couple of times. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), Dorchesters 50Kitchen restaurant closes its doors, The results are in: Readers name the most iconic restaurant in the Boston area, What it's like to be an extra in a film or TV show, according to readers. I recall a several course wine dinner there around the mid 80s with a staff of about twenty waiters and waitresses who never missed a beat. The 240-capacity Allston bar was an unofficial feeder for larger clubs like the Middle East and the Paradise. Yokens sign is still there on Lafayette even though restaurant is long gone. We loved going to Durgin Park for the food and to interact with the tourists who were invariably nice, interesting, and often clueless about what made Boston, well, Boston. Does it sound right to you? The Copley Caf became the Merry-Go-Round Bar in 1934, complete with a merry-go-round; in 1978, it was simply The Plaza Bar and Dining Room; then, in 1996, it became The Oak Room and racked up considerable standing among Bostons Back Bay set. I would be bribed to bring back lobsters every trip to the buffet whether I wanted one or not, for my lobster eating competing uncles. Wicked yummy! Under =Boston Restaurants are 2 Downtown Scandinavian ones; Olas,14 Carver St ,Park Square and the one I think you are remembering.. Amrheins claims lineage back to 1890, making it a cornerstone of South Boston for over a century. The Frogmore: Jamaica Plain residents will have to find a new place for fried chicken and Low Country faves. We were really sad they closed too. By 5PM every day there was a line a mile long to get in. Thanks for the memories of all. Boston bars and gyms have to turn on closed captioning on all their TVs under new ordinance By adamg on Mon, 12/12/2022 - 1:30pm Mayor Wu signed an ordinance, sponsored by City Council President Ed Flynn, that requires all "public-facing televisions" in Boston to have captioning turned on for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The restaurant was sol around 1983- it was never the same. And the Wurst House in Harvard Square. Some famous figures who've patronized this bar include Paul Revere and Daniel Webster. And the English Tea Room on Newbury Street! But the NoNames legacy cant be understated,believe me..it served as a virtual Restaurant Academy, and chances are there is at least one establishment in your area that owes its existence to that chain of entrepreneurship that issued forth from the humble Fish Pier! . David K. I used to love Sandys! Now with this pandemic so many more good places have closed. 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