Tag Archives: Restaurants

Why I Don’t Eat At Fast Food Restaurants

I Prefer To Eat At Home Because….

I prepare my own food.

Maybe the food was contaminated before it came to me. But I have no vermin or roaches in my house. I keep my home clean. And I prepare food safely.

Unfortunately that is not the case for many eateries. And I don’t know the true cleanliness of most establishments, regardless of the letter rating restaurants are given to display in their windows.

This observation about health code violations should not be confined to fast food restaurants. I was eating at a fine steak restaurant in lower Manhattan when a mouse ran across my foot. So the notion that vermin only stake out fast food restaurants is not true.

But how does something like this occur? This tidbit is  from the West Side Rag

Subway, the fast food sandwich chain’s location at 2508 Broadway (between West 93rd and West 94th streets), was shut down by the health department on August 13th after 63 violations were found upon inspection. Violations include: live roaches, filth, flies and pests in food and non-food areas, and failure to follow temperature control regulations for food. The full report can be found here. This is the second time this summer the Subway location was ordered to close after inspection; the first was on July 2nd, with 60 violations.

Continue reading

Old New York In Photos #197 – 23rd Street Before The Metropolitan Life Tower

Metropolitan Life Insurance Building & 23rd Street – 1900

This Detroit Publishing Company photograph is from 1900. We are looking east along 23rd Street.  The corner of Madison Avenue and Madison Square Park is visible on the left.

The 11-story building completed in 1893 is the home office of The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

To the left of Metropolitan Life is the Madison Square Presbyterian Church. The church was led from 1880-1918 by Dr. Charles Parkhurst, a vocal foe Continue reading

Old New York In Photos #180 – Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island

The Elephantine Colossus or Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island c.1890

For over 150 years Coney Island has attracted visitors to sample its beach, cuisine and amusement parks.

This magic lantern slide photograph shows an attraction that was more of a curiosity. Though It was only in existence for 11 years, hundreds of thousands of people came to see the Elephantine Colossus.

It was not a ride, but Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #173 – River Phoenix & Marlee Matlin

River Phoenix With Marlee Matlin At Ed Debevic’s Restaurant – 1988

River Phoenix and his date Marlee Matlin at Ed Debevic’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills for their first birthday party and a sixth anniversary bash in honor of The Starlight Foundation.  September 22, 1988. Photo: John Paschal Celebrity Photo

A few weeks ago when my daughter and her college age friends were searching for a movie to watch I asked if they had ever seen Stand By Me (1986)? The answer was a resounding no. And when describing the film I asked a silly question: if they had ever heard of River Phoenix? Continue reading

When Coffee Jumped From 10 Cents To 15 Cents A Cup

Americans Perplexed By A 15 Cent Cup Of Coffee – 1954

Go into the supermarket and examine just about any product. You will notice shrinking packaging and products. You are getting less and paying more.

Tropicana orange juice just shrunk again – from 64 ounces to 59 ounces to 52 ounces and now 46 ounces. Coffee is sold in a pound can, but contains about 11.3 ounces of product.

In 1954 the price of coffee was rising, and the answer was not shrink the cup, but raise the price. A 50% price hike to be exact, from ten cents to fifteen cents.

Even after World War II many places still sold a nickel cup of coffee.

The original news slug reads: Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #162 – Ricardo Montalban & Audrey Totter

Ricardo Montalban and Audrey Totter Dine At Romanoff’s – 1951

INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Nat Dallinger (week ending July 13 1951)
Audrey Totter is an attentive listener as Ricardo Montalban related a story during a dinner at Romanoff’s, in Beverly Hills. A radio actress before embarking on a screen career, Audrey once worked as a door-to-door saleslady for a wax concern. After a highly successful career in radio, she received offers from the New York stage and Hollywood. Selecting the latter, this blue-eyed blonde has won top starring roles for herself in numerous motion pictures. Romantically she is expected to become the bride of film producer Armand Deutsch. photo: Nat Dallinger for King Features Syndicate

Nat Dallinger would capture Hollywood celebrities in candid moments for his syndicated photo column Inside Hollywood.

Audrey Totter (1917-2013) never became a Hollywood star of the first magnitude but appeared steadily in films throughout the 1940s and early 50s. Continue reading

Old New York In Photos #165 – Broadway & 40th St. 1913

East Side of Broadway & 40th Street 1913

A Story Of Three Buildings On The Main Stem

This photograph taken by William Roege can be narrowed down to the autumn of 1913. Though photographer Roege engraved the year within the photo, he did not write an exact date.

The Empire Theater

We are looking at the east side of Broadway at 40th Street and the main clue to the time of year is the Empire Theater marquee which announces the appearance of actor John Drew.

John Drew

Drew was one of the turn-of-the-century’s big stage stars and the uncle of actors John, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore. Continue reading

Old New York In Photos #157 – Brighton Baths & Beach 1912

Bathers At The Brighton Baths & Beach August 3, 1912

The Labor Day weekend is over now and those who went to the beaches found it crowded on three mostly sunny and hot days.

Though the costumes and people are different, 111 years ago on August 3, 1912 New Yorkers also sought the surf at Brighton Beach. This photograph is by William Davis Hassler, and is now in the collection of The New York Historical Society.

A few things to note. Hassler’s camera Continue reading

Old New York In Postcards #28 – Feltman’s Restaurant Coney Island

Feltman’s Giant Restaurant, The Forerunner of Nathan’s Coney Island

A brief description of Feltman’s from The New York Hotel Record July 9, 1912:

The Magnitude of Feltman’s Garden Coney Island New York

One of the largest and most unique restaurants and cafés in this country is Feltman’s at Coney Island New York was established in 1873 (ed. – actually 1871) with six employees and it now has a pay roll of more thirteen hundred names. Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #144 – Lucy & Desi 4 Years After Filing For Divorce – 1948

Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz At The Brown Derby Restaurant – 1948

Lucille Ball flashes her best smile as her husband, Desi Arnaz fumbles with a corsage as they dine at the Brown Derby. photo: Acme 3-6-48

In 1948 Lucille Ball was starring in the CBS radio program My Favorite Husband. With the success of the show CBS proposed that Lucy develop My Favorite Husband for the growing medium of television. That show would become I Love Lucy starring Lucy and real life husband Desi Arnaz.

Let’s then contemplate that Lucy’s phenomenal success may never have occurred had she gone through with the divorce she filed against Desi Arnaz on September 7, 1944. Continue reading