The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday in the noon hour.
QUESTION: What was the “celebration restaurant” your family ate at when you were a child, and what is it now?
Talk about it….
Farrell’s Ice Cream
Me, too.
I was celebrating my 18th!
Here comes The Jungle 🐍🐢🦉🐗🐨🐵🦍🦓🦏🦒🐘
Me too! The one in San Mateo, 1970s. Remember the “Zoo”?
Oops
That’s right it was called The Zoo 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Me too. It was in SoCal, San Fernando Valley. I was finally able to finish a “trough” when I turned 12. That was like a triple banana split.
YES!!!! Farrell’s was amazing. alot of fun memories of that place
Gonzalez
and a few others
Also enjoyed going there too.
Didn’t have a celebration restaurant. When mom could afford it we went to a local Chinese or Toto’s Pizza. I don’t think either of them are still there after all this time.
Totos was good pizza. They have a San Bruno location and one in Belmont these days.
Good to know, glad they still exist.
LoL! Dorothy at Toto’s
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As a child, two places:
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The Hungry Hunter in South San Francisco and O’Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor in Daly City.
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As an adult, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Outback Steakhouse.
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Gimme meat!!
When I was growing up in Denmark people didn’t go out to eat that much, especially if you lived in the country as did I. However, my parents were friends with another couple, they had a car, somewhat unusual in the early to mid fifties in Denmark. Many Sunday’s we would pack a picnic lunch and explore areas around there we lived. Often we would visit one of the many castle’s in the area, some had picnic tables. Going on a picnic in Denmark at that time was very different from the US idea of picnics. We brought a tablecloth and silver ware, lunch was open faced sandwiches, shrimp with mayo and dill was a favorite, many others, as well as cheese. For dessert there were Danish pastry (which in Denmark is called Vienna pastries, wienerbroed) or we would stop at an ice cream stand later and get a delicious waffle cone, with vanilla, strawberry flavored, topped with whipped cream and jam.
Hanne, you’re making me hungry. The closest I’ve come to Danish cuisine is when I visit Solvang. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, and you probably have been there, but for those that don’t know, it’s a small Danish community not far from Santa Barbara, complete with windmills and Danish architecture. There are a lot of nice restaurants there, and I’ve always enjoyed the food, and the people.
Yes, I been to Solvang, many years ago, when my husband and I were driving down to spend some days in San Diego. I think we spend the night there. I found it a bit commercial, but it does have some good authentic restuarants. I remember Gourment Magazine (which I bought regularly for about 30 years) had a review of a few of them. It is actually fairly easy to make an open faced sandwich, use European style dark bread, or German pumpernickelt, for the shrimp sandwich, you would spread mayo on the bread, then top with tiny shrimp, a little lemon juice, more mayo on top and preferable fresh dill. If you Google Danish open faced sandwiches, you will get pictures, suggestion and recipe, should you be interested. Bon appetit. I might visit it again on one of my trips to Southern California.
Why do feel the need to comment on every post.?
Because that is what this blog is about. I don’t comment on every post. However, Dawg brought up my name and kind of asked if I had been to Solvang, so I replied. You do realize you don’t have to read ANY of my posts, it is strictly voluntary. Some posters I don’t care for, so for the most part I just skip over them.
@DAWG~
We visited Solvang on the way home from our Honeymoon, 1977.
Bought a beautiful leather purse, …think the leather shop is still there.
The pastries, to die for, YUM!
Dupar’s …. long gone
Pioneer Inn.
I remember the long drive from Lafayette ! Loved that place.
As a child, it was the hometown buffet.
Now, it is the Golden Corral buffet and grill
@PAUL….Classy!
The Claremont in Berkeley and Fenton’s Ice Cream
The Pioneer Chicken in Newark/Fremont area. It’s been almost 35 years but that was always the place we would want to eat for a birthday meal
Pepito’s in downtown Walnut Creek.
Mom’s kitchen. Mom’s gone now, and so is her kitchen.
Hungry Hunter in Lafayette. It was torn down years ago so apartments could be built.
Red Lobster.
The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. El Papa Gallo. Really fun to play in the Lobby, oh the static shocks were amazing 🙂
Bob’s Big Boy on Treat Blvd was the last day of school meal.
Spenger’s Fish Restaurant in Berkeley or Vera’s Valona in Martinez. Fenton’s in Oakland was a celebration in itself.
House of Prime Rib, still there and just as good!
In the 1950s the Green Mill in Cotati was the best restaurant in Sonoma County. The food and atmosphere was great. By the end of the sixties it no longer the same.
The Adobe
The Round Up (Concord)
Petar’s Bistro
Ruben’s Plankhouse
I had totally forgot rubens plank house, great steaks, thanks for the reminder of good places
Brennan’s of Houston …
The Crown Jewel of Texas Creole Cuisine and Southern Hospitality
Brennan’s of Houston has a rich history rooted in the 1967 opening as a sister restaurant to the world-famous Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. Incorporating the freshest local ingredients, we offer exceptional dining, including many original creations among our award-winning cuisine. From pan to plate to palate, our brigade of culinary professionals directs its overwhelming passion for food and hospitality at creating great memories for every guest every time.
From their website
I lived in New Orleans in the early seventies, for a little more than a year. There were a Brennan’s or Brannan’s it was famous for it’s brunch menu, and gin fizz’s. Is it the same, the food was outstanding, about the only good thing about New Orleans was the food, and music. The hot and humid weather 9 months out of the year got to me. Wss glad to get back to New York City.
@ Jojo, Brennans is a New Orleans favorite, mostly for tourists. The food is good, but it’s expensive. Houston has a lot of Katrina Refugees from NOLA, so I’m glad they opened a Brennana there. If I’m paying that much, I preferred Commanders Palace in the Garden District. Impeccable service and amazing food. I also love Arnauds, but it’s very noisy. There are so many inexpensive dive restaurants that we hit up when we go home to NOLA, including Pot O Call (best cheeseburgers in The World) and Deanies (BBQ Shrimp to die for) and another place on Charters that I can never remember the name, but has amazing rabbit jambalaya and was just three doors down from my dear FILs apartment. It’ll come to me and I’ll post again.
@ Hanne, I can imagine if you’re not from New Orleans or the Deep South, you’d struggle to adapt to our heat and humidity. However, if you learned to be out and about later in the evening, dine out late and do your errands first thing in the morning, life is so good, easy and the food is incredible.
WDG
Coco’s
Shakee’s!!!
Mr Steaks in Walnut Creek on Pine St, our kids loved it. As for me, birthday dinner meant Mom fixed your favorite food, Beef Stroganoff over noodles, buttered carrots and a checkerboard cake, loved it then, love the memory now!
Original Joes of Westlake in Daly City. Back in the 80s and 90s some of the best Italian food in the Bay Area.
Carlos Murphys by Sunvalley mall
Farrels ice cream was the bomb.
Not necessarily ”celebration” places but our family loved Bancheros in San Leandro (Hayward? not sure, I was a kid) and Mr Steak in Lafayette. Bancheros had amazing food – and the best minestrone soup ever! At Mr Steak, I would always order steak, baked potato, and chocolate milk. 😄😄. Too bad kids today don’t have the fun times we used to have.
Don’t forget Sirloin & Brew Unlimited, The meat was tough but by the time you got through the Wine and Beer who cared! Also Victoria Station all locations. So good that Vic Stewarts kept the VS theme when they took over the Walnut Creek location.
Black Angus for steak & lobster
La Tour on Clayton Road. Long gone.
Moresi’s or Wence’s nowadays
Riverview Lodge