854 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Whoops, I meant the Johnson Street one.

My bad.

[aastra]

The little building beside the old hotel looks suspicious.

[aastra]

Here's a really obscure one. Does anybody remember the shortlived burger place on Quadra across from the curling club's parking lot? I believe it was kittycorner to the Husky station, where that 1970s apartment block is now.

For the longest time I had a promotional frisbee from this particular burger place. I can picture the frisbee (orange with goldish writing), but I can't remember the name of the restaurant.

Follow-up question: what was on the Crystal Pool site before the Crystal Pool came along? Were there little stores there?

 

Edit looking back in 2018:
The burger place was a Burger Chef. Central Park was all park, as shown in this pic (zoom way in to confirm, and note the little building on the corner that was later occupied by Burger Chef).

Edited by aastra, 23 August 2018 - 11:20 AM.

[G-Man]

^Swampy Water

[aastra]

That's an odd name for a restaurant.

[VicHockeyFan]

Hmmmm, I thought the Romeos was on the Juliet site, and the most recent Romeos on the same site was just a revamp of the existing restaurant, including tha addition of the clock sign, as well as the part that jutted out towards Blanshard.

[VicHockeyFan]

How about the many incarnations of what is now a DIG THIS store at the SE corner of Market Square?

I can't even remember any of the names now.

OK, here is one. Maybe the first place we regularly got served liquor despite being 18. Jungle Jims, where CBC radio building is now.

[G-Man]

Crocodile was one of the last. It was a nice place for partying but never tried the food.

[m0nkyman]

How about the many incarnations of what is now a DIG THIS store at the SE corner of Market Square?

I can't even remember any of the names now.

OK, here is one. Maybe the first place we regularly got served liquor despite being 18. Jungle Jims, where CBC radio building is now.

Harpo's and I was 17.

[VicHockeyFan]

Was it called Lettuce Patch or something in the Dominion Hotel?

...they had an Inflation Burger on the menu for like $100 (just as a joke) and they also had Kraft Dinner for a reasonable price (not a joke).

Is Scott's Restaurant (600-blk Yates) still around?

What's become of Jimmys Place on Oak Bay Ave.?

Also there used to be a higher-end restaurant in the parking lot at Mayfair, more closer to Denny's than Macaroni Grill was, long time ago. There was also a high-end eatery out on West Saanich Rd. by where Ploughshare Market is, long time ago. Seems to me one of these two has "Pheasant" in the name.

OK, here's one.. The Longhorn Steak House, SW corner Feltham and Shelbourne where a care home is now. Dark wood interior, candles on tables. Up behind it was Graham Meats.

[G-Man]

Yup Lettuce patch was in the Dominion. When I worked at Hunter's we called it the Garbage patch because all our defunct specials got shipped there for a second life.

[VicHockeyFan]

Pickwicks and then Hampshire Grill in Athlone Court in OB. Now under a new name.

[Holden West]

Jimmy's Place on Oak Bay Avenue is now Danielli's. When it was Jimmy's they used to have a catering agreement with Barkley's Steakhouse in the Executive House hotel (both restaurants had the same owner). The Barkley's waitstaff would be annoyed because all their good china and silverware would eventually mysteriously end up on Jimmy's tables.

BTW, Barkley's used to be [url=http://www.hyssteakhouse.com:b7ef7]Hy's Steakhouse[/url:b7ef7]. It employed many recent Greek immigrants who later on went on to open up their own restaurants here in Victoria.

I don't recall the other ones, Vic. Are you thinking of Chantecler, Dominique Chapheau's old restaurant way out on Saanich Road? I believe it was across the street from Periklis II which is now Moxie's (and was something else in between).

Look at this interesting entry from the BC Archives:

file 27 Proposed Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant, 1125 Wharf Street, Victoria, B.C. / Architectural
Drafting and Design Group. - - 1973 - -
6 technical drawings.

That's the block Darcy's is in and the condo showrooms.

I don't remember this--but the question is--is it better to eat spaghetti in a Factory or a Warehouse?

[Walter Moar]

but the question is--is it better to eat spaghetti in a Factory or a Warehouse?

You should eat it directly from the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_tree:336a4]tree[/url:336a4]!

[Holden West]

I shoulda seen that one comin'... :smt105

[G-Man]

Is Scott's Restaurant (600-blk Yates) still around?

Where have been dude? This has been King Sejong Korean Food for six months at least. It was the last holdout of the 24hr diners.

Since we are asking about crazy restaurants...

I have asked before but there was a restaurant somehwere around the tourist zone when I was a teenager. They had a burger called the Super Cow it had like a 2 lb patty and was meant to be shared. I think it may have been exec house but but am not sure. this was before I lived here and we used to bug the parents to take us there when in Vic.

[Jada]

Actually, I know what became of all the old 24 diners. They turned into Tim Hortons'.

[VicHockeyFan]

I don't recall the other ones, Vic. Are you thinking of Chantecler, Dominique Chapheau's old restaurant way out on Saanich Road? I believe it was across the street from Periklis II which is now Moxie's (and was something else in between).

No, further out. And this was in the 70's, man.

And in the Mayfair Mall case, I'm talking Woodwards Food Floor era.

[Holden West]

^You got me.

I was so curious about the Romeo's location I had to look it up in an old directory. There was indeed a Romeo's located across the street on Johnson. It was owned by Demitrious and Steven Mavrikos in the mid 70s. But the address was 721 Johnson. To compare, the Ginger Group salon to the right of the alley is 733 and The Open Door is 713 Johnson. So you're half right, aastra.

And I found out that there actually was a restaurant called "The Olde Spaghetti Foundry" at 1129 Wharf St. in the [url=http://web.uvic.ca/~hist66/Quantz/Wilson&proctor.htm:b2397]Wilson and Proctor building[/url:b2397].

Is anyone paying us for this research?

[G-Man]

I get my cheque twice a week, haven't you been getting yours?