Quite a bit of the photo’s are early 60’s and prior. I enjoy the photos and stories nonetheless.
Quite a bit of the posts are of restaurants no longer in business. The names and buildings are familiar, but most I’d never been to.
The places I did frequent hold fond memories, not just the food, but the friends and family. Burger Chef and Whaler sandwiches on some Fridays during Lent, Sandy’s Burgers with their burgers as big as a plate, Shamrock Inn for some Friday fish fries, Wanda’s Pizza from a bar called Wanda’s that my Dad frequented on Friday nights. These places I went with my family or my Dad brought food home.
After I got my first job I went out more often, Ling’s Chinese, Shakey’s Pizza with their pizza and Mojo potatoes, Howard Johnson’s, George Webb’s for breakfast or late night burgers and chili, Leon’s Custard, KMart lunch counter, Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips for fish and hush puppies or buckets of peel and eat shrimp (small buckets), Jerry’s Subs, Rocky Rococo, Chi Chi’s, Ponderosa Steak House, Sizzler’s.
When I read the posts of other people close to my age, it makes me think, all these places they went out to eat, their shopping trips. I always thought of my family as middle class. My Dad worked at AC Sparkplug, Delco, AC Delco (same place, different names over the years). My Mom was a stay at home Mom. When I see these posts it strikes me, we weren’t middle class. We weren’t poor, we had a home that was built for us in 1962, a decent car, not new, but reliable. We got clothing at the start of the school year and Christmas, that was it. Shoes at the start of the school year. My Mom never bought herself clothing, maybe a dress or 2 that I recall. Remember the polyester stretch pants with the a seam down the middle of each leg? And the dusters! My Dad had his work clothes and shoes that were replaced when needed, and a suit. I guess we were lower-middle class. I’m not upset about it. My Mom was a great cook and always found a way to put nutritious meals on the table. Not a lot of variety, but good Italian, Irish, and American dishes that I still make to this day.
My family, when my kids were small, went out to eat all the time. Lots of Family restaurants, Chinese, pizza joints. I worked like a dog earning for the family while my now exhb (from another life) stayed at home and trashed the house I was killing myself to pay for. Long hours, I’d come home and no dinner (there was food, he knew how to cook, but....grrrr). I couldn’t come home late, make dinner, spend time with the kids, then get up before the crack of dawn.
Now my kids are grown. I’ve taught myself to make all the types of cuisine we used to get take out or eat out. Chinese, Thai, Japanese/Sushi, Indian, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Greek, Jewish, Italian, Irish. Not because I want to show off, out of necessity, out of the need for variety, and to not feel deprived/depressed that we can’t buy take-out or eat out. We’ve had some long periods of reduced income, several months no income. Name a cuisine, I’m sure I’ve made a dish.
My daughter got me an Instant Pot for Christmas. Best thing since sliced bread! Throw frozen food, spices and liquid and you’ve got a meal in a little under or over an hour and it’s a dinner that you don’t have to stand over or constantly check. My kids help a lot too.
Lola's Diner ©2008-2018
The things you noted that made you feel less than middle class was the norm for middle class at the time. Families didn't have 2 cars and people made do with what they had--no need for new clothes all the time. Things were made to last in those days--not like today's throw-away society.
ReplyDeleteWe rarely, if ever, went out to eat when we were young because there were no fast-food restaurants. McDonald's was a BIG thing if you went there to eat...and you ate it in the car.
I miss those old days when moms didn't work outside the home and Sundays were for relaxation and visiting relatives or friends. Things are so much more stressful now, I think.