Childhood food memories?

The previous post about exposing kids to new and ethnic cuisine has made me reflect on my own food memories as a child, both good and bad. I remember going out to eat was such a special treat. We would dress up and go to the Kona Kai, a rather Polynesian restaurant in my small town. I don't remember much about the food at this point, as I was probably about 5 or 6 when the place closed, but I do remember the fans and umbrellas that came in the kiddie cocktails. And I remember going to Sedon's on the Mall, which was an upscale dining place for the time that opened a location in our 'new' mall. It was Lawrence Welk all the way, but w/o the bubbles. Powder blue walls, lattice, jazz band with a xylophone... and I got to wear my pink suit, and I always ordered the Pompano Almondine. Can almost still taste it, and I was probably 7 - 8. I'd love to hear about other foodies childhood food memories, and what helped form the passion you have for food today.

I grew up in a place called the prospector in Prospect and the Chick Inn. The Prospector was a really fond place for me as a child and I can't remember much of the food except they had a beautiful bar and I think some pretty decent pizza. The Chick Inn is still around and still some of the best fried chicken even if the new building is not quite as uneven floored or full of knick knacks as the old building. I also grew up ond the river and often on saturdays we would boat up to bushmans and enjoy some doughnuts near 18 mile island. Then there was the Famous dog a floating restaurant which had good hot dogs named after various celebrities depending on the toppings. Anyone remember these places. If so share

I have very fond memories of Mr. Gatti's as a child in the early 80's. The real Gatti's, not Gattiland. My parents played on their employer's softball team and afterwards the team would always go to Gatti's. There were lots of locations back then but seems we usually ended up at one on Preston in Okolona, I think maybe near Fern Valley Rd., and one out in J-Town on Taylorsville Rd. They had the wicker backed chairs and brown marble-y tables. A pacman video game that wasn't the standing arcade game but rather a table top that you sat and looked down on to play. Once you placed your order you had to wait for your ticket number to be flashed on the t.v. screen. The pizza was soooo hot and fresh, and when you took a bite there were strings of cheese a mile long. We'd always have a big pitcher of beer on the table.
There were a few times we didn't go to Gatti's and we'd end up at Godfathers Pizza, which I think was out in Fern Creek. All I remember about them was the sausage was really spicy.
To this day, Mr. Gatti's is the only pizza I like although I only get carry-out now. The ambience is totally gone, it's not very clean, and it makes me sad to see how much it's changed.

I remember being taken to the Rib Tavern on Bardstown Road. They had these onion loafs that I just loved!!

[Robin Garr]

Great question! I'll show my age here by remembering some places that have been gone for a mighty long time, but many of my best food memories of Louisville in the <gasp> '60s are Italian ... Imorde's, a great deli on Third near Ormsby, I think. The original Calandrino's pizza, which was maybe where Za's is now, and Highland Italian, a short-lived place (it may have preceded Lentini's in the same location by a year or two, a place that made a shallow-dish Sicilian pie that was loaded with fennel and oregano and other flavors that were unknown to anyone in Louisville at the time who didn't have at least a little Italian in the family tree.

I remember the fun of being a young adult when the Louisville dining renaissance really started, with Formally Myra's (Bim Deitrich and Tim Barnes), the Bristol, Jack Fry's and a few more spots on and around Bardstown that first got people talking about "restaurant row." Por Que No on Bardstown, which seemed like authentic Mexican at the time, and Chico's in Hikes Point, which really was authentic New Mexico Mexican until they dumbed it down. Boston Fishmarket in St. Matthews, a great all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, and the excitement that surrounded the first local eateries to introduce upscale Chinese cuisine, Sichuan and Hunan - The Empress, then the Emperor, Henny Woo's and Phoenix Dragon (?) and more.

There's a lot more, but these are some of the places that particularly hit my memory when I think about the old days ... and then there were the first food-specialty shops, J.B.'s Larder and then Lotsa Pasta (originally on Bardstown at Wrocklage), bringing us goodies that until then we had needed to go to NYC or Chicago to buy. The city's first bagels, at a name-forgotten bakery in Hikes Point, and our first fresh-baked croissants, at JB's, where one memorable day the kid sent out to put up the movable-letter sign, having no idea what they were, had it advertising "CROSS ANTS" for a full day before somebody noticed; and learning about wine at Cut-Rate in Jeff and then watching with joy as fine wine shops finally started opening up on the Louisville side. Stuff like that ...

I remember being taken to the Rib Tavern on Bardstown Road. They had these onion loafs that I just loved!!

Oh yes, that was just down the road from us. Also loved getting to stop at Tudor's Biscuit World in Hikes Point before school. That was a special treat!

One of the first places that popped into my head was Formerly Myra's. I was a regular there. And the original Lotsa Pasta was a foodie wonderland. There was also a piano bar on River Road, The Pine Room, I think, that was unique for the time. I remember it burning down and that was a loooong time ago.

I too fondly remember Formerly Myra's as my first place to have soft shelled crabs. Going into the old Embassy Club with a date with no tie or dinner jacker so he was supplied with one so we could just have drinks at the bar. The first Chinese restaurant I remember was the Green Dragon in the Highlands. Great bbq at the old Hickory House on Taylorsville Rd (had the little room with the slated roof.) My first pizza at the Village Inn Pizza place in Hikes Point(kind of in the area where Kroger's back parking lot is currently.) The old Sea Queen on Taylorsville road down from Mazonni's. But my absolute favorite was Lil Abners (now Jim Porters) I would eat there with my parents and on special occations my dad would order me a Nightmare Alice - a huge ice cream sundae served with sparklers . They even dimmed the dinning room lights so the effect was fantastic!

As a small child, we would go weekly to the Dipperwell on Shelbyville Road, just past Evergreen.....The Humphry's ran it, and lived upstairs (they recenlty tore the building down and are building a collision center on the site).

That was the place where I first discovered Chicken and Dumplins, and homemade biscuits.

Also, when I was learning math, Mr. Humphry and I had a standing bet that if I added the bill correctly, I got a penny, and if I didn't I had to give him a penny. Don't remember how I did, but it is a very fond memory.

[Robin Garr]

I too fondly remember Formerly Myra's

Leah called it that, too. I could have sworn I remembered that it was called "Formally" Myra's (the original Myra's in that location having been a diner), a pun on "formerly" plus indicating that it was upscale now. But maybe I'm forgetting? I feel outvoted.

Chico's in Hikes Point, which really was authentic New Mexico Mexican until they dumbed it down.

I remember when Chicos was on Rockford Ln before the migration east. Great food, great price and a great loss to the SW side after their move

Wow, Bill! I also remember the fried chicken at The Dipperwell. Incredible stuff. In Middletown do you recall O'Leary's Pizza? It was right next to the old Wish's Drugstore and Key Market on the east end of town. Jack O'Leary had an interesting life as a professional extra in movies when he wasn't making pies. His most famous role was as the heavyset man trying to squeeze past Jill Clayburgh and Gene Wilder in the train corridor in Silver Streak. The original Burger Queen, Grapevine Pantry (still in business) and the Dairy Queen which was only open in the summer and served ice cream treats.

[Robin Garr]

I remember when Chicos was on Rockford Ln before the migration east. Great food, great price and a great loss to the SW side after their move

Now, that, I didn't know! I thought they were new to town when they opened in Hikes Point. It just blew me away, though, that they had stuff like a real New Mexico carne asada hot enough to clear your sinuses, and real chile verde. Over the years, I think their clientele talked them back to more generic "Mexican" stuff, which was a shame, but you do what you have to do to stay in business, I guess.

Speaking of eastward moves, does anyone but me remember that the <i>original</i> Tumbleweed was in New Albany? The Mellwood location that made them famous was the <i>second</i> property.

Yeah and that Formerly wasn't one of the typos I'm so famous for. I really think that was the name. Or maybe its just how I remember it, because I alwyas thought it was curious. But to settle this, you should call Bim and ask!

Yes, i remember that - I worked ambulance in NA and we would pick up cheap lunches there, either in Charlestown Rd or on State st. as we left Floyd Memorial. I still miss the Chili Rellenos - maybe not authentic, but we loved them in my house!

I remember one of the first places we ate in Louisville was the Fresher Cooker Downtown - I loved their sandwiches. I still make the Cold Brown at home.