Childhood food memories?

I don't remember actually having Papa Johns until the mid-80s.

ETA: I just read he opened his first shop in 1985.

A great food memory of mine is associated with Mike Linning's.
Of course, it was the first place where I ever tried frog legs....and they do have some good fried fish, but the real golden memories are of being a kid (8-12 years old), finishing our lunch, and then walking through a little thicket adjacent to the restaurant's facilities where my siblings, cousins, etc would fill our t-shirts-turned-aprons with as many of the wild morels that sprung up along the 'forest' floor as we could carry.
We would take them home, clean and sort them, and my Mom would work her magic. Of all the delicious things she would do with those wonderful fungi, what stands out the most is the memory of a morel pot pie with a veal stock/brown butter filling that is easily one of the top 3 dishes I've ever eaten in my life.
Some 20 years ago, we never thought about the morels being or becoming such a sought after regional delicacy, which makes the experience and the eats that much more memorable.

Boy, do I miss Ehrler's, although I still have it once a year at the fair, even though I can't have much sugar in one sitting. And yes, there was one where Highland Cleaners is now, because every time I pass by that place, I sigh. In fact, I loved it so much as a child that when my parents wanted to gauge whether or not I was really sick or faking it, they would ask if I wanted to go to Ehrler's--if I said that I didn't want any, they knew I was in pretty bad shape!

Boy, do I miss Ehrler's....

as a kid, for a time, I had an Erhler's 'Purple/Orange Cow' habit that was a little out of control

Ah, Ehrler's... so many good memories. I spent much of my time as a kid in the 80's at my grand parent's house in Okolona on Blue Lick. Many were the hot summer days of taking a short drive up to the corner for a milkshake, with Transformers or GI Joe in hand, to return just in time for afternoon cartoons.

*sigh*

I used to stop by Ehrler's after school when I went to Highland Middle School, right at the corner of Norris and Speed. Man, I'd kill for one of their turtle sundaes right now!

I loved the Luau Room at the Airport and Mario's Pizza, and the Embassy Supper Club. My father took me there for my 16th birthday and I still have the reservation table tent with a dime inserted in it thanking you for your reservation and leaving a dime for your phone call. And, of course, ahh, Casa Grisanti's.

Mmmmmm...
Mario's Pizza - nothing beat their bucket of pasta
Ranch House - great food and shrunken head toys for us kids
Dairy Queens owned by individuals - Frankfort and Cannons
Sandy's on East Broadway - 7.5 inch burgers
Por Que No - very spicy Spanish food
Victoria's Station - always good food and a fun time
All time favorite - the old Merry-go-round ice cream trucks

Wow!...I remember those Merry-Go-Round ice cream trucks too...Talk about a collecter's item...Speaking of collecter's items...I remember my class taking a field trip to observe Gordon's Potato chips being made...Nothing like eating potato chips out of a tin can...And when was the last time you enjoyed a refreshing ice cold RC Cola or Mountain Dew out of a glass bottle?...

I also recall my Mom driving by the Rainbo Bread Bakery...Aw!...That sweet aroma!...I am a whole grain kind of guy now...but sometimes I find myself yearning for a simple peanut butter and grape jelly on some Rainbo white bread...

Kenny I'm glad you fondly remembered Victoria Station. I was part of the opening crew there and stayed for about 5 years. It was a blast to work there and we thought our clientele was the best!
On another note...
Any body remember an ice-cream place, maybe out on the Outer Loop, called Dipper Dan's? It was the first place I remember that had about 20-30 flavors of ice cream. It was great!
I also remember going with my dad ,when I was little, to Cunninghams for "meetings" with his buddies in those little private rooms. Dark wood, cigar smoke and lots of conversations about stuff I didn't understand. It's just not the same now.

Wasn't Orange Crush the best orange drink ever? And did anyone else grow up drinking Wink? I loved that tart grapefruit flavor. Those drinks were before the days of this corn syrup and high fructose crap. Oh, and let's never forget KOOL-AID. We even had the KOOL-AID pitcher and little mugs for our fave beverage. Can Scotty beam me back to the 60's?

Orange Crush was great!
Remember Pommac? It was out for a few years in the 60's. It was a peppery- apple drink that almost tasted like a champange. I think it was distributed by Dr. Pepper.

Orange Crush is still available. Just probably made with the condensed sugar stuff now. But for a very close trip down memory lane, its worth at least a ice cold bottles worth.

And I think it was Wendy who mentioned Red Barn. Here ya go: Red Barn

And did anyone else grow up drinking Wink? I loved that tart grapefruit flavor.

Yeah, I remember Wink. It tasted just like Simba!

Food memories are strong, aren't they? I guess because they're linked to a primal need.

I too recall Victoria Station fondly - I think it was my first steak restaurant unless you count Sizzler and Ponderosa. Of course in the vein of the latter, I fondly recall the King's Table, whose all-you-can-eat buffet was discovered by my folks right about the time I started to eat like there was a black hole in my stomach!

Blue Hawaii, a "polynesian" place, where I loved playing with sterno fire when we got the "puu puu platter". Not exactly fine dining but hey, I was in grade school, and even 1970's style super-sweet "sweet and sour" pork (with maraschino cherries and canned pineapples) was ok with me.

Then, there's one of my favorites growing up, New Orleans East. I got to go there only on special occasions. Loved the king crab legs, seafood chowder, and all the other stuff on that seafood buffet, and recall eagerly anticipating the appearance of waiters who would come around occasionally carrying a platter of fried frog legs.