L'Orangerie in Los Angeles. An institution in the city for so long. Wonderful 3+ hour dinners there. But, sadly they've been gone for at least five years now.

I was going to mention that I had fond memories of eating in the long gone Sambo's restaurant chain when I was little, but Wikipedia tells me that there is one Sambo's restaurant still open.

Beefsteak Charlies!

As a poor college kid, no place was better for all of the shrimp that you could peel and eat, unlimited salad and dessert bars...and most importantly, all the beer, wine or sangria that you could drink!

I had a buddy that once went through easily 200 shrimp in one sitting there. Plus washed it down with a gallon of beer. One of my friends had to drive him home that evening. Fortunately...it wasn't me....

There are still a few left in the US. I'm with you. I went there the first time while in grade school and was so impressed with the (virgin) pina colada in a faux coconut shell and the pupu platter. What can I say, it was a new experience.

Places I miss:

Tong Kee (several branches in SF) - for their outstanding fried noodles that came out of the kitchen within bare minutes of being ordered. Amazing wok breath on the chow fun. (Yes, I know there's one branch left in Daly City.)

Tail o' the Pup (LA) - more for the shape of the shack then the food

The buffet at the Sahara Casino (South Lake Tahoe) - back in the day the food was amazing; I still remember being impressed by the Lobster Thermidor and the overwhelming selection of desserts.

Angelina's- Parkville, MD. Hands down best crabcake I've ever had. Closed since 2008

Schmidt’s German restaurant in Charlotte Street London W!. It closed down after a few generations existance in London - I believe it opened in 1901 and closed in the late 70's. The German waiters were all self-employed and effectively bought the food from the kitchen and sold it to the customers.

The elderly waiters were surly to the point of rudeness (except to German or Austrian expats of their own generation), but did provide silver service (when the food eventually arrived). The waiting times were unbelievable, but the food was cheap and usually good. The Wiener Schnitzel was authentic; the braised pork knuckle (Stelze) was both glutinous and tasty.

This article captures the zeitgeist.

This is from an article from Herald Tribune ...

I miss Schmidts where you "mustn't mention the war" and where they put you in your place!

It's interesting that some "abusive" restaurants hold a place in our hearts. Sam Wo restaurant, in San Francisco, was also that way. One waiter in particular (Edsel Ford Fung) was famous for abusing customers and even dubbed the rudest waiter in the world!

Perrry Boys Smorgy (and other smorgasboards). As a kid you had to love these places - you could just keep going up to fill your plate with whatever you wanted. I guess it's like that at casino buffets now but they are not down the street for most of us.

+1 Sadly the few remaining Trader Vics locations have long since jumped the shark. I have many memories eating dining here with my extended family. In fact Grandpa even had an account here. Miss those salt shakers and ashtrays too.

Burger chef and Arthur treacher fish and chips.

Ha ha, Burger Chef - "We really give you the works!"

Let's not forget Burger Queen while we are in the mood for a rumbly tummy.

Steak & Ale!

Cock N Bull - on Sunset in LA, a high class buffet style

For you Michigan folks... Remember Olga's? That chain served it's original Olga aka gyro.

There used to be a place called The Stallion on North Lamar near Koenig Lane in Austin that had great hamburger steaks and chicken-fried steaks. Haven't found anything to fill the void since they shut down and demolished the building to build a McDonalds (I think) on the site.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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