The match game: Philly restaurant nostalgia
While cleaning out the apartment of my late Aunt Fran and Uncle Joe, we found hundreds of restaurant matchbooks - a testament not only to their love of world travel but to Fran's overarching disdain of cooking.
While cleaning out the apartment of my late Aunt Fran and Uncle Joe, we found hundreds of restaurant matchbooks - a testament not only to their love of world travel but to Fran's overarching disdain of cooking.
The matchbooks, collected from the '60s to the '00s, offer a snapshot of restaurants' fleeting lives. They also represent a significant fire hazard.
Remember these Philly spots? Know what occupies these bricks now? Add your thoughts to the comments, and I'll post a follow-up with further explanation.
And since I have hundreds of matchbooks, I'll do this again.
Today's collection and hints:
The Steps: a gay club from the 1970s (I never got to ask Fran and Joe about this one)
Hotel Tremont: a suburban landmark whose name is coming back soon, in a way
Liberties: a bar staple in the city
Totaro's: a high-rated Italian restaurant tucked into a bar
The Astral Plane: a funky, romantic landmark in Center City
East Philly Cafe: a late-'70s singles bar on the hippest street in town