Lunch in Elizabeth

[Daniel]

Edit to erase: strange double posting happening 24 hours later..

Edited April 7, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Parmhero]

Mama Mia, Daniel! Reading this thread is a trip down memory lane. I’m one of those Elizabeth guys who grew up in Elizabeth in the 50s, 60s, and 70s and is now living elsewhere. I also have memories of the Doughnut Man Bus (yes, best doughnuts of all time), Mother Hubbards (yes, best apple pie anywhere), Georges Hot Dogs. Elmora Bagels, Superior Deli. (Watson Bagels in Newark was the best; my parents used to stop there coming back from my grandparents on Saturday nights; fresh hot bagels).

Haven't seen you mention that you finally ate at Spiritos. Of all the places still in operation, Spiritos would be my first pick as a recommendation, moslty because of the pizza (and nostalgia). My friends and I were regulars. We used to eat pizza at Spiritos almost every night. Always the same--large pizza, double extra cheese. Yes, double extra. No toppings. The cheese on Spiritos pizzas is really good. We loved lots of cheese. My second favorite meal, for more formal dinners, was veal parm, raviolis, and garlic salad. (For nostalia buffs, there was another small Italian place in Elizabeth I used to go to with friends called Villa Roma, which is gone.)

One place I haven’t seen mentioned on this thread, but that I think is still in business, is White Diamond hamburgers, on Bayway Ave. Unlike White Castle, which serves frozen little beef squares, White Diamond grills fresh chopped meat, squeezed flat and well done, but tasty. The small White Diamond burgers were served on burger buns, the large burgers on Kaiser rolls. The french fries were always excellent. White Diamond was a cool little diner with a counter.

The Elizabeth White Castle is a landmark. I had many a meal at White Castle, which was the only place open at 1 or 2 in the morning on a Friday or Saturday night, say, after a party or dance in 1968-69. Many strange characters would be seated there over a cup a coffee.

Another place I loved was Bella Palermo, an Italian pastry shop on Elizabeth Ave. Tremendous cannolli and éclairs.

There used to be a Cuban sandwich shop called Tropical Sandwich Shop. It may be gone. Was also great. Cuban sandwiches and mamey milkshakes. Also a Cuban bakery on Elizabeth Ave. that was my Cuban friend's favorite. Looks like a new generation of Cuban sandwich shops has sprung up.

The Front Street Smokehouse Restaurant sounds good. May have to visit Elizabeth...

[Daniel]

Welcome Parmhero,

First let me say what a great name you chose.. Nothing better then a good parm hero. Or "my" Jersey childhood makes me want to say Sub.. But thats another story..

Georges Hot Dogs? I wonder if that is related to the George's lunch trucks and George's hole in the wall lunch spot thats attached to my Industrial Park..

In terms of Spiritos, I believe they open at 5 o'clock.. So it is something I have never gotten around to going to after work.. I arrive at work around 7-730 and try to be out around 430ish to be traffic back into the city..

Wow! White Diamond hamburgers.. I am going to have to google this bad boy.. If this is still open, I might have to put my poached skate wing back into the fridge and screw the diet for the day.. Cause nothing is better then a burger in my opinion, other then a whole bunch of little burgers.. Anyone know whats going on with this place..

I will also have to search for Tropical..

One of my next trips will be to the Philadelphia Grille.. This place is a super spot on route 1/9 that has awesome cheesesteaks and fries..

Thank you for resonding and I look forward to your future posts.. I love that this thread has really impacted a lot of people.. Elizabeth is a magical place and I love to hear all the stories and memories everyone shares..

Edited April 19, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

White Diamond

510 E Saint Georges Ave

Linden NJ

Oh, baby.. Ok.. Next week, I will go Monday.. I have bought healthy food for the week over here.. Just take Elizabeth Ave until it turns into Georges Ave????Techincally its in Linden.. So, we will just have to make its own thread..

Edited April 19, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Parmhero]

White Diamond

510 E Saint Georges Ave

Linden NJ

Oh, baby.. Ok.. Next week, I will go Monday.. I have bought healthy food for the week over here.. Just take Elizabeth Ave until it turns into Georges Ave????Techincally its iSteve's White Diamond

624 Bayway, Elizabeth - (908) 353-9742

n Linden.. So, we will just have to make its own thread..

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Daniel,

No, not the one in Linden (although that one may be good). It's in Elizabeth, on BAyway Ave. I just Googled. It may be this one:

Steve's White Diamond

624 Bayway, Elizabeth - (908) 353-9742

It was on a corner, near my grade school and junior high, which was Theodore Roosevelt. on Bayway Ave.

[John]

The White Diamond on Bayway Ave. is no longer there. White Rose on 1st Ave. in Roselle is superior to White Diamond and White Mana. Same meat supplier and burgers cooked the same way, but the burgers have more meat than White Diamond. Get the large bacon cheeseburger. In my opinion, the best fast food hamburger in Jersey.

[Parmhero]

O well, we must consign the Elizabeth White Castle to the dustbin of history, scrapheap of memory. A moment of silence....It was a popular spot for kids & truck drivers. Had interesting characters as short order cooks too. They had Southern accents, unusual in Elizabeth N.J.

[Daniel]

O well, we must consign the Elizabeth White Castle to the dustbin of history, scrapheap of memory. A moment of silence....It was a popular spot for kids & truck drivers. Had interesting characters as short order cooks too. They had Southern accents, unusual in Elizabeth N.J.

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Let me tell you.. I have been let down by White Castle before.. I was about half way through Kansas when my girlfriend read that the original White Castle had been torn down... I was besides myself..

We Americans are not ones for sentimentality.. If you sit on a bench too long the garbage man will try to cart you away..

Edited April 19, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Parmhero]

Oops, slip of the pen....meant White Diamond.... the apparently dearly departed White Diamond, which will live on only in memory.

[Daniel]

So where is there a White Castle in E-town?

[Parmhero]

There used to be one on Elmora Ave., on the corner of Elmora and Grand I think. I guess that's gone as well. So a moment of silence for White Castle and White Diamond... That just compounds the loss of Elizabeth's historic fast food burger joints.

[Parmhero]

Wait! There's hope! According to the White Castle Directory, there is a White Castle at:

600 Westfield Ave.

Elizabeth, NJ, 7208

That must be it. If it's on the corner of Elmora Ave.

[rlibkind]

The White Castle at Westfield & Elmora has been there at least 50 years (though it was rebuilt to the newer design about 20 years ago, I guess). It was right across the street from Mother Hubbard, which made great burgers in addition to the superlative aforementioned pies (buy 10 pies and return the tin plates and you'd get a free pie). And there was a third hamburger outpost at that corner (on the southeast side for 10 or 12 years in the late 1950s and into the 60s, called Charcoal House.

[rlibkind]

The White Diamond on Bayway Ave. is no longer there. White Rose on 1st Ave. in Roselle is superior to White Diamond and White Mana. Same meat supplier and burgers cooked the same way, but the burgers have more meat than White Diamond. Get the large bacon cheeseburger. In my opinion, the best fast food hamburger in Jersey.

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I concur in your opinion, John. That White Rose was a regular stop for me when I was a reporter and editor, making my way from the Linden Leader office in Linden to the main Suburban Publishing office on Stuyvesant Avenue in Union. Though the White Diamond at Stuyvesant and Oakland near the Irvington border was also good.

[Oceangroveguy]

I can confirm that there is still a White Castle at the corner of Elmora and Westfield avenues. I think it's open 24 hours a day. Judging by the scene I've encountered, the same guys who were at the counter at 1 am in the 60's may still be hanging there

If the George's hot dogs mentioned up thread was on Bayway, it closed 5 or more years ago and is now an Italian place called - I think - Pinocchio's.

[Parmhero]

Yes, it lives! It would be surprising for that White Castle to be gone. White Castles don't die easily. Sounds like a burger tour is in order, Daniel. Corner of Elmora and Westfield Ave. is easy to get to, probably just take North Ave. from the port area.

White Rose sounds good too.

[John]

The White Castle on Elmora Ave. and Westfield Ave. is where I took my wife for Valentine's day. They had a great deal; waitress service, tabelclothes, reservations, special printed menus. It was a scream! Especially since my wife thought that we were going somewhere expensive.

[Parmhero]

Great story, John. Was the menu any different for Valentine's Day? I had a few White Castle meals this summer at the White Castle in Toms River on Rt 37 on the way to Seaside Heights. This is a great stretch of road for fast food. At the Castle, I usually order four burgers, no cheese, with fries and chocolate shake.

I'm curious about your knowledge of the meats used at hot dog and hamburger restaurants. Were you in the hot dog business? Thanks for sharing the info. It's very interesting.

Also, are you familiar with a popular hot dog place in Norwalk Connecticut called Swanky Franks, which has a branch in Wesport. If so, do you know the source of their franks?

[Daniel]

The White Castle on Elmora Ave. and Westfield Ave. is where I took my wife for Valentine's day. They had a great deal; waitress service, tabelclothes, reservations, special printed menus. It was a scream! Especially since my wife thought that we were going somewhere expensive.

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Haha, thats funny.. Here is the account of the Perlow's this last Valentines Day..

Valentines Day at White Castle

[Parmhero]

V. Day at the Castle. As my wife would say, "That's a hoot." Not sure how she'd react. She likes Burger King. Clever promotion, though.

Getting back to the topic of this thread, Daniel's lunches in Elizabeth, it sounds like you have focused on the Elizabeth port area and Elizabeth Avenue and have not ventured to the Elmora section, so a trek up north with your camera would be interesting. White Castles are pretty uniform, so it may be unfair to undermine your healthy diet, but perhaps a deep fried fish sandwich on a bun would be marginally healthier, especially with lettuce or pickles. (I wonder if there are many, or any, organic helathfood restaurants in Elizabeth.)

But as I ponder the topic of food in Elizabeth, Spiritos is really a key attraction. So I'm going to reintroduce the prospect of a Spiritos visit. This could be a life changing experience. And pizza is pretty healthy compared with White Castle hamburgers.

You wrote: "In terms of Spiritos, I believe they open at 5 o'clock.. So it is something I have never gotten around to going to after work.. I arrive at work around 7-730 and try to be out around 430ish to be traffic back into the city.."

This could be asking too much, but you could stay in Elizabeth and have dinner (technically, coukld be considered a very late lunch) at Spiritos at 5 or 6. You'd still miss the rush hour. I think the audience would find interior photos of Spiritos interesting, perhaps fascinating. Also, if the pizza is still as good, photos would capture the magic and would convey a thrilling sensation and desire. Spiritos has booths in the restaurant and in the bar. The guys in the bar are always moving, working, and the waitresses have a world-weary savvy quality that is like film noir.

[rlibkind]

Also, if the [spirito's] pizza is still as good, photos would capture the magic and would convey a thrilling sensation and desire.

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It is still good. Very good. Beyond very good. It deserves a revered spot in the Pizza Hall of Fame.

[Parmhero]

Also, if the [spirito's] pizza is still as good, photos would capture the magic and would convey a thrilling sensation and desire.

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It is still good. Very good. Beyond very good. It deserves a revered spot in the Pizza Hall of Fame.

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Excellent to hear that, rlibkind. Enjoyed readng your reminiscences of Elizabeth, particularly Mother Hubbard history. Never knew they used canned apples. The total pie, filling and crust, was tremendous.

[Daniel]

Just to confirm:

Spirito's Restaurant.

(908) 351-5414.

714 3rd Ave,

Elizabeth, NJ

Do they really not open till 5? I have been calling all day...

Edited April 20, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[rlibkind]

Do they really not open till 5? I have been calling all day...

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Only day they open early is Sunday, 3:30p iirc, but I wouldn't swear on the time, perhaps it's earlier. And I would suspect they are closed Mondays.

[dbrociner]

Five sounds like the right time. The waitresses work at Goodman's on Elmora Ave for lunch then go to Spiritos to work the dinner shift.

Edited April 20, 2006 by dbrociner (log)