What Do You Miss About Frederick?
I was reminded reading the comment about Piano Bars about something I really miss about Frederick. I was just bored at work, killing time on a Friday and that comment reminded me about Sig’s Hide Away, a Frederick legend. We’ve only been living in town since 1989, but visited Sig’s on man occasions for a meal and to hear if anyone was singing at the piano. But that’s not what i really miss. I really miss Hana’s Korean restaurant next door. That was a true hidden jewel of Frederick. It was like stepping into the kitchen of the Korean Mother I never had (even though I don’t have a drop of Asian blood in my genes). Clay pots of Kim Chee brewing on the front porch, the best Bul-kogi ever and “rickshaw bread” (fried mung bean and sausage) that was to die for.
Sig’s and Hanna’s were both torn down for the new parking garage behind the Courthouse. What a shame. I think I saw Miss Hanna at the Chef Lin Buffet on Jefferson at lunch a week ago and wanted so badly to ask her if she’s planning on opening another restaurant, but I chickened out.
What about you: What do you miss about Frederick of five, ten or twenty years ago?
The old truck stop at 355/70 where Costco is now. Nothing beats pork chops and mashed potatoes at 11pm at night, and then picking up a soda and some bubblegum on the way out. And the feeling that everyone who came in was on the way to somewhere interesting. I miss that place so much.
Village Restaurant where Cafe Nola is now. My mom and dad used to bring us there all the time for breakfast. Our favorite waitress Miss Betty now works at Lohr’s.
Allegro Pizza where the ground round used to be. Sit down pac-man game, an upstairs, and I even think the pizza was pretty good. Also Beefsteak Charlies, mostly for seeing people getting busted for trying to steal shrimp from the all you can eat buffet by dumping them in a garbage bag for later consumption.
Well, don’t chicken out next time! She might just need to hear and know how much people miss her and her cooking! It might be your inquiry that helps her to make her decision!
i miss the wonderful period of time when Michael Martin owned the Village Restaurant and hosted weekly jazz events. It was magic. The decor. The ambiance. The vibe. The people. And Michael! A treasured memory.
The Mission thrift store at South and Market (it’s now Il Porto Italian restaurant). I got lots of cool vintage stuff there….cheap!
I miss all the old department stores downtown – Connie’s, Hendricksons (now Isabellas), Routzahns, Woolworths – and the burger’s at Porter’s Restaurant and Snow White Grill (now Tajitu Ethiopian Restaurant). And the bakery at Capello’s (2nd and Market) – it always smelled so good on that corner!
We miss the big “Wings Over Frederick” airshow every summer. What a massively stupid mistake to send them packing. Yes, they cost money for police, etc but I won’t believe for a moment that the revenue brought in by all of those people coming here – restaurants, hotels, shopping – didn’t surpass the cost. I know there was a group formed in 2006 to try to bring it back but apparently that failed. Too bad. Huge loss for Frederick.
I agree Gypsy! The airshow was always something we looked forward to as well. We lived pretty close to the airport back then and we could watch the show from our neighbor’s back yard. A very fun memory.
We, too, attended and enjoyed “Wings over Frederick.” And yes, Gypsy, what a stupid mistake to send them packing. A great, family-oriented event. Not everything has to be oriented around the historic downtown area (as charming as it is).
Though not in Frederick proper, the Peter Pan Inn quickly comes to mind when I think back on what I miss from days gone by. Some physical aspects live on in today’s Cracked Claw, but it’s far from the same. Upon arrival, you lined up to order your entree in advance from a limited menu–nothin’ fancy, just good home cooking served family style. And always with melt-in-your-mouth apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar. On the weekend, you came fully expecting a considerable wait to be seated, knowing that Peter Pan was the draw for people from all over seeking a leisurely drive in the country. Not to worry–the wait became part of the experience. You passed the time sipping your Planters Punch served in the distinctive, tall Peter Pan glass, relaxing in the wrought-iron seating among the trees and fountains in the courtyard. A slower time to be sure. As much as I miss Peter Pan, I know it could never be successful in today’s world.
Was it the Dandee that was at the way end of the golden mile by Gambril? Man that fried chicken was good!
Yes, Guy, the Dan-Dee Inn was located just prior to Gambrill. An unprententious place known for their fried chicken and family-style home cooking. Like Peter Pan Inn, another relic of old Frederick gone but not forgotten.
The Dan-Dee Inn always gave you fresh bread, a relish tray to snack on and the apple fritters were so yummy!
So, to the question of the air show….why did the 2006 group apparently fail and how can we fix that? I’m willing to head up another group to give it a go. This is too big a deal to just let drop away like some failed cafe or store front. Those are huge deals as well, but this was HUGE to the entire county and surrounds. I worked at AOPA have some understanding of the aviation community here.
Hi Gypsy, I noticed you said you worked for AOPA- was it a good place to work? I ask because one in my family is thinking of applying for a job there. It would mean relocating across the country! Feel free to email me too.
Thanks!
I worked in the Membership Assistance Center – on the phones and doing data entry. It was a pretty good place to work. Lots of long timers there with 20+ years. I left in Dec 2002 but I’ve always stayed in touch with several my co-workers who are still there. If your family member doesn’t already have one, AOPA will pay for their private pilot’s license and the costs of keeping it current.
i miss alpine spa.
Missed this post oh, a month ago…But I miss Sunflowers, a restaurant that used to be in the shopping center where the Common Market is. It’s a Mexican restaurant now. it was good, fresh food.
OMG! i remember that place and loved it, too! It wasn’t only good, it was fun!
I miss comedy night on Thursdays at Griff’s!
This will be silly because it’s not actually GONE, but I miss the Downtime Cafe (the precursor to Cafe Nola downtown). I liked ducking into the narrow basement area, the computer they provided, and knowing that a latte would have a fun leaf or heart on the top (not vital, but still appreciated). I still really like Cafe Nola, but it’s bigger, busier and a teeny less personal. Also, I don’t feel hipster enough to be there. Downtime seemed less assuming =)
This is not silly, because Downtime is indeed gone and you’re not the only person who misses it. Nola’s a great place and I enjoy it very much but, aside from the coffee & tea selection, it’s not the same at all.
This whole post/thread makes me sad. Frederick’s got some good things going for it these days, but reading this really brings home the fact that there’s not much left to separate it from Rockville or Leesburg.
You are so right about it being sad all the things that were awesome and that are no longer a part of Frederick. i still think it’s a great place with great people!
I was thinking the same thing…places in general are becoming more alike and losing what made them distinctive.
I’ve only lived up here 5 years, but in the early 90s, my girlfriend (now wife) and I used to like to eat at TJ Meadow’s on Thomas Johnson. Anyone remember that place? I lived in Rockville and she was in Gettysburg so Frederick could be a good meeting point sometimes.
Noah,
TJ Meadows was an iconic place, back in the days. We used to have company parties there and happy hours etc. After closing, it became a really awesome and I think the first Vietnamese place in town (Ahn Loi or something like that). It was torn down about 5-8 years ago and is a bank now.
I noticed there’s a bank over there now. That’s a shame about the Vietnamese place, but at least that’s one ethnic food that Frederick has covered pretty well with the Viet Gourmet on Rosemont and Viet’s Aroma on Prospect. Lucky Corner is okay too, for that matter, but I prefer the other places.
TJ Meadows was a fun place! i, too, loved it! Does anyone else remember the “little beer” shooters? i think they were five dollars with credit going to Sterling who used to bar tend there for having invented the delicious concoction. If anyone recalls what the ingredients to the little beers are, please share. Thanks!
I miss the Village Lanes bowling alley, Mama Rita’s pizza on Rt. 40, Grove’s store that was on Shookstown Rd., the Brown Pelican (though the Cellar Door with their new bar comes close), Donegan’s Liquors (Patrick St.), Nicole’s yummy subs (corner of Market & 2nd St), the Blue Dragon (Market St.), the City Room (Market St.), the Alpenhof (Market St)…..
Was it Olympias? The great little Greek restaurant on the corner where the Orchard is now on Market.
Really miss Hennings and G. Hunters
Wish i knew where the chefs went… anyone know?
Enjoyed G. Hunters…but where was Hennings?
I also miss G Hunters. Hennings was on Thomas Johnson (next to Greek Aroma and the comic book shop) and it was replaced by Fellini’s, which is good. I wasn’t a big fan of Hennings- the people who owned the Wurzburg House in Rockville moved their operation to Frederick. I used to like the Rockville restaurant, but Hennings was a big disappointment when I tried it. It was so slow, unfriendly, and bland, I never gave them a second chance.
Thanks. i remember now. i had wondered about it checked in out online but never made it there. Maybe a good thing? (-8 What was there before Hennings?
Before Hennings it was called Emma and before that it was a Chinese restaurant.
Thanks. i’m not sure, but wasn’t there some sort of restaurant that had a bar, sometimes hosted weddings/events and was maybe just American cuisine? i was there no more than twice and was thinking that it was in the Hennings’ location. But maybe not.
That could have been Emma. It was American cuisine and I think their gimmick was that they didn’t have a freezer so everything was fresh. I think they had a pizza oven in there too. All I can remember about the inside then was it had bright yellow paint on the walls and they were big into wine.
That name isn’t ringing a bell at all, but thanks for trying! The place i’m remembering was on the left.
Oh, do you mean TJ Meadows? It was a free standing building that briefly became An Loi and then was torn down. A bank is there now.
You’re great at trying to pick my memory! (-* Do i have TJ Meadows mixed up? i thought that was off of Rt. 40. No? If it was off of Thomas Johnson, then that is exactly what it was because i know that name. i’m so confused! about everything except that i love Frederick!
No, TJ Meadows was definitely off TJ Drive! It was located in its own building at the end of the strip that has Greek Aroma etc…close to Thomas Johnson. When you walked in, it had a bar to the left and a more formal dining area to the right (and center maybe?). Haha, right now, all I can picture is its incarnation as An Loi, brief as it was.
Then YOU have it! That is the place. i only went there twice, i think. Once was for a wedding reception. There was at least one big mirrored wall (maybe more but i recall the one for sure). And did they have a lower level maybe? The other place that i had recalled as being TJM was off of Rt. 40 in the same shopping center as the old Ben Franklins. Thanks for your help!
Are you thinking of the place that had the train tracks up near the ceiling and the model train that circled the restaurant? If so, I can never remember the name of that place!
Tulleys
Yep! That’s it.
You know….you could be right! The thing i remember most about that place was the one shooter they served called a “little beer”. It was concocted by one of the bartenders there named Sterling. (i mistakenly gave credit to its being at TJM’s in an earlier post!) It was my favorite little drink! They had a small dance floor and used to do New Year’s Eve parties.
OMG! i have tried to think of Tulley’s for forever! Thanks for solving the mystery. (-* Now i can rack my brain about other things! (-*
Does anyone remember the Mandarian on East Street. On Sunday’s it had a Oriental Buffet. Used to be part of the Sunday routine after church.
The Air Show. I attended every year from the 1st show till I moved to Florida in 03. I still remember the furball of the 1st show. What a sight, nothing matches it in south Florida. Sorry to hear it’s gone. I still have photos & videos of some of the old shows.
I truly hate that it’s gone as well. We’d always buy our tix in advance and spend an entire day there. To have let that leave town was a massive mistake – there is no justification for that. Period.