How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Scottsdale: wage, granite)

[AZtrails]

Originally Posted by JoeC

OK - this is a question I can't dig up an answer for:
What was the funky round restaurant on the SW corner of Camelback & Scottsdale Rd, on the canal bank? I think it changed hands several times. I thought the building was ugly as all hell, but it was in a great location.

It was originally a Ford dealer, and much later a nightclub. Do you remember what type of food the restaurant served? Chinese?

[AZtrails]

Originally Posted by JoeC

YES!
If I remember correctly, the Denny's at Scottsdale & Shea was open 24/7, also - but you couldn't get Swedish pancakes there...

Ate at The Brown Derby every now and then. Food was OK. Crown was definitely above my age bracket (although I'm pretty close to fitting in now...).

The Denney's at Shea came much later. Best story I remember about it was they wanted to close for Christmas one year, but no one could find the keys since the front door had never been locked. I think they ended up using a chain and a padlock.

Looping back to earlier in the thread, remember the Mag's Ham Bun location pretty much across the street from the Denney's?

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by AZtrails

It was originally a Ford dealer, and much later a nightclub. Do you remember what type of food the restaurant served? Chinese?

Yeah - I think it was Chinese. Never ate there, but I lived in the area, so drove by it regularly.

Originally Posted by AZtrails

The Denney's at Shea came much later...

My AZ history starts summer of 83 (moved from RI), and with the exception of a handful of visits since, ends summer of 97.

[AZtrails]

Originally Posted by JoeC

Yeah - I think it was Chinese. Never ate there, but I lived in the area, so drove by it regularly.

I never ate there either, but will try to remember the name. Thinking about other restaurants in the area, do you remember "Round the Corner" at Camelback and Miller? There was a phone at each booth to call your orders into the kitchen. Pretty good burgers!

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by AZtrails

I never ate there either, but will try to remember the name. Thinking about other restaurants in the area, do you remember "Round the Corner" at Camelback and Miller? There was a phone at each booth to call your orders into the kitchen. Pretty good burgers!

Unfortunately, no. I worked at the Abco there for a couple of years (can't remember the exact dates; I was working two jobs, and barely had time to breathe...), and don't remember seeing it.

I do remember a Benihana in that area, on Scottsdale Rd. It closed shortly after I moved to Scottsdale - couldn't for the life of me figure out why; I'd have thought a restaurant like that would have thrived in that area. Maybe the timing was bad... <shrug>

Re burgers: Had trouble finding a good one. Fuddruckers on Camelback wasn't bad; neither was the Red Robin at Los Arcos. Neither one was worth writing home about. Then I found The Chicago Hamburger Co, at Indian School & 38th St. I'd never had a true "slider" before - they were great! When I moved up here, I had to try White Castle - what a disappointment. The Phoenix version is way better.

Another question: SE corner of Hayden and McDonald. Ther used to be a restaurant where the Scottsdale Water plant is now. When I worked at the hotels in the area, we'd occasionally go there for happy hour. They had a happy hour buffet that was huge - and if I remember correctly, it was $10 for all you could eat. It was closed before I left the valley - sat vacant for a long time.

[AZtrails]

Originally Posted by JoeC

Another question: SE corner of Hayden and McDonald. Ther used to be a restaurant where the Scottsdale Water plant is now. When I worked at the hotels in the area, we'd occasionally go there for happy hour. They had a happy hour buffet that was huge - and if I remember correctly, it was $10 for all you could eat. It was closed before I left the valley - sat vacant for a long time.

Do you mean at the restaurant that was at the mini-golf / driving range? That's the only place I can remember on the corner.

[JoeC]

Yup - the mini golf was right at the corner, the restaurant just east on McDonald.

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by JoeC

OK - this is a question I can't dig up an answer for:
What was the funky round restaurant on the SW corner of Camelback & Scottsdale Rd, on the canal bank? I think it changed hands several times. I thought the building was ugly as all hell, but it was in a great location.

funny...that old Chinese restaurant location is now the location of....wait for it.....a new Chinese restaurant....was the old one called Ken Fong's??????

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

funny...that old Chinese restaurant location is now the location of....wait for it.....a new Chinese restaurant....was the old one called Ken Fong's??????

You can see the Ford dealership,later a Chinese restaurant, that had lousy food in my opinion, lower left corner. Crazy building.

[AZtrails]

Great photo, roosevelt. Thanks for sharing. There's basically nothing between the mall and the old Valley Country Club (now the Phoenician). Do you know the year?