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Yep, that's the one! Do you remember a steak house in Sylmar, maybe in that same plaza, called Happy Steak? It had a logo of two smiling cows? I loved that place, and thought it was "fancy" as a kid, lol.
When did the Palamino close? Is Odyssey video still around?
I don't remember that steak house. I could imagine where it might have been, but it would only be a guess. I do remember Leon's Steak House at the corner of Vineland and Victory in North Hollywood. That one's long gone, too.
The Palomino closed down at least ten, and I think more like fifteen, years ago. I think it's now a banquet hall, or something like that. It was the victim of changing demographics in the area.
In the early 90s there was a sharp increase in the popularity of country music in and around the L.A. area. Nightclubs changed format and went country all over town, some once or twice a week, others every night. There were even a couple new clubs that opened at that time that were country oriented. The ones I remember were Denim and Diamonds, that I believe had two locations, and In Cahoots, that had a location in Glendale, and another in Fullerton (it's still there).
That all changed by 1994, and most of the places either changed format or just shut down, including the Palomino. I don't remember when the Palomino closed its doors for the last time, but it was around that time.
I am not sure about Odyssey Video. I am not familiar with it. Where is/was it?
I don't remember that steak house. I could imagine where it might have been, but it would only be a guess. I do remember Leon's Steak House at the corner of Vineland and Victory in North Hollywood. That one's long gone, too.
The Palomino closed down at least ten, and I think more like fifteen, years ago. I think it's now a banquet hall, or something like that. It was the victim of changing demographics in the area.
In the early 90s there was a sharp increase in the popularity of country music in and around the L.A. area. Nightclubs changed format and went country all over town, some once or twice a week, others every night. There were even a couple new clubs that opened at that time that were country oriented. The ones I remember were Denim and Diamonds, that I believe had two locations, and In Cahoots, that had a location in Glendale, and another in Fullerton (it's still there).
That all changed by 1994, and most of the places either changed format or just shut down, including the Palomino. I don't remember when the Palomino closed its doors for the last time, but it was around that time.
I am not sure about Odyssey Video. I am not familiar with it. Where is/was it?
The Palomino shut down in '95 after the death of its owner Tommy Thomas.
Demographics had changed, the big names were no longer appearing there. Even Jerry Lee Lewis, who had done a stint at the Palomino every year from '57 to '87, was no longer playing there - Tommy had stuck by the Killer during his several struggling periods, and Jerry Lee highly appreciated it - he was as identified with the Palomino as anyone, it was his base in L.A. more or less.
Odyssey Video is still on the corner of Vineland/Lankershim/Camarillo, but the best indie video store in the Valley, Eddie Brandt's, has now moved only a few blocks to the north on Vineland.
It should be mentioned that up until that time L.A. always had a strong country music scene, dating back to the days of Bob Wills on the old Venice Pier and Hank Williams at the old Riverside Rancho in Silver Lake. California was a center of country music in general, which is how the guitar manufacturing business became centered in Orange County. Fender and Rickenbacker designed their pioneering electric guitars for country players, as it happened rock & roll came along and the rockers found the instruments to their liking....
When I lived in LA I used to go there (when the ex-Mayor was an owner) every so often for the breakfasts. Along with Musso & Frank's that's some old time LA baby. To who mentioned the Helm's trucks - the Peterson's Auto Museum on Fairfax & Wilshire (?) has a Helm's truck on display last time I was there. I use to work at the Helm's Bakery by the place where Jazz musicians play now. Many of us miss the delivered baked goods and milk in the glass bottles with the paperboard cap. Something about milk poured from a glass container makes it taste better.
For you old timer's check out the video/DVD series, 'Things that aren't here anymore', lots of great old LA trivia such as the 'Angel Track'.
Speaking of restaurants, how about Bob's Big Boy? I remember the Big Boy Combo and the Milkshakes! Don't forget the Hot Fudge Cake! Mmmmm.
I know that the Bob's in Toluca Lake is still there, and a few others have popped up in the last few years, but there used to be several in the valley and surrounding areas: Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys, Sherman Way in Canoga Park, Glenoaks Blvd. in Burbank and also Glendale, Wilshire and La Brea in L.A., etc.
Oh, yes, the Bob's Big Boy double-decker hamburgers were my favorite, better than McDonald's Big Macs. There used to be one within walking distance of my house, which has since been converted to a Coco's.
Wow! There are a couple things I forgot about. Most (if not all) the Gemco stores were bought out by Fedmart, that was later bought out by Target. While I'm thinking about it, remember Fedco? How about Two Guys? White Front?
How about those other grocery stores: Lucky, Hughes, Alpha Beta (tell a friend), Market Basket...
Anyone else remember "Fred Rated, from Federated?" Federated was one of the home audio/electronics places that used to exist before Circuit City came to town.
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlours had several locations in the valley. The ones I remember were Van Nuys Blvd. just south of Sherman Way, Reseda Blvd. just south of Devonshire, and another in the west valley, just north of Ventura Blvd., possibly on Tampa Ave., though I can't recall the street it was on for sure. They now have a Farrell's inside the Mountasia Amusement Center in Santa Clarita.
Here's another: Cal Worthington and his "dog" Spot! Are those commercials still on TV? I haven't seen one in a long time.
And another: Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach Freeway, Firestone Exit, Southgate! Haven't seen these commercials in a long time, either.
It's funny the jingles we remember, isn't it?
Yep, I can remember the good ol' Gemco and Fedco membership department stores where you needed a membership card to get inside (like Costco nowadays). Seems that every Gemco store had the same floor plan. The Fedco store near me was ALWAYS packed, especially on the weekends (now it's a Target Greatland store).
Does anyone remember Zody's department stores? I could remember the one near me closing shop sometime in 1984.
Farrell's Ice Cream used to have a restaurant at the Los Cerritos Mall, and I could remember one time when my family and I went to the mall that all the employees had to be evacuated because of a stupid bomb threat. That also meant no customers could go there while the bomb threat was still being investigated by the police. But, they were fun places to eat, especially when it was someone's birthday and the "Zoo" was being run around by some of the food servers amidst flashing lights and sirens.
In my area anyway, I still see Cal Worthington commercials (there's a Cal Worthington Ford dealership in Long Beach which has been there as far back as I could remember).
This is a fun thread, recalling all these things from the past.
It's still there, sort of. It's nothing like what it used to be. Now it is basically an outdoor plaza with several restaurants and a few stores. I think the rest of it is offices now, if I remember correctly. I've only been there once or twice since the earthquake in '94, so I could be wrong about this, but that's what I remember when I've been there.
A far cry from when it was featured on "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
How wonderful to be reminded of all the good things! I can still hear that little jingle from the ice cream truck that came through every summer.
I can remember when the Target at Victory and Vineland - across from Leon's - was first a SuperFair, and before that, it was a dump. Which is why it sank and had to be rebuilt.
There was Pic Wick theaters, ice skating and horseback riding. And the skating rink on Vineland across from the Alta Dena dairy at the end of the old Burbank runway, now the old Costco bldg. Can't remember it's name, something Gardens. And Unimart.
Van Nuys Blvd- there was the Hippodrome and other psychadelic stores. Farther up near Roscoe or Parthenia was the Red Barn that had the best steaks.
Is Winchell's Donuts still around? They were the best, and so was Pioneer Chicken. Bob's had the best strawberry shakes, and anyone remember the old orphanage/school Villa Cabrini with the chapel on the hill above Glenoaks? And Shakey's Pizza with their silent movies.
Anyone remember sky-writing across the valley? Those were the good ol days.
Does anyone remember Jungleland in Thousand Oaks? I grew up in Ventura County (born in the 40's), and our parents would take us to Jungleland fairly often. We loved that "theme" park. It had great wild animal exhibits and fantastic shows. Lions were always my favorite. It was large enough to entertain anyone, yet not so large that you couldn't see everything in just one afternoon.
I remember Jungleland being on Thousand Oaks Blvd. But when we moved to T.O. in the mid 70's it was closed. I know teenagers would 'hang out' in the parking lot there a lot after it closed.
I moved to T.O. about a year or two before the Oaks Mall was built. There was no Westlake High School back then either.
How wonderful to be reminded of all the good things! I can still hear that little jingle from the ice cream truck that came through every summer.
Wow! Lots more memories, and some I don't remember, too. The ice cream trucks used to have signs in English, and that's what the driver spoke, too. I doubt they're that way anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
I can remember when the Target at Victory and Vineland - across from Leon's - was first a SuperFair, and before that, it was a dump. Which is why it sank and had to be rebuilt.
I forgot that Target used to be Superfair before it was Gemco, but I do remember the problem with it sinking. I guess that's part of the reason that so much ground has to be compacted before construction (at least commercial) these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
There was Pic Wick theaters, ice skating and horseback riding. And the skating rink on Vineland across from the Alta Dena dairy at the end of the old Burbank runway, now the old Costco bldg. Can't remember it's name, something Gardens. And Unimart.
I remember the Pic Wick complex, but don't remember going there as a kid. Maybe my folks didn't know about it, or it was too far away (from Sun Valley?) to take us there back in those days. I don't remember that building on Vineland being a skating rink, but I do remember hearing that it used to be a venue that was used for boxing matches. I'm not sure of the name, but it might have been Olympic Gardens. I Don't remember Unimart.
Speaking of the runway at Burbank Airport, remember when that used to be "Lockheed Air Terminal" before it became "Hollywood Burbank Airport," which was before it became "Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport," which was before it became "Bob Hope Airport." I think it's now "Bob Hope Airport," but if not, please let me know. It's sure changed names a lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
Van Nuys Blvd- there was the Hippodrome and other psychadelic stores. Farther up near Roscoe or Parthenia was the Red Barn that had the best steaks.
I don't remember any of these either. I must have just been too young to remember them, or they weren't there anymore when I got into the area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
Is Winchell's Donuts still around? They were the best, and so was Pioneer Chicken. Bob's had the best strawberry shakes, and anyone remember the old orphanage/school Villa Cabrini with the chapel on the hill above Glenoaks? And Shakey's Pizza with their silent movies.
I am not sure about Winchell's Donuts. The ones I remember have since changed hands and become something else, but it seems like I've seen one or two around in my travels, but I don't remember where. I remember Villa Cabrini, though I believe it became a college campus in the later years. There used to be a Bob's Big Boy across the street from it, but sadly, that one also became a Cocos or Carrows like most of them did. I remember going to the Shakey's Pizza on San Fernando Road in Burbank, down by the Cornell Theater. The last I recall, Shakey's is still there, but the theater is long gone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
Anyone remember sky-writing across the valley? Those were the good ol days.
Yup! I remember this too. It was a very common sight in the summertime. I think they still do it once in a while, but not like they used to.
Thanks for the interesting memories, and the information about the things I don't remember!
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That also meant no customers could go there while the bomb threat was still being investigated by the police. But, they were fun places to eat, especially when it was someone's birthday and the "Zoo" was being run around by some of the food servers amidst flashing lights and sirens. 
Sherman Oaks Galleria
