Retro Menu Madness!
I would like to introduce a new and very exciting feature on the Fridge Magnet blog. This journey along Nostalgia Lane is brought to you thanks to a junk drawer clean-up in the Nair/Swank household.
While engrossed in this clean-up, I came across a plastic grocery bag stuffed full of restaurant to-go menus. A certain male someone in the Nair/Swank household has an affinity for to-go menus and seems to collect them voraciously and then keep them for years after a restaurant served its last meal.
As we went through them and sorted out all of the ones for restaurants that no longer exist, it occurred to me that perhaps these menus might be of interest to somebody. Somebody like my hubby, who has lived in Roanoke for all of his life and can remember eating at just about every restaurant that ever opened — and then closed.
Introducing Retro Menu Madness! On an occasional basis, I’ll put up an old menu on the blog and see how many readers remember eating at that particular restaurant. Drumroll please for the first ever retro menu, below the jump…
Lindsey Nair/The Roanoke Times
Remember this one, folks? The pasta, the veal scalloppini and chicken cacciatore and sausage sandwich and pizza pies? Just look at that romantic dinner those folks are having. But why does it look like a nurse is waiting on them? And why does the man have two glasses of wine while the woman has none?
May 19, 2009 - 10:46 AM
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Villa was a great place to eat! And that little older short lady who was the hostess was the best! I very much miss that place.
Geez, was hubby even alive when that menu was created?? I think that was left in the drawer from the previous homeowner!! I think the poor female diner is about to slap her companion and steal his beverage. He’s probably saying something cheesy and by the way, where is his left hand? Waitress?!
I have 3 grown children — and this is the restaurant where we took each of them for their first dinner out. Everyone knew us and our children and welcomed the kids each time. The walls were painted with scenes from Italy and of course there were plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling. One of my children thought the guy in the gondola scene was a monkey — so that was always a joke for us. Loved the pizza,lasagna and our waitress, Ruth. We still miss the food, fun, and atmosphere of the Villa.
The best Italian place in the valley! I loved the atmosphere, the murals on the walls, and the food! the Bomb!!!
Believe it or not, it used to be a daycare center, the old Greenvale Nursery school, before it was Villa Sorrento. I know because I was a dropout! After 4 days! Mom said I cried every day, so she quit taking me.
Awesome food, the best pizza ever. Weight Lifting trophies. I have found a small place here in WV that comes close. I hardly ever remember having to wait for a seat, like now when dining out.
Are you certain that not a shot and a Beer back?
I would like to be able to read that menu. It would bring back alot of good times.
RAYJ1
Believe it or not, that menu was from the 90′s. I guess they figured
“It’s worked since the 60′s, why change now?” The food was great though.
I held on to the menu hoping they might come back.
The little short lady, hostess was Mama and unfortunately Papa Joe passed away in the last year or maybe 2. Ruth is still alive. Their kids tried to make a go of it but just can’t reproduce the atmosphere and Joe’s pizza pie! The rolls……. There are none that compare! We would always order a dozen to go and fight over who got the last one! Great memory. This place has been in my husband’s life forever as he went to school with Caroline and the rest of the kids.
You could frame those menus and hang them in your kitchen or dining room. Great conversation pieces.
I kinda remember the place, but, I can’t remember where it was.
Yeah where was it located?
Kim, it was on Patterson Ave where what is now the west end center.
Next Door to the West End Center on Patterson ave.
I’m with Susan – I loved the waitress, Ruth! She was always such a sweetheart. When my husband and I got engaged she noticed my ring before we could tell her, and she made an announcement to the entire restaurant.
And those hot rolls. *sigh* Beauty for the belly!
I thought it was out in north Roanoke, on the west side of Williamson Road just north of Hershberger? Maybe it moved before finally closing?
Or am I thinking of another place entirely?
NOW I know where all those menus hanging on the wall of YHS’s Newsroom came from!!! Excellent Mr. Swank!!
rp
We loved the Villa Sorrento! One time when I took my wife and son there for dinner we were starving! We ordered a large pepperoni pizza and sat there drooling just thinking about it. When the little lady brought our pizza out she got to our table…and dropped it upside down on the floor!! I almost cried! She was so upset and we told her it was OK, she went and made us another. If I remember right she tried to give it to us but we wouldn’t let her. It really was some of the best pizza ever! The real thing!
Lindsey, I have a menu you’d like to see! Kind of giving away my “oldness” but I worked at the Red Lobster in Daytona Beach, FL in 1969. It was very early in the “life” of the chain, and it was an entirely different type of restaurant than it is today. Anyway, I have a regular dining menu from then..and it’s a hoot looking at it. Highest price entree on the menu: Steak and Lobster w/ all the “fixings.” Price…one of your drumrolls, please; $3.65!!!! Yes, you read that right, $3.65! Many interesting things on that menu, and many stories to tell about the place as well!
Does he perchance have one from the Boiler Room?
It was Johnny’s Tavern that was in the location remembered by Mason.
Mason, there was a 2nd Villa Sorrento in the 90′s, but it was on Brambleton ave. Where are you talking about on Williamson?
Mason is talking about the building located on the left almost across from the old Charcoal Steakhouse — the place that Bad Wolf BBQ took over. I believe the “next generation” of Villa Sorrento was there for a while.
David, I don’t think Howard has the Boiler Room menu. Where was that?
The Boiler Room was a bar and grill on Jefferson Street, just about where Twists and Turns is but just a few feet down. Really good cheeseburgers and a sandwich they called The Special. You can get a Special now at Abbott’s on Garden City Boulevard. You used to be able to get one at Ernie’s on the market, who also ran the Boiler Room. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Ernie’s, not sure if they still have it on the menu.
I remember WAY “back in the day” that The Boiler Room had a sign in the window stating that women were not allowed! Can’t remember the wording exactly, but either “Men Only” or “No Women Allowed!” Imagine that! This would have been in the early to mid 60′s I expect.
i can remember when archie’s seafood was on williamson road across from burger king and then it was also the first red lobster and is now an old run down hotel (anyone remember that)!!!! miss the good ol days
Archie’s was the only place in town that had a live lobster tank that they would get their lobsters from to fix for you at your choosing. It always scared me as a child that anyone would eat those ugly little monsters. Now I love them with lots of drawn butter. But they are still ugly.
Archie’s was to the right of that motel, which was once a Holiday Inn. The side of the mall building now stands approximately where Archie’s once did. It was never a Red Lobster.
Well, since I am a 73 year old southern lady, I vividly remember all of the restaurants operated by Joe and Rose. Their first was on Williamson Road next to what is now Hooters and was called The Roma. Unfortunately, it is now boarded up and for sale. Their next was the one on Patterson Ave next to the West End Center. My husband and I ate at both of the restaurants for many, many years since our marriage in 1961. I agree with everyone that the rolls were out of this world. I would bring home the extras and my husband never got any more of them. I ate every one. If I am not mistaken, one of their sons opened a restaurant on Walnut Ave (just off Jefferson St) and it was called a Sandwich Shop (not sure of the actual name). He served many of the same dishes as his parents. After the Patterson Ave location closed, it became nearly impossible to find a really good pizza or any of their other dishes, not to mention the rolls until their daughter, Caroline, and her husband David opened the Villa Sorrento on Williamson Rd across from Blueberry Hill and next door to the Goodyear store. I used to call out there at least once a week to get take out and it was always ready when I got there. I was really sorry when they had to close it due to The City of Roanoke raising their taxes so high it became impossible to keep it open (this is what Caroline told me one night). To this day, we have tried many of this type of restaurants in the valley and none can compare. It has been a delight to be served by Rose’s entire family for the almost 48 years we have been married. We will miss the good food and friendly atmosphere. As an aside, I think the house on Patterson first belonged to one of my Grandmother’s brothers. I can remember go up there and when we went inside it was really dark. Apparently he did not believe in have a lot of light. Because of this, we did not go very often.
Those are some wonderful memories, Doris. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them.
Doris, the restaurant on Walnut Ave is called The Deli Shoppe.
No, the reason the Villa on Williamson failed is that they were never open! I went out there several times, and they just randomly would be closed, middle of the week, weekend, it didn’t matter.