Atlantic City residents and visitors of a certain age have warm memories of their favorite restaurants of yore, with the most frequently mentioned as “missed” being Hackney’s, Captain Starn’s, and Lou’s Deli in Ventnor. Indeed, the pieces on Lou’s in Shore Local and in the recently-published “Hidden History of Atlantic City” book have received incredible responses.
But there were other restaurants, probably more than a thousand of them, that were a part of Atlantic City’s landscape for decades, though most of them, sadly, disappeared by the latter 1960s. Several of these establishments, reflecting Atlantic City’s large, Jewish population from the 1930s through the mid-1960s, were Kosher or Kosher-styled establishments. Census records show that from the Depression though the 1950s, 20 percent of Atlantic City’s population — and that number did not include the populations of Ventnor, Margate or Longport — was Jewish.
Any list of once-popular restaurants at the shore would have to include Kornblau’s Restaurant and Delicatessen, at Pacific and Virginia Avenues, and in operation from the mid-1920s through 1970. Described as a “beloved landmark” in Atlantic City promotional materials of the 1950s, the family-owned restaurant specialized in Jewish delicacies and was a favorite of many of the headliners who performed at the Steel Pier, just a block up from Virginia Avenue on the Boardwalk. “Kornblau’s served the kind of Jewish South Jersey food that kept my grandparents going down to the shore every summer,” was only one enthusiastic comment posted on a Facebook page dedicated to Atlantic City history.
The African-American owned Wash’s Restaurant opened in 1937 and was originally a 20-seat venue on Kentucky Avenue near Club Harlem. Those who remember Wash’s recall that that their soul food was a favorite of all the entertainers who worked on Kentucky Avenue. Sometime in the 1950s, owners Clifton and Alma Washington moved the place to Arctic Avenue, where it continued to thrive with an expanded menu that specialized in seafood and ribs. In the early 1970s, the owners moved the operation to Pleasantville, where it operated quite successfully as a catering facility until it closed in 2012.
The unfortunately-named Mammy’s, located right in front of Steeplechase Pier, simply could not be missed. The bustling location, the lights, and the large, donut-making machine positioned right in the front window on the Boardwalk, attracted thousands of diners daily. Mammy’s was owned by the boxer-turned-restaurateur Lew Tendler and his wife, Elia Lasker Tendler, who also operated several other spots at the shore and in Philadelphia. Mammy’s specialty was waffles and Boscul coffee, a Camden favorite. Mammy’s stayed open, with considerable difficulty in its final years, through the late 1970s. Steeplechase Pier lasted only a few more seasons. It closed permanently around 1983.
Carson’s Triangle, at New Hampshire and Gramercy Avenues just behind Starn’s and Hackney’s at the inlet, served up its singular dishes of fried shrimp and what they called French-fried lobster tails since its 1934 opening. Stan Carson had been a bootlegger who was reportedly at loose ends when Prohibition was no longer law, so Stan and wife Madeline decided to open a bar. In order to get customers in the door, they gave away fried shrimp. It was a good move. Though Carson’s Triangle is forgotten today, it actually became the third most popular seafood restaurant — Hackney’s and Starn’s were numbers one and two — in the city during the 1950s. Carson’s burned down in 1976.
Shumsky’s, a Kosher-styled, Rumanian restaurant at 2319 Pacific Avenue, across from what was then Convention Hall, opened in 1928. Owned by Joseph Shumsky and his wife, this was a popular spot for years in the Jewish community and beyond. Shumsky’s, which also featured live entertainment in its famed “Kishka Room,” was known for its desserts. Their “Cheese Cake of the Century,” as it was called, was a noted favorite. Because of its quality and because Shumsky’s always did great business, it hung on until the early 1980s.
Other noted spots:
Alfred’s Villa, at 3413 Pacific Avenue, had seven dining rooms and billed itself as “one of America’s most picturesque restaurants” and “a gourmet rendezvous.” Quite popular in the 1950s, Alfred’s lasted until the mid-1960s.
Another, Jewish-styled deli that seemed to be constantly packed was The Great Josh’s at 3709 Ventnor Avenue. In addition to the Jewish specialties, the subs were also terrific, and what made Josh’s extra-special was the fact that ice cream was also on the extensive menu.
Teplitzky’s was a landmark in the city from just after World War II through the early 1970s. Standing at Chelsea and Pacific Avenue, Teplitzsky’s was a hotel, a guest house and a Kosher restaurant that hosted weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events, and, according to the Jewish newspaper, the Forward, “Teplitzsky’s was a central hub for Jewish family life. In mid-20th-century Atlantic City, there was nothing like Teplitzky’s for the Jewish tourist. Mostly, those tourists came from Philadelphia, Baltimore or New York, maybe for a week, maybe for a weekend, maybe only for Cousin Sammy’s wedding.”
The Teplitzsky name was so much a part of Atlantic City history, that in 2008, the name was revived via the opening of a “new” Teplitzsky’s, located exactly where the original was. The new venue was more of a diner and coffee shop than the original, with gigantic breakfasts being their specialty. It lasted until the winter of 2017 and is now the site of Gilchrist’s.
Culmone’s Restaurant and Bar, at 2437 Atlantic Avenue, was founded in 1960 by Frank and Maria Culmone, who immigrated to the city from Sicily in that year. Culmone’s was known for fabulous Italian food and for their famed “tableside Caesar salad.” Culmone’s was in operation for an astounding 48 years, and the restaurant’s culinary legacy continued, as sons Giovanni and Giuseppe later became chefs in Atlantic City casinos.
Let us know your favorites from “back in the day.” We’ll track down any available information and feature them in an upcoming piece.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
