Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:17 pm
You are right Tulio, trading material is soooo veeerry important.....no matter the hobby! 
Re: Favorite Aviation/Warbird Restaurants
Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
I beg to differ! They have airplanes painted on the wall in the kids area.JohnH wrote:Another top hangout at Chino is Graziano's. Great sandwiches and Italian fare....It's off the airport but was a cool place to eat....although the decor was non aviation.
Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:25 pm
when i lived in louisville kentucky their was a dive bar / restaurant across from the air national guard base. can't remember the place's name but charmingly run down condition, with old aviation pictures & assorted memorabilia decorating the place. it was a great warbird watering hole!!! can anybody jog my memory with it's name?? & is it still their???? i was last their in 1986 or 87 
best, tom
best, tom
Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:38 pm
I just spent a week at the old Memphis NAS at Millington. City owns the airport but the Navy still runs the golf course. The grill and bar associated with the pro shop has a pre good breakfast and lunch and they run it at govt prices. Ham & cheese omelet, hash browns, toast, and coffee for $4.50 ! Yes, it is open to the public, golf course too !
Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:58 pm
56th Fighter Group at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY. Great Friday happy hour and Sunday brunch, and across the field from the American Airpower Museum.
Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:20 am
Bumping this to the top... keep the recommendations coming!
Ryan Keough
Ryan Keough
Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:23 pm
A few in New Zealand if anyone is here or visiting...
I understand there is a cafe in Waitomo, near the famous Waitomo Caves, that is situated inside a Bristol Freighter aircraft (this used to be at Waihi but shifted to Waitomo).
Also, at Woodbourne, Blenheim (opposite RNZAF Base Woodbourne) is the Argosy Cafe, which has a Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy in its back garden.
The RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch has a good little cafe, I used to often go there on weekends for lunch when I lived on the base there.
There's a good cafe at Ardmore too with lots of Warbirds photos. They do a fantastic breakfast, and it is right on the end of the runway so you eat to the sound of Harvards and other warbird greats taking off and in the circuit.
Also at Hobsonville village in Auckland, just down the road from RNZAF Base Hobsonville where I was based in the early 1990's, I used to often go for breakfast on Saturdays at a themed cafe called the 'Ventura Cafe'. This cafe reflected the area's history with the Ventura medium bomber, which were based at RNZAF Station Whenuapai during the war - just down the road. It had loads of really excellent photos and bits of memorabilia. I don't know if it is still there though, and cannot find a listing in the White Pages online, so it may have closed down.
At the big hotel complex at Hamilton International Airport (formerly RNZAF Station Rukuhia), there's a bar that also has a lot of photos of Venturas, but these reflect the days when the RNZAF's aircraft were lined up on the same spot in the Rukuhia Graveyard, awaiting smelting.
I don't know if there is a cafe at Wanaka or at Motat, possibly both. But one final one I can think of that is of aviation interest even if they don't have much to show (I'm unsure as I haven't been in there yet), the Bush Inn tavern in Riccarton, Christchurch. This is an ancient pub, and I used to pass it at least twice a week while I lived in Christchurch, but never learned its significance till recently. Before the war, going back to the very early days of the Air Force at Wigram, the Bush Inn was the original Officer's Mess for the base. This is despite being quite a bike ride away as such. The officers would go there for a few drinks and a meal, and I'm not sure but may have lived there too. When war came and a proper Officers Mess was built on the base, the Bush Inn remained popular as a drinking establishment. Some bright person put up some large sheets of paper on the wall and got every person who passed their Wings course at Wigram to sign it over a period of several years in the war. This is now in the RNZAF Museum and quite a prized piece, as it has autographs of many of the greatest pilots this country produced! A nice piece of history.
I understand there is a cafe in Waitomo, near the famous Waitomo Caves, that is situated inside a Bristol Freighter aircraft (this used to be at Waihi but shifted to Waitomo).
Also, at Woodbourne, Blenheim (opposite RNZAF Base Woodbourne) is the Argosy Cafe, which has a Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy in its back garden.
The RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch has a good little cafe, I used to often go there on weekends for lunch when I lived on the base there.
There's a good cafe at Ardmore too with lots of Warbirds photos. They do a fantastic breakfast, and it is right on the end of the runway so you eat to the sound of Harvards and other warbird greats taking off and in the circuit.
Also at Hobsonville village in Auckland, just down the road from RNZAF Base Hobsonville where I was based in the early 1990's, I used to often go for breakfast on Saturdays at a themed cafe called the 'Ventura Cafe'. This cafe reflected the area's history with the Ventura medium bomber, which were based at RNZAF Station Whenuapai during the war - just down the road. It had loads of really excellent photos and bits of memorabilia. I don't know if it is still there though, and cannot find a listing in the White Pages online, so it may have closed down.
At the big hotel complex at Hamilton International Airport (formerly RNZAF Station Rukuhia), there's a bar that also has a lot of photos of Venturas, but these reflect the days when the RNZAF's aircraft were lined up on the same spot in the Rukuhia Graveyard, awaiting smelting.
I don't know if there is a cafe at Wanaka or at Motat, possibly both. But one final one I can think of that is of aviation interest even if they don't have much to show (I'm unsure as I haven't been in there yet), the Bush Inn tavern in Riccarton, Christchurch. This is an ancient pub, and I used to pass it at least twice a week while I lived in Christchurch, but never learned its significance till recently. Before the war, going back to the very early days of the Air Force at Wigram, the Bush Inn was the original Officer's Mess for the base. This is despite being quite a bike ride away as such. The officers would go there for a few drinks and a meal, and I'm not sure but may have lived there too. When war came and a proper Officers Mess was built on the base, the Bush Inn remained popular as a drinking establishment. Some bright person put up some large sheets of paper on the wall and got every person who passed their Wings course at Wigram to sign it over a period of several years in the war. This is now in the RNZAF Museum and quite a prized piece, as it has autographs of many of the greatest pilots this country produced! A nice piece of history.
Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:30 pm
Not listed in order of preference...just memory.
1. Montgomery Airport NY, great food, the owner looks to be right out of a Norman Rockwell painting
2. Linberghs, San Louis Obispo, CA, outstanding food, cute waitresses and great photos
3. Camarillo, CA, great diner style food and alot of warbird photos to peruse
4. Bremerton, WA The airport restaurant is great but the real gem is the the Amarato's Airshow Bar and Grill just north of town, about 10mins from the airport. This place is a gem. There is a Merlin and 1820 on display as well as a ball turret from a Memphis Belle B-17. The food is great and it is full of warbird and air racing memorabilia.
5. Latrobe, PA...upscale airport cuisine is the fare here...its even hard to get a hamburg. It is great if you want to spend some dough on food.
6. Mansfield, OH...another cool diner at a major/minor airport.
7. New Philadelphia, OH Great airport place to choke down some food if you are on a long cross country.
8. Wayne, County, OH A short walk to the "Barn" will get you some of the finest amish food you can ask for.
9. I can go on forever...geez..amazing I still fit in a Cessna.
JimH
1. Montgomery Airport NY, great food, the owner looks to be right out of a Norman Rockwell painting
2. Linberghs, San Louis Obispo, CA, outstanding food, cute waitresses and great photos
3. Camarillo, CA, great diner style food and alot of warbird photos to peruse
4. Bremerton, WA The airport restaurant is great but the real gem is the the Amarato's Airshow Bar and Grill just north of town, about 10mins from the airport. This place is a gem. There is a Merlin and 1820 on display as well as a ball turret from a Memphis Belle B-17. The food is great and it is full of warbird and air racing memorabilia.
5. Latrobe, PA...upscale airport cuisine is the fare here...its even hard to get a hamburg. It is great if you want to spend some dough on food.
6. Mansfield, OH...another cool diner at a major/minor airport.
7. New Philadelphia, OH Great airport place to choke down some food if you are on a long cross country.
8. Wayne, County, OH A short walk to the "Barn" will get you some of the finest amish food you can ask for.
9. I can go on forever...geez..amazing I still fit in a Cessna.
JimH
Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:01 pm
hey jim h!!!! elaborate on the mansfield ohio joint!!!! is it by lahm airport / air national guard base??? i live 1 hour from their. great food?? or great atmosphere?? or both?? my kids live in mansfield, & i'm their often due to "dds" (divorced daddy syndrome 
) best, tom
) best, tom
Wed Jul 06, 2005 8:25 pm
Hey Tom...yes, it is at Lahm Field right at the base of the tower. I have only flown in so I can't give you driving directions. It has a great diner feel, the food is great and reasonable. great blue cheese...
JimH
JimH
Thu Jul 07, 2005 9:09 am
i know where it is now thanks. great mold huh?? (blue cheese) 
i'll have to try it out!! best, tom
i'll have to try it out!! best, tom
Thu Jul 07, 2005 9:14 am
Careful on Jim's recommendations folks... I have heard that he only eats meat that moos, seafood is limited to "airshow lobsters" and his idea of ethnic food is pizza...
... this is what "the road" will do to you!
Ryan "No McD's in France" Keough
... this is what "the road" will do to you!
Ryan "No McD's in France" Keough
Thu Jul 07, 2005 6:40 pm
Ok, Listen to me and we will go places and eat things!
Ryan, I am very suprised you didnt list the local favorite?
Nancy's Airfield Cafe, even made the EAA Sport Aviation's Magazine a few months back. Good food and airplanes.
Heres one we stumbled across while at Reading.
The Antique Aeroplane Rest. in Reading, PA
Attached to a small motel, its nowhere near the airport but it has a Monocoupe shoehorned into the dining room. Also lined with great paintings and old propellers. Great FOOD!
I have been to the Tallichet Rest. @:
Palwaukee
St. Louis
Nashville
Wilmington
PBI
Orlando
Mmmm, Key Lime Pie with a Lorna Doone crust
Local stuff,
ASH, BVY, PYM, MVY, PSM, ACK, Hampton, NH all good stops
The lakeside rest. on Winnepesaukee when the Ice Runway is open.
Jaffrey, NH for Ice Cream I have heard is a good take.
Pot Luck Day at Plum Island (K2B2)
Heres a couple of good oddballs,
The Cafeteria at the Beechcraft Factory in Wichita. KBEC
GOOD FOOD CHEAP!
The Cafeteria at the Pratt & Whitney Canada Customer Training Center
Longueil, (or however you spell it) Outside of Montreal
And then some of the good ones that are now gone.
Barnstormers @ KPSM, although the new place there is still good, it no longer has the aviation feel.
The Rest @ K2B2 "The Sportsmans Lodge"
The World Famous, "Willow Pond Kitchen" Once a 100 year old rest. on the road near Hanscom AFB (KBED) now just a parking lot for people walking through the woods. They say that excessive traffic at hanscom is ruining the heritage of the Lexington/Concord area and then they tear down the "Kitchen"! 1000 years from now they will be building a replica of this place from the "historical records"
Oh yeah, While in Nantucket, MA (ACK) dont forget to venture into town and stop in to:
SWEET INSPIRATIONS for a Key Lime Truffle
I have two on my desk right now.
Ryan, I am very suprised you didnt list the local favorite?
Nancy's Airfield Cafe, even made the EAA Sport Aviation's Magazine a few months back. Good food and airplanes.
Heres one we stumbled across while at Reading.
The Antique Aeroplane Rest. in Reading, PA
Attached to a small motel, its nowhere near the airport but it has a Monocoupe shoehorned into the dining room. Also lined with great paintings and old propellers. Great FOOD!
I have been to the Tallichet Rest. @:
Palwaukee
St. Louis
Nashville
Wilmington
PBI
Orlando
Mmmm, Key Lime Pie with a Lorna Doone crust
Local stuff,
ASH, BVY, PYM, MVY, PSM, ACK, Hampton, NH all good stops
The lakeside rest. on Winnepesaukee when the Ice Runway is open.
Jaffrey, NH for Ice Cream I have heard is a good take.
Pot Luck Day at Plum Island (K2B2)
Heres a couple of good oddballs,
The Cafeteria at the Beechcraft Factory in Wichita. KBEC
GOOD FOOD CHEAP!
The Cafeteria at the Pratt & Whitney Canada Customer Training Center
Longueil, (or however you spell it) Outside of Montreal
And then some of the good ones that are now gone.
Barnstormers @ KPSM, although the new place there is still good, it no longer has the aviation feel.
The Rest @ K2B2 "The Sportsmans Lodge"
The World Famous, "Willow Pond Kitchen" Once a 100 year old rest. on the road near Hanscom AFB (KBED) now just a parking lot for people walking through the woods. They say that excessive traffic at hanscom is ruining the heritage of the Lexington/Concord area and then they tear down the "Kitchen"! 1000 years from now they will be building a replica of this place from the "historical records"
Oh yeah, While in Nantucket, MA (ACK) dont forget to venture into town and stop in to:
SWEET INSPIRATIONS for a Key Lime Truffle
I have two on my desk right now.
Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:13 pm
There's a nice little sports-bar-type place called (of all things ) Crash Landings in Warren, Michigan. Lots of photos, posters, models etc. I try to make it in there each year when I go to Thunder.
Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:22 pm
i'm going to thunder, might be a nice detour on the way home. elaborate on directions. thanks!!!! best, tom