I occasionally google defunct restaurants that I used to go as a kid. Sometimes I found reviews from City Search or random articles on the local newspaper archives. Always get me a bit wistful and nostalgic.
I wouldn't go as far as to call it a white whale, but since you are discussing Route 22, I thought I'd bring it up and make a request...
My father and uncle worked at a fruit stand on Route 22 called the Melon King back in the 1950s. I have casually looked for a photo of it a few times, but not much since my father died.
My brother and I as well as our cousins heard about "working at the Melon King for 25 cents an hour" many times from our fathers. It might have an interesting story as its surely been through several iterations if you ever come across it.
That's the Scotch Plains segment of 22. In 1956 there's a reference to a "Melon King Restaurant" in Scotch Plains as well. Do you know anything about it becoming or adding a restaurant?
There was also a "Melon King Garden Center." Any chance the building at 2600 US-22, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076, was the restaurant? It's the old garden center structure too. It has what looks like a two-story residence at the back, and based on the old street view imagery it had a kind of roadside restaurant-ish awning
I don't know about the restaurant, but garden center is probably related.
I know the proprietor was named Pete Mussel (sp?) and he lived into the 1990s. I found out retroactively that I once spoke with him on the phone when he called for my father.
There's a 2008 obituary for Peter Muscle, who was 88. That puts him born in 1920, and he owned the garden center from 1946 (which precedes the restaurant/produce stand) to 2001.
I occasionally google defunct restaurants that I used to go as a kid. Sometimes I found reviews from City Search or random articles on the local newspaper archives. Always get me a bit wistful and nostalgic.
Pretty much every time we go to a diner, my wife admonishes me not to order pasta.
I wouldn't go as far as to call it a white whale, but since you are discussing Route 22, I thought I'd bring it up and make a request...
My father and uncle worked at a fruit stand on Route 22 called the Melon King back in the 1950s. I have casually looked for a photo of it a few times, but not much since my father died.
My brother and I as well as our cousins heard about "working at the Melon King for 25 cents an hour" many times from our fathers. It might have an interesting story as its surely been through several iterations if you ever come across it.
It filed a produce sales certificate in 1950 and was located at Glenside Avenue and Route 29 (now Route 22, renamed in 1953)!
That's the Scotch Plains segment of 22. In 1956 there's a reference to a "Melon King Restaurant" in Scotch Plains as well. Do you know anything about it becoming or adding a restaurant?
There was also a "Melon King Garden Center." Any chance the building at 2600 US-22, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076, was the restaurant? It's the old garden center structure too. It has what looks like a two-story residence at the back, and based on the old street view imagery it had a kind of roadside restaurant-ish awning
I don't know about the restaurant, but garden center is probably related.
I know the proprietor was named Pete Mussel (sp?) and he lived into the 1990s. I found out retroactively that I once spoke with him on the phone when he called for my father.
Perhaps I need to follow-up with my uncle
There's a 2008 obituary for Peter Muscle, who was 88. That puts him born in 1920, and he owned the garden center from 1946 (which precedes the restaurant/produce stand) to 2001.