R.I.P.: Nathan's Hot Dogs, Wapango and Sisley

By David Allen on January 6, 2009 5:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) |

Victoria Gardens has lost the three above-named restaurants recently. Nathan's closed a while back in the Food Hall. Wapango and Sisley, two sit-down restaurants, closed in the past week. (Wapango was by Gyu-Kaku and Fleming's; Sisley was by the AMC.)

Heck, Wapango, a pan-Latin restaurant, only opened in July. You can read my "Restaurant of the Week" piece about them and weep. I never wrote about Sisley but had had one meal at the Italian restaurant and enjoyed it quite a bit. Kept meaning to go back for a special occasion, but you know how it goes.

As for Nathan's, that was the cruelest blow for yours truly. I ate there a half-dozen times. It was more in the journalist price range. Good dogs, and I liked their fries too.

7 Comments

Dee said:

I too love Nathan's hot dogs (I think Johnny Rocket's serves them), but you can also buy them in some of the stores now.

January 6, 2009 9:59 AM

Bob House said:

Nathan's closing could be one of the 12 signs of the apocalypse. Something's seriously wrong when one of the best, least expensive fast foods in the land can't make a go of it. It's all about the casing that "snaps" when you bite into it. Just try not to think where the casing has been. The meat counter in better grocery stores often has their own natural casing dogs, if you want a change from Nathan's.

[Some people don't like the casing or the snap. The fools. -- DA]

January 6, 2009 11:53 AM

Wendy Leung said:

I don't know what salary you're getting, the only thing I can "afford" at VG are the free samples outside Wetzel's Pretzels. (Sometimes I double-back and the employees don't notice. You can make a whole meal out of those pretzel pieces!)

[All I can afford is to eat eclairs out of someone's trash. Oh, wait, that was George Costanza. -- DA]

January 6, 2009 12:10 PM

Celsius1414 said:

There's a "Nathan's" out at the Morongo resort, but I can't vouch for the quality. Next nearest is LA, Escondido, and the Luxor in Vegas.

http://www.nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=41&address=92410

[Somehow I don't see myself driving to Morongo for a hot dog. -- DA]

January 6, 2009 1:31 PM

Bob House said:

re: not driving for a dog -- Moron, go.

I'm powerless to resist a pun . . .

[I nearly made a similar joke in Wednesday's column about Wapango, saying they left so quickly we didn't even have time to throw them a Wapango-ing away party -- but thought better of it. -- DA]

January 6, 2009 3:47 PM

Bob Terry said:

There goes 1 account and 2 potential ones for my business...damn the economy. Sisley had the most incredible bruschetta that was served on flat bread/pizza crust. Went to Wapango's grand opening...a little too out of the norm. Most grocery stores sell Nathan's dogs along with...get this folks...most Circle K's. Going to Le Bellisimo's for my birthday Friday...classic & great food.

January 6, 2009 5:33 PM

Brian said:

Dave, you funny, make joke, Wapango-ing away party, make me laugh, should have used it in your Wednesday column.

January 6, 2009 8:11 PM