A few weeks back, I went 3 stops past the Greenwood subway station to Main. From there, I was able to jump on the streetcar heading to Gerrard. I wanted to see if this was faster than taking several transfers to get home. It also gave me a chance to see other neighbourhoods.
When the streetcar turned from Coxwell to Gerrard, it passed by an old diner called New Town Family Restaurant. With its faded awning, this was no recent business to the area. I felt a sense of déjà vu because I have in fact passed by this exact spot before. Years ago, I had an idea to take every transit route from one terminal stop to the other endpoint. The theory being that I will see most of Toronto that way. I never did more than a handful of routes but I did take this one. I saw this particular restaurant back then, thought about returning, but never did.
On Tuesday, I finally made it inside for lunch. A poster claimed that the diner opened in 1948 even if the owner didn't look old enough to be the original proprietor. But the 2 women behind the counter and kitchen looked to have worked here for a while since they were on first-name basis with the local clientele. It was a simple menu of breakfast and lunch items like pancakes, bacon, and sandwiches. I ordered a chicken burger deluxe ($10.95).
It was a reasonable meal. My guess was that all the ingredients came from a bulk supplier like Sysco. But the fries were golden and crispy, the coleslaw neither too raw nor too sour, and the chicken burger had a good crunch. It reminded me of the old-school diner at Bloor and Dovercourt. That one got a second wind a few years back when the gentrified hipsters joined in with the regulars. I wonder if New Town was busier on the week-end or if the young folks were mostly hanging at joints like Black Pony and Lazy Daisy's. I'll be back before I leave for good.
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