Authentic Diners

[appreciator]

Well, I'm not sure if these places qualify but they do make me think of "diner" when I drive by them.

Planet Java 50's Soda Fountain Café

9178 Glover Road, Fort Langley

Gray's Grill

2445 Burrard

Varsity Grill

4381 West Tenth

[kontemporary]

Another thing to consider why most diners tend to classify with old restaurants is because old restaurants are diners. Before the mid 1900's.. food throughout North America was pretty much in line with Britain. Potatoes, meat, vegetables. And the typical breakfast of eggs and toast.

So if an old restaurant doesn't serve diner fare.. then it really isn't a diner because it's not being true to its history. It would be just a really bad restaurant in a heritage building.

[peppyre]

Ahhh...The Normandy. I wonder if they lost there lease? There was talk when I lived in that area that they would be shutting down because of the changes to South Granville and the Normandy just wouldn't fit in. I haven't been by in a while, anyone else? I had a very memorable breakfast there right after I met my ex. A morning I will not soon forget.

[Daddy-A]

The definition of a diner is one that has grown kitch, you can't build it new, you have to grow it.

Perfect definition. Some places, to quote Jimbo from the Simpson's "totally smack of effort." Diners don't have to try ... they just are.

A.

[lauraf]

Ahhh...The Normandy.  I wonder if they lost there lease?  There was talk when I lived in that area that they would be shutting down because of the changes to South Granville and the Normandy just wouldn't fit in.  I haven't been by in a while, anyone else?  I had a very memorable breakfast there right after I met my ex.  A morning I will not soon forget.

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Just walked by - still standing. Lunch for $4.90, eat in or take away.

[annanstee]

What is that little house place just off 2nd on Manitoba or Yukon or something?  Is it Molly's? I think it qualifies.

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Manitoba, 1/2 a block south of East 2nd Avenue. I believe it's the The Argo Cafe. Right around the corner from where I used to work and the source of many an office lunch. Very greasy spoon-esque. Bang on the money if that's what you're looking for Jane.

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thanks Mooshmouse- I only went once, but loved the ambience.

[janevm]

thanks for these - you've come up with many diners that had slipped my mind -- like the Slocan. The list may be longer than I had planned but please keep them coming!

[Minko]

Ahhh...The Normandy.  I wonder if they lost there lease?  There was talk when I lived in that area that they would be shutting down because of the changes to South Granville and the Normandy just wouldn't fit in.  I haven't been by in a while, anyone else?  I had a very memorable breakfast there right after I met my ex.  A morning I will not soon forget.

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I live in the South Granville area and The Normandy is still open; I read an article about the lease etc. in the Courier a few months ago and it seems it's going to remain open for another year or so.

[Sam Salmon]

The Elite on Main street in Penticton, opened in the fifties, clean, good service, decent coffee (no fru-fru lattes), hot food hot, cold food cold.  New owners didn't change a thing.

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On a personal note The Elite was the first restaurant I ever ate in here in BC-this was the summer of 1970.

Having just spent the night sleeping under a bridge after hitching in from Calgary I walked into town and had some sort of breakfast special-don't remember the food but I do remember the place.

It's like the oldest running restaurant in Vancouver - this place on Hastings in the downtown east side. Not by surprise, it's a "diner." It's old to the point where it has no washroom. The food as you can imagine, is nothing special; the clientèle is also as what you would expect coming from this area. But could you get an experience like this anywhere else in Vancouver? I think not 

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I think you mean The Ovaltine-haunt of many different kinds of folk over the decades.

[janevm]

thanks everyone, you've been a great help. I forgot about most of them such as the Slocan, Helens...now I'm craving a big fat juicy burger or slice of meat loaf and mashed, eggs and bacon....

[lauraf]

Had a visitor in town for the weekend and we drove up the Sea to Sky to Brittania Beach - not enough time to get to Whistler and back - and, starving, we stopped in to the Ninety Niner. Classic diner. Red vinyl chairs, crusty waitress who chewed gum and called me hon, salt on the table but no pepper. Menu proudly featured nachos with 'cheese sauce'. Burgers too.

[Zucchini Mama]

You know, technically it's not what you're looking for, but my son and I ate lunch at kaplan's at 41st and Oak the other day. They have a deli-take-out and sit-down section. It occurred to me it has a sort of old world diner vibe about the place.

U. had a hot dog, and I had a Norman, Norman, which is like a Reuban, only with turkey pastrami, and Swiss. What a heavenly sandwich. The rye bread is fresh, and dotted with carraway. I got mine with two potato latkes. I've never had latkes like this-between a potato pancake and a coarsely grated latke-crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.

The waiters are pros.

We ordered a pudding brownie but they were all out :(, so we had a dissappointing piece of chocolate cake-very cold and dry. Maybe it's seen better days. I liked the concept-caramel sauce over fudge icing. The ice cream was great.

If you have time, pop into the JCC and see the drawings and paintings of war and peace done by children from Israel-very poignant stuff.

Zuke

Edited May 19, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[CanadianBakin']

There is one in Abbotsford...near the Yale Hotel...can't remember what it's called, but it's on Essendene, right up from A Passage to India.

I don't know the name either but I drive by it often so I'll see if I can get the name for you.

In Mission we have one called Rocko's Family Diner on Lougheed right next to the railway track. I haven't been there in years and they've changed owners but when we did go they had huge greasy burgers served with piles of big onion rings. Non-smoking and smoking separated only by the cash register. We went with friends one day and his "salad" (silly thing to order at a diner) was a wedge of iceberg and the dressing never did make it to our table. Everything deepfried and greasy. Their diner was even used for a commercial a few years ago. They always have customers and there's never a shortage of trucks parked out front.

[janevm]

I agree - Kaplans is terrific. I reviewed them for The Eating and Drinking Guide and they have the best pastrami this side of Montreal.

cheers,

jane

You know, technically it's not what you're looking for, but my son and I ate lunch at kaplan's at 41st and Oak the other day. They have a deli-take-out and sit-down section. It occurred to me it has a sort of old world diner vibe about the place.

U. had a hot dog, and I had a Norman, Norman, which is like a Reuban, only with turkey pastrami, and Swiss. What a heavenly sandwich. The rye bread is fresh, and dotted with carraway. I got mine with two potato latkes. I've never had latkes like this-between a potato pancake and a coarsely grated latke-crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.

The waiters are pros.

We ordered a pudding brownie but they were all out :(, so we had a dissappointing piece of chocolate cake-very cold and dry. Maybe it's seen better days. I liked the concept-caramel sauce over fudge icing. The ice cream was great.

If you have time, pop into the JCC and see the drawings and paintings of war and peace done by children from Israel-very poignant stuff.

Zuke

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[CanadianBakin']

There is one in Abbotsford...near the Yale Hotel...can't remember what it's called, but it's on Essendene, right up from A Passage to India. It kind of reminds me of the old Aristocrat at the corner of Granville and Broadway, where we used to hang out when I was in cooking school.

I walked by there yesterday and it's called "Talk of the Town".

[appreciator]

The other day, I was in Surrey. It's been awhile and my-oh-my, a lot has changed.

However, I did spot what appeared to be an "authentic diner" on King George Hwy.... somewhere relatively close to the Surrey Central Skytrain Station. Would that be between 134th and 136th perhaps? Sorry, I seem to obliterate the particulars from my memory as soon as possible upon returning to the city, even though, I confess, I did grow up on Panorama Ridge

Anyhoo... point being that there was some sort of diner spotted along the highway, possibly between 134th and 136th, not sure of the name though I do believe the word "diner" was distinguishable amid the neon.

Edited May 29, 2005 by appreciator (log)

[mzungu]

Ahh diners... many a place visited while trekking out to Yale to count fish in the Native food fisheries every weekend in the summer of 99....

There's the Seabird Island IR on Hwy 7 to Hope. Long stretch, makes for something different from Hope when you've been on the #1 for too long. There's a diner/cafe that serves good portions.

i've been meaning to try the Normandy. Christ, the prices alone is a shocker from the overpriced hype of South Granville. Better go before it closes eh?

[canucklehead]

Janevm

I saw this in the national post this moring The Foods and Faces of the Roadside Diner. The hardcopy of the paper has a full page of pictures to go with the article.

I hope it is not too close to what you are working on...