We had a fun night out with our lovely friends Julie and Guy on Thursday night, going to a place called The Lakeview Restaurant for dinner. (1132 Dundas Street West at Ossington)
Looking at these pictures you might be thinking, ‘Oh look … they went to a restaurant decorated like an old-fashioned diner’. Sure, we’ve probably all been to one of those made-to-look-old places at some point or another, but the thing about The Lakeview is that it really is old. It has been open in the same spot since 1932, and although it was completely restored by its current owners, all the surfaces (tabletops, floor, wooden booths) are original.
The menu was loaded with diner-esque choices and I went for a sandwich called The Boondock Fishwich, a crispy fish filet on a bun, with arugula and preserved-lemon tartar sauce. It was delicious. Nick and Julie each had the classic Clubhouse Sandwich and Guy chose a beef filet. To drink we all had a micro-brew beer from their taps.
And what is a diner meal without a piece of pie? Nick and I shared some cherry pie that was so good that I’d make a return trip just for some pie and coffee.
↑ There’s the pretty lady wearing the crocheted flower I made for her, and showed you guys here. She also had a package in her bag for their little girl, which contains something I made with the yarn I bought on this shopping trip. It’s a surprise so I can’t say more about that yet! And I came home with a great gift from Julie too … she shared a nice assortment of her yarn stash with me. ↑
↑ We were there for a late dinner so didn’t really take advantage of one of the extra features of this place … that is that it is always open. Yes, everyday, twenty-four hours. I can’t say that I know of another restaurant that offers that, but then again, I can’t say that I’m out looking for pie at 4 in the morning all that frequently. ↑
↑ Until the restoration the restaurant still had the original sign hanging out front, but that had to come down because over the years it had become it was heavy and had become potentially dangerous hanging there over the sidewalk. From what I read it was the insurance company that insisted the old one be replaced. So vintage charm was replaced with clip-art? practicality. ↑
↑ Although the restaurant has been there for 82 years, I was hard pressed to find a vintage photograph of the place, but then lucked into finding this one of a man and (presumably) his children, out front of The Lakeview in 1950. The fact that he is wearing that white apron leads me to believe that he may have been a cook in the restaurant, but I can’t say for sure. ↑
The restaurant is close enough that we were able to walk home. While it is still cold here, it was a nice walk, filled with good feelings gleaned from having had a nice visit with some great people.
