True North Diner’s retro-fitted comforts

In going for a retro look and feel for the True North Diner,
the owners have apparently spared no expense. The vast cavern of
mediocrity that was the Ponderosa has become a gleaming, chrome and
red, black and white tiled bastion of days past. It looks really
sharp—not the genuine patina of age that the Chickenburger up the
road sports, but pretty nonetheless—and, there’s a jukebox on one
end, with enough room in front to dance if the mood strikes.

The menu is small, as is the wine list, and the dish list boasts all
house-made food, which is good. Over several visits, we sampled a
cross-section of classic eats, skipping various deep-fried pub-like
appetizers.

The cheeseburger ($8.95), true to claims, is made from fresh beef
and not a porta-pattie shipped from a warehouse. It’s big, too, with a
thick slab of tomato, very fresh lettuce, and oops—processed cheese
slice (too bad). Handcut fries on the side round out a nicely assembled
plate.

An all-day breakfast is a staple that can really test the cooks’
mettle, depending on how you order your eggs. I order mine over easy,
which means that more often than not they arrive woefully undercooked,
their slimy mucusy whites ruining the plate. Kudos to the cook, True
North eggs are perfect, with plenty of runny yolk for dipping toast,
and firm yet unrubbery whites to frame the yellow yolk. But the cook
can’t work a miracle with the bacon he’s been given. They’re tasteless,
bland grease sticks. Order the ham or the sausage. The hash browns,
however, are delicious. Diced, lightly browned on a griddle with red
onions thrown in for good measure, these potatoes make up for the
bacon.

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes ($8.95)—now there’s comfort food.
Harking back to simpler times, meatloaf is one of those dishes with a
thousand variations that always tastes like home. True North has tomato
sauce baked on the top of each slice, then gravy poured over it. I come
down firmly on side of gravy only, but this doesn’t taste bad at all.
The loaf itself is seasoned well and heavy enough to be filling without
giving you lead belly. Mashed potatoes are lumpy, requiring a touch of
butter and salt to be really great. Steamed carrot coins completes the
home-cooked look—overall, a winner.

The milkshakes ($3.95) are worth mentioning, especially the
strawberry shake, with chunks of strawberry and real fruit flavour. And
shout out to the baker—your coconut cream pie is delicious, and a big
enough portion for two to happily share.

All this would make for a happy ending were it not for the state of
the washroom and the service. The beautiful shininess of the new dining
room evokes warm memories of mom and apple pie, but any mother would be
shocked at the state of the ladies’ room. It’s mid-afternoon, the
restaurant’s practically empty and the restroom is dirty, dilapidated
and out of tissue.

Did no expense trickle over into remaking the washroom? More to the
point, if it’s a slow day, can’t one of the four servers leaning on the
counter chatting roll up their sleeves and get to it? Which brings me
to the second issue: The service is mediocre at best, negligent at
worst. I can only hope that my experiences are not the norm.

The True North has a lot of potential, and a built-in clientele
hungry for reasonably priced, tasty fare. Keep an eye on the washrooms,
work a bit on service, and this restaurant will be around a long time.

Gimme a blonde with sand and take that cow through
the garden! What diner do you like best? Rate it at thecoast.ca.

This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.