Whatever Lola Wants… Tania Auger’s Lola’s Lounge in Sarnia By Cecilia Buy and Bryan Lavery Drive down Christina Street in Sarnia, and you can’t miss it: a narrow building, with the front of its second floor covered by the outsize signage, “Lola’s Lounge” in flowing neon script, voluptuously crimson. Red is Tania Auger’s signature colour, and the owner of Lola’s has put her unmistakable stamp on every facet of her restaurant, from furnishings to food, from the window treatment to the wine list. The bones of the old building show through. Operating continuously since the thirties, the shade of the former diner lingers. The swivel stools at the counter have been replaced with metal-framed barstools, but the curved bulkhead above the liquor shelves remains, now backlit with red neon that casts a speakeasy glow over the bottles and Tania’s collection of vintage Canadian and Italian art glass. Down one side of the room are the original booths, seats now reupholstered, each booth with its ...
Homage to Toronto's Yorkville Landmarks the Coffee Mill and Le Trou Normand U p until just a few months ago, Le Trou Normand remained the oldest operating fine dining restaurant in Yorkville. Coincidentally, The Coffee Mill a venerated European-style cafe which recently celebrated 51 years in business closed earlier this month. Martha von Heczey’s Coffee Mill opened in May, 1963, in the now-demolished Lothian Mews, on Bloor Street. In 1973 , von Herczey moved two blocks north to a mini-mall with Yorkville Avenue on one side, Cumberland Street on the other. There was a secluded terrace with an expandable awning in the event of rain. The Coffee Mill was practically right across the street from Le Trou Normand and it was one of my Yorkville haunts for over 30 years. Ms. von Heczey’s late husband Laci, a well-known wrestling champion, liked to wander around Yorkville with a tame cheetah on a leash. Interestingly, in 19...
Promoting The Recognition of Cuisine as a Manifestation of Culture. Hats off to Chancey! Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House at Covent Garden Market I still love a great hamburger or a big, juicy steak, even though I’ve been trying to cut down on my red meat consumption. trü on King Street used to make a superb mini-hamburger with foie gras that melted in your mouth, and you could order it at the bar until midnight. Waldo’s on King makes a truly outstanding burger with organic beef from Field Gate Organics, which is served with generous garnishes and condiments. I swear it is the best hamburger in the city, hands down. Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House has always been a carnivore’s dream because of its great steaks. Chancey Smith’s also has its own delicious ½-lb beef burger, and the twist here is it comes with a suggested beer pairing: Cameron’s Auburn Ale, Paulaner, #9 IPA or India Pale Ale. Chancey’s also has a more upscale ½-lb. buffalo (read American bison) burger, stuf...
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