Diner Deluxe
Phil & Sebastian Coffee
Maple Fried Oatmeal – Lemon Curd, Vanilla Bean Cream, Maple Syrup
Stuffed French Toast – Egg dipped thick cut Sourdough, Brie, Canadian Bacon, Apple Relish, Rosemary Syrup
Breakfast Poutine – Rosemary Hash Browns, Quebec Cheese Curds, Basil Hollandaise
Apple Pie Wedge – Bourbon-Cinnamon poached Apples, Caramel Sauce, Streusel Topping
Located just down Edmonton Trail from OEB Breakfast Co, a veritable Restaurant Row during the day’s early hours, Diner Deluxe is an all-day eatery focused on local, seasonal ingredients and scratch-cooking, the kitschy retro interior in no way indicative of the sort of place serving up your Grandpa’s plate of Bacon and Eggs.
Now with two locations, the rumor of hour-long waits on weekends mitigated by an early Monday meal, entry to Diner Deluxe finds patrons in a Soda Fountain styled area featuring Gelato, Pac-Man, the brightly lit room beyond full of old-school signage and smiling servers plus two men working the oven and griddles.
Proudly promoting local purveyors and farms, prices slightly higher than the typical diner as a result, long perusal finds the menu filled with options for diners of all-styles, the challenge of accommodating allergies and limitations taken quite seriously as the young woman acting as waitress went out of her way to inquire at the time of order, something far more typical of fine-dining environs.
Seated at a cozy two-top next to an elderly widower in the mood for conversation, clearly a regular judged by his interaction with staff, Breakfast began with an elegantly presented square of pan-seared Oats thoroughly soaked in Custard and Maple Syrup, the pool of Crème Anglaise in which it rested acting to further soften the wedge beneath a scoop of zesty Lemon Curd.
Offering bottomless Coffee from Phil & Sebastian, a local producer featuring great light roasts at many restaurants visited during the days in Alberta, course two featured egg-dredged Sourdough wrapped around melted Brie, Canadian Bacon and Apple Relish, the sidecar of Rosemary Syrup proving downright inspired as an addition to the sandwich, while also proving complimentary to the $3CAD upgraded side of well-seasoned Hash Browns that remained crispy even with the addition of housemade Hollandaise and stretchy Cheese Curds.
Half-joking when inquiring about dessert, but more than happy to indulge when the kitchen said they would be willing to oblige, it was after a quick warming on the grill that an “Apple Pie Wedge” arrived bathed in hot Caramel Sauce, the light hints of booze mingling with Cinnamon and Fruit topped in buttery Streusel.
www.dinerdeluxe.com/
