Awhile back, I floated roadtrip out to Scarborough among some friends, based on a walk along Lawrence Avenue that a few had done several years ago. One element from that trek occasionally surfaced during conversations about Scarborough: an image of a stern-looking man used on the sign for The Kirks, a side lounge for the venerable
Wexford Restaurant.
This required investigation.
Before eating, we checked out
54 East. Located in a former drug store, the space is part local history centre, part gallery. The main exhibit spotlighted the musical heritage of Scarborough. Thousands of records were pressed in the area, some on labels whose names derived from the neighbourhood (e.g. Birchmount, one of
Quality's subsidiaries).
Most of these albums passed through my family over the years (this copy of
Lightfoot! looks much healthier than mine...).
This year marked
the 50th anniversary of the first cracked eggs and squeezed orange at the Wexford. The walls celebrate its connections to the community, through mock street signs and historic images. The 1960s-70s era family restaurant decor and a sticker at our table touting the rice pudding quickly comforted us. I was reminded of a recent breakfast experience I had with Amy at
The Lumberjack in Windsor, though the Wexford's surroundings weren't quite as rustic. Not the type of place to go to for culinary wizardry, just good comfort food that has kept customers satisfied for eons.
As for what we ate...
Alison - french toast and a side home fries. She determined it was the best french toast she had ever sampled.
Dylan - back bacon and eggs.
Nadia - sausage and one egg, with a dash of pepper.
Me - ham and eggs.
The Wexford was pricey for greasy spoon fare (our dishes hovered around the $10 mark), but was worth the cost taste-wise—we left with happy stomachs. Fresh orange juice helped wash everything down. The coffee cups disagreed on how many eggs had been cracked or oranges squeezed.
Nearby, a pair of murals celebrated the journeys of immigrants to Wexford, utilizing subway map-style graphics.
Strip malls rule Lawrence around Wexford, most anchored by grocery stores offering tastes of cuisines ranging from Caribbean to Korean. Middle Eastern food stores dominate, with
Nasr Foods and
Arz Fine Foods the largest of the lot. We checked out a couple of stores, sampling sweets that may provide an excuse for a return trip.
On our way out to the Steeles/Middlefield branch of T&T, Dylan caught a glimpse of a semi-circular plaza at Lawrence and Markham Road. We investigated Ring Road Plaza and discovered goodies like
Monkey Brand black tooth powder.
Design elements included mosaics near the grocery store and hanging signs that appeared to have greeted customers for decades.
All photos taken November 22, 2008
Comments