After lamenting early this fall about the demise of two of Church Street's premier eating establishments, today I bring good news.
First, I had my first sandwich at the newly reopened Garage Sandwich Co. They're now at the back of Pusateri's Grocery just south of Wellesley and have replaced the not-so-spectacular deli. The sandwiches are as good as ever and you can do your grocery shopping at Church Street's finest grocery at the same time. The 'Le Baron' is especially good: peameal bacon, lettuce, sweet potato, honey mustard, and cheddar on a kaiser. So good.
The second piece of news is both good and sad. I got word that the Five Alarm Diner closed due to some sad personal problems the owners experienced that probably aren't weblog material. However, someone else has taken ownership of the place and according to rumor will reopen it as the Church Street Diner sometime soon. Also, at least a few members of the old staff are likely to be coming back. Can't wait to see the doors opened again.
Update: I walked by the diner tonight and it already has new signage and a notice that says it's opening soon. The excitement builds...
Comments
Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz - November 1, 2005 4:18 pm
I’m curious about the sandwich sizes at the “new” Garage. The last few times I went to the old one, it seemed that they'd give me the same size whether I ordered “compact” or “full.” Since I can’t remember far enough back to compare these experiences against others, I’m not sure whether the sandwiches they gave me were all small or all large. Small or large, everything is good there, but I wonder if you’ve noticed anything like this.
Daniel Burka - November 1, 2005 11:41 pm
Well Mr. Jeltz... I'm not sure of the respective sizes of the compact and large sized sandwiches as I've always ordered off the menu and not the custom-made option. I think all of the menu items are the same size, which is a full meal in itself. They're generous with the ingredients, so I imagine the compact ain't so much a compact.
Monica B - November 9, 2005 12:41 am
The late 5-alarm-diner will grace us again with its presence under a new idenity. It opens on Thursday, November 10th! A new chapter will be starting.
I have it from a very reliable source that its very nice and inviting.
Updates shall follow!!!
Martin - November 9, 2005 1:36 pm
One hopes that 'very nice and inviting' means there will still be naked firemen on the walls.
Jim D - November 9, 2005 4:43 pm
I was lucky to be invited to the "pre-opening" celebration of the new Church Street Diner, and it's going to be amazing! The food was to die for - homestyle but upscale at the same time, and the chefs are using homemade ingredients - even their own homemade tartar sauce for the fish & chips!
The decor has been upscaled (but no more naked firemen) and is really inviting. Plus, the owners (Richard + Alfredo) are really nice and genuinely friendly.
Get your butts in there, people! We need to support these kinds of restaurants where the owners care about what they're serving, the chefs care about what they're cooking, and the servers care about their guests...
Suzanne Long - November 20, 2005 2:03 pm
More good news, albeit slightly out of district and not-quite-so-new, I've just been absent a bit. Sandwiches from the Black Camel rocked my lazy afternoon yesterday. Of the two we tried, brisket was the hands down winner, and pulled pork came in a distant second. Carmelized onions and bbq sauce toppings. Horseradish on the beef. I should probably confess to a minor 'art of the sandwich' obsession, ymmv.
Across from Ramsden Park (skating) and Rosedale subway station. Right around the corner from the lovely House of Tea, which is a whole other adventure and even more off-topic.