I have always had a soft spot for the Patrician Grill.  When I was a kid, my dad used to take my brother and I to his office on Saturday mornings. We’d head directly across the street to the Patrician Grill for a peameal on a kaiser at lunch.  Some thirty years later, it feels special to sit at the long lunch counter overlooking the open kitchen or in one of their cozy little booths with my own daughter.  She’s not into peameal bacon sandwiches just yet, but we’re working on that.

Their $9.50 breakfast special is served from 7am to 11am daily and features your standard three eggs with ham or bacon or sausages, home fries, toast and tea/coffee.  I’ll typically get a veggie or Greek omelette with home fries and their famous coleslaw.

If you’re not feeling breakfast, there are a number of triple-decker sandwiches available, all served with the aforementioned ‘slaw.  My go-to is the Hollywood, which is basically a Club Sandwich with Chicken Salad. Try an old-school cheeseburger with fries & gravy, or if you’re feeling like something “lighter,” the grilled chicken or steak with a Greek salad is pretty darn tasty. Friday is meatloaf day and is not to be missed (get it straight-up with a couple of sides or in a sandwich with a single side).

The Papas family are celebrating their 50^th year at 219 King St East.  I’m so glad to see that this downtown fixture continues to do what they do best: “nothing fancy since 1967.” With so many changes to the ‘hood, they’ve truly stood the test of time… and for good reason. Hopefully this place isn’t a condo when it’s my grandkid’s turn for a Patrician peameal sandwich.  In the meantime, finding a table may require a bit of a wait… but it’s totally worth it.  Oh, and it’s still cash only.