#wilenskys

[quenchmagazine]

Over at Wilensky’s Diner in Montreal's Mile End, they still use an old-fashioned soda fountain to serve home-made drinks… and we think that’s just fantastic. Looking forward to stopping in for lunch tomorrow! #wilenskys #quebec #foodie #kosher #lunchdate #explore #greasyspoon #montreal #diner #dinerfood

[meanderingspork]

Wilensky’s Light Lunch: Meandering in Montreal

Wilensky’s Light Lunch is the epitome of your hole in the wall restaurant, but has garnered attention as a fixture of the Montreal food scene on par with Schwartz’s Deli. Founded in 1932, Wilensky’s is still run by the founder’s children (Ruth Wilensky, the founder’s widow, retired a few years ago at the age of 93) and maintains its old timey charm. Tucked away in the Mile End neighbourhood, it’s exterior is nondescript, but the interior is rich with history, tradition, and most importantly, good food. It’s a lunch counter diner straight out of the history books. While there are a couple other items on the menu, everyone goes for the no-nonsense Wilensky Special, and who are we to argue against tradition?

(Photo courtesy of Wilensky’s Yellow Page)

The Food:

Wilensky Special with Swiss Cheese ($4.53)

The Wilensky Special is no nonsense - the mustard is mandatory, there’s no special orders, and no, they will not cut your sandwich for you. This is just how the Wilensky Special is and how it has been since 1932...and that’s just the way we like it. The Wilensky Special is a grilled beef salami and beef bologna sandwich on a kaiser pressed flat by the grill. We opted for the swiss cheese option, though we imagine that the plain Special with just mustard and meat tastes just as delicious. The salami and bologna are perfectly flavoured and somehow tastes different (and better) than the deli meats you get at the store. With just the right combination of texture and flavour, this sandwich is everything you can ask for in a light lunch. It’s larger than you might expect, so it’s pleasantly filling, and it’s made just like you would a sandwich at home.

Oh, and because we like rhyming and this is delightful and captures the essence of the Wilensky Special, we have included the famous Wilensky rule here for your reading pleasure:

When ordering a Special, you should know a thing or two. It is always served with mustard; it is never cut in two. Don’t ask us why; just understand that this is nothing new. This is the way that it’s been done since 1932.

Old Fashioned Root Beer and Lemon-Lime Soda Drinks ($1.15 each)

It’s not often we mention which drinks we had, but we just have to in this case. Wilensky’s still has an old fashioned soda fountain. We’re not talking about just the kind with the pull levers. No, we’re talking about 1932-style old-fashioned : they hand scoop different soda syrups, pull a level to pour in soda water, and then stir your drink for you by hand. This is the stuff of stories and movies (Wilensky’s has been featured in both). Both of our sodas tasted great, though they did have unique flavourings. Oh and don’t mind the neon green-ess of the lemon-lime soda. It tasted phenomenal and neither Spork experienced any side effects. :P

The Wrap:

Here at the Meandering Spork HQ we talk about value a lot: it’s no surprise then that we love our hole-in-the-wall restaurants, because you get a whole lot of bang for very little buck. Wilensky’s goes beyond just value for your money though. The food is just plain good (not just good for the price) and the multitude of signs and newspaper clippings show a history of community involvement. This is a restaurant run by people who care. Any tips you might leave is donated to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. With a selection of old books on sale at the back of the store and the availability of all-beef karnatzels, a traditional Jewish sausage much like a pepperette, for only 60 some odd cents a piece, Wilensky’s is a restaurant after our own hearts. We will gladly come back for a visit the next time we’re in town.

The Location:

Located on Avenue Fairmount just off of the main road of Boulevard St-Laurent, Wilensky’s is accessible by transit at Station Laurier off Line 2. It’s a short 10 minute walk south of the station. If you’re still hankering for food after your meal (if you have a big appetite) Fairmount Bagels is a minute’s walk south of Wilensky’s. We’d suggest exploring the Mile End neighbourhood when you’re in the area: it’s filled to the brim with cafes and shops, depending on which you’d prefer. :P

[willshinphotog]

#toolate #illbeback #wilenskys #vsco