The Blue Plate Diner has pulled up the stakes and moved from 104th Street to a spot at the corner of 124th Street and Stony Plain Road. What’s comforting, though, is what hasn’t changed. The diner is in an airy new space, but a lot has survived the change of venue. There are still kitschy table lamps on some of the tables, including the blue Donald Duck model.
There are brand-new booths, but some of the 1960s and 1970s-era kitchen tables are still found near the windows. And, yes, the cups are still a wonderfully mismatched collections of souvenir mugs and kitchenware of eras gone by.
We headed there for lunch; my dining companion gave a big thumbs up to the substantial veggie burger. Everyone is doing their takes on veggie burgers, now, but the beet-based patty has been a staple at the Blue Plate Diner. Why fix what isn’t broke?
As for me, I get the salmon served on a bed of risotto, and the crunchy bits of cooked capers offer fantastic pops of salty flavour.
Desserts don’t disappoint — my friend orders the beet cake, which is lovingly covered in “more walnuts than I’ve ever seen.” With the veggie burger and beet cake, I hope she doesn’t turn red.
I get the chocolate peanut butter pie. The cookie crust is pressed into a cup and filled with peanut butter custard, with a surprise of chocolate inside. Yes, it’s a can’t-miss finish to a meal.
The Blue Plate’s move doesn’t mean the restaurant is changing gears; it’s simply like seeing an old friend with a new hairstyle.
12323 Stony Plain Rd., 780-666-3559, blueplatediner.ca
This article appears in the November 2019 issue of Avenue Edmonton
