Weston Winterlicious* #6 - P&M Restaurant
P&Ms BLT with fries - classic
It seems fitting that my final winter tribute to Weston’s restaurants should feature the oldest of the bunch - P&M. Located in the heart of the town of Weston, this place dates back to 1970 when it was opened by two guys named Peter and Mike (get it?). Five years later, the Kalimaris family bought it. Frank, the son of the original owner, and Niki, his wife, now own and operate the restaurant.
When Jack and I first moved to Weston in 2011, P&M was a hole-in-the-wall diner. On the few occasions we went, we’d enjoy brunch crammed in a corner, with other patrons so we could smell the mustard on their burgers. Cosy! Just a few years later, they expanded to a newly renovated double storefront - lots of elbow room - where they operate today. It’s 1946 Weston Road north of Lawrence on the west side of the street.
I arrived at P&M a little before noon on a Tuesday. I’m guessing it’s a place sustained by regulars and so having me, an unknown entity arrive but wearing my Home is Weston t-shirt, threw them off. Undaunted though the owner Niki got me settled at a table in the dining room with four laminated plastic menus: two of lunch time specials ($10.95 and $12.95 respectively), the regular lunch menu, and the dinner menu so I could see what I might wanted if I’d come later.
While the dining room was pretty empty - just two other tables occupied - there were four staff ready to serve. Water with ice arrived immediately. At my request, I was also soon sitting behind a coffee in the thick, white mug you’d expect of a diner. I added the contents of two creamers - 18% yay! Someone who understands the benefit of high-fat cream. Exactly the kind of coffee you’d want here. Nothing Starbuckian about this, just good percolated coffee.
I scanned the standard diner offerings and made a quick decision to order a BLT and fries. Toasted on brown. Yes, with mayo. No, to gravy. The food arrived almost immediately along with an offer of malt vinegar. As someone with English roots and a penchant for sour things, you’d think vinegar on my fries would be a no-brainer but actually I prefer ketchup. I doused my liberally, added salt and pepper too, and got to work. The fries were fine, just fine. Exactly what you’d expect. Similarly the BLT - a little light on the bacon but for $12.95, about what you’d expect. If I had to guess, I’d say the mayo was Miracle Whip but that’s OK - I like both. I worked my way through everything on the plate, agreeing to a coffee refill halfway through.
As I was eating, tables around me started to fill up. Five middled-aged workmen showed up, grabbed the window table, called the server by name, and ordered without much regard for the menu. P&M is a place where you can still get something that was on the old menu, even if it didn’t make it to the new one. I regretted not going for a gyro when I heard one ordered. With Greek owners, that would likely be a good choice. Next time for sure. Others went for diner fare - wings, banquet burgers, and the like, with Pepsi. And yes to the gravy. I’ll take their lead on that one another time.
This is a pay-at-the-cash kind of place so once I’d scraped the plate clean and finished my chapter (yes, food and reading go hand in hand), I went to pay up. The Food Network’s Ina Garten was serving up something gourmet on the big screen TV behind the cash providing contrast to the fellows sitting at the counter with bottles of Blue in front of them.
I exchanged weather-related pleasantries with Niki and left with her “God bless” ringing in my ears.
A decent meal at a reasonable price. Nothing pretentious here. You want a diner lunch? Go to P&M.
* Winterlicious debuted in 2003 to promote Toronto’s restaurant industry during the slower winter months. Since then, the event has grown significantly, reportedly serving over 450,000 meals annually. This year, more than 230 places offer three course, fixed price menus at reduced rates. Six of these are within an easy walk of my office on the Danforth.
Zero are available in Weston.
So I’m doing my own Weston Winterlicious. My criteria? walking distance from my house; food cooked onsite; table service; and open for lunch.
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