Sunday, February 22, 2009

This Diner Can't Get Any Finer!

Diners are awesome. There is no denying that sometimes there’s nothing better than a clubhouse, home cut fries, or a hot sandwich. It’s food for the soul. Sitting in a cozy booth and biting into some greasy goodness is like a warm hug from a loved one. Fortunately, Metro Moncton has its fair share of diners to choose from. Hynes on Mountain Road has some of the best pancakes I’ve ever eaten. Over in Riverview, Steve’s Diner offers generous portions and lots of 50’s kitsch, and across the parking lot at The Homestead, you’ll find sandwiches and toast made with fresh and delicious homemade bread. But according to both my heart and belly, Jean’s Diner on St. George trumps them all.

On a Friday night, after enjoying a pint at The Laundromat, or when a Saturday afternoon craving hits, Jean’s is the spot for all your home cooked favourites. They have seafood fried to a perfect golden brown, gravy that rivals your grandmother’s, and amazing fresh cut fries. Monctonians love their Deluxe French Fries, but trust me; the local chain does not come close to matching the quality of Jean’s fries.

The service is also friendly and fast. This past Friday night Amanda and I popped in for supper and were shocked to be met by a gaggle of young girls. A troupe of Girl Guides had just enjoyed a special meal. They enthusiastically thanked their servers and left for an evening of fun. It was heart-warming to see the troupe at Jean’s. Too often large groups and teams flock to McDonalds or Burger King, but these children and their supervisors supported a local business and enjoyed a far superior meal than that offered by fast food.

Kudos to the troupe’s leaders for choosing to eat at Jean’s, and it was obvious by the smiles on the servers’ faces that they’d enjoyed the girls. They spoke enthusiastically about girls’ energy and how well behaved they’d been.

In no time at all the booths had been cleaned, our orders taken, and before we knew it we were eating our food. Not once did our waitress complain about being swamped. She was swift, friendly and courteous. It’s the kind of service I’ve come to expect after a number of visits to my favourite neighbourhood diner.

On one of my early visits I had a craving for a hot turkey, but didn’t want to be disappointed by a sandwich made with manufactured brown gravy. Our server went back to the kitchen and returned with a small sample of the gravy for me to taste. The sample passed the gravy test and I enthusiastically ordered the sandwich. When it came, topped with peas, I bit into it and it was exactly what I needed. When I thanked the server for letting me try the gravy she just shrugged her shoulders like it was all in a days work.

On other trips to Jeans, I’ve enjoyed their delicious seafood platter, which comes with deep fried haddock, shrimp, clams and scallops. I’ve also tried their clubhouse sandwiches, savoured the homemade beef soup, and even devoured the grilled hotdogs that are served on perfectly toasted buns.

Jean’s Diner is for anyone who enjoys wonderful food, in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by friendly servers, who really appear to enjoy their jobs. It’s a place you can really feel good about supporting. Whenever I leave Jeans, it’s with a full belly and a warm heart.

5 comments:

  1. Is that the place where we had pie?

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  2. It certainly is. I had a piece of pie on Friday night.

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  3. It really warms my heart that the girl scouts headed to Jean's for their meal. Too many people, particularly people with children, avoid the downtown restaurants in favour of the shopping district chains. How inspiring! Hope to see more and more of this in Moncton.

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