Chesterfields Gastro Diner is a generational family favourite

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• Name + address: Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner, 1300 Wellington St. W.

• Diet: Meat, vegetarian

• Prices: $18-$26

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes but washrooms are downstairs

• Website: www.gastrodiner.ca

Chesterfields Gastro Diner recently moved locations and I happened to arrive for a meal on opening day.

Around me, locals and regulars were seated recollecting how this place was a “family favourite” for a generation when it was still Won Ton House. Over on one wall, you can still take in the aerial photo mural of Hong Kong at night.

The menu is fairly tight and that’s to be appreciated for a breakfast/brunch spot. Each meal is served with either one or two sides, but you can always add more for a small upcharge.

I opted for the classic benny with sausage with sides of cheesy potato cake and plantains with mango salsa.  First up, however, was a virgin Caesar. I was in the mood for a savoury jolt.

It came topped with a house-pickled bean, pickled pepperoncini, lemon and a bit of cheese curd. The rim had a tasty and mildly spiced rub that wasn’t as fiery as it appeared.

It was pleasant but had a granular texture from the addition of tomato juice to the Clamato. This was certainly a different take on the classic but I thought it was nice until later when I would see the price. I’ve never paid $12 for a virgin caesar before and I never will again.

My brunch arrived nicely presented and I was really looking forward to tucking into those slices of plantain.

For a moment, I felt they’d forgotten the sausages, but then I saw they’d been buried beneath the poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. That was one way of not cluttering the plate.

I bit into one and saw they’d been sliced in half and then fried. They were small so prepping them this way had turned them very dry to the point of jerky texture. Other than salt, there was little flavour.

The eggs had been perfectly poached and I appreciated the faint citrus tang of the Hollandaise to counter the richness of the yolk. 

The plantain slices had been topped with a jerk dry rub and then fried. Unlike my preferred Jamaican versions where the plantains are cooked to the point of soft and sweet, these were dry and starchy. That is a traditional way of cooking them in some cultures but it’s never appealed to me.  The addition of the fine mango salsa did help, and in fact, the pairing made for a good flavour combination.

The star of the plate however was the cheesy potato cake. It had been roughly mashed and fried on one side, topped with a too-mild cheese and then briefly put under the broiler. It was delicious and buttery but would have benefited from a sharper cheddar.

Chesterfield’s is a beloved spot and you can see why. They offer a diverse brunch/breakfast menu with something for most diets at reasonable prices. 

With more foot traffic at this new location, they are certain to win a new following.