What’s on the menu at Skyline Restaurant, a retro diner with a new lease on life
Name: Skyline Neighbourhood: Parkdale Contact: 1426 Queen St. W., 416-536-3682 Owner: Siblings Maggie Ruhl (Dakota Tavern, The Ace) and Jud Ruhl (Wallflower, Three Speed) Chef: Peter Ramsay (Geraldine, Cowbell, Sidecar)
The food
Classic diner grub: burgers, club sandwiches, tuna melts and wedge salads. The menu is rounded out with a few fancier, non-greasy-spoon options like a niçoise salad and rotating daily specials like pan-fried halibut in a beurre blanc with fried capers and Ontario asparagus. On weekends, the restaurant serves belt-busting brunch plates.
The drinks
The old milk machine at the front has been retro-fitted into beer taps, from which eight (mostly local craft) brews are pulled. (Parkdale hipsters will be relieved to know PBR is available by the can.) The wine card is short and international, with by-the-glass options starting at $7.25. Cocktails are of the classic kind.
The space
The 69-seat room was flipped in eight weeks with many of the diner’s original features (red vinyl booths, the drop ceiling, dark wood accents) left untouched. They pulled up the carpet, polished the terrazzo flooring underneath and installed a 15-foot red banquette at the back of the restaurant. After 11 p.m., Skyline turns into a bar, and the Ruhl’s are planning to draw on their music scene connections to book entertainment.
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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
