Review: Trinity Bellwoods’ Old School is less like a diner, more like a trip to Epcot (but that isn’t a bad thing)

Old School ★★
800 Dundas St. W., 416-815-8790

Trinity Bellwoods’ 24/7 funhouse-mirror take on a 1950s American soda fountain serves fluffy flapjacks and egg creams made with Brooklyn-indigenous U-bet chocolate syrup. But the free-ranging, cross-continental menu makes Old School feel less like a retro diner and more like a trip to Epcot. (Few big-city greasy spoons of yore served caipirinhas and jugs of Orchard Hooch, or had a smoker turning out ribs, brisket and pork.) However, no nighthawk ever went to a diner for authenticity: it’s about comfort food, an area where chefs Brad Moore (School, Xacutti) and Ian Kapitan (Precinct) excel. The General Fried Chicken, topped with Tabasco honey or served on a golden buttermilk waffle, is a crisp and flaky wonder. The Hangover Lover’s Salad—a bed of romaine tossed with pulled pork, cornbread croutons and bacon, topped with a fried egg—will smother last night’s bender. Motown provides the period-appropriate soundtrack, and the general store at the rear sells muffins, biscuits, coffee and other to-go items for the morning rush.

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