WE SEND LOCALS TO LUNCH AT FOUR REAL DEAL DOWNTOWN DINERS.

Matthew Baker ‑ Intern Architect

Ham-N-Eggs Grill, 273 Princess St.
Three of us escaped our suburban office for Friday lunch at the Ham-N-Eggs Grill. Our expectations were met by a greasy, but cheerful, hole in the wall. The menu offered such sure favourites as the Terminator burger (boasting five patties, bacon and cheese), the Quadruple Bypass (four patties, one pun), and Flatliner Fries. We settled on less ominous options of cheeseburger, mushroom burger and veggie burger platters, which all came with fries, coleslaw and canned drink included.

 The food was satisfyingly decent for frozen patty fare, and the fries were particularly good, no doubt by virtue of a well seasoned deep fryer. While relaxing in the surprisingly empty restaurant we reflected on the posters decorating the walls (advising us that all foods were prepared without trans-fats), taped up alongside vintage Coke ads and playfully stenciled images of cows, chickens and pigs (just in case we’d forgotten where those five patties came from). As we left, bellies full and hearts racing, a final poster at the door reminded us to always keep our sunny sides up. Grudgingly, but with a smile, we returned to work.

Mary Reid ‑ Curator of Contemporary Art and Photography, The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Alexis Grill, 258 Kennedy St.
Ernie Mayer, photographer at The Winnipeg Art Gallery, and I have a monthly lunch date, and the opportunity to go to a place that has a reputation for good burgers was a great treat. We came late, around 1:15 p.m. and avoided the noon hour rush. The restaurant was once a Sals, which was taken over 13 years ago, yet the decor had been maintained. I ordered the special cheeseburger platter and Ernie, the Reuben platter. As a starter, we split a bowl of the soup of the day, beef barley, which was quite good. Our meals came with a side order of fantastic, hot and crispy, traditional cut fries and a fresh Greek-like salad. My burger was yummy but the patty was a bit small in comparison to the kaiser bun. Ernie’s Reuben was toasted on the grill and filled with a decent portion of corned beef. The service was very friendly and speedy and the food was overall fresh and tasty. We went back to work satisfied and with a warm feeling after eating such a good lunch.

Chris Brown ‑ Writer and marketer

Wagon Wheel, 305 Hargrave St.
Passing the threshold of the Wagon Wheel is like being whisked back to the 1950s. You’ll find orange vinyl-clad booths, wagon wheel light fixtures, and mushroom-topped stools along the lunch counter. My lunch date tried the famous clubhouse and I opted for the hamburger steak with onions, mashed potatoes, gravy and coleslaw. The clubhouse was huge, piled sky-high with real chicken sliced off the bone, thick-cut bacon, tomato, pickles, lettuce and mayo all captured by perfectly toasted bread. My hamburger steaks (yes, there were two steaks) where homemade, thick and meaty, slathered in brown gravy and fried onions. The ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes was smooth and creamy. The topper was the coleslaw, which was the perfect blend of tangy and sweet. Joints like the Wagon Wheel are the perfect place to retreat to when the world gets a bit too busy and you just need a break.

Mary Ferguson Thomas, artist and teacher

Salisbury House, Esplanade Riel
I questioned whether going out for lunch with my one and a half-year-old son was such a good idea once I realized that I had chosen to walk to the Salisbury House on the Esplanade Riel on the coldest day in February. Once inside, however the bright sun-filled seats and a mug of hot chocolate provided a much-needed antidote from our glacial walk across the bridge. We ordered a Veggie Nip platter (for me), and a blueberry pancake (for him). The Sals menu offers typical diner fare, although I was happy to try the new addition of yam fries along with the classic Sals coleslaw. Both my son and I enjoyed the bright river view from our window seats, and there was much oohing and aahing over the motorcycle and birch bark canoe that hang from the ceiling. Our food came quickly and my son happily gorged himself on a blueberry pancake. As for me, there is something about a Sals Nip platter on a cold day that gives me a real comfort food feeling. In the end, lunch was great and enjoyed by all, and even worth the biting Winnipeg wind assaulting us as we crossed back over the bridge.