Dairy Lane Café

Seventy Five Years on 19th Street

3.5 of 5

Dairy Lane opened on 19th Street NW in April 1950, when Calgary was still mostly a cow town with ambitions. It is still independent, still family owned, still walk-in only, and it has spent the last few decades doing something smarter than surviving. It changed what it cooked with and kept how it feels. The room is small and busy, an old-school diner in shape. The menu is a farmers market in disguise.

They buy local and organic whenever they can and list their suppliers on their website, which is the kitchen equivalent of showing your homework. Eggs Benedict is the safe and correct first order. The bacon-stuffed French toast is the unsafe and also correct second one. Vegans get a real tofu scramble and a veggie burger from a local outfit called People Food, gluten free and spiced with a South African blend, the one that took Best Veggie Burger in FFWD back in 2014. A diner from 1950 with a vegan following. I would buy shares.

Go any weekday from seven; it stays open into the evening, with a short break in the late afternoon while the kitchen changes over. Sunday and Monday bring a feature wine at friendly prices. Walk in, wait with the neighbors if you must, and remember that a place does not last seventy five years by accident.

Order this: Eggs Benedict, Bacon-stuffed French toast, Vegan tofu scramble, The People Food veggie burger
The damage: $$
Go: Weekday breakfast from 7, or Sunday for the feature wine; walk-in only
Find it: 319 19 St NW, Calgary, AB