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| - Flo's Diner is everything you love, hate and love to hate about Yorkville, all at once. Once upon a time, it occupied a snazzy old-school diner space at street-level. All brushed chrome and red vinyl, it's retro charm made occasional lapses in service forgiveable.
Today, Flo's still churns out diner classics to patrons seated in the same red leather booths. Only now, it does so from a second-floor perch in a groovy 70's inspired office-tower-condo-retail oddity that's typical of these parts. Access is a challenge for the uninitiated. Brave souls may totter up a set of external corrugated metal stairs. Those in the know head into the building, up the elevator, and out to the diner doors.
The greeting that one receives varies from indifferent to inconvenienced. Staff aren't exactly happy to see you, but your money's as good as the next guy's, so you can come on in.
The room itself is cramped functional; transplanted diner fixtures, counters and bric-a-brac are meant to evoke the original location. It doesn't quite work, but large windows at the front o the shop let light in, and give one an excuse to people-watch.
Food is what you'd expect. Soda is served in plastic tumblers, all-day breakfasts on clunky maroon-ringed plates. Salads are capable, but undermined by the ocasional badly wilted green and too-tart balsamic dressing. Grilled chicken is underseasoned and tougher than the majority of Yorkville shoppers. A Caesar salad fares better, but is undercut by too much, too-watery dressing.
Maybe Flo's isn't really a salad place, anyway. They do sell a credible club sandwich: more chicken, this time seasoned properly and cooked to toothsome goodness, with bacon burnt-to-hell and fresh lettuce and tomato (better in summer than winter). Bonus points for the rich challah; deducted for slightly skimpy slices.
Burgers require two hands; basic, solid grub.
Grilled cheese looks good, but I question the value of ordering something that I cook when I'm really in no condition to cook.
Fish and chips sees golden-battered crispy fillets alongside chips referenced below. It's fine; even better for being priced a few bucks cheaper than most. I doubt it's fresh, and certainly not organic, wild or any other clever descriptor, but throw enough malt vinegar on anything and it tastes like malt vinegar.
Coleslaw is non-descript; fries are better. They are golden and crisp; their sweet-potato cousins are just a bit sweeter and crisper. Skip both in favour of an order of onion rings; massive veggie beasts that blanket sweet onion with tons o' crunch.
Like any good diner, Flo's is best measured on the strength of its breakfast. Coffee arrives slowly, and refills require prompting; it's fine. Eggs are done to a turn. Breakkfast meats are well-done and potatoes provide proper carbohydritic soakage of foreign chemicals. You can laze at the table until the caffeine kicks in, and you're ready to start your day.
Neither exceptional nor horrid, this place is a solid middle ground. It has it's quirks, but as in life it's best to just go with the Flo(s).
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