Experience Newfoundland hospitality and get stogged at Stage Diner
More than any other place in Canada, Newfoundland found a place in the fabric of my life. Much laughter is owed to Newfoundland celebrities and entertainment linked to television shows, movies, novels and music.
Once while staying at Cape Onion's Tickle Inn, two guests told the story of finding themselves in a seaside town, looking for a rest stop. They knocked on a door and the homeowner said there was no diner or coffee shop, but welcomed them into her home for a pot of tea - a mini Come From Away" story about the famous Newfoundland hospitality.
A taste of that hospitality awaits at Stage Diner, described by owner Darryl Howe as serving up Newfie-infused modern food." From a family of 10 children raised near Cornerbrook, Howe has been away but maintains the welcoming touch.
Various cooking jobs took Howe from the Maritimes to Ontario, landing him in Hamilton. In January 2020, he acquired the restaurant space - with indoor/outdoor seating and a decor that reminds diners of the Newfoundland connection.
While Newfoundland can boast about restaurants such as Raymond's - ranking among Canada's top 100 eateries - and top chefs such as Todd Perrin, there are iconic dishes not easily found outside the province. The Stage Diner menu combines classic diner items with these touches from home.
The term Newfie" appears on the menu a few times, and there's more if you scratch the surface. As a side note, the word Newfie" has a storied past, used for a time in disparaging jokes. Some say that the label has been rehabilitated and embraced. In any case, if you're from The Rock," you get a free pass when it comes to using the term.
Cod is the classic fish associated with Newfoundland and fish and chips are on the menu daily, most popular on Fridays. Of more interest was the Newfie Burger, a.k.a. the Touton Burger.
Touton (pronounced tow-ton) is a versatile fried dough. It's often served at breakfast, which is how I first encountered it, next to eggs and beans, or with butter and syrup like a pancake. Here it acts the bun for a tall burger, the bottom layer of which is a slice of bologna on secret sauce.
A quirky thing you've got to love about Newfoundlanders is their passion for bologna.
Many readers growing up locally and shopping at Denninger's may also have a fondness for bologna - a slice of which was always offered to kiddies. Add white bread and mustard and you're talking about one of my typical school lunches. Newfoundlanders love it so much that many don't buy it by the slice, opting instead for Big Stick Bologna - a nine-pound sausage.
In 2017, the New York Times reported that Canada's largest bologna producer, Maple Leaf Foods, estimated that the province's 530,000 residents put away 4.2 million pounds of bologna a year."
Back to the Touton Burger. Sitting atop that thick slice of bologna is a beef burger, crisp bacon, melted cheese, pickles, tomatoes, red onions and fresh lettuce. That's a burger that leaves you stogged" (a.k.a. full). It comes with fresh-cut fries, but we went with the Newfie Fries. The excellent fries are blanketed in gravy and topped with dressing" - a mixture of bread crumbs, butter and savoury spices. You can add ground beef, onions, bacon or cheese.
We were invited to try Newfie Pop, a mixture of cream soda and root beer. Crush is a company that makes quirky beverages for various market niches. This Crush product, called Birch Beer, tastes a bit like root beer with a fun red colour.
Being stogged, dessert became a takeout - Newfoundland Tea Buns - chocolate mango and pineapple coconut. They look like tea scones but Howe insisted they are different. A food writer colleague from Newfoundland said that her family had just been discussing this and no one could offer clarification. No matter. Warmed up with butter, they were a good accompaniment to tea.
Since our visit, the hours and menu have changed adding breakfast choices. The Newfie Breakfast is eggs, home fries, toutons, bologna, beans and molasses. Newfie Eggs Benedict adds bologna and toutons. The weekend brunch menu adds fish cakes and more.
Scroll through Stage Diner's Instagram and you'd be right if the assorted delectable cakes have you concluding that Howe must be a good baker. He admits that most of what he bakes flies out the door within hours.
We tried all the Newfie lunch items, but other traditions appear here and there. Jam for toast might be partridgeberry or cloudberry; soup of the day might be the classic pea soup; some days there is chowder and Howe has run special events featuring the Jiggs Dinner - their version of corned beef and cabbage.
Given that small businesses are hurting, Howe, grateful for diners' support, invites readers to continue the journey with us."
Diane Galambos is a food writer who shares stories and recipes at her blog kitchenbliss.ca. Follow her on Instagram https://instagram.com/kitchenblissca
Stage Diner
518 Concession St., Hamilton
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday, Tuesday closed.
What you'll pay: Fish and Chips $12.99; Touton Burger $15.99; Newfie Fries $8.99 (medium); Newfie Pop $3.00; Tea Buns $2.49
Wheelchair access: Yes