The skins on Flo’s Diner are these: it was

a gorgeous 50s diner in the heart of Yorkville on a corner lot. It WAS where that stupid condo that’s also the Roots is now and the corner was on a parking lot which is now that park fail.

Flo’s had to move to the second floor of what I can only describe as a micro-mall on Yorkville Ave. I used to go with my mom every weekend for brunch and old-style 50s fare like root beer floats and red vinyl covered swivel chairs. It was the real deal alright. But alas, those days are long gone.

I boycotted the new down-sized location for at least a year before I straight got over myself. Yorkville might be a sell-out tramp of a neighborhood, but Flo’s hasn’t changed a bit. They kept as much of the original place as they could cram into the significantly smaller local, and the patio, although not rooftop, is still large and gets just as much of the day’s sun as the old one. And, here’s the best part: almost all the original waiters are still there. It’s also still pretty much rammed to the tits every Saturday and Sunday for brunch, sometimes taking up to 40 minutes to get a table (I blame the kids, it’s always their fault).

The menu is identical to what it was when I was a kid. They serve all the regular comfort food fare: all day breakfast, multiple types of grilled cheese, some healthy choices like salads and egg white omelets but also burgers and club sandwiches and of course, root beer floats.

The service is damn fast and they remember you. They remember everyone. I take soy milk with my coffee and they remember that even if months go by between visits. Careful with the modifications though, they will charge you up the butt for every minor change until you’re eating a $15 omelet, but if you stick to the menu it’s pretty affordable, especially for Yorkville.

On a side note, the head waiter looks just like the Asian guy from 21 Jump Street and when I was a kid I was convinced it was him.

Good place to take a one-night stand the morning after when you’re trying to be nice about it, but also a great spot to just read the weekend Globe & Mail (they have all the papers for patrons to peruse) by yourself and drink dozens of tiny cups of coffee on your own.