One of the things I love about writing stories is the ability to include places I’ve been. A December Knight takes place in the community where I spent the first 29 years of my life. This allowed me to use one of my favourite restaurants in a scene: The Palladium Family Restaurant.
The Palladium wasn’t always The Palladium. It started out in the early 1980s as Champ’s Restaurant. When I was in grade 9 and attending Sir Robert Borden Junior High, which was across the street and up a short hill from the eatery, my friends and I would sometimes go to this restaurant for lunch.
Sir Robert Borden Junior High today – street view
I didn’t have much money, so I always ordered the same thing: plate of fries and chocolate sundae. I can’t remember the exact price, but it was something like $2.20 for the meal. I recall the dark-haired waitress who served us was very kind to us teenagers. Probably because we didn’t make unnecessary noise and were respectful. We came, we ate, we chatted about the day and left quietly.
Years after that, the restaurant closed and reopened as the Brass Rail. I ate there many times, and I always enjoyed the food. It was good food for a fair price.
A few years after that, it turned into The Palladium Family Restaurant. I gave it a try, and they still had great food and great prices.
Over the decades, I’ve eaten there many times. Sometimes it was just me and one other person. Other times, it was where my large family gathered to celebrate a birthday. Still other times, it was me popping in alone to pick up an order of fish and chips to eat while on the way home or on the way to the camp.
The service has always excellent, and the owner, who is often there, is very friendly.
Including this restaurant in my story was easy as soon as the male character asked the female character where she wanted to dine out. It was close to her home, so if she had to ‘escape’ his charms, she could walk home.
A December Knight – coming early next week.
Diane McGyver 