101234 Tue Oct 12 14:04:59 -0700 2004 3 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 547848 Has anyone else tried the new Fran's location on Shuter St.? We went after the theatre on friday night and it was dreadful. The home fries were the frozen cubes from a bag and they had been re-heated 4-5 x..hard as rocks. I ordered a reuben sandwich, which is supposed to come with sauerkraut(it did not)and the cheese was some sort of fake cheese product, and did not even taste like swiss. I can't believe that this is was the choice of restaurant for the lobby of the new ,boutique, Pantages Hotel...yuck. Tue Oct 12 14:04:59 -0700 2004 0 EMQ 1 547850 Had the same experience. It was awful. I mean I know it is a diner, but I could do without the side order of grease that came attached to everything we ordered. Won't be going back anytime soon. Tue Oct 12 14:36:35 -0700 2004 547848 0 Jenna 2 547853 I live near the former Fran's site on St Clair W at Yonge. When I moved here in 1991, Fran's still made some of its own pastries, which were coffee-shop-credible with real whipped cream. They offered a mean sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. In other words, there were some items on the menu which involved cooking, as opposed to bag-opening, deep-drying and food processing. I watched the deterioration steadily - prices rose, quality fell - until its inevitable close a few years back. The sharp cheddar was replaced by a typical processed flavourless "cheese," the manager telling me "people prefer it that way." The pastries deteriorated, ditto the service. Pantages is never going to be taken seriously as a hotel destination until it replaces this egregious example of how to cut corners and offer mediocre food for a lot of money with a real eatery. A Danforth souvlaki place, a mom & pop burger joint, a Schwartz's all offer real food with less pretentions and a lot more taste - real value - than this hash house. Tue Oct 12 15:47:30 -0700 2004 547850 0 John 1 547852 I don't think I've been to Fran's while sober, and I think I'd like to keep it that way. Diner food just isn't my thing, unless you twist my arm (with gin) first. :) Tue Oct 12 15:45:50 -0700 2004 547848 0 xtal