A beloved North Vancouver restaurant may soon be welcoming visitors from all over the continent, after its featured on the hit Food Network TV series Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
The Tomahawk Restaurant has been serving its famous burgers and breakfasts alongside unique aboriginal artwork since 1926, making it the oldest family-run eatery in Canada.
But while its somewhat of an institution around these parts, owner Chuck Chamberlain was surprised to get a call from the producers at Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a few weeks ago. Thats because the show, which shines a spotlight on independent establishments that focus on home-style cooking, normally sticks to filming in the U.S.
I was told that they so far had not received so many comments, write-ins, emails, whatever about a restaurant, as they had about the Tomahawk, said Chamberlain.
They were in Seattle and I guess they thought it was a hop, skip and a jump away, so why not go visit Vancouver.
The shows famed host Guy Fieri, a beefy, bleach-blonde food buff, arrived at the Tomahawk last Thursday in his trademark red Camaro to help prepare the dishes of his choice organic roast beef dinner, beef dip sandwich, steak and mushroom pie and Yorkshire pudding.
According to Chamberlain, Fieri was overwhelmed in more ways than one.
He was really taken aback with the food itself, he was amazed at what we were able to turn out, said Chamberlain.
And to be in some place that was 86 years old . . . to see it and to see all the carvings and just feel the restaurant itself, he said it just absolutely it blew him away.
About 25 patrons were also let into the diner during filming, and a few lucky couples were chosen to be interviewed.
North Vancouvers Terry and Joyce Mulligan, both 78, were one of them.
They filled in Fieri about their romance, which revolved around the Tomahawk.
I had actually asked one of the waitresses to get my wifes phone number and I eventually dated her, said Terry, who worked as one of the restaurants first ever carhops in 1953.
While the Mulligans said they enjoyed being a part of the show, they found Fieris choice of menu items somewhat peculiar.
This was surprising to us. That place was famous for two things its hamburgers, huge hamburgers, and the Yukon breakfast, said Terry.
I think he thought it was a twist to have a place like that serving Yorkshire pudding, cause thats . . . foreign to them, he added.
While in town, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives also visited Save On Meats and The Red Wagon in Vancouver. An airdate for the episode has not been set.
