Village Squire, 1979-09, Page 33SQUIRE'S TABLE.
Plastic table cloths,
unmatched furniture
seem right
at home at Mother's
If you were told that a restaurant used
plastic table cloths, had mix and match
furniture that look like the owner had
raided every country auction in a 50 -mile
radius and had a menu that resembled a
newspaper advertisement for Honest Ed's
discount store you might think it was the
greatest culinary disaster to be sprung
upon the Canadian public in recent years.
But the people behind the Mother's
restaurant chain have made it all somehow
seem right. The usual complaint about
chain operators. that they are about as
interesting as a public washroom in a bus
station doesn't apply here. It seems
impossible that the decor of one restaurant
could be duplicated elsewhere.
There is no doubt the idea of the
restaurants has been successful. There are
now 40 restaurants listed as part of the
chain (including five new entries this year)
all the way from the home base in Hamilton
to Columbus, Ohio to Winnipeg.
One of the newest additions to the chain
is in Stratford. It opened just this spring
but it already seems to be a big hit there as
it is elsewhere, at least in the summer.
When we arrived at Mother's on Ontario
Street about six o'clock it was already full
with a considerable line up. The restaurant
does not take reservations in advance but
compiles a waiting list of those who are
first in line so that waiting is as quick and
effortless as possible. We had to wait about
15-20 minutes before we were ushered to
our seats.
Perhaps the only word for the decor of
the restaurant is eclectic. Besides the mix
and match tables and chairs, the plastic
table cloths and the menus there are tiffany
lamps that seem deliberately chosen so no
two will match, mixtures of old wood and
wallpaper on the walls and in general an
attempt to look like a second hand store.
Yet somehow it all seems to fit.
Mother's offers three basic lines of food:
pizzas, pastas and submarine sandwiches.
We chose to sample the pasta portion of
the menu. The lady chose the lasagna
while the writer took the spaghetti dish
mysteriously called Mushroom Madness.
The dishes are offered in two sizes, a whole
order and a half order. The lady took the
half order while the writer tempted fate
with a full order.
We started off with a trip to the salad
bar. If you wish you can make a whole meal
of the salad at a price that's remarkably
low. We were just looking for something to
keep us going until the main course arrived
and found it hard not to take more than was
needed.
If you're taking the family along and
have small children you're probaby
familiar with the headaches of that period
between when the order is placed and the
food finally arrives. Children just aren't
used to sitting still that long. At Mother's
the problem may be solved easily however
if you're lucky enough to get a table within
sight of the screen showing old silent
movies. We watched a youngster at a
nearby table who didn't seem to care if the
food ever came. Indeed the one problem is
that the kids may not want to take time out
to eat.
The lady's half portion of the lasagna
made her glad she hadn't chosen the whole
portion. With the salad and the hot rolls
already packed away the small portion was
quite sufficient. The menu had promised it
steaming hot and it certainly was. She
enjoyed every bit of it.
By the time he had finished the writer
was wondering if he'd have been better
with the smaller portion too. The menu had
promised a generous serving of delicate
mushrooms with Mother's meatsauce and
the mushrooms were indeed plentiful. Like
many such "meat" sauces, however, the
meat seemed to be an illusive part of the
mixture.
Both diners finished off the meal with
Mother's apple Square, a pastry filled with
apple, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was better
than a good deal of what passes for apple
pie these days. Coffee came in a small
carafe that held two cups.
In all it was a quite pleasant experience
if not particularly relaxing. We were
unfortunate enough to get a table right
near the open kitchen counter and it
sometimes gave the same feeling one gets
living in the flightpath of a jet airport with
waiters hurrying to and fro at great pace.
Probably those in the more recessed parts
of the diningroom had a quieter time.
Service was pleasant if hurried and
impersonal. Prices were terrific in this day
of inflationary restaurant tabs. The whole
bill came to under $10. It's easy to see why
this family style restaurant chain has
become so successful.
L 41.1) K
THE GIFT THAT...
KEEPS ON GIVING
JEWELLERY
KIT FORM - MAKE IT
YOURSELF
CUSTOM MADE - AT LOW
COST
STONES ARE NATURAL
MINERALS IMPORTED
FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD. NO GLASS OR
PLASTIC.
Tiger Eye, Carnelian,
Amethyst Quartz,
Garnet, Moonstone,
Jade, Opal, and lots
more.
Rings, Pendants, Beads,
Necklaces, Belt Buckles,
Bola Ties, Bracelets,
etc.
VISIT...MINI MINERAL
MUSEUM - NO CHARGE.
I.I rC 111S
51 ST. DAVID ST., GODERRICH, ONT. NA 114
524-9972
THE
BOOK
SHOP
13 WELLINGTON STREET N.
J I . MAHYS
(519) ?84-3171
Enjoy the
relaxed
atmosphere
of a friendly
bookstore.
Browse and
talk books.
Excellent assortment
,of children's books.
Canadiana
special orders.
September 1979, Village Squire 31