Village Squire, 1976-10, Page 31SQUIRE'S TABLE
Here's a place that really has potential
Ever since new owners Mervyn and Joan
Jones took over the old inn at the crossroads
in Walton in April there's been an interesting
change. They changed the name of the
establishment from the Crossroads Restaur-
ant to the Walton Inn and immediately
changed the image of the business too.
We visited the Walton inn recently and
perhaps were unfair in coming only a few
short months after the change has begun but
what we found bodes well for the future.
The century old Inn has a simple
post -pioneer era look to it that with a little
cultivation could make a very charming place
in the future. Even now, with the new signs
the owners have given it, it's taken on a whole
new appearance. We arrived on a mid -week
evening and found the diningroom closed,
much to our disappointment but decided to
eat in the snack bar portion of the Inn
anyway. The decor here as yet is not
glamorous with a few remainders of the past
(the tin plated ceiling) mixed in with some
modern materials (panelling). The room is
still much, one suspects like the days of the
old Crossroads. It's also the kind of mixed
bag place you'd expect to find in the only
restaurant in a little village. Farmers stroll in
for cigarettes, neighbours come in for takeout
orders, and husbands "batching it" come in
for supper. The pace is relaxed and your
order is apt to be taken by simply leaning over
the counter and asking you what you'd like.
When. the food arrives, however, the
indications are that The Walton Inn could
really be a find once things get fully
organized. Mrs. Jones has 16 years
experience in the business in Kitchen and it
shows. The lady chose a seafood platter and
the man the pork chop plate. The seafood was
the kind of batter covered fish that one often
gets in local restaurants but the lady found it
superior to most other restaurants. The pork
chops were lightly breaded and looked
scrumptious. Some people however, might
have found them a little greasy since the
breading tends to hold in the fat.
Both meals were accompanied by french
tries, some of the best vJe've ,tasted in a long
time. There were green beans which were not
fresh, but were handled better than many of
the other restaurants we'd visited recently.
There was a small coleslaw salad and the bun,
though served cold, was fresh and very
sweet.
The topper of the whole evening, however,
was the dessert. There were two kinds of pie
on the menu that evening, rather a limited
selection perhaps compared to some places
but what was lost in quantity was made up in
quality. The lady had the pumpkin pie with
whipped cream (oh the calories) and the man
the dutch apple pie.
It was immediately apparent that this was
no mass-produced bakery product. J ust
looking at it was enough to make one drool.
And taste was as good as appearance. The
crust was flakey, and the filling tastey. Apple
pie is the supreme test of a country
restaurant. While most restaurants have
succumbed to the handiness of canned apple
pie filling, the Walton Inn uses the real thing
and that alone is worth dropping in for. The
pumpkin pie was spicy and topped with good
whipped cream, not the phoney toppings.
It was then, an encouraging introduction to
the Walton Inn. A visit duringthour when the
diningroom is open would likely be a treat for
those who like good country food and
atmosphere. (The Jones inform us that the
diningroom is open most evenings and on
weekends the Inn is closed Mondays).
Hopefully the country inn atmosphere will be
continued and enhanced in the coming
months. The Jones should be encouraged for
their efforts. It's so good to see one of the old
inns that isn't falling down or turned into a
barn or an apartment house. We'll check back
in again in a few months and see how things
are progressing. In the meantime, good luck
to them.
DESIGN CONSULTANT
INTERIOR DECORATING
.ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING
SPACE PLANNING
COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL
SEAFORTH
527-0052
KITCHENER
576-9145
VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1976, 29