citypainter.ca

MAY 2009 | Acrylic on Canvas | 5″ x 7″

The Patrician Grill diner is a King St. institution, having served eggs, burgers, fries and meat loaf since 1967. It’s a family run place with no pretensions and the brothers who currently run it have perfected an air of gruff friendliness. Their motto “Eat here, diet at home” pretty much sums up everything else you need to know about the Patrician. I have developed a (literally) unhealthy obsession with their Cheeseburger Deluxe combo.

The interior features vinyl booths, wood panelling, and a long counter with stools. Classic rock plays on a small boombox. Its authentic vibe has led to it being used as a set for TV shows, including “Due South” which used the Patrician as a recurring hangout for characters.

The hanging neon sign is very distinctive and I’ve always liked it. I couldn’t get a decent exterior shot of the overall building, so I decided to just zoom right in on the sign and do a small 5×7 painting. The center of the sign has a light-diffusing plexiglass shield over some neon tubes, which proved to be very difficult to capture. I did my best, though it lacks the vibrancy of the real thing. [map].

Posted May 29th, 2009 at 11:10am