A memorable evening at the Neptune Diner

Dinner is served
London, ON
March 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Once upon a time, we stopped what we were doing and shot artistic photos of our food.

It’s safe to say Instagram became a cultural force thanks to influencers who turned their restaurant tables into mini-studios, often to the detriment of the poor folks who shared their tables.

I don’t think resto-table-photography is as much of a thing anymore, as the really cool social media influencers have moved onto TikTok, and they’re more into dancing on rooftops and beating each other up with pool noodles in the never-ending quest to go viral. Kids these days.

But I had a resto-table-moment the other night, and suddenly I was back on Instagram seeking years-old glory through a lens.

The place was the Neptune Diner, a delightful recent addition to London’s trendy downtown Richmond Row. For years, this building housed Prince Albert’s Diner, and while the new place has nothing to do with the old, a steady trickle of customers still asked about it as they took their first sip of a 50s-style milkshake across the formica counter.

The space was filled with lovely people, great food, and a checkerboard floor underpinning brushed steel and period-perfect vinyl. Just across from us, a customer wearing a green Power Rangers suit finished his meal, amiably chatted with the just-as-amiable server, tucked his wallet into his superhero fanny pack, and went on his way. It was impossible to sit beside the teal-tinted wall and not smile.

So when the food arrived, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to remember the moment with a photo. On the one hand it was a perfectly laid out plate of edible nostalgia. On the other hand, it was a placeholder for a moment I didn’t want to end.

This is why local matters. This is why communities thrive when places like this take root. This is what we lose if we don’t support them.

Next time, we’ll go for milkshakes, too. Photos will, of course, be taken.

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