It’s happened to all of us before.  You’re out driving somewhere and the kids are almost as hungry and cranky as you are, so you make a restaurant choice that you instantly regret but you can’t stomach the idea of leaving and trying to find somewhere else to eat.  We knew the moment we walked through the door it was going to be one of those but we both recognized a photo opportunity and decided to let the lunch play itself out. We’d gone for a drive looking for yard sales through Brighton, Colborne and while in Campbellford we decided to stop for a bite.  I know that the place we went to was not typical of the quality of food found in this lovely town situated on the Trent.  It was just our bad luck.

The dark green carpet was a 1980s vintage that called to mind its colour compliment, the ubiquitous ‘dusty rose’ that would have been slapped on the walls if they weren’t already covered with a combination of orange-stained knotty pine and 1960s-Canadian-basement-den fake wood panelling that only Wayne from Wayne’s World would appreciate (shwingggg!!!!).  The carpet had tracks on it leading from the tables to the washrooms to the kitchen and we were greeted by an unfriendly woman with tall hair and too much makeup for her age.  The restaurant was empty but we could see through to the back where there was a patio full of people enjoying the beautiful riverside view of the Trent Severn Waterway.  Too bad the patio was full, but it was a beautiful day and we assumed that those people walked blindfolded through the restaurant to get there so they could enjoy the warmth of the sun on this early spring day.

Everything came with French Fries or Hash Browns, and there were no side-salad options.  The saving grace?  We each enjoyed the local brew – Church Key, a pint that was refreshing and would have tasted even better had we been on the patio.  It’s brewed in an old 19th century Methodist church on the outskirts of Campbellford.  We’ll return for the brew, but we’ll go somewhere else to drink it.