Maple Leaf Diner recently unveiled a new spring menu with a Lent-friendly fish sandwich and some fun seasonal drink offers, both with and without alcohol. The MLD spring menu is available for a limited time only, so be sure to plan your visit to our local Canadian outpost before April 20.
The LTO fish sandwich ($14.99) features MLD’s lightly battered crispy fish, which is served with two sauce options. Sauces include the Reel Dill (dill sauce with extra relish for more crunch); and Olive My Fish (a Mediterranean inspired Olive tapenade). Their crispy fish and chips is also a popular item on the regular menu.
Spring drink offers feature a Pine-apple Mimosa ($7.50), made with Champagne, green apple syrup, and pineapple juice with a sugar rim and fresh pineapple garnish. The Irish Tequila Sunrise ($9) is composed of tequ9ila, orange juice, and green apple syrup adorned with a maraschino cherry and a lemon. The Bloody Caeser ($8) features Clamato juice Worchester, vodka, and Tapatio, with a celery salt rim and garnished with a lemon and a skewer of pickles and olives.
Maple Leaf Spring Drinks
Non-alcoholic hot drinks include the festively decorated Muddy Bunny Mocha ($8); a Mocha Latte with whipped cream, Nutella, and a graham cracker rim adorned with an adorable pink peep bunny. The Hot Chick Chocolate ($6) is sure to appeal to the younger members of the family, featuring Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and Hershey’s Syrup, plus a graham cracker rim and topped with a yellow peep chick–edible of course.
There’s no poutine on the LTO spring menu, but I had to order one anyway, especially after learning April 11 is National Poutine Day. Since my first taste of this unfamiliar but scrumptious Canadian dish (a year ago at Maple Leaf Diner), I’ve yet to meet a poutine I don’t like. It’s the perfect side dish, but can easily serve as the main dish when made with chicken or beef.
Maple Leaf Diner takes pride in crafting poutine the authentic Canadian way, using real cheese curds, golden crispy fries and rich, house-made gravy. These poutines are always on the MLD menu.
MLD Celebrates National Poutine Day April 11
CANADIAN CLASSIC: hand-cut French fries topped with cheese curds, smothered in beef gravy; POT ROAST: hand-cut French fries, pot roast, cheese curds, beef gravy;
CHICKEN FRIED STEAK: (featured on Travel Channel’s Food Paradise) hand-cut French fries, cheese curds, chicken-fried steak, smothered in beef gravy and sprinkled with chives; and SOUTHERN POUTINE: hand-cut French fries, cheese curds, smothered in white gravy and topped with chicken-fried chicken breast, and sprinkled with chives.
During our recent lunch visit, my friend KAT and I enjoyed chatting with MLD founder Mike Delaurier. The transplanted restaurateur from Windsor, Ontario in Canada was inspired to open Maple Leaf Diner in 2015 because he missed his favorite Canadian foods. MLD has been very successful at its location in Preston Valley Center in North Dallas. On holidays and weekends they often have lengthy waiting-list crowds.
Maple Leaf Diner: Good Food with a Canadian Twist
Their food is uniformly good, featuring scratch-made diner dishes from fresh ingredients, and with a Canadian twist. They serve breakfast all day, with Canadian dishes like poutine, cheese curds, and real Canadian bacon sprinkled throughout the menu. Delaurier says the diner is planning to host a big 10th anniversary celebration later this year. He’s also been busy scouting locations to expand Maple Leaf Diner “somewhere to the North, maybe Frisco.”
Maple Leaf Diner is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday: and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, including how to join a waiting list during peak hours, visit mldiner.com or call 214-434-1626.
