his one could be messy.

It is a little short of astounding that something this blue-collar still exists at Yonge and College. Considering the mood of the local population due to world events, it's not surprising that people want to be reminded of happier times. A surefire way to achieve this is to wrap ourselves in a security blanket of comfort food: burgers, lasagna, club, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese.

You would think you could try this at our one remaining Fran’s location, where, for the past six decades, has been serving up such greasy-spoon fare. But nope, you won’t find any satisfaction here. I suggest bringing your own coffee to this restaurant. You will need every drop as you wait for what feels like forever. Hopefully by that point you will also be caffeined enough to not realize that the food, at least the pasta I had, tasted like a frozen dinner from a box. Other menu items at Fran's - all day breakfast, Meat lasagna, steak and fries, meat loaf - can be hit or miss.

However, the staff is jovial enough, especially considering their shift work schedule. “I’ll help with that,” our waitress says on my last visit, freshly returning to the table with a knife and fork. “Cause, this one could be messy.” And so, as thoughtful mothers do for their two-year olds, she scoops out my little pie onto my plate and then disappears with the cutlery before anyone can hurt themselves.