Pulling together at Dinette Atomique

Trina Cooper-Bolam

At the corner of Somerset East and Blackburn, formerly the home of Reggae Rooster, the Sandy Hill Lounge and Grill, and Drumlin’s Pub, chefs/owners Vu Duong and Jeffrey Cassidy are concocting something truly special for us: a community-oriented café/bistro with a social mission.

By the time you are reading this, fingers crossed, Dinette Atomique will be open. “Dinette” is shorthand for small-scale French diner, which conveys a sense of the feel if not the cuisine. A bit of French yes, especially in the pastry, but essentially more North American with a dash of Vietnamese. “Atomique” is a bit more challenging. It conjures retro space-age dining. But that’s not it. “Atomique” as it happens, is connected to “Atomic Servant,” a concept, spirit, and project at the core of the enterprise. But first, food.

Readers, I‘ve seen the menu. You will be very pleased with what’s in store. Vu is a pastry chef (and chef in general) who wakes at the crack of dawn to make breakfast goodies from scratch, which co-owner Jeff will pair with cappuccino or some such so that you can fuel up from 7 am. Take out or eat in, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all on the menu. Dinners are served family style and, wait for it—there’s weekend ROAST with devilled eggs, jam and biscuits, horseradish, crispy potatoes, popovers, gravy, and greens. Serving the whole community, a range of price options are available whether for light bites or big plates. Alcohol (beer and wine) will be served, but Dinette Atomique is by no means a bar. Apologies in advance to seekers of margarita pitchers and sex on the beach shooters who will be disappointed.

Moving along, let’s return to the “atomic-ness” of the Dinette. Truth be told, the diner itself is not very space-age. I know this because I’m working on its design and décor. It is a little 1940s-ish, a little retro. When I came onboard, I interrogated Vu and Jeffrey in an attempt to understand their concept of both the diner and its social mission, coming up with an “Imagine statement” in the process. Here goes:

Imagine it’s the 1940s:

We’ve pulled together; we’ve rationed; we’ve survived the war. We’re scared as hell of atomic power, as well we should be, but we’re cautiously optimistic too.

Then, as now, the world is full of possibility amid lingering and emerging threats.

Between terror and optimism comes “Atomic Servant,” a project with a social mission in the wartime spirit of pulling together, but with drag bingo and other pop-up events.

It’s the ethic of pulling together (less the terror) that really informs the spirit of the place. In the end, Dinette Atomique is a retro-ish café/bistro that will hopefully become a hub for community events to lift the whole community. For Vu and Jeffrey, formerly from Corner Peach and Chez Lucien respectively, it’s a place of culinary and event-based experimentation and community building. Let’s help them out. Come by for a coffee, ice-cream, or a Bành Mi Muffaletta (sandwich). No robot butlers or drag queens will bite you. Everyone is welcome.