Degrassi on the Danforth

The Danforth has a long history as Toronto’s Greektown, but not many people also remember it as the backdrop for one of Canada’s most popular teen television shows, Degrassi Junior High. 

It may be hard to recognize now without being surrounded by kids with spiky hair, scrunchies, and the occasional studded jean jacket, but squint closer and you’ll see it — yep, that’s  Centennial College’s Centre for Creative Communications (on Mortimer and Carlaw).

WARNING: The following video may cause severe nostalgia for simpler times when there was no such thing as too much hairspray (at the 0:20 mark, you’ll know what I mean). 

Almost 20 years later, we caught up with Stacie Mistysn (Caitlin), Amanda Stepto (Spike), and Stephen Brogren (Snake), who revealed a few neighbourhood businesses that were one of their favourite hangouts behind the scenes. 

We decided to go one step further and provide you with their own little stories . . .

 

The Court Jester

Although there were originally two Court Jester pubs (one opened in 1989 on Yonge and St. Clair), neighborhood bar patrons should be relieved to know that their 609 Danforth Avenue location is the last one left standing. Co-founded and still run by Steve Siuta and Lawrie Kaplansky in July 1990, it stood out among the large number of Greek restaurants at the time.  Their menus have since been updated to be more health conscious and the food is made by Siuta himself, who works as a cook as well as the manager Kaplansky runs the accounting and bartending.

 

   Pappas Grill

A family-owned business since 1988, Pappas Grill was also the first to have a wood-burning pizza oven in the front of its restaurant (a feature which attracted many Danforth foodies to enter their doors). The current manager, John Klianis, has been working there since 1992; his father was one of the five partners that opened Pappas Grill to bring a chic new style of “California Greek” flavour to the Danforth. The response was overwhelming, quickly making it a popular and trendy hotspot. 

These two examples are just some morsels to offer before you can read the rest on the upcoming On The Danforth website. Keep an eye out, it’s coming soon.