Zet's

Out by Lester B. Pearson International Airport, there's a 24-hour old-school diner. Check out the propeller embedded in the sign. A family of sparrows is nesting in the hollow hub of the propeller.



It's the kind of place that has a Banquet Burger on the menu. Most of the all-day breakfasts consist of variations on steak-and-eggs. Every meal comes served on an enormous oval platter. And their onion rings kick ass.



Across from the parking lot are the Air Canada hangars. You can see planes parked or taxiing around on the ground. Every day at noon a huge line-up of airport employees forms, all waiting for Zetsburgers with fries and gravy.



I have a soft spot for the airport because my mother's father was a pilot for his entire professional career. He was a test pilot in World War II and almost died in a plane crash just a few weeks before my mother was born. He went on to become a pilot of private jets, and then an airplane salesman. He has more than a few exciting adventure stories to tell.



You can also see planes taking off, depending on which runway is in use that day. If you look up above the gap between the two E's in BEER you'll see a plane that just left the ground.



When summer finally arrives, we'll go for dinner, then park in the strip mall just down the street, at the end of one of the major runways. If the prevailing winds dictate that it's in use, the planes will land or take off just a few meters away. People set up lawn chairs, bring their kids, and make an evening of it. As the jet engines thunder past, just a few stories above our heads, we all ooh and ahh. Dusk sinks to darkness and the airport lights twinkle on. The vast spread of airport concrete transforms into a magical fairyland.

If you're ever passing through Toronto, don't miss it.