Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant
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Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant is a noted Toronto restaurant and banquet hall. It is located in the MS Jadran a former Adriatic passenger ship now permanently docked at Yonge Street and Queen's Quay on Toronto's historic waterfront. The restaurant is open each day of the year, including all major holidays such as Christmas, Family Day and Yom Kippur.
The restaurant is owned and operated by John Letnik who came to Canada as a refugee from Yugoslavia in 1957. He opened the restaurant aboard the MS Normac in 1970. The Normac had served several years with the Detroit Fire Department and then as a ferry that travelled between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island. In 1975 Letnik bought the larger Jadran from the Yugoslav government. The Jadran was one of three luxury cruise ships built in Split for the Jadranska Linijska Plovidba company. For several years it operated as a luxury cruise ship in the Adriatic and Aegean. Letnik purchased the ship in 1975 for a million dollars, and it became a second location for his restaurant.
In 1981 the Normac was struck by one of the Metro operated ferries and sunk. No one was hurt, but the restaurant was destroyed. This set off a long legal battle between Letnik and the city. Letnik was eventually awarded damages, but reportedly not enough to compensate for the destruction. The Normac was raised and refurbished and served as a floating restaurant in other communities with the Jadran being the sole home of Captain John's since then.
Despite poor reviews by local papers,[1] the restaurant boasts signs that proclaim to eat at Captain John's is to eat "the best seafood in town!" Reviews by patrons are decidedly mixed. The restaurant's clientele is primarily tourists and many bus tours stop at Captain John's.
Seating over 300, it is also popular for large banquets and special events. The restaurant's party room, the noted Dubrovnik room, can hold between 250 to 400 guests. [1] Among the restaurant's design quirks are carpeted washrooms and frequent photos of Captain John with local celebrities such as former Ontario Premier David Peterson and the late "Honest Ed" Mirvish.
When dining at Captain John's, it is not uncommon to receive a free appetizer which is presented to partrons usually with the news that it is "compliments of the Captain." Wait staff are also diligent to ensure each table has piping-hot garlic bread to stave off hunger while waiting for main courses. As well, each guest is free to take an empty wine bottle to commemorate his or her meal. These bottles are sometimes offered to guests by a member of Captain John's wait staff and at other times, a bottle is not offered. However, each guest can usually just take a bottle as they are stored, unsupervised, in one of the ship's hallways.
Among the items offered on the restaurant's menu is a $1.95 kettle of fresh French Onion Soup. The lunch menu includes such specialities as Beef on a Bun and a New York cut sirloin steak cooked to order. [2]
Recently, the restaurant has announced plans to launch an "Admiral's Club." [3] However, it will be at least a couple of more months before the club is launched and eligibility rules established for entrance into the club.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Steven Davey, ABANDON SHIP WATERSIDE HIDEAWAY
- Shephard, Michelle. "Restaurant's Claws for Success, Sinking of His First Restaurant Failed to Dampen Captain John's Ambitions. Toronto Star. Aug 14, 1995. pg. C.3
