There’s a good chance breakfast is already underway when you step into East City Coffee Shop. At 55 Hunter Street East, this family-run diner has been part of Peterborough’s morning routine since 1977. The Sina family took it over in 2001, and Alban Sina continues to run it today.

Breakfast is served all day, but there’s plenty of reason to stay for lunch. Order eggs with bacon, ham or sausage, toast and the home fries that regulars talk about long after breakfast. Or make a bigger morning of it with the Dirty Waffle: a waffle covered with home fries, meats, eggs, cheddar and hollandaise. The lunch menu holds its own, with diner staples including a Reuben, club sandwich and peameal melt.

East City Coffee Shop makes a case for the familiar done well: a proper meal, a cup of coffee and a place to sit down in the neighbourhood. Its old Kresge cash register is still in use, so bring cash; credit and debit cards are not accepted.