Danish Canadian Club

I’ve been going here since I was a child, since you guessed it, I come from a long lineage of tall, blonde haired northern folk. I’m second generation Canadian, while my elders still manage to speak a great amount of Danish to each other.
The food is decent. Open faced sandwiches, cheeses, meats and pickled cabbage are what you’ll mainly find. I think they’ve had the same staff for 20+ years which makes this place feels somewhat similar to the old set of Cheers, just a lot taller and blonder.
Drink Akvavit.
Also, the Saturday brunch is simply amazing. $ 5 mimosas, cheeses, omelettes, and my personal favourite, endless ebelskivers with cherry toppings and whipped cream. My god.

The Danes are good at three things: producing good looking people, designing things, and making pastries.
When you first walk into the Mermaid Inn Restaurant, you’ll see a bunch of well-​aged, probably-​were-​very-​good-​looking-​when-​they-​were-​young, old Danes drinking and laughing. You’ll also notice the décor… well, it doesn’t reflect the Danish reputation. However, they make great pastries. I developed a craving for their marzipan tarts that I haven’t been able to satisfy since the last time I had them.
I’m not Danish Canadian. Not even one bit. I’m 100% Chinese. Oddly, I’ve been to the DCC four or five times. You don’t need to be a member to eat at their restaurant. Peter A. is right, you can’t expect a lot of real Danish food on their menu. Their open faced sandwiches are good, their pastry tray is super good, and their gravy and meats are super comfort-​food good. I’m not expert of Danish cuisine, but it seems to be a little too «Canadian» and not enough Danish. I think a re-​vamping of their menu would do great things for them.
My most recent experience at the DCC was at a Christmas party last week. It was hosted at the large banquet hall upstairs, and comfortably sat 300 people with a dance floor. I finally met Peter the owner — he was as jolly as I expected. Apparently they sold too many tickets, so the catering wasn’t up to Peter’s standards, but from what I had, it was very good. I especially enjoyed the cheese tray and the garilcy potatoes. My only disappointment was that it wasn’t very Danish. They served pickled herring but I was looking for the opportunity to gobble up a few of those delicious marzipan tarts. No tarts were found. (Sad panda.)

Who’s Danish Canadian? This guy, right here!
I’m not going to go into a long examination of what Danish food is, because really, you won’t get a feel for it by visiting the DCC. It’s mainly fusion/​comfort food, an amalgamation of gravy and meat. I do hear they do a nice Smørrebød, but I’ve never had it here.
What you will find is a bunch of old Danes drinking in what may be the most comfortable and friendly bar in the city. Expect to be treated graciously, drink good Danish beer at reasonable prices, but don’t stick around for the food.
Also, the typical Danish pastry that you get here has nothing in common with actual Danish pastry which is one of the few reasons one can justify believing in the Norse gods.

I love this place!
You may be thinking … «Do I know anyone who is actually Danish Canadian?»
I don’t lol.
You may be thinking … «What is Danish food like?»
I still don’t know and I’ve been here twice haha.
You may also be thinking … «Will I be unwelcome at this place if I’m not Danish?»
No way man.
For dinner, there are also no danishes available. Or mermaids. I don’t even think eating mermaids is legit, yo.
I helped organize two graduation dinners here for two consecutive graduating classes. The same waitress handled us both times (and she remembered us!) — she was very adept and extremely warm and friendly. The food was great too — at the time, my standards as an undergraduate were probably not as high as they are today — but even the professors had a great time! I especially recommend their baby shrimp salad — the baby shrimp is so savoury and the sauce gives it that little kick that makes you want to say: «I am so glad Danish people live by the ocean.» Even though I wouldn’t be surprised if this club were run by non-​Danish people.
There was ample food, and the venue itself is large and all set up in advance. I believe the fee was pretty reasonable (it worked out to about $ 20 – 30 per person, for our group of 40) and the menu is handled in consultation with the club. They can also set up a projector system for you.
Finally, the Danish decorations around the club give it that special feel — like it’s cosy, not like a hoity-​toity «Hallo, my name is Earl MacNeil, and yours, young sir?» kind of exclusivity. And it’s educational, because I still remember that apparently all of Denmark’s kings were named Frederik and Christian, Frederik and Christian, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Thanks DCC for the great experiences!

Saturday morning brunch in this place means custom-​crafted omelets, an assortment of pastries, cold cuts, pâté, blue cheese, fruit, hash browns, and the crunchiest, leanest strip bacon I’ve ever had. Always a good idea to phone ahead for reservations, and try to get in at 10:30AM when they open, because it can get very busy closer to noon. A terrific place to bring young children, they are very family-​friendly and there’s a small play area for the little ones. The staff will dote on you.