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Nothing tastes quite as good as nostalgia feels — except maybe the curly fries at The Half Moon Drive In on Henderson Highway.
I stopped by the iconic Lockport area restaurant last weekend on my way home from a very hot and smoky camping trip to the Whiteshell. It was Sunday afternoon and, unsurprisingly, the parking lot was full.
The Half Moon is one of those out-of-town dining spots that serves local tourists and lakebound travellers, while also being a destination unto itself. (Justin Samanski-Langille / Free Press files)
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For the uninitiated: The Half Moon is one of those out-of-town dining spots that serves local tourists and lakebound travellers, while also being a destination unto itself.
Opened by brothers Peter and Louie Kosowich in 1938, the original hotdog stand existed as a takeout window in a trio of semi-circle buildings just down the road from its current location. The eatery has since changed hands and undergone extensive renovations to add indoor seating, neon lights and a heavy retro diner vibe.
During the pandemic, The Half Moon has reverted to a takeout window and makeshift drive-thru complete with car-hopping teenagers. These days the menu has more than just hotdogs — although that is their claim to fame; in 1981 the honour of Canada’s Best Hot Dog was bestowed upon the restaurant following a national survey by Today Magazine.
The eatery has undergone extensive renovations over the years to add indoor seating, neon lights and a heavy retro diner vibe. (Justin Samanski-Langille / Free Press files)
I’ve stopped in a few times as an adult, but The Half Moon is and always will be wrapped up in childhood memories of playing arcade games, ordering ice cream at the vintage counter and eating hotdogs at the riverside picnic tables.
One visit in particular sticks out in my mind — although the details are admittedly fuzzy. It was a warm, sunny day and my whole extended family made the scenic drive up Henderson Hwy. for dinner at The Half Moon. Cousins, aunts and uncles piled out of vehicles and descended upon the outdoor tables. My babcia and dziadziu (grandma and grandpa in Polish) were at the centre of the hubbub.
Beyond the outlines of the event, I have a hard time recalling what we were doing there. Big family gatherings aren’t unusual, but it’s rare that we gather anywhere other than someone’s home. I reached out to my “Aunty Archivists” to fill in the gaps.
Turns out it was Father’s Day in 1996 — I would’ve been six, hence the fuzzy memories — and we were there to celebrate my dziadziu, Frank Wasney, with gifts and raisin pie (his favourite).
Six-year-old Free Press writer Eva Wasney, bottom row centre, poses for a photo with cousins and her grandparents Frank and Michaelene Wasney at The Half Moon for Father’s Day in 1996. (Supplied family photo)
Frank was a farmer by day and a Canadian Pacific Railway worker by night. His was a hardworking life and it wasn’t often that the family of six left the homestead in East Saint Paul for a meal — especially during the busy summer months. Every now and then, however, the Wasneys would drive up the road to The Half Moon.
My Aunt Carol remembers the original red and white shake shack and the thrill of getting a pop in a glass bottle that could be returned for a whopping two cents. Cream soda was my Aunt Tricia’s go-to and she recalls how momentous it felt to be eating fries and hotdogs together in the family car.
The visit in 1996 was my dziadziu’s last Father’s Day. He died the following year at the age of 88. For many in my family The Half Moon is frozen in time, not because of the ‘50s decor, but because of the fond memories we’ve hitched to a small town hotdog stand on the banks of the Red River.
And it’s not just my family. Last weekend, while reminiscing over a moon dog and curly fries, there was a small group seated at a nearby picnic table covered in gift bags and wrapping paper. It was a family birthday party. Some places are more than places.
I want to hear from you! What’s your favourite local family restaurant and why?
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