For many decades the White House restaurant has been a mainstay of River Heights take out and delivery on Grant Avenue. Their byline is World Famous Ribs and Chicken and they have fans who have eaten their food for 60 years.
There are only a select few restaurants in River Heights proper and the ones that are there often last a very long time. This is why the closed sign and removal of signs from their 1535 Grant location is a bit of a shock. The owners have said they are on the move for only the third time in their history. They have shared a building with the Grant Dental Clinic for years now.
The first incarnation of the White House was on Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg in the 1940s and 50s. It was the place to hang out to be secreted away in craps and card games. This was a time when men still wore suits and a felt hat.
The move to River Heights coincided with a lot of their customer becoming prosperous and moving south of the Assiniboine. For many in the Jewish community, it was a point of pride to move into the south which still had rules in place for keeping certain people out based on racism.
In the recent year there has been something of a rejuvenation of Charleswood restaurants. The area has seen the arrival Boulevard taking over and expanding the old White Tower restaurant site and Capitol taking over the old Asahi and before that KFC site. Pappas restaurant inside the old Toronto Dominion bank remains a the decades long veteran.
It looks like Pappas will have a neighbour a few doors down with White Restaurant moving into one of three spots that Vi’s Interiors occupies. Many years past it was a hair salon. The address is 3312 Roblin Boulevard.
The White House website mentioned a June opening but it looks like it will be July. Welcome to Charleswood! I’m sure they deliver to River Heights.
This has been a guest editorial by John Dobbin.
To read more from John, visit his blog Observations, Reservations, Conversations
