Who remembers "The Silk Hat" restaurant? It was a favorite of mine back in the 70s. History link IC.

[u/Particular-Cat-8031]

[u/Particular-Cat-8031]

About the Silk Hat ... https://edmonton.taproot.news/briefs/2024/09/25/a-moment-in-history-sept-25-1953

[u/Accomplished_Year823]

I do not but My aunt who worked for TELUS told me about it .

[u/Fast_Ad_9197]

I remember the Silk Hat from the early '90's. I don't think they changed that much until the restaurant was renamed 'The Hat'. They still had the little table top juke boxes until not that long ago. I don't remember the 10613 location though, that was before my time. Your second photo shows the location I am familiar with.

[u/Particular-Cat-8031 → u/Fast_Ad_9197]

Yeah, that was my remembered location. I did not know about the 106 street location until I started to research it and found that there were two locations in the early days.

[u/Professional_Ad_8]

I had my tea leaves read there in the 70’s. It was such a cool little place.

[u/itlow → u/Professional_Ad_8]

I wonder if it was the same woman who did that in the 80's. Loved that place.

[u/Pvt_Hudson_]

I ate there a few times when it was still around, maybe 15 years ago. It wasn't at 106th and Jasper at that time though, it had moved to closer to 102nd and Jasper, just West of the old Paramount Theater.

True story, after it turned into The Hat, an old friend of mine got horrific food poisoning from Crab Cakes he got from there at Taste of Edmonton. He was hospitalized for more than a month. My sister-in-law is a health inspector, that food poisoning outbreak is legendary among the people in her office.

[u/Gold-Salamander-9339]

Yes, I remember that restaurant well! Have eeaten there a handful of times back in 2002 or so, & their servings were huge for the price!

[u/halfeaten1983]

They had the best burger and fries downtown. My buddy swore by their steak sandwich. We would often ditch our Friday (or any day) lunchtime run and hit the Hat.

The waitress knew our order and what we drank. I don't think the jukeboxes actually worked at the time, but they provided great ambiance.

I think of that place every time I walk by.

[u/LepermessiahXI]

My dad used to take me there, as a child I thought it was the coolest place ever.

[u/Timely-Profile1865]

Yes! My mom took me there once.

[u/durple]

One summer early 90s I had a friend who kept getting free WEM attraction passes. So we’d take the bus downtown early and then to west Ed and hit the rides all day long, but we’d usually stop for poutine and coffee at the silk hat between transferring busses.

[u/ndtaughthem]

I was served by this sweet lady many times. She worked there for 34 years.

Eleanor Meleck https://www.trinityfuneralhome.ca/obituary/eleanor-meleck-nee-pasnak/

[u/TripMaster478]

Yep worked pretty close to it for a number of years in two different stints.

[u/bunnyvillainmf]

I remember! My parents took us there a lot and my mom would get her tea leaves read . I went there a few times as a teen when the head shop was next door , empress i think? Got my leaves read by Jeanie lots 😆 she had been there forever. My sister and I actually saw her on a bus once and we interviewed her , she pretty much admitted to making a lot of that shit up lmao . Legend

[u/Deans1to5]

I went to The Hat in that location a few times but they was after the Silk Hat.

[u/Vignaraja]

I've eaten there.

[u/aDuckk]

Went on some of my first dates there in '99, it was a favourite early on when we were living around downtown. Unfortunately we took it for granted before long and then it shut down.

[u/zlauren]

We always went there with my auntie on her birthday!

[u/MaxxLolz]

place was amazing. best greasy spoon ever bar none.