Eddy’s still the place to be on Selkirk

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This article was published 04/05/2011 (5279 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been nearly 20 years since Eddy Kora­nicki died, but his legacy isn’t likely to be forgotten any time soon by patrons of a landmark Selkirk Avenue eatery.

Koranicki, who died of cancer in 1992, was the original owner of Eddy’s Place, the North End restaurant that still bears his name to this day.

Eddy bought the business in 1955 and his wife Marie continued to operate it until after his death.

Koranicki was so beloved that more 1,000 mourners attended his funeral, including 23 honourary pallbearers.

Despite several changes in ownership in the past several years, Eddy’s Place continues to attract loyal clientele from the surrounding community and across the city.

It’s list of regulars includes former Canadian curling champion Barry Fry, musician Al Miller and noted music producer/playwright Danny Schur.

Schur discovered Eddy’s more than 15 years ago while he was working at the Sunshine Records recording studio. Despite the fact that he lives in the Riverview area, he continues to make regular pilgrimages for Eddy’s “killer” corned beef on rye sandwich with homemade mustard.

“You walk through the doors and it’s really another time and place. It is not just a place to eat but part of Winnipeg’s social life and scene,” he said.

Just how important Eddy’s Place is to the local landscape is evidenced by its current ownership.

Tom Humniski and his partner Cheryl Riediger purchased the restaurant in 2010. Humniski, who grew up on nearby Manitoba Avenue, enjoyed hanging out at Eddy’s so much as a kid, that he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to buy it as an adult.

“It was a great fit for us,” he says, recalling the early days when the front portion of the building was a barber shop.

“Eddy would be cutting hair and playing pool — often at the same time,” Humniski said during a bustling lunch rush. “Some of those guys from back then are still here.”

Eddy’s current owners have brought back many of the traditional menu items that the eatery became famous for since they took it over. They even brought back Marie Koranicki’s sister Annette as cook.

As good as the food is, Riediger ac­know­ledges that it’s not the only reason the restaurant has become a social hub.

“People really come back because of the camaraderie,” she says.

Still, Eddy’s isn’t necessarily a place for the feint of heart. The language can sometimes be as salty as a plate of fries and the competition at the pool tables is as strong as the coffee.

Chances are if you are a regular you are on a first name basis with the likes of Bubba, Boom-Boom, Sonny, Lockport Freddie, Fritzi, Doc and Flash.

“The people here are everyday characters who are all great friends,” says Fry, adding the competition on Eddy’s billiards tables is second to none.

“It is the best pool in the city. These guys here are unbelievable.”

They are also unbelievably protective of their favourite eatery, which might explain why it’s rarely been a target of vandalism despite its location in the sometimes troubled neighbourhood.

“Bad guys leave this place alone. No bottles are thrown through the windows, none of that stuff. Even the hookers skip the corner of McKenzie and Selkirk,” says one longtime patron while he takes a drag from a cigarette outside Eddy’s.

Eddy’s Place is located at 669 Selkirk Ave.

rob.brown@canstarnews.com