All memorable restaurants have a story and at the heart of Edmund's Pastime — Lansing's newest restaurant — is family patriarch and former prizefighter, Edmund, who, with his wife, ran a little place in Pittsburgh that was a pool hall, union hall, diner and pub all rolled into one.

"It was a true neighborhood gem," said Edmund's executive chef Jason Keusch.

With Edmund's, Keusch and others are trying to recapture the atmosphere created by that little place in Pittsburgh. The new restaurant, located in the building that formerly housed Troppo, can't be pigeon-holed as a diner, sports bar, speakeasy, family restaurant or greasy spoon, Keusch said.

"Edmund's is all of the above," he said.

Developers spent months renovating the space and coming up with a theme for the newest restaurant owned by Urban Feast, a Lansing-based group that also owns Troppo and Tavern on the Square in Lansing and the Post Bar in East Lansing.

Edmund's Pastime 101 S. Washington Square Lansing (517) 371-8700

Edmund's aims for a social club appeal with seating for large groups, a pool table, trivia games board games and 15 big screen televisions, Keusch said.

With a nod to Edmund's fighting days, the menu includes headings such as the Weigh-In, Round One, The Knock Out and Hands Up. Sandwiches and burgers include the foot-long hotdog topped with classic chili or Edmund's white chili and scallions ($6.95.) Other sandwiches include burgers ($7.95), pulled barbeque pork ($7.95), and a classic Reuben ($8.50). Entrees include 612 Sirloin Hash ($8.95), fried perch ($8.95), and a wet burrito ($8.95). Breakfast, available anytime, offers corned beef hash($8.95), buttermilk pancakes($6.95), omelets and a foot-long scramble ($8.95) which is a foot-long hotdog with two eggs, Edmunds or white chili, scallions, cheddar cheese and toast.

"The beautiful thing about it is that we wrote the menu with all of our kitchen managers," he said. "As we wrote it, we kind of went ‘Man, this is what I want to eat.' There's no pretension, no production just good, hot food right."

While Edmund's will boast a diner-like atmosphere "you won't find any chrome in there, whatsoever," Keusch said. The walls are painted a dark gray green to accentuate the reclaimed original marble floors which were part of the bank that was built there in 1906.

"We have old school red Naugahyde booths that fit lots of people," he said. "It's just made to be easy and casual."

Photo: Courtney Baker