The 411 – The Old Port has, over the years, brought the city a resurgence in good food. Historically known as a tourist trap, it has shaped its own identity among locals who have moved into the area drawn by new restaurants. When one looks back a couple years ago, one would not see that many fine dining spots but now things have changed for the better. There are finally new, hip and unique spots opening up and they offer food you will enjoy. So, when my friend told me that a new place opened up nearby, I was excited.

At 1st glance

When you walk up to Communion, the building exterior kind of mixes with the architecture and by that, I mean, it’s nice but nothing really sticks out. However, when you walk in that’s where you see the amazing décor. They did a great job inside. They seem to marry new accents while still keeping an old charm. There is a large bar in front with seating to the left and right. The right hand wall has these little black high gloss tiles and cool paintings. The capacity in the front room is limited although, there is a very large back room where you can have private events. They suggest reserving here and it has generally been full when I have passed by so maybe you should call ahead to be safe. But, I bet you that if its only 2 people you will find a table. I should note that the washroom is gender neutral and to be honest the concept does not work here. The stalls inside the washroom are not closed off enough to hide sounds, and feet (because you know I will be taking notes and judging you, that’s right I said it…). I rarely offer suggestions on layout ideas but the washroom is not well done. I would rather have 2 fully private washrooms and have them be wheelchair accessible. That and the entrance needs a proper vestibule. When you open the door you get cold. Because the cold winter air whips in the room, it is actually rather distracting and un-pleasant.

Food

The menu is broken down into two sections. One section is for the 2 person items, which is an option from 3 choices that are all encompassing; they have loads of dishes and options and are rather plentiful so you definitely need to share them with another. The second option is to order from the individual item menu. I should note that there is a special rule that you need to be aware of when you come. If you are 4 people or more you must order from the 2-person menu ($16-$19 per person), you cannot order an individual menu item unless you add it to the 2 person item. This is part of the restaurant’s concept and I was told it is like that because the kitchen is too small to do a service to all the people at the table if they don’t choose the larger menu. I know some people will have issues with this since their choices decrease when they are 4 or more people, so keep this in mind if this bothers you.

Having been here twice I can offer a review of one of the two person menus and the single items. To be clear about the 2 person menus, you must be 2 people to order it or be incredibly hungry and willing to pay for 2 or you are forced into choosing it if you are 4 people or more. There are 3 options ranging from $16-$19 per person and all 3 items basically cover all the single order items and it really fills up the table. All 3 options come served with fresh squeezed orange juice, fair trade bio coffee, a bread selection with homemade jam and a fruit salad. The 3 items are as follows:

The Classique ($18) which is pancakes, baked beans with pork, maple braised ham, scrambled eggs with chives and potatoes. The Santé ($16) which is almond milk oatmeal, nut bread pudding, homemade granola, yogourt, and buckwheat crêpes. Lastly is the Cosmopolitain ($19) which is an egg in window, gravlax salmon, cheese, green salad, blood sausage and grilled tomato.

From the sharing menu we chose the Santé ($16) which was an incredibly generous health inspired dish. Items like almond milk, nut bread, granola, and pancakes are rather carbohydrate intensive. The pancakes are buckwheat which is gluten friendly and a nice touch. The fruit bowl is large and tasty and the almond milk oatmeal is the hearty tasty option. The almond milk is a nice alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. I should also note that oatmeal can is not gluten free although some celiacs can handle it if made with certain oats. I did not get a confirmation from them that this item is, so if you are gluten intolerant please ask. The bread pudding had to be one of the best items I tried. It had an amazing understated sweetness and every bite was greater than the previous. I should note that we had a side order of bacon ($4.50) which was actually wild boar bacon, a bacon variety I have never tried before and was quite excited to eat. I was so happy to have tried it since the taste was incredible and the thickness of the cut was refreshing considering you often get these tiny little strips at other places. In all honesty this serving was so large that we could not finish it all.

On the second occasion, I was able to order from the individual menu. I ordered the eggs quasi Benedict ($16) which is a poached egg on fried bread, salmon gravlax, sauteed mushrooms and a side of fruit salad or green salad topped with holondaise sauce. We opted for the fruit salad. The bread used was different from the usual English muffin and the mushrooms were quite pronounced and delicious in this dish. The fruit cup on the side was a mediocre size and coffee was extra at $2.50. I would have liked a little extra on this dish maybe a side of potatoes would have filled up some empty space on the dish. Although, I don’t want this to take away the tastyness of the dish itself which was excellently prepared and each bite was an absolute pleasure.

Lastly came the Montechristo sandwich ($14) which can be described as a homemade brioche, smoked ham, thyme infused béchamel, cheddar & gruyère cheese, pan seared with fruit salad or green salad. My friend doesn’t eat pork so we requested to drop it. In hindsight, we should not have since it changed the taste. We ended up with a kind of deep fried grilled cheese. The thyme infused béchamel and two cheese were very tasty, but if only they would have been able to substitute the ham with something else. The dish seemed incomplete without the ham, and a backup plan for subbing the meat would be nice to see for next time. I did like the way that the bread is kind of friend/pan seared which makes it very tasty and ,although a little oily, you learn that a fork and knife are better to use. Coffee was also not included in this but you do get free refills.

Service

Both times we went the service has been good. The staff is polite prompt and friendly. I do have an issue with the policy of being forced to order the sharing menu If you are 4 or more, but I will elaborate this in the wrap up.

Vegetarian

Most dishes don’t really have meat. The healthy sharing item also has gluten free items which is refreshing to see. I was disappointed that they only dropped the ham in the Montechristo and did not sub it with something else. I am aware that a Montechristo has ham in it but other recipes can call for turkey and or chicken, so substitutions should be available.

Wrap up

I am torn on Communion. On one end, I absolutely loved the food on the sharing menu; our health dish was tasty, a joy to look at and an even greater joy to eat. The quasi eggs Benedict was great and the mushrooms stood out with the salmon to provide a unique spin on a classic. On the down side, the prices can be high on the single items, I mean, our Montechristo was $14 and if you want coffee you need to add $2.50. The price tag on the quasi Benedict with coffee is $18.50. The sharing menu items are not cheap either ranging anywhere between $16-$19 but WOW! you do get a great offering. It is tasty and plentiful so if you are hungry and can convince someone else to share it with you then this item is a deal especially with an extra bread and coffee included.

Given a choice between the quasi Benedict with coffee and a sharing menu item, it’s a no brainer – go for the sharing item since you get more food and a better value as well as more choice. However, I still feel that being forced to order from the sharing menu seems wrong and although I know I will get heat for this, I hate having choices removed, even if they have a small kitchen and it’s the concept. Why should a group of 3 have more choice than a group of 4. If you are more people, you bring in business. Often when I go to places with large groups we get special custom stuff, they seem to do the opposite here. If they would drop this they could be one of my top 10 spots because the food was so good. As always I leave the choice up to you. Try it out and let us know what you think.

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Price	$$$	$15
Overall		4/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Medium
BUS	55,361,363,715	Get Directions
Metro	Places D’armes	8 minutes

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Le vieux Vélo

The 411

Le vieux Vélo, has been on my list of spots for a while and there has been talk about it on various sites and forums. The reviews have always seemed positive. It is situated in the meeting point of little Italy and Rosemont/Petite Patrie (well technically it’s in Petite Patrie), which are two spots with a need for more quality brunch places. To date, everything I had heard had mentioned good eggs Benedict. As you may know, that is my favourite dish. I will often try other dishes and try to get as many different ones as possible but I keep coming back to eggs Benedict so when people tell me I need to check out the eggs Benedict at a new brunch locale, I get curious and hungry.

At 1st glance

Vieux vélo is a bit of a throwback to the 80’s or at least how I remember my days in school (yeah I know, I’m dating myself). There’s something about those wooden chairs on metal frames with the yellow paint, the simple tables, the old school cups not to mention the menu being on ruled paper with typewriter font. Yes, when I was young there was no Internet, but we did have computers. The old school motif of this place is comfortable and on a sunny day it fills up with sunlight. The capacity is not a lot but you can still get a seat without waiting long which, in an area with not too many brunch spots, is a good thing.

Food

With a breakfast / brunch option even on weekdays, you have a place where you can have a morning dish in the area that is not a greasy spoon. Also, they even have a lunch menu which has some salads, soups and sandwiches so you can get a vegan option in one dish, maybe two. The menu is a two page deal with a little under 20 options, some of which are lunch options. Prices are on average under $10 although, coffee is not included and will run you $1.50 but does come with free refills. The eggs Benedict section is quite prominent on the menu, so you can’t help but be tempted to try some. The menu breakdown is as follows:

• 3 Egg dishes: $5.00-$9.50
• 5 Eggs Benedict: $8.50-$9.50
• 1 French toast: $8.50
• 1 Bagel lox: $7.00
• 1 Fruit cup: $7.00
• 6 Sides: $2.50
• 2 Salads:
• 4 Sandwiches (with choice of soup or salad): $8.50-$9.50
• 1 soup: $4.00-$5.50
• 1 vegetarian chili: $8.50

We both went with the eggs Benedict. Not only was it the most represented item on the menu it also had some interesting concoctions like the B.A.B ($9.50) with avocado, brioche and a lemony hollandaise sauce and the vegepesto ($9.00) with grilled vegetables, cheddar and a pesto hollandaise sauce.

I started with the B.A.B. ($9.50) which is two poached eggs, brie, avocado, bacon strips, and a lemony hollandaise sauce. The dish came with a side of potatoes and some sliced mini tomatoes. The lemony hollandaise sauce was a tad lighter and refreshing than some thicker ones I have had and the amount was perfect in that the plate did not drown in it. The brie and avocado mix complimented each other nicely. The bacon did not really add much to the dish and could have been subbed with something else but ,to be honest, it did not take away from the dish either. I did feel that the sides were skimpy since there only a couple potatoes and the tomatoes added very little. I would rather have seen some fruit instead.

My friend had the Atlantique ($9.50) which is two poached eggs, smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onions, capers and their special lemony hollandaise sauce. This dish was very tasty and after having many mediocre eggs Benedict at other places, it was a refreshing experience to have a quality eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce once again delivered as it did in my selection. The smoked salmon was bursting in taste and the cream cheese was a nice touch that did not overpower the dish.

Service

Service was OK. The staff did take our order promptly and they explained a dish for us but the coffee refills took forever and by that, I mean,I had to ask for it after waiting a while for the miracle of the coffee refill. Even after I got the first refill, they did not come by often to refill it again. I drink lots of coffee at brunch and hate it when I have to chase people down for refills.

Vegetarian

The menu, has many vegetarian friendly options, with most dishes defaulted without meat, as for gluten intolerance, or vegans your best bet would be one of the 2 salads which are $7, although if vegan make sure they hold the cheese on one of them.

Wrap up

The eggs benedict were excellent! The price point of $8.50-$9.50 is quite good even though you need to add an extra $1.50 for coffee but even with that it comes out to under $12 for the most expensive dish which is fair. The sides that come with the plates are not very generous and for the future, I would drop the tomato and add some fruit but, in general, this does not take away from how tasty the eggs Benedict were. So, if you are an eggs Benedict fan, le Vieux Vélo may be for you.

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Price	$$	$10
Overall		4/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Easy
BUS	18,30,160,31,361	Get Directions
Metro	Beaubien	6 minutes

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The 411

Over the years, I have reviewed 175 brunches and I have likely eaten at over 200 different spots. In fact, my blood hollandaise levels would likely put fear in the hearts of any doctor. I find that, at some point, my pace of reviews will exceed the available amount of decent brunches. So, in a hope of offering you something a little newer and fun, I will try to review some pop up brunches. Pop up brunches are brunches that are not offered regularly that can be special events or rarely occurring events. The hope is to offer you something very new and interesting that you may want to try. I initially had something like this when I did the brunches at festival de lumieres back in 2011. I realized that there are some spots that I was curious to see how they handle brunch. When one of my friends told me about Caroussel events , I looked into it and saw that there was a brunch at Lustucru, which is a spot that I had eaten dinner at a while ago and was curious on what sort of brunch would appear on their menu.

At 1st glance

So we made it to Carouesele’s hangover brunch which starts at a nice and early 12:00 noon, because when you’re hung-over you don’t do 9 am. That being said, none of us were actually hungover since we wanted to get a full culinary experience of the brunch I mean, his event happens rarely so we wanted to get the real deal. That being said, there will be another one on the 15th of January so maybe I can go hungover and see if it changes my experience.

Food

The menu has 5 items each priced at $22 which come with a complimentary yogourt. Coffee is an extra $2.00 but has free refills. They also have 2 items in the kids menu priced at $8. The menu is a mix of salty and sweet and is not your classic brunch menu; the crepes have duck in them, the bagel dish has a beat infused cream, and they have chocolate mousse for the waffles. None of these items find themselves, in your normal brunch dish. The menu breakdown is as follows:

The good thing with being a group of 4 is that we can sample almost every dish and see which one wins as our favourite. Although the menu has only a few items, you can get a few varied options. We started with the poached eggs ($22) with Portobello mushrooms. This dish was wonderfully presented and was a job to look at. It comes with a single poached egg, two baguette bread pieces, some potatoes, and salad. I felt that the dish was a tad on the salty side; the potatoes were nicely done and tasty. The poached eggs was topped with a nice sauce.

Next came the bagel dish ($22). Initially, I was hesitant about ordering a bagel dish but they managed to do it justice. Now, the 1st step is getting a proper Montreal bagel (which they did). Then you need smoked salmon. They used mackerel which is nice to use since it’s a different twist and then you add beet infused goat cheese as the spread. Add a salad on the side with some potatoes and voila: a foodie twist on a Montreal classic. The 1st bite was exquisite and what was even more impressive is that the beet goat cheese was this pink, easy to spread creation that was 100% delicious. It mimics a cream cheese and is as easy to spread and is quite unique.

Next came my dish, which was the waffle ($22). This sweet little number is much more filling than it looks; in fact, I was very full by the end and that’s saying a lot. The plate has 4 waffle ¼s on a plate with an orange jam and a sauce on the bottom and lightly drizzled on part of it and these two giant chocolate mousse scoops that we first thought were ice cream. The mousse is a brilliant idea in that you can attack it directly or give each waffle an equitable distribution of mousse. I kind of picked at it and spread it around but what a brilliant idea. There was a nice, impressive chocolaty flavour without making the dish too heavy.

Lastly came my favourite dish, the crepe $22 with duck confit and grilled asparagus. Normally, most places do not prepare asparagus properly but this time it was done right; just the right texture and with a taste that accompanies the duck and does not take away from it. The duck portion was also generous and when you bite into it you get a mouthful of duck in the crepe: no skimping on portions. You definitely get your money’s worth and by the time you are done you are without a shadow of a doubt full and satisfied.

Service

Our service was quite good and we were not rushed. Our coffee refills were plentiful and they nicely explained some dishes we were unsure on.

Vegetarian

Every dish, except for the waffle, has some form of meat or fish in it, and if you are looking for a vegan option, look elsewhere. They will also not have a healthy menu item with cottage cheese or anything like that. It’s simply not the concept being showcased.

Wrap up

You have 1 more chance to try this on the 15th of January 2012, the price will be $22 before coffee, taxes, and tip. Although, apparently, they may have another event in the next month or so which we will try to let you know about. If you want a kind of foodie adventure and these items seem like something you would like to try then do it, and please let us know.

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Price	$$$$	$22
Overall		4/5
Wheelchair Access		1/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Easy
BUS	51,80,365,368,435,535	Get Directions
Metro	Laurier	11 minutes

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Happy 2012 to all. With a new year ahead of us we look back on 2011 and take a look at the state of brunch in Montreal. We look at the new spots we discovered, some dishes we remember and we look ahead to see what new discoveries await us. Before we get started, let us take a moment to remember two brunch spots that have left us this year. Sadly, we’ve lost McKiernan and Montée de Lait this year, both of which were on my list of favourite spots and had some really creative dishes that were rarely found elsewhere. Fortunately, we added some new quality places on the list this year but these two favourites will be missed.

Best New place

So, as we look back at this year’s places, we find a few spots that stood out. Now, some have been open before this year but since there are only 2 days in weekend were we can review and I only have 1 stomach, I get can’t to all the brunch spots in the city. Here are some of our top spots: Sain Bol, A Table, Vino, Lawrence, and Pyrus. Sain Bol is a new player on the scene and takes an organic and market fresh approach to its cuisine. This tiny spot offers some amazing dishes (Like their blueberry French toast) and has been visited a few times this year. A Table is brought to us by the same brilliant mind that brought us Madre – their neuvo latino culinary vision is a true pleasure to experience. Lawrence is the kitchen staff from the Sparrow which opened up a spot not even a block away. Having made waves last year, they opened early this year and have brought their signature style to Lawrence for all to enjoy.Pyrus has a refined and polished take on brunch and delivers dishes that never disappoint. Their French toast sampler makes it on my plate no matter how curious I am for other dishes. Vino is another new spot out in NDG which offers fun and tasty dishes some of which are even gluten free. Their ricotta pancake became a personal favorite in no time.

Choosing a winner is never easy but I was most impressed by Sain Bol. I have visited this place almost a half dozen times and sampled almost everything on the menu. The fact that they place an emphasis on organic and market fresh is a treat.

Best Overall

Every year this list gets longer and longer. In fact, I need to go walk outside in the cold to clear my mind since so many good spots are available, and picking a single favourite is hard. So, here are a few of my favourite spots: L’avenue, Chien Fumant, Griffintown Café, Cartet, Madre, Lemeac, Lawrence, Sain Bol, Brigade Volante and Vino. As you have read in the previous section you can see why I like Sain Bol and Vino. Brigade Volante became a favourite with its healthy take on brunch not to mention, it’s crème brullee French toast. Madre does miracles every weekend and combines latin American flavours with brunch dishes. Griffintown café serves up incredibly tasty country style dishes in a great décor. Lemeac is fine French dining applied to brunch and I still dream of its pain perdu dish. L’avenue was last years winner and for good reason – just their fruit reduction crepe alone is reason to come in and brave the lineup. Le Chien fummant has a constantly changing menu ranging from dim sum, Spanish themed brunch and classic Montreal brunch. Each trip there has a satisfaction guarantee. Lawerence has some staple dishes like its French toast that bring me back every time. Lastly, Cartet proves itself every time by giving a dish that is varied in taste and not over the top.

The winner from a distinguished list of its peers is L’avenue. Yes, back for a 2nd year in a row to maintain its crown L’avenue proves why it is favourite in many people’s minds. I mean, almost each dish on the menu is a homerun, ranging from the sucrée salée to the their omelettes and their eggs Benedict, you cannot go wrong.

Top Dishes

Now comes the yummiest part and that is some of my favourite dishes overall. These ones I have kept in no specific order:

A) Blueberry French Toast at Sain Bol
B) Ricotta pancakes at Vino
C) Strawberry, mango & kiwi crepe at L’avenue
D) Sucrée salée at L’avenue
E) French Toast at Lawrence
F) French Toast at Pyrus
G) crème brûlée French toast at Brigade Volante
H) Waffles & Pulled Pork at Chien Fummant

Ricotta Pancake at Vino

Sain Bol French Toast

French toast at Lawrence

Sucrée salée at L'avenue

Crème brûlée French toast at Brigade Volante

Crepe at L'avenue

So, we hope that 2011 brought you many fine dishes and that 2012 brings you even more. As always, remember you can contact us with the contact link above and do feel free to comment on our posts and have a great 2012!!

From the merry staff at Montreal Breakfast Review!

La Bêtise – No lies on a solid meal

The 411

VillerayRosemont/petite Patrie is an area that has been expanding recently. It’s an old neighbourhood, which, only as of recently, has started changing – new bars, restaurants popping up, and a slew of condos. With the Jean Talon market nearby and metro access, I’m sure you can understand why people are making the move here. If you had asked me when I started this site years ago what there is to eat for brunch, I would have said almost nothing. But now, it’s a whole new scene. Betise is one of these recent additions to the brunch scene. Situated on St Hubert it, as well as other spots, breathe new life into a previously dying street.

At 1st glance

One word comes to mind when you walk in to Betise and that word is: Texas. The interior has this kind of tex-mex look to it with cow patterns and a dark wood bar setting. Even the menu is rustic, being presented to you on a piece of wood. The place itself is small with capacity at around the 30 mark. The large windows offer lots of light so it is well lit and the light colour walls work well with the bar area.

Food

The menu is a one-pager with around 12 main items ranging from $12-$13 (coffee included). Sides will run you upwards of $2 max and you get a choice of beans, sausage, bacon and fruit. There are also fruit drinks, smoothies and mimosas on the menu. The menu is by no way your classic eggs and bacon or waffles dishes; you will find some interesting items like a sushi style roll that is a clear breakfast dish while at the same time having a choice between breakfast burgers and a dish with goat cheese. While being a short menu, it is interesting and has some rather unique items you may not find at other places. The menu breakdown is as follows:

We started with coffee, which was complimentary with our main dish, and I had a smoothie at $6. The smoothie had some fruit options so I decided to go with all of them. The smoothie was fair although I would have liked it to be a little thicker. For $6 it was ok, I wasn’t moved by it but to be honest I rarely am moved by a smoothie unless it’s revolutionary. That being said, it got the job done and the fruit options were kind of nice since other places give you fixed ones. I think I simply got greedy and not all those flavours are intended to share the stage for my taste buds.

My friend had the breakfast sandwich ($13) which was comprised of onion, bacon, lettuce, scrambles eggs, tomatoes, cream cheese with a side of beans, potatoes, ad a fruit cup. The breakfast sandwich was quite tasty and the bread they used was a smart choice since it was a softer burger bread. The scrambled eggs were tasty and it was filling although not gargantuan like other breakfast sandwiches I’ve had which, depending on you’re appetite, may be a good thing. The sides of beans, potatoes and fruit helps round out the dish but it would have been nice to see a larger portion of beans. I do love how they did the fruit cup by taking a grapefruit, cutting it in half, hollowing it out and using it as a bowl. This is such a clever idea and adds to the presentation. Even though the amount of fruit is not tremendous, it adds the right amount of natural sweetness and healthy option to the dish.

I decided to go with the Smoked Salmon sushi roll ($12).This dish is a product of what would happen if brunch met sushi. You get smoked salmon, avocado capers, and cream cheese, all rolled up in a rice paper making for a sushi roll that you can drip in a sauce on the plate. There is a side salad on the side topped with pears, figs, vinaigrette and some tortilla chips. Although I am never a huge fan of putting salad on a brunch plate this idea works amazingly here. The pears are a nice touch and the sushi rolls are almost as fun to taste
as they are to look at. I only wish there were a few more but the fruit cup and side salad make sure you are full. I wonder what it would be like to use a crepe dough instead.

Service

Service was very good. The benefit of a small place is that we were sure to never be out of coffee or have trouble finding our waiter.

Vegetarian

Most dishes on the menu don’t have meat in them so it makes it a good option for vegetarians. I did not find any vegan options since eggs or dairy will find in way in many dishes but vegetarians will have many options here with over half the dishes being vegetarian friendly.

Wrap up

I really enjoyed Betise. The prices are fair and it includes a free coffee with refills. The décor is unique and the menu is quite creative. This is somewhere between a fancy reconstruction of a brunch spot and a classic value spot. It works and is well worth a trip, not to mention a much needed addition to the area.

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Price	$$-$$$	$12-$13
Overall		3.5/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Easy
BUS	13,30,25,18,197,370	Get Directions
Metro	Beaubien	6 minutes

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The 411

Ville Lasalle is a part of town that generally does not show up on my brunch radar. Of the places I have seen, they have been more of a traditional breakfast theme and there are so few compared to the amount of people living there. Lasalle also has the benefit of having a variety of ethnic groups giving me the hope to find some funky ethnic inspired spots, but as of now nothing has shown up. When meeting up with a friend of mine and fellow blogger Optimus Mastro I asked him to find something in Lasalle that is yummy and new to me. Marchigiani hit the table and away we went.

At 1st glance

Marhigiani is a blast from the past. It’s a community butcher shop-meet-grocery store but not like the large ones we go to. This is one of those old ones that were small and would meet the neighborhoods needs. While they still do exist, they tend to get swallowed up by the big chains. Marchigiani is like looking back in time; they have all these traditional Italian items you can buy like the kind of stuff my grandmother would have at the table. The butcher shop aspect is also cool since you see people getting their meat orders and then there is this little kitchen section on the side with a couple of tables and chairs all with a capacity of under 20 seats.

Food

The menu is a simple chalkboard with a couple items and specials that will change every week including a daily special as well. This day’s special was Tripe, fillet of sole and stuffed peppers. They also had sandwiches priced from $6-$7.50 as well as a special chicken cutlet for $8.50 along with some smaller sides like arancini and sausage rolls. You can probably tell right away that this isn’t the traditional bacon and eggs fare but rather, more like lunch. That being said, it was quite a unique place so I felt it needed to get a write up.

My friend had the Tripe ($7.50) which, if you are not familiar with, is a traditional Italian dish with red peppers, tomatoes and a nice soupy broth. It also came with ciabatta bread on the side for dipping. The bowl was quit large and the tripe was delicious. Tripe is actually a cow’s stomach, although it can come from other animals but it is most popular with cows. Most people are scared by this and won’t even touch it and I can really only think of 2 other people I know of that will eat this. I, on the other hand, love it! I also am able to eat anything so weird food does not scare me. What makes this interesting is that you will not find tripe on many menu and it might be only the second time I have seen this on a menu since I started reviewing.

The porchetta sandwich ($7.50) came on a ciabatta bread with eggplants, porchetta meat, salad and tomatoes. The bread they used was great as it was soft enough that it did not leave tons of crumbs yet still firm enough to soak up all the oil and not get mushy. The meat was excellent and the simple dressings of pickled eggplants, tomatos and lettuce provided great taste.

Service

Service was limited since it was only one person who took the order and we paid. He seemed nice and even made some jokes and small talk with some of the people in the line waiting to get their food.

Vegetarian

Considering this is a butcher shop, your vegetarian options may as well be less than nil and if eating at butcher shop with meat all around bothers you then you may want to skip this one completely.

Wrap up

Despite being more a lunch spot than a brunch spot, the food was great, tasty and well priced. You definitely got quality food for a good price. I cannot unfortunately rate this place in regards to brunch spots, since it is a lunch spot (I rated it on a whole) but I liked it and you are in the mood for an interesting Italian butcher/lunch experience, then why not?

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Price	$-$$	<$10
Overall		3/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Lot & Street	Easy
BUS	1,21,22,23,24,26,27,31	Get Directions
Metro	Angrinion	9 minutes

The 411

All-you-can-eat Brunch Buffets, those few words can bring joy and pain to different people. Joy, because it’s all you can eat as much as you want, and you get value on food; pain because the quality of the food can take a back seat depending where you go. Delta’s has been offering brunch for as long as I can remember but I never had a chance to try it out since I generally needed a reason to go to an all you can eat brunch on account of the price being more than a normal brunch at a regular restaurant.

At 1st glance

Brunch at the Delta is famous for its rotating restaurant overlooking the city. And no, that’s not a typo, the restaurant actually rotates. Imagine if you would, a cylinder with windows along the entire floor, a portion on the inner ring that does not move

and the outer portion that rotates slowly. You can sit at a banquette or at a table. We opted for the banquette which was elevated and had a better view of the city. The rotation of the restaurant is kind of cool and isn’t too fast, although you do need to remember where you are seated since the spot you were at before will inevitably move. Don’t worry, you get used to it after a while. One other important thing to know is that reservations are strongly suggested. When we got there we saw some people without reservations and they had to wait a while for a group to finish up early and they did not have a guarantee that it would happen. Lots of families like going here and I saw plenty of strollers and small children as well as extended families.

Food

There is an ample selection of food here. In fact, as buffets go this was one of the more generous ones I have been to and the price of $36.95 is the going rate for a decent hotel style buffet. They had table after table of selection: you had veggies, fruits, seafood, meats, soups, salads, pasta, sushi, omelet , eggs Benedict, pancakes, waffles, beans deserts, sausage, bacon, potatoes, breads, croissants, chocolatines, and much more.

With so much selection it’s hard to pick a spot to start so we tried to go based on stations and try to get as much varied food as possible. The first dish had a seafood theme to it with sushi, smoked salmon, a quid mix, this gelatinous cold mix and a kind of pita wrapped veggie and fish item. The salmon smoked salmon was very good the sushi was pretty decent as well, I would not compare it to the same kind of sushi you get at a traditional high end sushi place nor is it like an all you can eat sushi place, it was somewhere in the middle but impressive nonetheless for a buffet. The wrapped fish and veggies was ok, although the gelatinous dish was cold and not too impressive, I don’t think it would have been possible for me to enjoy a dish like this since I have had it at other places and I just am not a fan so I have some bias on it, feel free to judge for yourself.

Not yet having exhausted all the fish section I went back for some more sushi and smoked salmon but this time added some mushrooms, halved potatoes stuffed with a cream and a kind of cold fish salad. The mushrooms were decent and had a creamy covering; the potatoes were nice the stuffing was interesting; the cold fish salad was quite nice and refreshing and it was also nice to have a small portion since more of it would have been too much of a taste overload.

Having finished the fish dish we went for a little more of a breakfasty fare. We had chocolatines, pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and some veggies. The scrambled eggs were excellent and the pancakes were good to see as an option. The smoked salmon made a return again so you could tell it was a hit.

The other breakfast inspired plates had eggs Benedict, pancakes, bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs as well. The eggs benedict was a ham benedict and was very impressive for a buffet eggs benedict since they tend to disappoint and are dry and tasteless but this one was not and as of now is the best buffet benedict I have ever had. I had the other scrambled eggs with vegetables which I felt was a good idea yet it still tasted like scrambled eggs. The bacon was ok, not too dry but there was loads of it to choose from, the sausage was tasty and made for a nice all around breakfast dish. I also got some beans on the side in a bowl to really give it that traditional breakfast dish.

Lastly, for desert was the waffles covered in chocolate, and some fruit. This was a nice way to get some natural sweetness by having lychee and pineapple as well as the always-awesome sweetness of chocolate. So, in theory you can feel less guilty about having that chocolate covered waffles by putting some fruit on the side. Even though I realize my logic is flawed on this, I will stick by it.

Service

Our interaction with the service was more from a coffee getting refilled and plates getting cleared, since it was a buffet where you got your own food. The staff was prompt and polite and the atmosphere was professional.

Vegetarian

Vegetarians and vegans rejoice! You now have choice and lots of it. There’s tons of vegetarian dishes, and for every kind of vegetarian from strict, to pesco vegetarian and even to vegans. They have soy beverage at the cereal station, loads of fruits, lots of veggies and you can keep going back to your hearts content.

Wrap up

As buffets go, this is one of the good ones! Besides the stellar view you get lots of selection. The dishes are vegetarian and vegan friendly which is a nice touch and the offering has lots of traditional breakfast items as well as some lunch ones. The price is pretty much what you would get anywhere else. Do keep in mind reservations are strongly considered.

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Price	$$$-$$$$	$36.95
Overall		3.5/5
Wheelchair Access		3/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Easy
BUS	168,61,95,36,120,480	Get Directions
Metro	Square Victoria	4 minutes

The 411

Fine French dining meets brunch – often a pairing you don’t see on a regular basis. Interestingly, brunch is not native to France and although there are more and more spots that offer brunch nowadays you would not associate it with a small little French bistro. So, when I heard that Le Jurancon was offering brunch, I was quite curious. How would it pair French dining with brunch? What ingredients and what surprises would we be in store for, and how is it that a French restaurant finds itself in the eastern part of the city? This and many more we hope to answer as well give you some idea of what Le Jurancon has to offer.

At 1st glance

When you walk into Le Jurancon you notice right away that this place is cozy and with less that 20 seats, it can fill up fast. Needless to say, reservations are almost necessary for this Sunday-only brunch. The décor is nice and well lit thanks to some large windows lining the building. The interior feels light and open with white walls, a small splash of brick in the corner and light wood accents. The menu is inspired from Marsseille as the chef is from there.

Food

The menu is a short one-pager with 10 items all in the $12 zone and each with complimentary coffee and free refills. The menu items have geographic inspired names like: Le Mareseillais, L’americain, Le Provencal etc. Almost all dishes in the menu have eggs in them with the exception of Le Breton which has crepes instead. A nice feature of the dining experience is that you get a baguette bread at the beginning and some warm butter. They also refill the bread and butter which I don’t see too often. All main items come with free coffee or juice with free coffee refills. The menu breakdown is as follows:

My friend, had the Quebecois ($8.25), naturally, which is two eggs, Toulouse sausage or bacon, potatoes with grilled baguette bread. The sausage (we did not opt for the bacon in this dish) was quite plump and juicy. It is more of a true sausage than one of those teeny tiny breakfast sausages other places try to pass as a meat side. The potatoes were also thinly sliced and nicely spiced. There was a side of salad and if you know me, I am usually not a fan, but it worked well with this dish. I should note this is probably one of the few times you will see me speaking in praise of salad on a breakfast dish. In this case, it worked because the taste is exquisite.

The Nordique ($12) is comprised of two eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, a side of potatoes and salad. The hollandaise sauce was wonderfully done and is an excellent consistency: not too runny and not too pasty. The smoked salmon portion in this dish is extremely generous which is a nice thing to get in an eggs Benedict dish. This and the fact you get free coffee all for $12 is an excellent deal especially since usually you have to pay $2 more for the same dish elsewhere and you don’t even get coffee included, not to mentioned, it’s often not that tasty.

We had to go with the chef inspired dish, the Marseillais ($10.75) which is a wonder of a dish consisting of 3 eggs scrambled, with goat cheese, vegetables, and potatoes on the side. This dish was not only unique, in that I have never had anything quite like this, but its taste made it the clear winner among all the other dishes and next time I go I will definitely have that dish again. The Marseillais delivered on taste presentation and it was filling.

Service

We had minimal staff this day. In fact, we had one waiter who managed to handle everything and get us what we needed along with giving our table proper attention. Despite being so busy, he actually spent the time with us for menu suggestions and on top of that, he talked about all the different parts of France

Vegetarian

There really aren’t too many vegetarian dishes. You can basically get 3 options. There are some smoked salmon dishes if you are a pesco vegetarian.

Wrap up

Le Jurancon did not disappoint. It took a French food inspiration and successfully applied it to brunch. This brunch menu is not your normal bacon and eggs menu but rather a more refined French inspired food selection with some hearty items like the sausage and blood pudding. The place is small and reservations will make your life easier. I truly enjoyed it and welcomed this breath of fresh air into the brunch scene. I was also very impressed on how the prices were all in the $8-$10 in most instances and included free coffee as well which makes this place a really good deal!

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Price	$$	$10-$12
Overall		4.5/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Easy
BUS	13,30,95,18	Get Directions
Metro	Beaubien	7 minutes

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Vic Market- A great post workout brunch

The 411

Every once and a while we hear of a spot in Westmount that offers brunch. This is a treat because Westmount is so small and has limited areas where there are restaurants, since the rest is primarily residential. In this case, it helps that our editor extraordinaire Kara takes works at the gym in Victoria Park and told me that they opened a café downstairs that does brunch. I had stopped in for a snack at the café before and liked its décor as well as the food so I was curious to see how a café tied to a gym would handle brunch since it’s generally not the healthiest meal of the day.

At 1st glance

Vic Market is a coffee shop meets mini grocery store. You can come in get a coffee, something to eat and pick up some groceries there. When we went, it was nice and sunny so we got to go on the street side terrace, which holds around 8 people with a 20-25 person capacity on the inside. When you walk into Vic Market you will likely see lots of people from the area getting ready for their workout or catching up after a class offered at the gym upstairs. I want to point out that this is not your typical gym juice or supplement bar, it’s a specialty café with food that has a healthy and tasty twist to it.

Food

With its weekend brunch, Vic Market offers a short 1-pager. The menu is brought to you on a clip board and offers 5 main items and 7 sides (including drinks). Prices on the menu are at the 10$ mark with the exception for the Rosti which clocks in at $14.50. Coffee and bread is included in the main dishes so this makes for an affordable option. The menu does have some interesting items like a Rosti and a Shakshuka which you do not find on most brunch menus. The menu breakdown is as follows:

sides

We started with a fruit bowl ($4.50) and toast with almond butter. The fruit had a lineup of strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, raspberries, and pineapple This is a nice assortment that you often will not see at other brunch places and for the amount we got, the price was fair. The almond butter is a welcome addition and, again, not often seen at most places. If you’re not familiar with almond butter, the consistency is not overly smooth but it is very good for you and quite tasty.

I, of course, had to try the smoothie ($5.15) which was more of fruit drink than a smoothie although it had to be one of the thickest fruit drinks I have ever had. What made this drink impressive is that it was incredibly refreshing and there was not a single drop left at the end. Since the flavours will change from time to time, I can tell you that the berry one was good and had a nice pronounced taste of strawberry.

The Pain Perdu ($10.50) seemed to be the day’s showstopper with white chocolate, strawberries, cocoa, strawberry jam, maple syrup and fruit. This dish was particularly important for me to see because a Pain Perdu is often listed on menu but most places try pushing a French toast and, to be honest, it’s not best thing. A Pain Perdu is usually thicker and has a different kind of denseness than French Toast. It also tends to be sweeter. In this case, it was extra sweet especially on account of the white chocolate and strawberry jam. This dish came with 3 fair-sized pieces of Pain Perdu, and it was so well made that explosion of taste was in every bite and considering we got fruit and coffee for $10.50, I would say it was a pretty good deal.

Service

Service was quite good although the terrace service is a little slower than the inside service but nothing major to complain about.

Vegetarian

There are plenty of vegetarian options although, by plenty I mean most of the menu is vegetarian friendly but with 5 items on the main menu it means you really only have a couple of options. You can also cobble together a vegan option with the fruit cup and bread, but nothing on the main menu is truly vegan. However, if you find yourself here for brunch, check out the other food options they have inside and you will find a large assortment of vegan food!

Wrap up

I was quite impressed with the taste of the dishes and more so with the price. For about $10 you get a full meal with fruit, toast and coffee. My dish alone would cost me $2-$3 more at other places, and it was a real Pain Perdu which is kind of hard to find since you usually get a French toast instead. So you definately get value and taste under the same roof

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Price	$$	$10
Overall		4/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter	Easy
BUS	24,104,138,356,63	Get Directions
Metro	Vendome	4 minutes

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The 411

While on a recent trip to Toronto, we ended up visiting a friend who was living near High Park. I was winding down my Toronto trip so when we met up, I asked him what spot he recommended and he suggested his favourite childhood spot: a place that serves brunch 7 days a week and was hands down his favourite place to go in the city. The thing I love most about brunch is that there is always that one spot that everyone has that is a mini secret and that you have always loved. This place is in a residential neighbourhood and has been around for a while so it is tied to cherished childhood memories.

At 1st glance

When you get to Mitzi’s you notice a nice terrace on the outside where you will see a mix of people from families to older and young couples. The inside has art on the wall with an open kitchen area, a counter and tables and chairs all along. The capacity inside is close to 40. The menu is on the chalkboard on top of the cash register. Please note that this place is a cash-only establishment, so keep that in mind when you come since your plastic will not work here.

Food

The menu is classic breakfast fare with a fancy twist. What this means is that you have all the classics on the menu but they also have a little something special-special on them. Coffee is not included with your order but you do get free refills on it. The average meal price is anywhere from $8-$14 and you get a kids menu option. The menu breakdown is as follows:

We started with a fruit juice and I had the large mango banana ($4) which is great price for a large exotic fruit juice. The juice was tasty but the banana was more pronounced than the mango; although, I do accept the fact that it is hard to find good mangos in season so I am not shocked that the taste was not as apparent. My friend was nursing a hangover so he had a muffin so as to not tempt the fates and disturb his stomach. I did sneak a quick bite at the muffin and it was moist, although it is not your usual morning item for a review.

Batata had the Omelette Special ($13.95) which had a 3 egg omelette, toast, potatoes and fruit. The omelette was very tasty and filling and the fruit on the side was fresh. The potatoes will be described in more details in Batata’s potato review although, what I can say is that the portion size of potatoes was a tad skimpy and the fruit could have been more varied. The price of almost 14$ with no coffee included is a bit too much for an omelette.

Here is Batata’s take on the potatoes (this section is to be read while using the voice of Stefon from Saturday Night Live (SNL):

“Toronto’s latest amazing breakfast home fries can be found at Mitzi’s. Ranked as one of the best home fries I have tried, it lacked in some very important ways. The home fries were diced little desiree potatoes (red potatoes) and oven roasted in their own skins. They are roasted in a secret marinade composed of olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar (I was able to guess that due to my refined palette) and some herbs. Absolutely incredible that I had to order an additional side portion of home fries but, alas there lies the problem as well. The portion of home fries provided with my omelette was, categorically, more a sample than a portion. Furthermore, the price that I paid for my plate should have provided me with all-I-can-eat home fries. I will unfortunately rate it a 3.75 out of 5 but it has so much potential of becoming a 4 if they would just increase the volume by at least 25% or reduce the price by the same amount.”

The The French toast ($13.95) was three large slices of challah bread, whipped cream, potatoes, fruit on the side and topped with blueberry and crumbled bacon. This dish was amazing! The portion size of French toast was very generous and the whipped cream a very nice and unique touch. The crumbled bacon on top was a pure stroke of genius. This worked so well with the French toast it was like I was in a dream. The price is a little more than what you would normally pay but I had no issue paying for such a quality dish.

Service

Ther service was very friendly and the refills were frequent.

Vegetarian

Although the menu is short, most items on it are vegetarian friend and those that aren’t can easily be made vegetarian.

Wrap up

I enjoyed Mitizi’s. The food was well prepared, well presented, filling and extremely tasty. I did feel that some dishes like the omelette dish were a touch expensive and that having coffee be included would have been nice to see. I did feel that the French toast was worth every penny and the fruit juice was well priced. Overall, a great experience.

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Price	$$-$$$	$12-$15
Overall		4/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Street	Medium
BUS		N/A
Metro	N/A	N/A

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