Café Campagne – Well worth the trip to the wild wild west

The 411

A friend of mine recently moved way out west to Rigaud and I said I would try to find a good brunch place in that area. My specialty is Montreal and this city is full of amazing places for brunch with tons of new places opening up regularly. There are more than enough to keep me busy reviewing for quite some time. However, once in a while I get some info on an amazing place out of town that is worth the drive. Café Campagne, in Vaudreuil D’orion, is one of those places. I managed to check it out a while ago on a test run with one of my brunch buddies and just recently went back with my Rigaud friend and a couple others so as to share the magic that is Café Campagne.

At 1st glance

Close by to the Hudson exit, off the 40, you will notice this quaint little spot with a green roof and white façade as well as large sign with a tree on it. When you walk in you see this little place with lots of wood, a tea room and a collection of old champagne bottle crockery and other random items. Seating is somewhat limited and you may wait a little since there can be lines that form.

Food

The menu is quite varied covering all of you morning culinary desires. It is presented as a duo-tang with plastic covering and has a colourful, almost childlike, motif to it with drawings that look like water paints on some pages and colouring books on others. The one down side is that there is a very limited supply of menu and often you will need to wait for the table that has it to finish with them. In fact, our table had to share menu’s; it’s quirky but easily fixed by photocopying them.

The menu covers all your favourite morning treats and gives you that “down home in the country” feel to it. You can choose from;

8 Eggs Benedict 11.95-12.95

6 homemade waffle dishes $8.95-$11.95

13 omelettes $7.95-$12.95

8 healthy options $7.95-$12.95

14 crepes $8.95-$11.95

16 juices $3.25-$3.95

7 kid menu items $4.95-$5.95

5 French toast $8.95-$12.95

Now having made two trips here, it allowed me to try out a different couple dishes so as to get a broader sample of all the yummy options. I had the life altering experience of trying the waffles with fruit ($11.95) and by life altering I mean: this in the best way possible, kind of like the first time you discover Nutella. The waffle was perfect as it was golden with a touch of crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy when you bite into it. The whipped cream was delicious; the fruit was fresh and bursting with flavour. It came served with fruits that you do not see often like a kind of lychee fruit and a star fruit to name a few. Kudos for having some varied fruit options!

We started off with a fruit drink ($3.25) which had hints of pear and mango in it and the thickness and taste really stood out.

We then had the salmon eggs Benedict ($12.95) which was another standout dish with 2 perfectly poached eggs on some out-of-this-world smoked salmon, red onions, capers and English muffin. It came with a side of home fries, some fruit and was topped with the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce. The sauce was bang on perfect in taste and quantity, the potatoes were good and a generous size, the fruit was fresh although there could have been more, the red onions were present in the dish which could be an issue if you are not a fan of them but you can ask them to hold it or take them out yourself. This is another signature dish they had and if you find yourself here, you should give it a try.

My friend had the poached eggs with fruit and brown bread ($8.95). I felt it was a touch expensive for two poached eggs but if you look at the fruit selection in the photo you can make the justification for the price. There were fruits I have never seen before. I mean, they even had a persimmon which you never find at brunch – or anywhere for that matter. The eggs were good but the real star here is the fruit; this ample and varied presentation is much appreciated for people who want a healthy option and wish to be full since many places do not offer that much fruit. I would say definitely that it’s worth the little bit extra.

My friends had a special dish that was an egg on a bagel, kind of like a Yolk Around the Clock or Egg in Window. It came with home cut fries and some fruit. The dish is quite filling and also had a hollandaise sauce on it to add that little extra. There was also a cheese option which my friend took, but the cheese came as a slice and was not infused in the dish. She indicated that she would have preferred that the cheese be infused in it. I did not actually try it but I could see the slice itself and I share that cheese philosophy as well. Other than that, she enjoyed it.

My other friend had a waffle with homemade apples and English cream ($10.95) in which the apples were sliced and there was also an apple sauce base. All this is contained in a bowl on the side so you can choose how you wanted to dress your waffle. Not to mention it also came with real maple syrup. The English cream also came on the side and not being a fan of English cream, I like the fact it is optional in this case. The waffles here are the same consistency and taste as the one I had described above which is awesome since I liked that one so much and the warm apples with sauce is an amazing idea.

Lastly I had a challah bread French toast ($12.95) which came with beans, a side of fruit and a choice of sausage or bacon (I went with sausage). The French toast was thick and full of taste and this is with no syrup on it. When you add their fresh maple syrup the taste evolves to a new level of awesome. The beans and sausage were good – the beans had a particular taste that I could not pin down but it was a good taste, by the way. The fruit selection was normal on this dish but it was fresh and tasty.

Service

Service was good both times. I preferred our waitress the first time I was there – she just seemed more bubbly and happy, and the second time I wasn’t feeling the love (or maybe it was just the beans)

Vegetarian

There are vegetarian options here as well and even some vegan options with the fruit dishes and oatmeal (as long as they don’t use milk). Now, it’s not an exhaustive list for vegans but vegetarians will have a good time here. There is also a health section which is quite nice and loaded with fruit on some dishes.

Wrap up

Run – don’t walk to this place: It is amazing. I have already been here twice and loved it both times. The waffles and eggs Benedicts are their star attractions with French toast and other dishes as runners-up. With most dishes being $10-$12 The price is amazing considering the quality of the food you get and the generous portion size. If this places was downtown they could charge 50% more and it would be worth it. Now, it may a little out of the way for most people and there is no metro or bus from Montreal so you will need to drive but pick a day and check out the area – it’s really a lovely place and you will not regret it.

3673 Route Harwood Vaudreuil-Dorion Qc J0P 1H0 (450) 458-8204 Mon-Sunday 7:00am – 3:00pm

MAP

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Bottomless Cup Of Coffee	YES
Credit Cards	YES
Web Site	YES
Debit Card	YES
Kid Menu	Yes
Vegetarian Friendly	YES

Price	$$	$10-$12
Overall		4.5/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking lot	Easy
BUS	N/A	N/A
Metro	N/A	N/A

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