The 411 Just recently I was presented with a scheduling challenge. Find a spot on the South Shore or close to the Jacques Cartier bridge so one of our friends could make it to his appointment after brunch and do so rather quickly. I did not feel like going down to the South Shore, so I had to find something somewhat close to the bridge. Now, I had to dig deep into my brunch map and look at an area I almost never frequent. What I found was Touski Café and Coop. I have no clue how Touski Café Coop came on my list but we were curious, hungry and on a timeline so it was decided.

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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.

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NO LONGER OPEN

Chez Gautier – A gem hidding in plain sight

The 411

Hidden in the McGill ghetto Chez Gautier has been around since the 70’s yet few people would know that it serves up brunch. In fact, while I was at McGill most people living in the ghetto would go to the same spots and likely walk by this place countless times. Little did I know then that there was brunch to be had here, and not only is it a good deal, it is a very enjoyable experience both for food and dining.

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Enchanteur – An enchanting brunch in Villeray

The 411

Villeray is a part of town that I have been frequenting for many years. In fact, before it became one of the new hip places to live in Montreal, I remember it as a dingy, grey and run down area with a lack of decent places to eat and go out. I was shocked when I went to L’enchanteur and saw an area that had changed; there were some cafes, restaurants, condos, young families etc. It is definitely not the way it used to be. Now I have the chance to check out a spot that will provide brunch and not just a bacon and egg dish but something with a menu that has more than 3 items.

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Araucaria – Mile end day long brunch

The 411

One day we decided to get creative and try out an ethnic brunch. There were variables we had to keep in mind though: it needed to be a place I had not already been to; it had to have an ethnic influence and, it needed to be in or near the plateau-mile end. After some searching, I found Auracia which is a Chilean restaurant. To my surprise, 2 friends decided to come join us and both are Peruvian which prompted the line of never “bring a Peruvian to a Chilean resto”.

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Oxford Cafe – an NDG institution

The 411

Out in NDG is an institution called the Oxford Café. I say institution because it has been around for ages. Lots of people in the area know it well and it had a reputation for a good breakfast years ago. It’s a no-frills diner style spot that does not look like it’s changed since it opened. You come in to get some classic breakfast dishes, have some drip coffee and kick it old school maybe with a newspaper and let your day sink in. So, with this institution around and almost having done every spot in NDG I felt I needed to check it out.

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Cafe Eldorado – The return to Mt Royal

The 411

On Mount-Royal, there lies a spot I have been passing by for years but have never eaten brunch there. I’m not really sure why. I don’t go eat on Mount Royal as often as I used to since I now explore new areas; although the street is jammed with some decent spots to feed your morning appetite. Eldorado is a place you notice as you walk down Mount Royal, especially in the summer when the street comes alive with terraces and restaurants open up those large front windows.

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Dame Tartine – Classic breakfast joint with a twist

The 411

Dame Tartine is a name I have heard of for some time now as it tends to be a favourite spot for a couple of people I have met and who have contacted me. It’s not in the area I usually review, in fact, it falls between where most of my reviews tend to be so it gets missed whenever I want to review something. But, finally one day, we felt like being adventurous so Dame Tartine came on the radar and off we went.

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Eggspression- West Island Brunch all week long

The 411

Once upon a time I had a goal to try out every breakfast/brunch spot in the West Island. I felt I was pretty close then my focus shifted back to downtown Montreal. I had a list of what I reviewed and what needed to be reviewed and I felt I was pretty close to getting it all done. Then my friend organized a get-together at Eggspression just off of St. Johns. I was confused. Could iit be that there was a spot I missed and so close to an area that I am in at least once a week? It turns out that Eggspression has been there for quite some time and my friend was shocked that I did not know about it. With a new spot added to my list, off we went to see what there is.

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Le Toaster – 3 years in the waiting

The 411

When I first started this site, Le Toasteur was a name I saw a couple times on various forums. I always felt it had a cool name and people seemed to have positive things to say about it. I never got a chance to check it out and I have even eaten a few times on Laurier street around there but I never got a chance to try it out. So, after almost 3 years (yes we’re almost there), I managed to make it to Le Toaster and see if it was worth my procrastination.

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