6 Gloucester St.
(416) 960-3473

Wendy and I and some friends went for brunch at Fire On The East Side right before the Pride Parade last Sunday. Fire on the East Side is conveniently located right at Gloucester and Yonge, right in the heart of downtown Toronto. Brunch is served Sat, Sun and Holidays until 4pm

The decor is really great with very colourful dishes, comfortable seating, bright colours in the food, excellent presentation. Food that we saw before ordering had had life, texture, looked fresh and colourful. While we waited for everyone to arrive (~15 people) we were served banana bread instead of your typical bread and butter. It was fresh and yummy.

I ordered my typical brunch favourite: yogourt with granola and fruit for $8. My order resembled an extra large soup bowl with banana-honey yogourt but only a sprinkle of granola and very little fruit. In other words, it resembled yogourt soup. I was slighlty disappointed. Aaron ordered the Fritatta Tower” which he thought was quite good… light and fluffy with smoked salmon and some other vegetables. He thought it was nice that it was served with a side of fruit. He thought that the brunch potatoes were like little frozen hashbrowns that they warmed up in a microwave so he was not impressed with that.

Aaron’s friend Robin had the spinach fritata which he found delicious. He thought that food was a cut about the usual for the neighbourhood. He thought the service was excellent but WAY TOO SLOW.

Wendy ordered the chicken and bacon pesto sandwich on ciabatta bread
At least 5 people ordered the Huevos Burrito $9 (eggs, refried beans and Monterey Jack cheese and topped
with warmed salsa. ). Someone else ordered the Crab Cake Benedict $10 (eggs benedict with crab cakes). Another brunch attendee ordered a nice salad with walnut-crusted goat cheese. Lastly two people ordered the banana bread French toast with loads of fruit ($7). It looked really good, hold the French toast.

Other interesting brunch items included the cinnamon apple crepe ($9) served with raspberry crème fraiche and fresh fruit. They also serve typical brunch fare like eggs and bacon, sausage, steak and eggs, and pancakes. Try the “east side” omeletes that are served with home fries and ratatouille (Wendy says they home fries are not that spectacular, though)

The decor is warm and inviting, perfect for that late-night cocktail. With white-painted brick, retro bar stools, hardwood floors, postmodern industrial metal-topped tables, and a large outdoor front terrace this place has definite ambiance for brunch or late night drinks, but expect long waits. They charge an additional $3.00 if you want your egg whites only for your omelete. They accept every card. Prices are a bit high for what you get but presentation and food is fresh, artistic, colourful, full of texture and flavourful.