Toronto Eaton Centre
220 Yonge Street (corner Shuter)
Tel.:(416) 977-3380

Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive Unit # 401
Tel.: (905) 761-3391

I was a brunch virgin when I arrived in Montreal for University at the tender age of eighteen. With long nights of binge drinking and late wakeups in Molson residence, I was soon deflowered and exposed to the fabulous world of brunching. Eggspectation on the corner of De Maisoneuve and De La Montagne, was my first real brunch experience, and at the time sent shockwaves through my slowly maturing palette. Who knew eggs could be made in so many different ways? As the years grew on and more brunch options became available, the originality of Eggspectation diminished and so do I suspect the quality. One thing that didn’t wane at Eggspectation was the quality of the waiters….. yum!

It appears some people have stuck by Eggspectation as is apparent in its expansion to Toronto. Out of University for several years now, with tickets to see the musical “Wicked” (thumbs up!); plans were arranged to revisit this old haunt at its most recent incarnation on Yonge St. just beside the Eaton Centre. The tourists were out in full force as the place was packed when we arrived. The line moved quickly enough and soon we were seated in a comfortable booth in this vast and commercially apt space. After a brief time, our waiter arrived and took our orders. True to the original, he was friendly, helpful, and quite buff.

My order consisted of the one dish that stood out in my mind since the days of yore. The “Yoke Around the Clock” is a concoction which combines a fresh Montreal Style Bagel with two sunny side eggs cooked in the holes of the bagel covered with bacon and cheese. The cheese can be a choice of cheddar or swiss depending on one’s taste. I went with cheddar. The one component that I noticed missing from when I used to frequent it in Montreal was the basket of deliciously buttered toast that would be served prior to the meal. I am still not sure whether it was the waiter’s fault or that’s the way it is here but it only arrived after I had asked for it and alongside the meal.

I must say that after years of brunching in Toronto, Eggspectation’s allure and quality can no longer compare. The meal was not terrible by any stretch, but considering the tiny amount of potatoes that accompanied the meal and just the overall quality of the food, I was not overly impressed. It really just reminded me of my last year in Montreal, passable but missing the freshness and effort found at other brunch establishments.

Eggspectations will remain etched in my memory as a starting point to the world of brunch, but in this new era of brunch delicacies, it just does not hold up.