Tag Archives: Brunch / Traditional Breakfast

Chez Cora

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Chez Cora/Cora’s 6250 blvd. Cousineau St-Hubert, QC 450-443-5624

Several locations across Quebec & Ontario, including:

Locations in Quebec

http://www.chezcora.com/Main-en/Trouver-en.htm#Quebec

Locations in the GTA

4120 Dixie Road,
Mississauga
(905) 624-1297

Unit 13, 16655 Yonge St.,
Newmarket
(905) 954-1317

277 Wellington St., West (at Blue Jays Way)
Toronto
(416) 598-2672

My dad & I went for brunch on Boxing Day 2004, and he actually chose the spot. I was quite impressed; I would not expect him to choose a restaurant like this. I�ve been to Chez Cora in a few other spots in Montr�al before, like on Peel St. and in Old Montreal, and have always enjoyed my experiences.

In Montreal, you have a choice of smoking vs. non-smoking, & as my father’s a smoker, he was happy that such a choice exists.

We walked in at the right time; within seconds there was a lineup out the door behind us. We were seated and got our coffees quickly. This place was mighty busy, as reflected in the volume coming from conversations throughout the restaurant. The dining area is open concept (what is the point then of differentiating smoking vs. non I don�t know), and is family friendly. Although the menus are in French, our friendly waitress Mado was bilingual, and able to answer our questions when my French failed me.

The restaurant is fully licensed (beer with your bagel anyone?), and specializes in breakfast and brunch. They serve all the standards like eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes & things like that, and after 11 they start to serve more savoury items like burgers alongside the breakfasts. They are most known for the massive portions of nicely presented fresh fruit that accompany most meals here, my meal having been one of them, (my father’s was not), as well as the always generous portions.

My father is not a frequent brunch goer, so he wanted a standard breakfast style meal. He ordered Eggs Maurice, $6.95 which is as close as one will get to a traditional breakfast here. His meal included 2 eggs, which he asked for over easy, sausages, potatoes, toast & baked beans. He initially said his eggs were perfect, and later changed his verdict to underdone. I�ll have to take his word for that as I do not eat eggs. We were both somewhat surprised by the fact that his �sausages� were actually hot dogs!?! How weird is that? The menu said �saucisse fume� which technically is the direct translation of a hot dog, but still it seemed odd. At least it was a jumbo. We asked the waitress to explain & oddly enough, Eggs Maurice happened to be the only meal on the menu that had hot dogs instead of a regular breakfast sausage. Oh well, it tasted fine. It was odd, but live & learn.

My meal on the other hand more closely resembled a typical Cora breakfast. My meal was called Sarrasin de Galette $8.95. This meal included 3 sausages (standard breakfast ones this time) wrapped in buckwheat crepes, topped with melted cheddar both inside & outside the crepe with mixed fruit on the side. My mountain of fresh fruit included watermelon, grapes, pears, apples, oranges pineapple, & kiwi all decoratively carved & was quite the impressive display. I was able to get them to omit the bananas � no problem 

My food was quite good, and the portion was so big I needed to take some of it to go. My dad gave a mixed review to the potatoes, but was very impressed with the baked beans, said they tasted homemade. I tried some they really were good! He said the beans were the best thing on the plate & his plate was so big, he couldn�t finish his meal either. His one comment was �everything is very good, but I didn�t expect hot dogs�. I�d have to agree with him on that.

All in all, this was a positive dining experience & I�ve been here before & will definitely be going back many more times. I’ve not yet been to any Toronto locations, however I�m interested to try them out soon.

Ten Feet Tall

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1381 Danforth Ave
(416) 778-7333
See also Brunch, Danforth, Bar/Cafe

www.tenfeettall.ca

Paulo and I decided to go for brunch one Saturday morning and we wanted to try something different. We saw the sign “We serve brunch” at Ten Feet Tall so we decided to check this place out. The sign outside the restaurant does not give justice. From the outside it looks like a typical bar east of Pape on the Danforth near the corner of Greenwood. With a plain black and white sign and with a minimalist exterior design, we did not know what to expect. When you step inside, you will see a funky, eclectic, open concept bistro cafe/bar.

Once inside, we were introduced to funky, ecclectic interioirs, with a large mural on the wall depicting a stormy scene at a Mediterranean beach. It was said to belong to the old restaurant and that the current owner did not want to take it down. Ten Feet Tall has only been opened one year [as of Oct 2004]

With mosaic-tiled walls and linen-draped patio doors, hand-sculpted light sconces, eclectic artwork and a collection of ceramic insects on the wall, this cafe stands apart from the rest. The strong colour scheme of blood-red ceilings and dark walls really makes this bistro stand out.

Ten Feet Tall serves a diverse menu with a separate brunch and dinner menu. Dinner includes a variety of pastas (gnocchi, ravioli, chicken in a tomato sauce, pad thai, pasta with grilled chicken, portobello mushrooms in a Jack Daniels cream sauce), 4 types of pizza (Pepperoni, Danforth, Kristen, and Kiss Me), sandwiches (grilled veggie, grilled cheese, club sandwich, hamburger), chicken curry, cajun catfish, New York steak, and chicken breast stuffed with chevre and fresh herbs.

On my first visit, I ordered the Ten Feet Tall salad, a large creative plate of greens, spinach, strawberries, shaved parmesan cheese, and candied almonds in a thick balsalmic dressing. I could taste the bits of almonds but not the “candied” part.Paulo ordered the Ten Foot Breakfast, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, home fries (he said they lacked flavour) and coffee and he enjoyed his dish but he thought his meal was warm but not hot.

On my second visit, I went with my friend Justine (May 2005) and she ordered 10 silver dollar pancakes with fruit and it was great. I had an egg white omelete (they do not charge extra for egg white omeletes) with mozzarella, eggplant, mushroom, and spinach. The omelete comes with 2 toppings and it is only one dollar to add additional toppings to the omelete. My omelete came with toast and home fries and i substituted them for salad at no extra cost. Again, I found a no bullshit kind of place, unlike By The Way Cafe.

I loved my meal. It was fresh, delicious, and healthy. Other items include a variety of dishes with funky names (like beautiful veggies), stir fries, pizza, meat and chicken dishes, burgers, wraps, and some vegetarian dishes.

Some brunch items to note are the Eggs Danforth, poached eggs with pancetta on an English muffin, with hollandaise sauce and feta. All dishes come with a side order of home fries and toast. The Kitchen Sink, an interesting dish of
poached eggs on a toasted english muffin with smoked salmon, spinach, and roma tomatoes in a blanket of hollandaise sauce and crumbled feta. Other dishes include eggs benedict, eggs florentine, eggs mormor.

They also serve extra thick French toast, with powdered sugar and fresh fruit, berries, and maple syrup as well Waffles. Try the Elvis Waffle, a thick waffle with peanut butter, banana, bacon. Try their Danforth pizza with olives, grilled peppers, red onion, and feta, the “Kiss Me Pizza” with feta cxheese, pepperoni, jalapenos, red onion, and roasted garlics, or the Kristen Pizza with caramelized onions, mushrooms, grilled peppers, and sun dried tomatoes.

Service was excellent and staff were really friendly

I will definitely go back for brunch and dinner and explore the entire menu. Accepts all cards. Bathrooms downstairs are nice, clean, and there is a lot of artwork done by neighbourhood children (I think). Sits about 50 people. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm. Serves weekend brunch 10am-4pm. They are VERY veggie friendly. They can make most dishes vegetarian and they can prepare dishes spicier, milder, bigger, and smaller, just inquire wait staff.

Reviewed by Mark

Everybody Eats [dinner- closed June 2005]

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557 Parliament
*closed June 2005*
416-923-0100

Aaron and I went to see a play last night at the Berkely Theatre so we needed to grab dinner in a closeby neighbourhood restaurant so we decided to go to Everybody Eats. Everybody Eats is a cosy café with a local neighbourhood feel. It is decorated in white exposed brick with abstract art on the walls. Divided into 2 dinings rooms and a back terrace, the front room is small and resembles a greasy spoon with its open concept kitchen while the back dining area resembles a chi chi poo poo bistro with linen clothed tables with a real fire place.

Their business card describes the place as ecclectic, innovative, and casual. The brunch menu on the weekend (10am-4pm) has typical brunch fare (eggs any style, toast, non-dairy vegan French toast , salad, baked beans, and burgers). There is also an eggless omelette (made with tofu) so this place is perfect for me.

The dinner menu is diverse, funky, and ecclectic. With each entree, the chef recommends a wine or beer (from their extensive list of wines and beers) that goes well with the dish. Talk about drinking advisory services! For our appetizer, Aaron and I shared the pan fried veggie dumplings (4 for $5.95) with spicy peanut sauce. Although greasy, the dumplings were really good and hit the spot. For my main entree, I was disappointed to only find two vegetarian items: the fusili pasta with vegetables and feta cheese and the pan fried tofu with watercress and some rice in a nice teriyaki sauce. I opted for the Pan Fried Tofu with sauteed watercress which came with white rice.

WOW, it was REALLY good, salty, greasy, but GOOD. The only thing was the portion size. It was a small square of tofu with watercress (think spinach!) with a small side or white rice in a teriyaki sauce. Aaron opted for the curried lamb-burger with roasted rosemary potatoes. His lamb-burger came with a yummy portobello mushroom. He thought his food was good but too greasy. Other items on the dinner menu include burgers (ground strip loin with garlic mayo or curried lamb with sweet apricot chutney on kaisers buns with roasted bell pepper, jalapeno and onion.) Other menu items include a risotto of toasted nutty barley with chopped asparagus. Some starters include artichoke caviar, a Mediterranean relish served with warm herbed pita, and sweet potato fritters with pineapple salsa and cumin-scented yogurt. Desserts include a variety of cakes and pies from Altitude Bakery on Queen East. The night we went, there were two desserts: chocolate banana cake and apple sour cream cake. Not many healthy desserts but oh well. They accept all cards. Licensed with an extensive list of wine, beer, etc. Closed Mondays. Open until 10pm Tues-Fri. Weekend brunch is served 10-4pm.

Swan [dinner]

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892 Queen West
416-532-0452

 

With a small and vegetarian-free menu, I was still intrigued to go to Swan for dinner. With some friends we all opted for Swan because it was unique and unlike the typical Fresh by Juice for Life, (which I’ve been a million times) I did not want to torture my friends and force them to eat vegetarian. Having gone for brunch several months ago to Swan, I had enjoyed the qiet ambiance, the cool dim lighting, the minimalist decor, and the laid-back environment of this chi chi poo poo diner in the Queen West West neighbourhood.

We sat in the booth at the back of the restaurant, a familiar place where we sat for brunch months before in the winter. We sat down and got comfortable. For a starter most of them had House Wine and some kind of fancy-pants Beer. Aaron, Gavin, and Joey ordered appetizers of Oysters and Grilled Bread with diced tomatoes. They enjoyed both appetizers very much.

For our main meals, Daniel and Jonathan both ordered the beef short ribs. Daniel found his dish to be beefy and quite tender. He thought that the sauce offered a hearty balance of flavours with a judicious hint of sweetness that complimented the fine quality meat. He also enjoyed the pan- fried vegetables but they were unfortunately not well-seasoned, but, fortunately, not over-cooked.

Gavin had the Capon (rooster) which was coated in a delicious vanilla-oatmeal breading and pan-fried. The coating was great, but the actual meat was a bit tasteless. He found the buttermilk mashed potatoes to be exquisite, and he loved his roasted vegetables.

Aaron had the halibut on a bed of mashed yams, new potatos and cheese with some steamed veggies. He thinks his meal was covered in a pesto sauce but he could be wrong. Overall, it was quite tasty though he probably would have prefered some meat.

Joey had the vegetarian risotto with stewed tomatoes and other veggies cooked in a creamy vegetarian risotto broth.
I had the curried lentil soup, with pureed lentils, not too pungent in flavour, but with the right amount of zing. The puree made the soup taste creamy and hearty. Mark also had the spinach salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries in a light viniagrette.

The prices were pretty pricy. My soup was $5.00 and my salad was $7.00 and my salad portion was laughable. It was so small, I laughed while eating it and trying to enjoy every morsel. My soup was very hearty, healthy, and flavourful. I do think it was worth $5.00 even though $5.00 is slightly pricy for a soup. The bill came out to $186.00 for 6 people and most entrees were $15.00-$18.00 which, in my opinion is too pricy for me. Accepts all cards. Open late. Can be crowded most evenings and weekends. Reservations are recommended, especially for the popular weekend brunch. Service was OK but our waitress was cold and unfriendly to most of us. Maybe she had a bad day

Il Fornello (Beaches Jazz Festival)

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Il Fornello- The Danforth
576 Danforth Ave.
Tel. (416) 466-2931
Major intersection: Danforth & Carlaw

Il Fornello- Yonge and St. Clair
1560 Yonge Street
Tel. (416) 920-7347
Major intersection: Yonge & St. Clair

Il Fornello- Bayviw Village
2901 Bayview Ave
Tel. (416) 227-1271
Major intersection: Bayview & Sheppard

Il Fornello- Theatre District
214 King St. West
Tel. (416) 977-2855
Major intersection: King & Simcoe

Il Fornello – Beaches
1968 Queen St. E
Tel. (416) 691-8377
Major Intersection: Queen & Woodbine

Il Fornello- Queen’s Quay Terminal
207 Queen’s Quay West
Tel. (416) 861-1028
Major intersection: Queen’s Quay & York

Il Fornello Bloor West Village
2277 Bloor St. W.
Tel. (416) 761-9222
Major intersection: Bloor & Runnymede

IL FORNELLO *newest location-opening July 2005*
491 Church St

Located right in the heart of the Beaches, this cool, hip and trendy eatery is surrounded by art, exposed brick, dim lightings, and a funky menu that incorporates traditional Italian fare with health conscious and trendified food. On my last visit to the chain in the Beaches, I had the large Insalata Roma … (mixed greens, chèvre, roasted peppers, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette). My friend Justine had the artichoke and pesto pizza, Daniel had the hearty Beef Manicotti which he thought Insalata Roma … (mixed greens, chèvre, roasted peppers, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette)was fine. He found that there was a heavy use of sage I think, which made the meat taste a little heavy/hars; maybe better use of oregano or other Italian spice would have been in order. My sister had the squid was a little on the rubbery side. Both Daniel and my sister thoroughly enjoyed the 1 litre of Sangria. There are some vegetarian pizza items, some made with spelt crust, and many offering soy cheese. The salads are funky (Tossed Salad , Caesar Salad … Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach with mango and endive, Strawberry, Pear, Spinach Salad, Wild Mushroom and Arugula Salad, Crispy Prosciutto, Arugula and Spinach salad

Pastas include Linguini di Mare (tiger shrimp, scallops, mussels and calamari, light olive oil, tomato sauce), Penne Capri , with roasted chicken, wild mushrooms, spinach, in a lemon, garlic olive oil sauce, Spaghettini Primavera … (spaghetti with sauteed vegetables), Truffled Wild Mushroom Cannelloni (Cannelloni with Wild mushroom and ricotta), Tortelloni Fornello … (cheese tortelloni in a spicy tomato cream sauce), Manicotti (ricotta and spinach filled pasta baked in tomato sauce), and Daniel’s dish Cannelloni (meat filled pasta baked in tomato sauce), Spaghettini Misto … (Spaghettini with grilled chicken, tiger shrimp sautéed with caramelized onions, rapini, cherry tomatoes, in a lemon garlic olive oil),
Fettuccine Salmone … (Fettuccine with smoked salmon, and veggies in a dill vodka cream sauce ), the classic Penne Arrabbiate … (Penne in a spicy tomato sauce), and lastly Linguini Sorrentina … (Linguini with fresh basil, bocconcini cheese, and tomato sauce)

Pizzas ($9.00-$13.50) are served on multigrain crust, spelt crust (add $2), Quejos crust (add $3) and even carb-reduced crust (only available at Il Fornello at 1560 Yonge St. and Bayview Village)

Some pizzas include Prosciutto Pizza,Pizza Santo (w/soy cheese) ,Italian Sausage Pizza,
Pizza Affumicato (tomato sauce, carmelized onion, smoked chicken, spinach, and pine nuts),
Pizza Pollo (tomato sauce, roasted garlic, grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, and provolone),
Pesto Pizza (gaisli, grilled chicken, fire roasted eggplant, pesto), Pizza Gorgonzola (red wine caramel pears, gorgonzola, caramelized onions, walnuts, lemon dressed arugula), Fig Pizza ( prosciutto, honey figs, mascarpone, and shaved grano padano), Pizza Salmone (pizza with smoked salmon) , Pizza Tre Colori (very colourful pizza with Buffalo mozzarella, basil oil, prosciutto, oven cured roma tomatoes), Wild Mushroom Pizza ( 3 kinds of mushrooms with brie and basil oil), Pizza di bufala (Buffalo mozzarella, basil oil, oven cured roma tomatoes), Pancetta pizza … (regular cheese pizza with pancetta), Mediterranean Pizza … (Mediterranean vegetables, asiago cheese), Traditional Pizza (tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms), Pizza Nove (basic vegetarian pizza), Escargot Pizza (Escargot, garlic, tomato sauce, mozzarella), Pizza di Bufala (Buffalo mozzarella, basil oil, oven cured roma tomatoes
Anchovy Pizza (Tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, and black olives), Pizza Semplice (Tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and mozzarella), Tri Coloured Pepper Pizza … (green, red, yellow grilled peppers, tomato sauce, roasted garlic, and chèvre), and Hawaiian Pizza (prosciutto, pineapple, tomato sauce, and mozzarella)

You can build your own pizzas too. Choose your crust (multigrain crust $1.25, spelt crust $3.25, gluten-free quejos $5.00, carb reduced crust), then add your ingrediants to make your own unique and personal pizza. Select from various cheeses: buffalo mozarella ($5.00), brie, chevre, gorgonzola, gaisli, asiago, mascarpone, camboloza, ($4.00)

Choose your meat and gourmet vegetables: grilled chicken, pancetta, shrimp, grilled chicken, pancetta, shrimp, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, escargot, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, feta, provolone, pine nuts, bocconcini, smoked chicken, prosciutto, smoked salmon, spicy Italian sausage, pesto, fire roasted wild mushrooms, soy cheese ($3.00)

Other herbs and vegetables to choose include: fresh basil, caramelized onions, fresh rosemary, fresh dill, mixed fresh herbs, roasted garlic, ham, anchovies, snow peas, pepperoni, roasted eggplant, parmesan cheese, oven-cured roma tomatoes, red peppers, fire roasted field mushrooms ($2.00)

Other smaller vegetables and condiments include: hot peppers, pineapple, tomato sauce, broccoli, onions, green peppers, black olives, green olives, red onions, capers, spinach, freshly chopped garlic ($1.00)

Il Fornello also has a small “alternative menu”. Alternative items include spelt pizzas, pastas, and Gluten free pastas . You can design your own pizza or pasta dish. For gluten free items, add an additional $1.25 for Rice pasta instead for menu items marked with a +.

Some “alternative” menu items include the Pizza Santo (Tomato sauce, herbs, spinach, red onion, roasted red pepper, ‘non-dairy’ cheese ), Gluten-Free Pasta, $13.25 (wheat and gluten-free pasta with olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, and veggies)
Quejos Pizza Crust $5.00 (gluten free Quejos pizza crust and design your own pizza)

Accepts every card. Expect lineups on the weekend and for brunch.

Fire on the East Side

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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.

Soda

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425 Danforth Avenue
ph: 416-466-5227

 

Located right on the Danforth, SODA is an acronym for South on Danforth Avenue

It is the fusion of Greek and Italian cuisine, offering traditional Greek and Italian fare

They have all traditional Greek dishes as well as Italian dishes like various pastas (Fettucini Alfredo, Penne Prima vera) as well as thin crusted pizza (Mediterranean pizza has feta, olives, tomatoes, etc) and more traditional pizzas like sausage, pepperoni, and seafood

We went on a warm summer evening on Friday. To our surprise every restaurant on the Danforth was packed except this one. We did not know why. The atmosphere is inviting, the service was excellent, and the food was superb.

Wendy ordered the risotto of the day ($14.95) , a risotto with chicken breast, mushrooms, in a creamy pesto sauce. She loved it. The portions were huge and she only finished about 70% of it. I ordered two appetizers, the spanakopita, which comprised four small spinach pies topped with sesame seeds, and a little platter of salad in the middle of my plate with dollop of tzatiki. I also ordered the Imam (grilled eggplant with roasted red and green peppers). It came with four slices of Italian-style pita. Both appetizers were $5.95 each.

Portions were huge and food was fresh and flavourful.

The whole place is very classy. The restaurant is composed of a large, open concept dining hall, very minimal in design. Staff are extra friendly, informative, and accomodating. The only strange thing that Friday evening was that Soda was the only place that was empty. Maybe it was because it was not a true Greek restaurant (it was fusion) and that people visiting the Danforth on a Friday night want an authentic Greek meal and Soda offers both Greek and Italian.

They also have a small brunch menu, mostly comprised of egg dishes but also has two fruit dishes (fruit and granola with yogourt) and fruit salad. They accept all cards.

Pulp Kitchen [brunch]

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898 Queen Street E
416 . 461 . 4612

 

Located right in the heart of South Riverdale, this perfect juice bar and eatery serves vegan meals, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, energy bars, as well as other hot and cold health food. They also sell health and wellness books, nutrition books, cookbooks, high protein and energy bars, vegan pastries, cookies, squares, and cakes.

It looks like an affordable “Fressen” with a rainforest motif on the walls. The place sits about 15 tables and is very bright and cosy. That lazy Sunday morning, I went to brunch (a blind date) and ordered the tofu omelete, alittle too dry and overcooked, with sauteed portobello mushrooms, sauteed red and green peppers, spinach, soy cheese for $8.45. I also ordered a blueberry soy smoothie with frozen bananas, vanilla soy milk, and blueberries for $4.95. As usual, I was pleased by the freshness, presentation, and quality of the food and service. My brunch date ordered the exact same dish as I.

The brunch menu is extensive. It is important to mention that all references to eggs, cheese, meat, chicken, bacon, fish, are all fictional. Some brunch items to highlight are the grilled cheese sandwich with whole grain toast, whole grain peanut butter sandwich with house made jam and peanut butter, hot oatmeal with raisins, carmelized bananas, and pure maple syrup, stewed beans and bangers (like sausages and beans) with corn chutney, a side of green salad, and whole grain toast, a special pulp kitchen sandwich with seared tofu, oven roasted tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Many of their items are home-made, like their homefries, peanut butter, and jam. They accept Interac and VISA.

Utopia Cafe and Grill

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586 College
(416) 534-7751

A whole mish mash of food awaits you at Utopia, a small cafe and bistro with a funky name, located right in the heart of Little Italy. They serve a variety of dishes from Grilled Angus Sirloin to Half Roast Chicken to Veggie Burritos to a Hamburger served with goat, swiss, and cheese and eggplant, zucchini, and roasted red peppers.

Wine is served by the glass and there is a large variety to choose from. Staff are very friendly and there is an exposed kitchen so you can see the cook prepare most dishes.

It seems most of the menu consists of quesadilas and burritos with interesting fillings. Some of those fillings are inspired from Mexican, Italian, and Indian cuisine. I enjoyed the quesadilla with pesto, cheddar & monterey jack cheese, salsa, and sauteed portobello mushrooms. It came with a side order of coleslaw or field mix salad and rice & black beans (I chose coleslaw and field mix salad) .

They are very considerate and accomodating to vegetarians. The waiter told me straight out that they are considerate and accomodating to vegetarians since the owner is vegetarian and they could always make substitutions. I was relieved. The waiter asked me what I wanted to avoid and I told him. He gave me the various options of vegetarian dishes on the menu and there were many.

They serve many burritos and quesadillas with soy protein or tofu and they told me that they could make anything vegetarian. I was also happy that when I asked for a diet Coke, they asked me if I wanted a regular size or a large. Most places like to charge more so they assume you want large, thus charging you more. Some burritos and quesadilas include the Grilled Lamb Burrito (that’s what Daniel ordered), Steak Burrito , Grilled Chicken Burrito ,Grilled Sausage Burrito, Curried Chickpea & Potato Burrito ,Grilled Vegetable Burrito ,Chicken Goat Cheese Burrito. Some quesadilas included the White Bean & Tofu Quesadilla ,Grilled Eggplant Quesadilla ,Mushroom & Pesto Quesadilla , Chicken Quesadilla , and the Steak Quesadilla.

They also serve a variety of hamburgers like the Utopia Burger (a burger with the works plus goat, swiss and cheddar cheeses, grilled eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers and sauteed mushrooms), Swiss and Mushroom ,Mediterranean Burger (lettuce, tomato, Bermuda onion, tzatziki and feta cheese ), Grilled Bison Burger , Homemade Chicken Burger , Homemade Charbroiled Burger , and of course the Veggie burger.

Sandwiches include the Vegetarian Souvlaki (with soy protein!), Chicken Breast Sandwich , N.Y. Sirloin Sandwich , Grilled Chicken Club , Baked Chicken & Pesto , Grilled Veggie Sandwich , Spicy Italian Sausage Sandwich , Grilled Tuna Sandwich , Smoked Salmon Sandwich , Tandoori Chicken Sandwich , and the Pesto, Mushroom and Asiago Cheese sandwich. All dishes are served with field mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Sandwiches range from $8.00-$9.00

Service was very slow but the ambiance was great. Covered in beautiful abstract artwork that is for sale, exposed brick, dim lighting, exposed kitchen, tables spread out throughout the cafe in front, and a beautiful back terrace that is half enclosed, half exposed, this place is definitely on my “A” list of places to come back and eat. They also serve a weekend brunch from 12pm-4pm. Some brunch dishes include the Chicken Pesto & Cheddar Cheese Omelette , Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Goat Cheese Omelette , Smoked Salmon & Swiss Omelette , Utopia Scramble (three scrambled eggs served with sausage and home fried potatoes), the traditional Steak & Eggs, Daily Quiche served with a field mix salad and a balsamic vinaigrette, and other dishes like the breakfast burrito with bacon or sausage.

Even though most dishes are beef, chicken, lamb, or sausage, there are many vegetarian options for the fussiest and strictest of vegetarians like myself. Prices are between $8.95-$15.95 for dinner and $6.00-$9.00 for weekend brunch. The only drawback to Utopia was the long long long long wait. I would definitely go back, though. They accept Interac and VISA.

Joy Bistro

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884 Queen E
(416) 465-8855

 

Walking into this little bistro right in the middle of South Riverdale at Queen East and Empire, we could not see inside since all of the windows were foggy. Upon entering, we noticed that it was small and the decor looked very much like a Pottery Barn furniture store. Very cosy and comfortable, we were seated in a small table right by the entrance. We noticed that tables were small and fairly close together.

The brunch menu is extensive but unfortunately does not have many vegetarian options except the famous Dutch blueberry pancake, which looked fabulous. I ordered an egg white omelete for $8.99 and it came with two free toppings, from a list of about twenty (I chose mushrooms and spinach) It came with toast and home fries and I replaced with salad in a yummy balsamic viniagrette “pudding-type” dressing

I am VERY happy to report that there was a bottle of ketchup on the table so there was no need to ask for tiny portions of ketchup. I was disappointed, though, as I expected it to be cool, unique, and hip, but instead it was very “cookie cutter”—looked like we stopped by Calvin Klein’s living room.

Staff are friendly staff, accomodating, no lineup. There is a separate dinner and brunch menu. There is an outdoor terrace (patio) that seats 32 in the summer. The place also serves affordable French-influenced continental cusine, cocktails, beer and wine, and gourmet coffee. The terrace overlooks the tennis courts at Jimmie Simpson Park. They accept VISA and Interac.