Let’s start the new Ontario Board off with a breakfast and brunch thread.
Please mention the city, if you’re mentioning Breakfasts and Brunches outside Toronto.
I like Emma’s Country Kitchen, on St Clair W in Toronto. They had picnic tables in front of the restaurant, when the weather allowed for it last summer and fall. I’ve had brunch to-go 3 times.
I understand the owners worked at The Stockyards , which also has great biscuits and breakfast sandwiches, before they opened Emma’s Country Kitchen. Excellent donuts easily at Emma’s, too, in limited supply.
The breakfast sandwiches, chicken & waffles, burgers are great at The Stockyards, which opens later these days, and is currently only open Thu to Sun. It’s still a good brunch option.
Café Boulud used to make nice ricotta pancakes with lemon, and a brunch dish with duck confit and eggs. Nice basket of Madeleines, too. I had a memorable birthday brunch at Café Boulud several years ago.
The patio at Maison Boulud in Montreal, inside the Ritz Carlton, is a really nice place for brunch, too.
Re: Croque Monsieur, the Swiss Train Ride at Union, on the weekend brunch menu, is very good. Heated patio at the back.
I would try cafe boulud but their service is abysmal on the few occasions I went there.
I went to Otto bierhall today for brunch decent as usual. Attaching pic. We added poached eggs and a haloomi schnitzel as well
Had the Combo Breakfast Sandwich at Dough this weekend - still excellent. Thick slab of peameal, lovely melty cheddar sauce, avocado, fried egg, tomato, and hot sauce (probably Frank’s). The mixed veggie strata was also very good, akin to a savoury break pudding. We also had the bread pudding, which was moist and speckled with various fruits and some chocolate. Lastly the kouign amann was surprisingly good.
I tried half a dozen pastries from Dough the week before our initial lockdown, and I haven’t been back. Everything I tried was very good. My friend tried the Hot Cross Buns this past week.
The Japanese-Italian brunch spot on Harbord- in the same space Dreyfus occupies now, closed about around 3 years ago, and the place I liked in Bloordale that had omurice closed last year.
Sakawa Coffee on Danforth http://sakawacoffee.com/, the Hanbusa and Fuwa Fuwa soufflé pancake places and Film Café have some brunch dishes.
Film Café has one rolled omelette which is okay, but not as good as the omurice I had at the now-closed Coo Bread or Rice. Scroll to see the food menu. I don’t think the rolled omelette or other brunch dishes at Film Café are worth a detour to Kensington. I had been to Film Café for brunch 3 times before 2020 , since I used to visit Kensington once a week. Most of the menu is not Japanese. https://filmcafetoronto.com/home
I’m not aware of other Japanese brunch spots in Toronto that have hot food.
A few dishes at Sisters & Co have a Korean influence. I really liked a recent Benny at Sisters & Co. https://sistersco.ca/menu/
Light Café on Baldwin might does a modern Taiwanese brunch- it’s on my list!
I was taken by surprise by the ’ ginormous ’ size and taste of this Crispy fried Chicken sandwich from ’ La Petite Colline aka Shan-Shan cafe ’ on 3355 Steeles Avenue East across the road from J-Town!
They have a varied range of very interesting and delicious sandwich options! Well worth trying. https://order.mrsdigi.com/363815210802005/bd2090ae-d861-5663-b76d-7272348fa9b3#/menu-full
So I had revisit to clay and tried the swedish pancakes and these are worth reporting. Not too sweet and right amount of sweet and savory for a revisit. A bit odd combo but I added a side of fries which are quite good as well to complete the meal. Good stuff for this area imo with a very nice setup to boot
Despite vowing not to return to cafe boulud I couldn’t resist the offer for a prix fixe brunch. Quenelle was great so was the dessert. Service a lot better than dinner service for sure. Maybe a repeat since very close by.
Yeah they have got that sauce down pat. Someone was treating so their choice to not drink that early . They did offer a mimosa or prosecco by glass for 12$. A bit of caution the brunch service starts at 1130 am as you will get the breakfast menu otherwise.
I think a very good value for 62$ for 3 courses as Quenelle is 40$+ on it’s own
. They did offer a mimosa or prosecco by glass for 12$. A bit of caution the brunch service starts at 1130 am as you will get the breakfast menu otherwise.