Breakfast

ELEPHANT GRIND

April 18, 2019September 16, 2019Leave a comment

Elephant Grind Coffee
10 East Wilmot St Unit 7, Richmond Hill, ON

It makes me so happy that restaurant owners are choosing to open their establishments uptown, giving the everyone (especially me) more delicious options, less traffic, and free parking!

Elephant Grind opened their doors mid 2018 in Richmond Hill – a combination of beautiful atmosphere, exceptional coffees and fantastic flavour combinations. They are serving up traditional bunch with an Asian fusion twist like Lap Chong (Chinese sausage) Hash, Cha Siu Pulled Pork Bennies, Hojicha and Matcha Lattes. I also think they might also have the best chicken and waffles ever – love that the chicken is boneless!

Cons: they don’t take reservations, it’s first come first serve with some help from the servers and you order and pay at the counter prior to getting your food – which makes it a little chaotic at times for the guests that are already eating.

They definitely have some work to do on some of the intensity of their flavoured lattes but their coffees are great and not outrageously expensive.

HELLO DARLING

February 26, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

827 Lansdowne Ave | Toronto, ON
https://www.facebook.com/hellodarlingcafe

Looking for a new brunch joint? Hello Darling opened it’s doors the beginning of this year, the interior is quite quaint, friendly and welcoming. I love the simple decor here with the mismatched cups and plates and fresh flowers on each table.

Everyone got either coffee or tea, I opted to get the Rhubarb & Ginger Soda. It was not too sweet and really refreshing, not as much rhubarb flavour as I wanted though.

The menu changes daily with their menu hand written on their black board.

Everything is is made in house and they source their protein from Rowe Farms which is awesome knowing where the products are actually from.

My sister and my boyfriend both got the Huevos Rancheros served with fried eggs, mixed peppers, rice & beans, pico de gallo, avocado, purple slaw and Mexican cheese. This isn’t your stereotypical huevos rancheros, super light and healthy version.

Chris got the Apple Cake French Toast, served with rum raisins, maple syrup and whipped cream (opted out).

My mom got the Eggs Any Style which is served with hash brown, toast, light salad and fruit. No complaints but also nothing very fancy.

I got the Roasted Vegetables with poached eggs, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato, fennel, pita za’atar, white bean hummus & kale chips. I really loved my dish, it was healthy, light but also very substantial. All the different textures made up for the lack of meat.

I would highly recommend checking out Hello Darling if you’re looking for a vegetarian and vegan friendly meal but also very satisfying for meat eaters alike.
The wait time for food is a little longer than usual but the food and service make up for that.

BONJOUR BRIOCHE

May 23, 2013September 16, 20191 Comment

812 Queen Street East

Toronto, ON

http://www.bonjourbrioche.com

Bonjour Brioche Honestly Bonjour Brioche is hands down my favourite breakfast/brunch place in Toronto. They have amazing food with amazing prices, not only that they bake their own breads and everything is made in house, they also have a killer salad dressing that you can purchase for $6.50. My mom took me here a few years ago and

I recommend this place to everyone and can’t stop raving about it. I met up with some of my classmates for brunch before our “Hunger Games, Sweet Addition”. I figured we needed a proper meal before going into a sugar coma.

I got one of their daily savoury tarts which has quiche like qualities, egg custard in a flaky-pyllo like pastry crust. That day I got one with chorizo, arugula and smoked provolone served with a side salad and a piece of baguette. The chorizo was nice and crispy and the portion was just right for me.

Monica got the smoked salmon eggs benedict on a croissant with a side salad and instead of a piece of baguette she got a small brioche. She gave me a piece and it was delicious and she loved it. Kylie got a Lemon Twist, it looked super flaky and butter. I really wanted to get some of their croissant pastries to take home but sadly didn’t.

Kylie got a Lemon Twist, it looked super flaky and butter. I really wanted to get some of their croissant pastries to take home but sadly didn’t.

Bonjour Brioche is a pretty small restaurant so you’re pretty close to your neighbour. They don’t take reservations so get there early or expect a wait, there’s alway a line up out the door when I pass by. This place is definitely a must try brunch / bakery in Toronto, just on the East end of Queen Street. One more thing, they only except cash.

SMASH KITCHEN AND BAR

May 23, 2013September 16, 2019Leave a comment

4261 Highway 7 East | Markham, ON
http://www.smashkitchen.com

Sadly this year my sister and I didn’t plan anything extravagant for my mom on Mother’s Day, life has been so busy but we did spend the day with her and took her out to brunch. My sister made reservations to Smash Restaurant & Bar, where Bluestone Bistro used to be situated. I really miss having Bluestone Bistro there, they had amazing breakfast options like their to-die-for crab cake eggs benedict but never mind, we’re here to talk about Smash!

Little has changed with their decor or any renovations at all, just the ambiance is a little more lounge-y. For Mother’s Day they had a special for $25 which included breakfast bread basket, mimosa, entree and dessert. We all opted out of it and just got our individual meals.

This was the bread basket, banana bread and blueberry muffins but they weren’t anything special.

My mom ordered the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich with french fries.

My sister and I both got omelettes, I got the vegetarian (spinach, onions, mushrooms and cheese) and my sister got bacon and 4 cheese. I enjoyed mine but it wasn’t anything mind blowing, a little too cheesy but overall just an average omelette. Both omelettes were served with toast, a side of fresh fruit and home fries.

Chris got the Eggs Benedict with toast and home fries.
He was extremely hungry so he devoured it and also ate some of my mom’s sandwich.

Opinion? Smash has nothing impressing but nothing horrible either, just an average restaurant. Would I be back? Probably not, at least not for breakfast.

LE PETIT DEJEUNER

May 7, 2013September 16, 2019Leave a comment

191 King Street East | Toronto, ON
https://www.petitdejeuner.ca/

What’s better than having brunch? Having brunch in the middle of the week as a good pick-me-up. Kylie met up with me at Le Petit Dejeuner for some delicious brunch food, she was going to be in the neighbourhood so we decided to grab a bite before heading to school.

Petit Dejeuner serves up Belgian-Canadian comfort food with their fabulous light and fluffy waffles.

I got the Breakfast Crepes, $12, filled with three cheeses, peameal bacon, two scrambled eggs and potatoes. It wasn’t a very visually appealing filling but it was scrumptious. Almost all the meals are served with a side of their famous apple slaw, sweet and tangy, topped with their house creamy dressing and pickles. I honestly hate raw apples but I’ll gladly eat a bowl of Petit Dejeuner’s apple coleslaw.

Kylie got the Waffle Benny, it’s like Eggs Benny without the English muffin and only with one egg, $13.00. Kylie seemed to love her meal.

I love the interior, with their bright green vinyl couches, yellow walls and just the old charm it has. The servers are incredibly nice too, warm, welcoming and laid back.

I warn you though, there will be a line up and usually it’s out the door on the weekends so go early and get a table!

P.S Their waffles and benny’s are a must try!

THE STOCKYARDS SMOKEHOUSE & LARDER

September 18, 2012September 19, 20191 Comment

699 St Clair Ave West | Toronto, ON
http://www.thestockyards.ca/

I’ve been dying to try Stockyards for quite some time now because I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones that serve chicken & waffles in Toronto. The downside is that they only serve chicken & waffles during their Sunday Brunch service which is between 9am – 3pm.

We got there around 10am and sat right at the front of the restaurant, there are only bar seatings so I wouldn’t advise coming with large groups. I really liked the country, laid back atmosphere here with extremely friendly servers.

Okay let’s get to the good stuff, the Chicken & Waffles, $13.00! I know, don’t judge me, fried chicken at 10am?! But boy did I come out happy.

The plate comes with three deliciously fried pieces of chicken which are crispy, juicy andnot greasy at all. The waffles were soft and the perfect vessel for the chicken and the chili maple molasses citrus glaze, which I think absolutely made the dish. It was the perfect combination of sweet which a tiny kick of heat and when eaten with the crisp savoury chicken, it was just perfect. I definitely couldn’t finish it so i took the rest home, the portions are quite big here.

Philip got the The whole 9 yards, $14, includes 2 deep-fried eggs, 2 fried green tomatoes, 2 sausage patties, 2 slices of bacon, a bowl of baked beans, potato hash and your choice of bread. Philip liked his meal but I felt everything was a bit too salty for me, I don’t think I would be able to finish the platter.

Look at that perfectly runny yolk!

A whole case full of giant biscuits! I would love to try one next time but I was so incredibly stuffed.

I usually study the menu quite carefully before going to a restaurant so I basically knew what I wanted to order when I walked through the doors, unfortunately the restaurant menu and online menu are different. I guess they haven’t had time to change it and I was dying to try their Beignets, kind of like donuts but they took it off the menu along with some other very intriguing items. I’ll definitely be back to try their regular menu.