Locations:
Over Easy 208 Bloor Street West, Toronto
www.overeasyrestaurants.com
Coffee Mill 99 Yorkville Ave, Toronto
www.coffeemillrestaurant.com
Our girlie gatherings usually revolve around food; specifically, brunch! What better way to start the day.
This time, our choice brunch location was Over Easy since the plan was to check out the latest addition to the ROM (mainly, The Lee-Chin Crystal addition) after brunch.
I think it's quite safe to say that brunch is easily unscrew-up-able. Am I right?
And while nothing was screwed per se, there was certainly nothing memorable about eating there (except for the company).
I do have one gripe, however.
My tea was lukewarm.
I truly dislike a lukewarm tea which brings to mind A Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams where he describesa perfect proper cup of tea.
I've noticed lukewarm tea all over the city - ya know, that "hot" water from that hot water machine just doesn't cut it.
Anyway, here's some of what was eaten.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Eggs and chicken sausage $6.99"][/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Spanish Omelette $9.99"][/caption]
I must say, the pots that the hot drinks came in were loads of fun!
After a blustery walk from the ROM, all we wanted was a warm hideout and a hot drink to warm up our hands.
Starbucks was full, and the next best idea was the Lettieri but before we made it there, we found The Coffee Mill!
Nestled within the shops at 99 Yorkville is the quaint old (est. 1963!) hideaway for just these types of gatherings. The pastry selection got us all salivating, so a chocolate cake and an apple (or was it rhubarb ?) strudel, it was.
As far as copy coffee shops go, this one has the cosy part down pat.
Product: Mighty Leaf Teas
Notice anything out of the ordinary?
Product: Language of the Leaf
Product:
Language of the Leaf Teas
www.languageoftheleaf.com
I'm so excited to review this product as it was a package sent to me from Neeta Khanna (founder, Language of the Leaf) herself after she saw my Zimbel's review. So about four weeks ago I received this package and have pretty much been getting drunk on teas ever since.
In fact, as I sit here writing this, I'm sipping on a lovely Rooibos Sunset tea . Outside, the leaves are the same colour.
The Rooibos Sunset tea is much like a walk in the crisp fall weather with crackling leaves underfoot and a real sense of being at one with nature.
Its citrus flavour is refreshing and light and the high level of antioxidants makes it a winner all-around. I should also mention that this tea arrived as a wedding give-away sample; the tea in a gorgeous silken tea bag in a cute round metal container.
The Wedding Blend, a white tea infused with peach nectar and speckled with pink rosebuds is appropriately titled as it would make a very good wedding give away.
I found this to be a really enjoyable after-dinner tea. We'd purchased a rose-bud tea in San Francisco from a wonderful tea shop sold to us by a very knowledgeable salesman and he told us that the rose buds are great for complexion and said to relieve menstrual pain. I find the pure rose-bud tea to have too strong of a sweet scent (much like rose water), so the blend of white tea, peaches and roses was more tolerable.
The Rooibos Lemongrass tasted much like the Rooibos Sunset, I couldn't quite detect the difference, but I'm not complaining since I longed for more of the Sunset after the tea bag was finished, so this works just as nicely.
I have to admit that I am not a fan of green teas; I've never come across one that I've liked (until now), mostly because of their sometimes powdery and always bitter aftertaste.
That said, the Queen of Siam is a green tea with a lemon ginger finish and I was hesitant to try it, it was the last one of the batch left for me to try and the lemony scent reminded me of NeoCitran, but then I tasted it and it was wonderfully not lemony at all...rather, gingery and smooth with a mild hint of green tea. Very soothing. We cracked this tea pack open at work one day when one of my friends was feeling a cold coming on...she agreed that it was very calming.
Okay, can I please talk about the Biscotti now? WOW! Imagine your grandmother's biscotti, or if your grandmother didn't make biscotti, imagine she did and now imagine it in liquid form. Okay, that probably didn't make it sound too good, but honestly, I was floored that tea could taste as if I were actually biting into a biscotto. It's great with or without milk. Amazing. Truly a tea to make you feel warm and fuzzy all over!
And lastly, y'all know how much I love my Earl Greys (and I have had some really pathetic EG teas...bags and loose leaves,but I shan't name any names...*cough Twinnings Lipton David's Tea cough*), and Language of the Leaf's Earl Grey is what I really should be talking about since it's what brought this whole review together! I fell in love with this LotL's EG at Zimbel's Cafe a while ago, enjoying it with some soy or lactose-free milk in the afternoons as a wake pick-me-up. I love the smell of it; it's got a milder scent of bergamot but it's not mild on taste. A wonderful version of EG that I adore and continue to purchase from Zimbel's, even with a batch of it at home. The one time Zimbel's didn't have EG, I decided to try the Ginger Peach Apricot black tea; I found it to be deliciously gingery and robust in fruit flavour.
I'd like to thank Neeta Khanna for this opportunity to review her fabulous teas, it was such a treat! And thanks to Language of the Leaf for making the days leading into winter so much more enjoyable.
Rude Service @ Whole Foods (Whole Hearth), Yorkville
Location:
87 Avenue Road, Toronto
Cost: Hot chocolate $2.99 (mint shot $.50), cooked sushi combo 6.49, avocado roll $5.99
To clarify; this review is not about the Whole Foods Market in Yorkville....which I actually like very much and can't complain about. Instead, this post is in regards to the absolutely disgraceful service we received at the Whole Foods cafe, Whole Hearth (located on the street level of Avenue Rd.) one afternoon after a day at the spa.
It's very surprising that such a location as this in Yorkville (or anywhere, for that matter) would have staff like this employed.
Imagine this, if you will. Three perfectly relaxed women, sauntering into the cafe for a mid-day snack after a leisurely few hours at the Nova Spa across the street. Each picking a sushi snack tray from the freezer section and standing at the cashier ready to pay.
At once we notice how our server is incredibly short with us...ringing in my friend's sushi while impatiently gesturing for mine as well. I tell him we want to order a hot chocolate which he doesn't even acknowledge, still waving for my sushi tray. I try to tell him that my sister and I will be sharing our hot chocolate (my friend had also ordered a hot chocolate) but it goes unacknowledged (although appears on the receipt).
We take our sushi to the table (sans hot chocolate) and begin to eat, all the while looking to see if our hot chocolates are being made. Instead he seems to be occupying himself with other tasks and then begins moving around from one end of the cafe to the other.
At one point, my sister stops him mid-walk and asks about our hot chocolates to which he snaps, "In a minute, I'm not going in that direction..", meaning he was heading away from the coffee counter. Seriously?
Finally..and I mean by this time, my friend has already finished her sushi, he plops down her hot chocolate whereas ours is nowhere to be seen. So again, my sister begins to ask for an extra cup for the hot chocolate (assuming he plans to bring it) to which he rudely retorts, "In a minute, after these customers". So now they are other customers waiting, but weren't we also waiting?
Eventually we receive our drink (and the second cup) but are not happy with it (besides the manner in which it was produced, it didn't taste all that good either).
Later he returns with some 'leftover samples' from the bakery - some pizza which he shoves in front of our faces without explanation so I ask what kind of pizza it is, veggie or meat (my sister is vegetarian). His response? A classy, "chicken!" and then whips it away from me offering it to my friend who helps herself.
Wow.
As we get up to leave, we're barely out of our seats and gathering up our things when he comes over and starts moving the tables apart. I was practically still sitting in the chair. Yikes!!
My sister and I were appalled and even my usually zen-like friend was amazed at his actions.
Forget Whole Hearth, we sure got a WHOLE lotta attitude! What a horrible person to keep employed. Shame on you Whole Hearth.
Language of the Leaf Package!
Stoney's
Location:
323 Kerr Street, Oakville
Cost: Sunday Brunch approx $9 per entree
After all the hoopla and hype over Stoney's; we finally made it for brunch on Sunday and I have to tell you...I am a little bit disappointed.
Okay, so you stand in line, make your order, get a number, pick up your own drinks, seat yourself and your food is brought to you. I get it guys, I get it. But I have to ask why.
Why must you make your own tea/coffee and gingerly navigate your way to a table through the throngs of seated patrons? Perhaps even spilling some hot tea on the way to the outdoor patio? I feel that if I have to make my own tea standing at the milk/sugar counter in a restaurant on a Sunday morning, I might as well have stayed at home and done the same. Likewise, having to clear dirty utensils from the table shouldn't be on my morning list of things to do...at a restaurant. And if you're already getting the food brought to your table; why don't they just take orders at the table?
Also, running out of soy milk/lactose free-milk is not really acceptable when you're only open from 9am to 3pm on Sunday.
Our meals took a very long time to arrive (and we came after the breakfast crowd) that by the time they did arrive our hot drinks were cold and there were no offers made for refills. And while the service is friendly, we still had to call out for clean utensils to our server as she walked away after plunking our plates down (without even a glance) and also requested salt and pepper which was forgotten until we asked a second time. We also had to return to the front counter to remind them about the forgotten banana bread we'd ordered (more on the taste of the banana bread later).
So, before you get your underpants in a knot, let me just say that I don't consider myself a brunch snob although I am somewhat of a French toast connoisseur having cooked variations of it myself since I was, maybe twelve, and with it usually being my sole order at breakfast/brunch places all over, I can confidently say this:
The French Toast at Stoney's is just...okay.
On the positive (or maybe for some, negative) side, it is massive. The presentation is nice and the price is good for that much French toast. The plate was literally stacked with three huge slabs of bread. I say bread because it was literally too thick for the eggy-ness to fully penetrate the bready centre.
I dislike cutting into French toast only to find dry bread staring back at me. Admittedly the coating of brown sugar and cinnamon was tasty, but it wasn't enough coating and the too few fruits (although I did like the surprise of star fruit) on top of the mountainous "slabic" toast and teeny cup of maple syrup on the side was simply unjustly proportioned to the bread. However, I will happily admit that the side of bacon I got was perfection, although it's hard to screw up strips of fried pork.
The frittata was good...I'm hugely into artichokes so that part was great. Ordering egg whites didn't make it any less greasy...(this coming from someone who ordered bacon on the side, I know) and the mixed greens salad might have been better with the dressing on the side, but I suppose we should have ordered it that way.
Lastly, having to brush away the wasps and flies at our table (even before the food came, likely because the table hadn't been cleaned before we sat down) we had to eat quickly when our food finally did arrive. Argh, certainly not very relaxing the way a Sunday brunch should be.
And that home-made banana bread ($2.50) I told you about earlier? Don't do it. Absolutely no banana taste and oily to the core. No nuts even! Possibly the worst banana bread ever (best banana bread is still the one from the road-side stall in Maui).
There you have it guys...Foodhogger's Stoney's experience.
Undoubtedly some people's favourite joint to brunch, but overall, I'm not a fan of the system they have there...too much work involved for a lazy Sunday morning. Perhaps I'd go again for a sandwich or pizza at lunch where their cafeteria system would work. It's a good thing it's in the 'burbs...a place like Stoney's wouldn't survive in the city on that sort of system. Fusaro's in Toronto also has a cafeteria style system, but it's during the week and for lunch...they know better for brunch on the weekend...it's full table service; just how people want to eat on a Sunday, otherwise what's different than cooking up some french toast at home?
By The Way Cafe Round 2
Location:
400 Blor St West, Toronto
Cost: Approx $20
www.bythewaycafe.com
Recently went to BTWC again for a friend's birthday brunch gathering.
The french toast stuffed with apples and brie sat very well with the birthday girl.
(I ordinarily flock towards french toast, but can't do brie and didn't feel like regular french toast that day - *gasp* I know).
Instead, I ordered the omelette with chorizo, jalapenos and onions (minus the cheddar). I still can't believe it comes with a Montreal bagel, too!
I was really glad for the spicy chorizo and jalepenos in the omelette 'cause otherwise it was lacking a bit of something...some herbs? Thyme? Oregano? The other girls who ordered omelettes said the same of their omelettes..that it was missing a little somethin'.
My friend ordered the burrito...which was quite good although again, needed a little hot sauce in my humble opinion.
My veg friend who couldn't eat eggs that day was at a loss of what to order that didn't have eggs in it...waffles would have been a better choice than the baba ganough that she ordered with pita. As an appetizer shared between..many...it would have been great, but as a meal for one it faired well below average and the eggplant tasted a bit burnt or if you'd rather, overly smoked. A definite disappointment.
Something a little more veg friendly for breakfast instead of salad and other more lunchy-type options would be better. Possibly the waffles are the only thing that qualified in this case.
The OJ, on the other hand, was splendid.
And the cheesecake seemed to be a hit amongst the others.
Looks like the baba ganough isn't deflecting the customers at all; BTWC is a much happening place...with a constant stream of patrons flowing in and out. With their lovely, sunny patio and friendly service, it surely is a nice brunch spot in the Annex.
By the Way Cafe
I'm sorry, but this place is just begging for a text message review.
Something like this perhaps?
~
Loc:
400 Blor St W, TO
BTW, i wn 2 dis plc on Blr St W 4 brnch 1 Sat morn aftr yoga cls & ws plsntly surpsd by da cozy atmsphr & frndly srvic. Da scrmbld egs totly hit da spot.
but OMG u guyz Twngns Erl Gry rely sux!
~
Going to BTWC again this Saturday for a friend's birthday breakfast...will post more on that soon.
Zimbel's Cafe
Location:
410 Adelaide Street West
In place of Mosaic, there now is Zimbel's Cafe! It must be hard for them to get everyone's attention being hidden away in such a quiet street as Adelaide especially with Timmy's on the other corner and Le Gourmand and Starbucks dominating the Richmond/Spadina area. However, I think business will pick up 'cause they're really good!
They've done a great job with the interior design - love the Eames furniture - and photography on the walls. They also are a catering company and cater all sorts of events from Weddings to Corporate Lunches to Film Sets and have been in the business since 1981.
(Above photo courtesy of Andrew Zimbel)
The teas are from Language of the Leaf and yummy (pricer than Le Gourmand though but it's loose-leaf and Le G is known to mix up my Earl Grey with Earl Grey Green tea and not have the water hot enough sometimes).
The food is tasty at Zimbel's, as well. From the muffins, croissants and the banana bread (with sunflower and cranberries = excellent!) to their lunch menu (I had the salad with grilled chicken once), it's all very fresh and good.
And the service, although still novice, is getting there.
Great place to try out instead of your usual coffee/tea train destination!
***My friend who recently tasted the "knee buckling" brownie had this to say about it:
"To classify its deliciousness and sugar power, I'd say it was a spectacular punch to the back of the head, kapow!" - Mack Carruthers
Is David's Tea overrated?
David's Tea
Location:
336 Queen Street W, Toronto
Cost: $6.50 for 50g
www.davidstea.com
Beside the well-known Rivoli on Queen St. there is a sliver of a store that looks like it could be an urban bubble tea cafe. It's urban alright, but not bubble tea. The place is called David's Tea and it boasts over 100 varieties of loose-leaf teas.
The first time I walked in, I wasn't greeted by any of the upbeat staff which surprised (and offended) me, although I must admit I sort of liked perusing the shelves of tea cups and pots and eyeing the wall of stainless steel tea canisters labelled 'pu'er', 'earl grey', 'rooibos' without being harrassed.
The next time I went in admittedly intrigued by the tea offerings and expensive fancy tea pots, I was offered a little ceramic shot glass filled with a peach-something-or-other tea. A tiny droplet hung off the side of the cup, which I scooped up and tasted fully expecting some pleasant orchard peach flavour. Instead, I received the bitter taste of dishwashing detergent! It wasn't a taste the peach tea could wash away after either, that's for sure. Once again I left with a bad taste in my mouth, this time, literally.
Then Spring came along and whilst on a break with some coworkers, we were greeted with a $2 special iced tea stand outside the store. We decided to try the almond spring tea (black tea, almond oil, toasted almonds, rooibos, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and coconut). This time, I luckily didn't come close to tasting any utensil cleaning substances, but found that it was a tad too vanilla-y and and also a bit bitter. It needed loads of cane sugar to sweeten it up for me.
Then one day, I finally bought some loose-leaf tea: Earl Grey, Zing Me Tea and Kiss my Lips. The Earl Grey is good - perhaps not as strong as I'd like, but it's reliable. The Zing Me (chinese black tea with ginger bits and lush pieces of peach and apricot) is just fantastic! It claims to induce "an instant feeling of well-being" and I have to say that it truly does! Must be the peaches or the ginger. I've yet to try Kiss my Lips (chinese black tea, vanilla, peppermint, chocolate bits and spicy red peppercorns) but I loved the minty chocolately smell. In fact it looks like potpourri so I'd probably be just as happy putting it in a bowl and air-freshening my work space. **update** The Kiss my Lips was a definite dud. Overly strong minty smell and aftertaste with a muddied hint of chocolate. Definitely not recommended. I'd much rather bite into an Aero mint chocolate bar.
I've also been fascinated by the tea pots at David's Tea, especially the Brewt which I've seen at work firsthand and find completely marvelous, but most of them range from $25 - $75 and $179 for the svelte Eva Solo Tea Maker (!).
I also feel $6.50 is a bit much for only 50g of tea, and if I had more tea experience I'd be better able to voice an opinion, but it does seem to be a popular choice in the area (even coffee houses such as Dark Horse Espresso has started serving it).
Dark Horse Espresso Bar
Location:
215 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Cost: $3.50
I have coffee breath.
That said, a coffee junkie, I am not. Rather, I am content hanging out with the Earl. Earl Grey. In fact, I feel as though it must have been me who single handedly finished all the tea bags at Le Gourmand 'cause they were all out last week.
So, when it comes to coffee, I am a novice. I am familar with...let's see.....Nescafe...Maxwell House...Bru. Give me a 'French press' and I know not what is required of me. Until today, that is.
Dark Horse Espresso Bar really IS an espresso bar. Hardly a tea on the menu. There was English Breakfast and a 'mystery' tea (the friendly cashier explained that it was fruity) but right then I didn't care to explore that unknown territory. Instead, I felt drawn to explore even lesser known territory (for me) and chose the featured coffee on the menu, which was Ethiopian, French pressed.
If you're a coffee drinker, this will all sound awfully tiresome to you but the process of waiting 3 min and then plunging the press was all new to me.
We were told that the Ethiopian coffee would be best tried on its own, without milk or cream, at first, to really appreciate it's sweet flavour. I did, and instantly needed large doses of sugar and lactose-free milk. Then it really was sweet.
It was nice to sit back in the lounge upstairs and gaze upon the many locals who had set up camp (with laptops) at the two large communal wooden tables.
Each of them working furiously away with French presses, large mugs and little plates of delectable treats beside them.
It's only been open for a few weeks, but already DHEB has become a welcome, local hang-out for the espresso addicts in the neighbourhood.
I'll be back there soon myself. Afterall, an unsolved mystery awaits.
** Update ** Went there again last Friday, and they had a wider selection of TEAS (INCLUDING Earl Grey!) - the teas are loose-leaf, from David's Tea (on Queen) and generally good. The EG wasn't the best, but it was nice to have it come in a french press.
New Timmy's!
It's got a great corner; north-east of Spadina/Adelaide.
BRB, gotta go get me some timbits.
Future Bakery & Cafe
Happy Valentimes: Butler's Pantry
Location:
591 Markham St. Mirvish Village, Toronto, ON
Cost: $28 incl tip
www.butlerspantry.ca
How fitting a name for a place that serves everything that could possibly exist in a Pantry! (On a side note: A butler's pantry was commonly used for the storing, cleaning and counting of silver by the butler...).
Whatever the name, this cosy nook in the Annex serves brunch until 4pm.
And forget the Butler, who's the chef? His pantry must be huge! There's such diversity to the 2 page menu, that we're too confused to know what to order. There are a lot of indian inspired dishes which made us question who the chef was. Apparently the owner is from Bangladesh and married to an Egyptian lady and they hired a chef who was working in a palace in Egypt! He must have been well versed in international foods 'cause although the brunch side of the menu is simple...Eggs Bene, French Toast, Omlettes, Scrambled Eggs, Scones....it's the other side that amazes us: Bul go gi, Tandoori penne, Biryani, Seafood Quiche, Jambalaya, Khowsway (a Burmese dish) , Shepherd's Pie, Veggie curry pie, Moroccan Veg Tajine! And the list goes on...with loooooads of vegetarian options included! It's incredible...we wanted to order it all!
We especially wanted to try the Zuchini pancake but learned they were out of it but our server also confided that she enjoys it paired with a beer as a greasy pub meal since it's very similar to potato pancakes (latkes). Worked out well then 'cause I don't like latkes.
We finally decide on the chicken bastilla pie and the french toast.
Another thing to note is that the main dishes (except for a select few) are served with a fresh garden salad and Butler's famous dressing (pictured below).
Also, and as you know by now, a must for me is an Earl Grey tea, which arrives in a lovely ceramic teapot. The loose-leaf bagged ORGANA tea is divine...almost candy-like in its sweetness.
It doesn't take long at all for our food to arrive!
The Butler's French Toast at $7.25 (side of bacon - $1.25) is a steal! Such a humongous portion ; it's ideal for sharing. It comes with two thick slices of bread, a generous helping of fresh fruit and dallops of whipped cream. The toast is not at all soggy even though the maple syrup has already been drizzled on top. It's just the perfect consistancy. A must for anyone who, like me, loves french toast.
The Chicken Bastilla Pie is a popular order and we wanted to try their version of the famous Moroccan dish - which is pastry stuffed with chicken, omlette, cinnamon & almonds. For $10.25, it's a hearty meal for one; which we split into two. It was very tasty, albeit on the salty side. Traditionally the cinnamon appears on the top of the pie along with powdered sugar...but in this case it was incorporated into the filling, which was nice but altogether a bit too "cinnamony".
The salad it came with really balanced out the saltiness of the pie and the "Butler's Famous Dressing" was fantastic!
Looking more like a gravy than a dressing, it had a nice sharp taste to it and paired really nicely with the onions in the salad.
The next time you're strolling around the Annex, keep the Butler's Pantry in mind.