Ottawa Foodies

I can't say it's not good but, to be honest, there are several other places in the city just as good and it's not worth the drive downtown, the long wait for a table, and the crowded atmosphere.

I like it, but I don't see what's so special about it that it's ranked so highly.

Had a very good Father's Day Brunch at the Manx. Just the regular brunch, but it was Father's Day.

Enjoyed my eggs benedict thoroughly. Nice egg on top of peameal bacon. Mmm peameal. Picked at my daughter's cowboy beans. She thought it was too spicy, but she thinks ketchup is too spicy. Not home on the range, but a good side. Coffee could use a taste punch.

Overall a tasty brunch and kid friendly.

I always get the same thing when we go to the Manx for brunch (the one vegan option), the tofu scramble wrap. It's served with a side salad and is an enormous portion size. Very tasty, and I love the salad dressing. My one complaint is that the wrap can be a bit spicy for the first meal of the day. They pre-mix the spices, so you can't get them to tone down the heat, unfortunately. I also love the orange and mango juice and the limitless supply of yummy coffee.

Haven't been in 3 years, but they had the most sensuous, satisfying garlic mashed potatoes accompanying your original benny. They would poke a couple of little garlic sprouts into the top of the pile of mash; it just made me giggle. Plus its so cozy and informal, you just want to have a game of checkers after brunch so that you can get around to ordering a pint from their ample bar. This place is one of the bigger reasons I want to move back to Ottawa.

My girlfriend and I had the pleasure of eating at Murry Street kitchen for brunch this morning. There is nothing bad to say what so ever. This restaurant is funky, innovative, reasonable and delicious. The service is fast and friendly and although this is some of the best food in Ottawa, totally unpretentious.

After we had ordered our coffee (which was fantastic by the way), we were brought a salted ginger cookie and blondie. They were both super fresh and delicious. The blondie was particularly amazing. Yum!

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The food came surprisingly quickly. After sitting down, ordering coffee, then ordering our meal, getting the cookies, it took about 20 minutes since walking in the front door before we got our meal. *Impressive* Heck, Denny’s takes longer than that and all they are doing is throwing stuff on a flat grill.

I had the special of the day which was an Elk Keilbassa sandwich with a side of baked beans, and Amanda had waffles, scrambled eggs and sausage.

The Sandwich was very tasty. Beautiful rye bread coated in butter than toasted, topped with a fried egg, Elk Keilbassa (which I thought was more like a salami), grainy mustard, and some kind of green. Excellent sandwich. The beans were phenomenal. Sweet, hot, full of meat chunks and it was very rich. I’ve had some damn good baked beans in the Southern US, but these were pretty much the best baked beans I have ever eaten.

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The waffles, egg and sausage were equally good, however on a much sweeter end of the breakfast spectrum.

The first thing worth mentioning is the syrup. It was a really rich maple syrup infused with garlic and rosemary. Weird, and oh so amazing. It really worked well with the Egg, waffle and sausage. The waffle was generous in size, really fluffy, loaded with butter and there was a very noticeable hint of vanilla. The sausage was obviously pork, but it was so flavorful and it also had large chunks of garlic mixed with the meat. Now that is what I call a proper mince!

As freshfoodie below had mentioned, the price is a dollar more then it used to be, but the portions are a perfect size now. Again you will not leave Murry Street feeling like you ate an All American Gland Slam Breakfast, but you will leave full and satisfied. Sad to think that for a mere few dollars more than Zaks Diner you can have brunch/lunch at Murray

Great Service, Great Coffee, Great Sweets, Fantastic Meal...Fantastic Restaurant.

From twitter.com/MurrayStreetKWC :

"New Brunch menu ...a buck more, but MUCH bigger portions...Track 06 is back , it's deep fried 'spam' hock on egg salad with hot sauce!!"

This should help with concerns about portion size. Looking forward to a revisit!

Made it down to Murray Street with the BF and a couple of friends for brunch this morning, and it was stellar! We got a seat out on their patio which is totally gorgeous - I will have to make it out one evening for some cheese and wine, which also look excellent. We were treated to some sweets before the meal: 2 pieces of stout chocolate cake with ganache, a cheesey biscuit of some sort and a buttermilk (or sour cream?) strawberry scone, all of which were delicious. I got the fritztatta, which was tasty, but probably should have got the smoked fish that my friend ordered, which was halibut with asparagus today - definitely the winner meal. BF had the sausage that came with chai raisin bread french toast, and my other friend had the "track 06" which is different every day, todays was a double smoked ham sandwich of some sort. They have a great selection of local beers as well - I'm not normally a beer at brunch kind of gal, but I've wanted to try the Heritage lager for awhile now so I went for it. All in all, this place lives up to its reputation - can't wait to go back!

This morning after Church I gave in once again and hit up Murry Street for Brunch.

They started me off with some kind of banana bread. It was perfectly moist, it had a ton of brown sugar, walnuts and a nice malt-y flavor.

Today I went for the Steak and Eggs. Which is essentially a piece of smoked beef short rib on top of a fried egg and huge piece toast. The toast was perfectly crispy and topped with blue cheese butter. Amazing.

My only comment is that it is kind of small, and I found that the breakfast cassoulet was many times more filling. The steak albeit small (but what do you expect for 12 bucks), was out of this world. No steak knife necessary, it literally fell apart like butter and thus the butter knife was more that able to cut it up.

I ordered a tea with my meal, and it was a fantastic earl Grey. One word of caution, the coffee is 2.25 + unlimited refills. The tea is 3.50 for one pot. Not really sure the tea is worth 3.50, just some friendly advice.

Otherwise, the service today was excellent, friendly and attentive. The patio was beautiful, and the food was its standard top quality. This dish would be extremely easy to make at home, so I'll be copying this very soon. As for the amazing steak, not sure if I can duplicate the smoked beef short rib, but I'm sure any high quality steak would work.

2 down 5 to go :-)

This morning I had the pleasure of having brunch at Murry Street Kitchen. What an awesome place!

The service was pretty decent - not outstanding in terms of friendliness - however it was prompt and there was nothing to complain about. I was started off with a very good coffee, and a complimentary molasses cookie. The coffee was strong, and the servers refilled my cup when ever they saw fit.

The cookie was pretty good - tasty at least, but it was a tad burnt on the underside. My girlfriend tells me molasses cookies are supposed to be burnt on the bottom?, and it was free, so meh, no complaints.

For the main portion of my brunch I ordered the "Breakfast Cassoulet" which is described in the menu as: Confit of Mariposa duck leg, in-house sausage & bacon, molasses baked beans, bread crumbs, two cracked eggs.

It was served in a piping hot skillet. It was so hot in fact that my first bite burned my tongue a little bit. Over all it was pretty darn delicious, and for the 12$ price tag, I cannot complain. I got my been fix, my bacon fix, and my egg fix in a very interesting fashion.

I have a few comments about the dish. First I thought the beans were a little under done. Meaning that I found them hardish, and not as soft I like my baked beans. Not sure if this was a mistake or if they are intentionally a little bit hard.

The dish was nice and sweet providing a nice counter balance to the confit. At first I didn't notice any bacon, however after a couple of bites I noticed that there were liberal amounts of thick bite sized pieces. I must say, I didn't notice, taste or see any sausage, but maybe it was just a very little bit or finely crumbled.

The eggs were perfect, well done just as a like them. The yolk was still soft yet not runny. Perfect! They were topped with bread crumbs, and a few greens.

I would definitely have this dish again, however only after I had sampled everything else on the menu. That being said, I will definitely come to Murry Street kitchen in the near future for brunch. And to think in that in the past I have wasted money on breakfast at Zac's, Denny's and/or Cora's.

Highly Recommended!

hmmmm...
hmmmm....
well....
what can I say?

wow!
inspired and inspiring!
bloody fantastic

had the steak and eggs
hard toss up between the cassoulet and the steak and egg

steak...errr....beef....obrien's farms' short rib
braised to a melt in your mouth tenderness

egg...beking farms...no words needed

true loaf bread...first time...awesome

blue cheese butter....perfect

12$ yea! I used the same concept last summer

10$ Chateau de Charmes Gerwurzt...nice pairing but 10$?

service...the Ozzie chap was very informative and well mannered
the blonde companion, always smiling and pleasant
the waitress that greeted us makes me wish she worked everywhere as it is rare to be greeted and seated so efficiently

all in all, two thumbs up
and I rarely give two thumbs up and made it a point to mention it to the Kitchen

now, for a nap
(brutal month with allergies and hectic work for April)

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Here is the mixed antipasto plate we shared on Mother's Day

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My filial unit took me here for Mother's Day brunch this past Sunday. I've been here many times for dinner but this was the first time for brunch (I didn't even know they were open for Sunday brunch). We shared the mixed antipasto plate which was so beautifully presented we almost didn't want to eat it (see photo). We were not crazy about the duck prosciutto - thought it needed a touch more salt - but everything else was good, especially the hunk of brie cheese and the pickled eggplant. Filial unit then had the poached eggs served on a garlic aioli, sweet potato rosti, some kind of greens and brisket. She loved it. I managed to get a bite - had to remind her that it was MY day - and it was really good. We were blown away by the eggs - the yolks were deep yellow and very flavourful. Waiter said they get the eggs from a farmer in Almonte. I don't think I can eat supermarket eggs anymore. My main course was the pasta salad. I am not a fan of pasta salads but was intrigued that they had this on the menu. It was penne pasta in a balsamic vinaigrette with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, bacon lardons, asparagus spears all served on a bed of greens. Each individual thing in this dish was good but taken together it didn't work. The serving was too large and it was heaped on the plate haphazardly. Not a fan of the pasta served with potato and with egg. For dessert we shared a peartail (their take on a beavertail) served with raspberry compote and quite possibly the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had. The peartail was crispy fried dough dusted with sugar and was easier to eat with our hands than with a fork. The service was, as always, professional (i.e. friendly, knowledgeable, attentive).

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I went there with a few friends.

- Everybody thought the food was good, with the exception of the horseradish sauce that came with the poached eggs in potato skins (see picture top left) the flavor was too strong.
- They had a lot of hot drinks to choose from.
- The portions were appropriately sized and not huge.
- The chef did not mind making modifications to the dishes listed on the menu.
- The staff was very friendly.
- The big windows let in a lot of light which was nice. It was almost like sitting outside.
- The place was baby friendly.

I would definitely go back, especially since the menu changes every week. That makes it interesting.

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Thanks to the great resources of Ottawa Foodies, we made a great choice in picking The Urban Pear for Sunday brunch today! Love all the great content on this site.

The Urban Pear has been around since 2002 and can be found at 151 Second Avenue, almost at Bank Street. It is a 40-seat restaurant walled in glass.

The menu for Sunday brunch was crafted just the day before. Both the Entrée menu and Appetizer menu, had 6 choices.

We were served slices of white bread along with soft butter, infused with rosemary and lemon.

The bottomless coffee was $2.

Guest #1 had farfalle pasta with 'sweet mama' squash, pear and chipotle cream sauce. It was topped with slices of cubeb pepper and cinnamon dusted pork tenderloin, cranberries and wilted kale, fresh cranberries and a sharp cheddar (switched from the suggested blue cheese). $19

I had the omelet loaded with double smoked bacon, brussel sprout leaves, diced pickled beets and St. Mary's soft goat cheese. It was topped with a summer basil pesto and served with a fresh green salad. $15

My date picked the poached organic local eggs with sautéed sage and grainy mustard spaetzle with braised ham hock. It was served on roasted squash, kale and organic mushrooms, bathed in an apple, lemon and thyme infused braising reduction. $18

Guest # 2 chose the beef short rib and caramelized onion sandwich topped with turnip and caper remoulade and yam frites, served with a fresh green salad. The menu also said squash catsup. Didn't see it. Maybe mixed in somewhere? $16

We tried one dessert - the vanilla bean and white chocolate crème brûlée was served with a small dish of macerated blood orange segments hiding under a ginger snap. $9

We were each very pleased with our choices. The many flavours complimentary and complex. The ingredients so fresh. (The custard in the dessert was dreamy and creamy!) Some of the plating didn't seem as upscale as the place but we were there for the taste, not the food art. The service was attentive, pleasant and prompt.

If you would like to see pictures and read more feel free to check out my blog writeup.

ottawafood.blogspot.com

My boyfriend and I just had one of the most delightful brunches we have ever had in Ottawa at the Urban Pear. We were started with fresh italian style bread, which was fresh, but not especially original, save for the lovely chipotle and honey infused butter that was served with the bread. I had the pancakes with sage infused maple syrup, freshly whipped cream and bacon. It was absolutely heavenly! The pancakes were perfectly fluffy, fresh and hot and the sage infused maple syrup was an unusual, but welcome change. My boyfriend had a flank steak sandwich with an arugula. I don't remember the exact details of his meal, but I stole a few bits and the homemade mayo was the prefect compliment to the steak. We finished the meal with a cafe latte and rhubarb crème brûlée with a homemade vanilla biscuit and sour cream ice cream. The dessert was perfect! I always appreciate a tasty dessert, made in-house. Boxed or shipped in desserts earn major thumbs down and often prevent me from returning.

The service was impeccable. Our server was polite, friendly and professional, and extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the menu. The atmosphere is quite pleasant - it's very quirky and fun, and somewhat upscale, without being stuffy. We will absolutely be returning to the Urban Pear for brunch, and also to test out the lunch and dinner menus.

Had Sunday brunch with a few friends, and we were all very satisfied!! We started with the large anti pasti plate, and that was more than enough for three people.

I had the poached eggs with chicken sausage and potatoes, and absolutely loved it. The sauce was a nice portabello broth with nasturtium aioli. Very flavorful and definitely recommended.

My favorite was their french toast with bacon and cheese wedged in between. It was topped with a berry compote, and the salty mixed with the sweet was a great combo.

Brunch may seem pricey at first, but once you try the food, you'll quickly realize that it is well worth the money.

Went here on Sunday with 3 other people for an 11:30am reservation. The place was mostly full, and the wall of windows along one side made for a nice sunny interior which displayed the original artwork on the walls very nicely (the artwork is for sale). Service was very casual and friendly.

We each had a different dish for breakfast: omelette with onions, chipotle, and other stuff ($12.99); french toast with bacon, maple syrup, and cream ($13.99); frittata with twice-smoked bacon and others ($12.99); and an open faced sandwich with fried eggs, some sort of meat, and others ($12.99). Each (except for french toast) came with assorted greens in a light vinaigrette.

I had the omelette and it was amazing. The eggs were perfectly fluffy all the way through, the chipotles were noticeable but didn't take over the flavour of the eggs, and other fillings were cooked to a perfect texture for an omelette (no crunch at all, but no mushiness). The french toast was also very well done and I gathered that the other diners were very happy with their choices as well.

Portions weren't massive, but were definitely satisfactory (I am a notoriously big eater).

Overall, you're definitely paying well above average for breakfast, but the kitchen really makes it feel worthwhile.

The Urban Pear is listed in the Entertainment book.

Portion sizes have shrunk since we visited 4 years ago. Pictured here is Savoury buckwheat pancake, double smoked pork shoulder, shaved Gruyere, sunnyside egg, apple & Savoy cabbage remoulade ($15)

I was a little surprised to find thin slices of deli-style ham in here. I mean, sure, ham *is* smoked pork shoulder, but based on the menu description I sort of expected chunks of pork inside the buckwheat pancake. What I got was more of an anglo-style "cordon blue" treatment than an impressive French product.

The apple/cabbage remoulade was really very nice. Still, for the price, a superior brunch is available across the river. (ref: Odile, Edgar).

Love, love, love Benny's for brunch! Went there today with friends, and the French toast with aged cheddar, oat crumble with brown butter and salted caramel was amazing. The portion was just perfect, I was completely full after I was done. Complete with that came a frothy cappuccino with Illy coffee. I also tasted their orange juice and it was very fresh (I'm pretty sure if was freshly pressed). My partner asked that the egg be removed from his plate, since he doesn't eat them. The cook compensated by adding a lot of salmon. Service was very nice, everyone was smiling, it was awesome. Would definitely, definitely go back!

My Pan-seared gnocchi, crispy lardons, spinach, poached eggs and chipotle mayo were just amazing. Again, the photo makes it look like a puny portion but it was right for me (and I eat well).

The poached eggs were top-notch aside from a slight tang of vinegar noticeable when eating just the white (I know you need some vinegar in poaching water to keep things together but I think they use a lot). Perfectly cooked, though. The crispy lardons were delectable and married perfectly with the pile of spinach buried underneath. The gnocchi were pleasantly chewy and very nice to eat. All in all a delicious feast!

Wifey's Croque Madame with green salad was phenomenal (she let me try some)! Everyone should try this. Our dishes, and also those we saw delivered to other tables, were delightfully presented and extremely tantalizing.

This photo doesn't do justice to the generous size of this plate!

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Went to Stoneface Dolly's for Easter brunch, what a disappointment...the eggs were overcooked, the mushroom patty-disgusting and the potatoes were mushy and tasteless. The only thing I enjoyed was the coffee. And oh yea, we also had a rude server. Never going back there again!!!

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The restaurant gives you one of the best brunch setting ever. Located at a quite intersection of Preston it is not difficult at all to find parking in nearby neighborhoods. As you approach the building you can feel the busy yet relaxing vibe of city life.

This place is constantly jammed with customers and I can only imagine why. When you get inside the open concept extended through the kitchen and the patio. The place is mainly light up by natural lighting from the patio, penetrating a very positive vibe.

The noise level is perfect. Sitting is comfortable and the design of the restaurant is also very warm and welcoming.

Egg Natasha- It is basically Egg Benedict with smoke salmon and spinich, topped with lemon diablo sauce.
The pouch eggs are nicely done. However the beautiful journey probably stops there. The spinach is too soggy and too "dead" very over cooked. The salmon does not look too pink and it falls short on amount. The most disappointment is on the muffin. It was very damped.
It is not a very big dish, with the price we are paying you can probably get better.

-www.bunny4bite.blogspot.com-

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I went there for breakfast on 2010 05 16 with my girlfriend. I had Omelet number 3 (red peppers, smoke salmon and goat cheese) and my date had the Eggs Natasha. We both really enjoyed our meal. Highly recommended for breakfast / brunch. I tried many, many places in Ottawa for breakfast and brunch and this place ranks in the top 3 for sure so far.

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This is the reason to come to Stoneface Dolly's - I've eaten a lot of breakfast at a lot of restaurants, cafes, and diners in town and Stoneface remains at the top of my list.

Everything about their breakfasts is taken to the next level. They serve Art-is-in bread and Bridgehead coffee. Even the "hollandaise" is given special attention and made fresh (Cait has told me that their eggs benedict is the best in town).

I'm picky when it comes to potatoes. I'll always be disappointed to see frozen hash browns on my plate (when I'm not at a diner at least), but Stoneface serves a really nice fried mash that is unique, but still familiar.

That's the best way I can sum up brunch at Stoneface Dolly's - unique, but still familiar. All your favourite breakfast foods with a twist.

Tip: Go on Saturday to avoid long lines. One of my favourite places in Ottawa is their patio on a nice sunny Saturday morning.

i forgot how much i appreciate good scrambled eggs!
when the chalkboard says "creamy eggs", they really mean it.

salads come with a light honey mustard dressing. fruit on the side always seem to have a bit of pomegranate, kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit, orange and strawberry.

i don't think there's any need to comment on the scones, but i always go for the brunch because it seems to be a proportional deal.

btw, the day-olds basket always used to be empty and no savoury scones left but i went this past sunday and there were a lot available. i wonder if the new location has any bearing on this or if i was earlier than usual (11am)?

We went to Scone Witch this past Saturday and were very pleased. My gf and I both got the scrambled eggs special (she went with the one with goat cheese (and the goat cheese was plentiful), and I got the mushroom rague). We both got salads on the side, 2 glasses of orange juice, a scone each (she got the onion and herb scone and I got the vanilla one - though we shared), I got a coffee and she got a hot chocolate. All together, the meal cost $32 and we left a $5 tip which is reasonably generous given that you place your order at the counter (though they do bring it to you.

For our money, we were very pleased. Some more upscale brunch places should come here to see how food should be cooked. The scones were incredible as was the rest of the food. I particularly loved my coffee and she was very happy with her hot chocolate.

The downside (if its important to you) is that its pretty informal place and you place your order at the counters. Having said that, I found them to be polite and quick to bring it to our table. I am fine with a relaxed atmosphere and ordering at the counter but if its not your thing...

We went to the Metropolitan about 5-6 weeks back for brunch and this was easily better in terms of the food and the service - and it was cheaper. I wasn't disappointed in the Metropolitan (it was what I expected - it was ok) but it was not that memorable. Scone Witch left me feeling impressed and thinking this is the place to go for a nice little brunch. As Mr. Schwarzenegger once said, I'll be back.

Cheers

We had a fantastic brunch here this weekend on our first visit. The food was super fresh, well portioned and spiced to perfection.

I had Eggs Benedict which turned out to be the best Eggs Benedict I have ever had. Definitely worth the few extra dollars compared to a more traditional breakfast place. The addition of a fresh tomato to the Eggs Benedict rounded out the dish perfectly. The home fries were astounding, with a few different flavours (dill, cheese, tomato and something sweet which I couldn't figure out). The fresh green salad was also a nice touch.

My girlfriend had the Huevos Rancheros which was also delicious, although not quite as awesome as my dish. All ingredients were fresh and prepared well.

It is a bit pricier than your typical greasy spoon brunch place but the quality and flavour make it more than worth it.

Disappointing, really. I wanted to like it and I wanted for my husband to like it. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't amazed by it. My husband didn't say much through the meal, but for all the wrong reasons.

We asked about the donughts as a dessert, and the waitress suggested ordering the meal sized portion to split. We did this, but considered spliting another dish so that a) we wouldn't be too full and b) brunch would come in under $50.

We split the Scrambled Eggs, which I wasn't impressed with.

The donughts were really quite tasty, but I think that had as much to do with the freshness as anything else. The maple syrup was a nice touch, but the caramel apple compote was too sweet and it was served cold resulting in this weird hot/cold donught.

I'll be back for lunch, but the brunch left me underwhelmed.

A lot has been said about this place so I will keep it short. I was thrilled with my experience at Fraser cafe this past weekend, the service was pleasant and attentive (even with an energetic one year old at the table!), the atmosphere at the new location was warm and the food was great as usual.

I also had the burger and I totally second nickfoodies comments, in addition, I will add that even the bun is made fresh in house (being totally blown away after finishing I had to know all about it and the server was happy to inform me that absolutely everything was made in house, two big thumbs up!) My only comment would be that the fries could have been salted a bit more, but other than that a really great meal.

For Dessert we tried the doughnuts and ice cream as well as the lemon cake and both arrived piping hot, a nice treat on a cold winter morning!

Excellent bacon cheeseburger on the Brunch menu. Delicious, perfectly fried double-smoked bacon and pretty aged cheddar, with a sweet mayo sauce, garnished with tomato and greens. Great fries too, fresh, thick cut. Nice salad with a variety of greens. At $13 a great deal, very filling. Washed down with a pint of Beau's and I'm a happy man.

This is my favourite burger in town

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Another rave for the Huevos Rancheros!! My takeout order, plated at home, is pictured. This meal was a simply delicious combination of flavours. The potatoes, as noted, were perfect.

I heard so many compliments from other customers as I waited for my food and I was sorely tempted by all the baked goods on display at the counter. This is a great place to visit.

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Visited with my wife on Saturday morning. She thoroughly enjoyed the Léger plate of poached eggs that I had raved about on my previous visit. I opted for the other savoury menu option, the Huevos Rancheros.

This is another spectacular dish! From the topping of green salsa all the way down to the fresh dollop of guacamole that positions the toasted tortilla on your plate, the components are perfect. The salad is great and those adorable golden potatoes are insanely good!

I thought it was cool that the heuvos dish was garnished with white sesame seeds while the salad was garnished with black sesame seeds and white poppy seeds.

Once again, highly recommended!

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This is the Léger brunch plate (one of three choices). Poached eggs on toast with some cured pork and various greens. Pretty standard, stuff, right? No!

Poached eggs: The most perfectly poached round little guys I've ever encountered.
Toast: Art-Is-In baguette crostini, made better through a magical soaking process. (First time I've ever seen anyone improve an Art-Is-In bread.) The crostini had bocconcini melted into them, and they were graced with small slices of roasted fennel and some luscious roasted cherry tomatoes (which I loved and I don't normally like cooked tomatoes).
Cured Pork: Slices of prosciutto, crisped up in a most magical way to make them into a better bacon -- crispy, tasty, and less greasy.
Greens: A wonderfully light dressing made this one of the nicest plain salads I've had.

If Atelier served brunch, I would expect something like this. The quality and flavour balance have been maximized to the point where I can't imagine how they could ever be improved.

One point of warning: this is not a hungry-man sized breakfast portion. However, if you understand enough French to read the menu, you'll already know that from this dish's name. ;-)

Besides, a smaller portion means there's room for a Beignet.

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I had the Huevos Rancheros this past weekend and they were so lovely - every ingredient was clean and fresh! The egg was perfectly cooked, the portion size was perfect, although I felt like I could have eaten another one! The salsa verde was AMAZING! And I loved the side potatoes - new potatoes, roasted so that they were chewy on the outside and mashy inside, with just the right amount of salt. The receipt has it right - miam miam miam!! Very nice brunch.

4 of us went to Jak's Kitchen for brunch (located at 479 Bronson Avenue, just north of the Queensway on the east north corner of McLeod) following the 1/2 marathon (not me!) race on National Capital Race Weekend. The place was busy and we had to wait. Nice problem to have for them since it was already past 1 pm. The brunch does carry on until 3:00 pm. They have room for about 24 inside and a dozen plus on the patio. It is wee but has a nice cozy atmosphere. You can look right into the kitchen and watch the action first hand. I can't imagine they can swing a cat in there but they did seem to make it all work.

We loved the toasted molasses-oat bread. Although we didn't pick up any on our visit, it was good to know that they do sell their bread for $5 a loaf.

The homemade strawberry jam was also delicious and went well with the toast as the toast also had a hint of cinnamon.

And any of us with the kitchen greens as a side just loved the dressing on the very fresh greens.

Although the eggs were a wee bit cold, we had such a positive overall experience we would like to go back again for brunch but to also try a dinner experience.

I took just a ton of pictures so perhaps you would like to see them and read more on my blog.

ottawafood.blogspot.com

I always saw Stonefaced Dolly's as being the best breakfast in town, no competition. However, as the months got warmer, I noticed an increasingly large line out their door (despite construction), and an increasingly short temper on their wait staff (whom I love dearly).

As a result, my partner and I tried Jak's a few weeks ago, and we are hooked. Not only is there no wait (though about half to 3/4 of the tables are full) to get in, the food is downright incredible, and the three times that we've been in the last two months, we have been impressed with the service.

The double standard breakfast (3 eggs, two meats, roasted potatoes, double order of toast, and fruit) is a good value and their other specialities breakfasts (omlettes with ridiculously amazing cheese, veggies and meats, or macs--fried eggs on your choice of bread with equally amazing toppings) are equally good in value and down right wonderful.

The only thing that this place is lacking is some good pancakes (found at Stonefaced Dolly's), otherwise I see them succeeding in the long run on account of word of mouth.

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The Green Eggs and Ham were aweseome! Scrambled eggs mixed with arugula pesto resulted in classy and tasty green eggs. The chunk of sous-vide bacon was spectacular! The roesti was the only (mild) disappointment.

The angle of my photo doesn't do the size justice -- there were probably three eggs used in this scramble. We were all very satisfied with the quantity.

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Took my parents here for brunch on Sunday and had a great time! The dining rooms are cozy and elegant, with lots of space between tables. Service was super friendly and accommodating. We were a table of seven, including my 7-year old kids.

We were each given a brunchy amuse-bouche of a little biscuit with butter and strawberry jam. Nice touch!

The Tried and True Benny featured the most perfectly poached eggs (Bekings) I've ever encountered. The ham was a nice thick slice, and the Hollandaise was good. The Roesti was a pretty strange interpretation of this classic Swiss dish, featuring super finely grated potato, some onion, and a cooking method (likely deep frying) that resulted in a crisp and dark exterior and an undercooked interior. I found it to be all right but my wife gave me most of hers.

The compressed fruit is a neat touch, although some people might prefer fresh.

All in all, we were very happy with the food and thrilled with the environment and service.

1

Was lucky enough to have brunch here the other Saturday. I find it hard to find places offering brunch in the region on Saturdays (much easier on Sundays) so I was thrilled to discover that Gezillwig would be open on both Saturdays and Sundays.

The menu has a mixture of breakfast and lunch choices, we tried one of each and were not disappointed:
- A plate (actually it came in a shallow bowl) with scrambled eggs, two large pieces of chorizo, a fried polenta square, all topped with roasted tomato salsa, two pieces of grilled sourdough were on the side – at first I was not sure of the addition of such a spicy sausage on a breakfast plate but everything worked well together (I should have known!) and I enjoyed this dish very much
- Tagliatelle with a garlic cream sauce with shiitake mushrooms and charred tomatoes – a perfect combination of flavours

They serve Bridgehead coffee which, although I use the beans at home, tasted much better while sitting in this attractive restaurant.

Highly recommend.

1

So guess where I had breakfast today? ;o)

Love on a plate aka the "Bellissimo Breakfast": perfectly crisped potato rösti... topped with a grilled medley of just picked corn, zucchini, yellow beans, peppers and caramelized onions... topped with a giant ravioli stuffed with a bolognese sauce made with sirloin... topped with more of the grilled veggies... topped with a fried egg... garnished with hollandaise sauce... surrounded by bits of maple bacon and crumbled maple fennel sausage.

I repeat: love on a plate. ;o)

3

Burgers, tacos, pizza, brunch... I think one of the successes of Art-is-In is the constant rotation of what's on offer.

My weekend stops at Art-is-In tend to be for the burger on Saturday. I also make a pretty good hollandaise so don't usually think to go out for eggs benedict, but this past Sunday it was nice to have someone else take care of it, particularly when that someone is Kevin.

My husband had his with maple fennel sausage and I had maple bacon; there was also a smoked salmon option (smoked in-house on the Big Green Egg). Both were served with the best potato rosti I've had in ages, deliciously crispy and filling, I actually skipped the English muffin and had my egg directly on the rosti.

Hollandaise sauce in most restaurants is usually on the thin side but this one was thick and rich the way I like it, and with an extra kick compliments of some white wine I was told. My husband was ooohing and aaahing over his maple fennel sausage which Kevin mentioned he'd been upgrading and the result spoke for itself: this sausage patty was juicier and richer than we remembered, so much so that my husband wasn't sharing very much.

Outdoor weekend brunch at Art-is-In: another must on any serious foodie's summer To Eat list. ;o)

It looks like there are usually 3 or 4 offerings for weekend brunch. When I was there they had eggs benny, croque madame, and gnocchi. I'm assuming the breakfast sandwich was also available.

I think George Monsour should be applauded for offering a delicious, sophisticated brunch option on Saturdays. Although several restaurants offer upscale brunches on Sundays, it is difficult to find something that is open on a Saturday morning.

Back Lane Café delivers in spades. We tried two of the dishes - raspberry pancakes with fresh fruit & bacon and scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, bulger salad & homemade crusty bread. These are large portions and both were enjoyed with gusto. The coffee, constantly refilled, was high quality too.

The food was perfectly complemented with a pleasant mixture of jazz music which really enhanced the experience.

Once again, had a great time here.

2

I had the scramble with two eggs, twice-smoked bacon served with baked beans, bulgar pilaf, and tartine.

The eggs were cooked perfectly - moist but not slimy. The bacon was text-book perfection; firm but not dry and crunchy with a low fat to meat ratio and a subtle smokey flavour.

The beans were sweeter than I was expecting (seemed tomato rather than molasses based), but paired really well with savoury pilaf.

My only criticism: I would have preferred a little jam to be served with the tartine. The bread had a wonderful crunch and was lightly toasted with butter. Some homemade strawberry jam would have been killer.

I also ordered a decaf coffee which is served americano. I usually don't expect much from a decaf, but this was wonderfully smooth and savoury. My companion's regular coffee was also very smooth and flavourful.

We arrived around 11:30 on a Sunday and were promptly seated. Food came quickly as well. I imagine once the word spreads this will change ;)

We'll definitely be back.

2

Had the pleasure of stopping into the Back Lane Café for brunch today and discovered a wonderful new breakfast spot in Hintonburg.

My partner had the Za'atarr Fish Cakes (as shown) topped with a perfectly poached egg, and served upon some sharp greens and pickled beets drizzled with tahini.

In the middle of the bottom cake was a (very welcome) surprise scallop. The cakes were moist and flavourful with a light crust; crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. The fish was fresh with no off-putting fishy smell either. They were everything a fish cake should be!

She also ordered an orange juice which came ice cold and squeezed literally seconds before serving.

Service was attentive, but not overly intrusive. Pricing was higher than average for brunch, but for this level of quality - entirely justified.

The brunch menu was dated, implying the menu changes regularly. We will certainly be back for brunch, and are eager to try dinner as well!

Did brunch here again last weekend, and it was pretty darn good. Service was fast and attentive, and the food was tasty.

I got a croque monsieur, since I was in the mood for a brunch-that-was-more-like-lunch. While the sandwich itself was really delicious, I didn't have my socks knocked off by the sides I got with my dish. The fries were good and crisp but (as FF says down below) pretty salty. I think part of the reason why is because they use kosher salt instead of table salt? It makes the salting a bit uneven. Also, the sauce they served on the side for my sandwich was odd. I wasn't sure what it was, and it didn't taste like much.

Didn't see how much the bill was, because we were being treated by friends of ours. Maybe one of these days we'll even do dinner here!

A friend of mine was in town from London (Ontario, sadly!), so a bunch of us (7) went out to the Metropolitain Brasserie for brunch.

Service was great: our server was knowledgable, attentive, and fun. A little bit scatterbrainted, but not a dealbreaker in any way, shape, or form.

Among the dishes we had:

- Eggs en cocotte forestière (two eggs baked in demiglace with cubes of double-smoked bacon; delicious)
- Crèpe of the day (duck, asparagus, sauce Mornay with smoked Gruyère; really good, but the asparagus was a bit icky, since it's obviously not from here)
- Daily special (a vol-au-vent filled with wilted spinach, sautéed oyster mushrooms, lobster (a whole claw and some other delicious bits), and sauce Mornay; definitely a hit.)

Plus an assortment of mimosas, cafés au lait, and crèmes brûlée.

We will definitely be returning; it's a nice change from the greasy spoon breakfasts, though I love them so.

You've got to give a place credit when they put pizza and burgers on their Brunch menu. I had the Texas Pizza, which had a sweet BBQ sauce in lieu of pizza sauce, and chicken breast pieces. The pizza was pretty large for a single-serving, and I did think the thin-crust was a bit soggy. But overall, it was a good pizza. My gf had the bagel and lox (cured salmon fillet), and I'm told it was excellent. They didn't skimp on the salmon.

Service was attentive, and the atmosphere is great. They have a front and back patio, as well as a decent-sized interior.

Worth a visit, in my opinion. I know I'll be going back to see more of the menu.

I decided to stop here on a whim on Saturday morning for brunch. I had a water and eggs benedict ($13), while my friend ordered a caesar ($8.50) and eggs benedict. She was impressed at the preserved beans in the drink, but felt that the price was steep.

The eggs benedict was quite good. It came traditional style, with a salad, home fries and a fruit salad garnished with mint. The ham wasn't your deli sliced ham, but rather as if they'd cut it off a freshly cooked ham. The egg whites looked as though they'd been whipped and tasted a little watery- maybe it's just a different style that I have yet to encounter, as most times it's just hollandaise sauce on top of poached eggs. Anyhow, the eggs were good and runny and the hollandaise sauce was just right. My friend thought it could've been more rich, but I suppose that's more of a subjective opinion!

Service was attentive in the first half, though it dropped off around halfway through the meal. I'd go back... the food was good and the ambiance was nice.

1

Had a fantastic brunch here last Saturday. When we arrived around 10:30 we were surprised that we were able to pick from one of the approx. 10 tables for two (four of these were occupied) or one of the five seats at the counter against one of the walls. Although I’ve been wanting to eat here since it opened, we have been dreading the large line up that I figured would greet us so we were very happy to be seated right away.

The light coloured walls and floor accented with black and minimal décor in such a small space works well.

We loved the two dishes we tried (If I remember correctly there were a total of four options to pick from):
- Homemade bread, toasted and topped with herbed ricotta, scrambled eggs, a melange of mushrooms and lardons, a small bibb lettuce salad was the accompaniment on the side – absolutely incredible mixture of flavours
- A dutch baby which was covered in maple syrup and topped with pork belly, apple compote and large hunks of aged cheddar – wonderful combination of sweet and salty

The portion size was perfect, just the right amount – I didn’t start to get hungry again until late afternoon.

I look forward to a return visit.

2

My wife opted for the Far Ouest:
Poached eggs, bbq pulled pork, grilled corn, potato hash with chorizo sausage, avocado.

This was very nicely done but the sweetness of the bbq sauce combined with the grilled corn kernels was a little too much for her taste. Anytime you see pulled pork on a menu, some sweetness is not a big surprise. It really comes down to personal preference. I tasted it and liked it but still preferred my dish.

My son loved his Dutch Baby -- a decadent cross between a pancake and a soufflé, smothered with apple compôte, doused with maple syrup, and topped with pork belly and aged cheddar!

2

This is the wonderful, gorgeous, delicious Albert:
Poached eggs, duck confit, fingerlings, cheese curds, greens, Ste-Odile sauce.

Everything was as perfect as it sounds. ♥

Finally got to try the weekend brunch here and was sadly disappointed. It was certainly no where near as amazing as their lunch was (see my other post).
I had the eggs benedict with no bacon or smoked salmon, and asked for provolone cheese instead. I got cheddar cheese, which wasn't that huge of a deal, but I was pretty sad about the lack of everything on my plate. I got about 6 pieces of cold potato, and the fruit salad was also about 6 pieces of melon over a small amount of greens. The dressing over top of it all was quite good though.
I mean, everything was good enough, but at 13 dollars a plate it should stand out, and I shouldn't be leaving still hungry.
That being said, I will still go back for their lunch (dream about that goat cheese salad), but I'll skip the brunch.

Went with a group of 8 people for Sunday brunch. We had actually intended to go to Baker Street Cafe, but it was full. Service was generally good with one or two minor exceptions for small things that were forgotten (cream for coffee, extra bacon). Most people ordered either the eggs benedict or the mediterranean omelette, with one person getting the pancakes.

Everyone was happy with their food, but I didn't hear anyone blown away by the flavours. I only say this because for $12 eggs benedict I would normally expect a little more than just standard eggs benny done well. For quantity, everyone but me seems to have been satisfied, but I'm a notoriously big eater so I think the general population would be happy with what they get.

All in all, a good breakfast with good service, but I'm not sure if it's worth the slightly inflated prices.

A filled crepe.

Surprising (mild) complaint: "too much meat."

From the same diner who had the platter-o'-animal here ottawafoodies.com/vendor/620 , hence "surprising"...

A 'mediterranean' omelette.

Top marks for a good combination of veg.

Deductions for the tiny amount of feta.

And no toast to the toast. It was so dry as to be melba, and no butter ever showed up (neither did anybody to ask until the end).

Strawberry juice was great, though -- not the bottled sugar water most places with "strawberry juice" on the menu are flogging.

..

.

3

I hope I don't loose a foodie star, but Milestones was a great brunch choice, even though I tend to avoid the corporate chains. We choose it because it has a gluten free menu, and my wife had the red curry chicken. Many of their mains can be made gluten free, and our server had some great suggestions, such as eggs benedict made with the gluten free burger buns.

I had the california benedict, which is eggs benedict with grilled shrimp and guac. It was really good. It also came with roasted potatoes, topped with a chili jam. The chili jam was awesome.

The kids menu offerings were an incredible deal, 8.99 which included mains, drink and desserts. The mains were so large, they fed the kids for supper too.

This was a great place for our family, as it was kid friendly, the food was really good, and very celiac friendly.

1

Thought we would give HPH another try, this time for brunch (we had first tried it at supper and found the food average and the restaurant to be very loud). Arriving around 11am on a Saturday, there were only a few patrons so the loudness factor didn't come into play.

The morning we were there, there were eight different brunch options ranging from breakfast-y things to more lunch-y things. We both chose from the breakfast offerings (each $10):
- A plate with scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of toasted white baguette with two (smallish) sausage rounds on top, and a very large mound of fried grated onions. It came with a little dish of jam and I was offered ketchup which the server was quick to point out was house made and therefore would not taste like bottled ketchup (actually tasted more like bar-b-q sauce - not really to my liking)
- Four large pieces of French toast covered with a raspberry sauce with pieces of bacon balanced on top – the comment on this dish was that it was quite sweet but still tasty

By the time we left there were only a few empty tables left. This experience has changed my mind about this place, at least for a meal earlier in the day. I would definitely return to eat brunch here again.

1

Tried the Berryman for the first time, Sunday am mid Nov 2011... and I do so enjoy when a place exceeds one's expectations.

We tried Jak's, Elgin Street Diner, Manx, the Pump... all had lineups out the door at 11am'ish on a Sunday. Not entirely surprising, but we were hungry and not feeling like a wait.

We remembered the Berryman from having watched as it replaced the old vietnamese place with what looked like a fairly stylish pub as these things go... exposed brick, nice wood furniture, more flatscreen tvs than a Best Buy... anyhow, our expectations for pub grub brunch were fairly low and it had a nice look, so in we went.

It was nearly empty and the entirely pleasant waitress sat us and came back with coffe in about a minute.

The brunch menu was short... about five items, two egg breakfast, pancakes, a benedict. The benedict drew my eye... daringly switching pulled pork for the usual ham or spinach. Dining companion went for the classic two eggs meat hashbrowns etc.

Food took no time at all and arrived hot. On the egg plate, everything was done as ordered... look, if you're the kind of bruncher who can't accept paying $7 for two eggs, toast, sausage and hashbrowns, this isn't your place. If however, you enjoy your eggs done exactly as ordered, a better quality of breakfast link, marble rye and awesome hashbrowns, this was a treat.

A word about the hashbrowns... they're this shredded conconction of onions and potatoes in almost a 50/50 split and absolutely delicious.

The benedict... i wasn't sure about pulled pork with hollandaise sauce... but in the end it won me over. The catch was that the sweet sauce on the pulled pork with the relatively also sweet hollandaise made for an overall sweeter benedict than i might prefer... but that was some really, really tasty pulled pork. I think that i would order it again but keep the h'sauce on the side.

Third person had the pancakes. The buttermilk pancakes. Aka proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy at brunchtime on Sundays in Ottawa. These were delicious. Clearly made to order (not rewarmed as some places cheat), delicious taste, not too dense, not too fluffy. Totally a treat.

Cost was about $10pp, totally worth it. Service was great throughout coffee refilled no problems. By the time we left the place was almost full.... apprently we just got ahead of the almost-crowd.

Will be back, will send others.

1

Took the parents to Todric's today for brunch. It was a mixed experience. Pictured is a double chocolate grilled cheese. Bread is custom baked for todric's by the french baker and is not sweet, but savory. It made for a very unusual but nice sandwich stuffed with slices of asian pear and brie, and pressed on a panini grill. I quite enjoyed it and it was served with decent home fries and some nice fresh fruit. I really enjoyed the flavours, as did 2 of the others, but one felt it was a really unpleasant combination, but then that individual thinks the idea of adding chocolate to anything savory, like chili, is also not good.

Other dishes included a breakfast burrito and a smoked salmon benedict that were well reviewed, as well as an elk and bison taco that were unremarkable; Although the filling was a nice cobination of shredded and spiced meat, the shells looked and tasted like boxed grocery store taco shells, and there was a surplus of shredded iceberg lettuce that dominated the other fillings. So the tacos were not a big winner overall, but the three other dishes were well prepared and delicious.

Unfortunately there were a few problems with service. Our server was pleasant and friendly, but did not do a lot to enhance the dining experience. Specials were not described to us, and when we specifically asked about specials, there was not a lot of enthusiasm to tell us about them. An elk and bison taco, for example, is not something that is typical on a brunch menu and we would have enjoyed a more detailed explanation than was offered. At one point when we were asking about another special, the server noticed food for another table was up and simply left us mid explanation without saying a word, to pick up the food and deliver to the other table. When he returned, we had to ask again about the specials, and after we ordered, we noticed it was fully 10 minutes before he put the order in at the kitchen. That is perhaps why one of the orders was placed incorrectly and the wrong dish was delivered to one of the diners. Apologies were made, and the correct meal was delivered, but the other three of us were nearly finished eating at that point. The server also noted to us that he was having a very rough day, having been up since 5:30. So he was friendly and pleasant, but did not really do much to "sell" the interesting food available, and it was a first time here for the parents.

So all in all it was a mostly pleasant dining experience, good value, with most brunch dishes between $8 and $13 and Todric's still has one of the most interesting brunch menus in town.

I went there for dinner and the cutlery was at the table.
Was told by the chef that the cutlery is at the table for dinnertime and lunchtime you order at the counter-this is for the weekday 9-4? hours.

My meal was good, will post later about it.
I also like that if you do not want a dessert they have cookies for sale.
I wanted the pineapple upside down cake and there was none left that day :(
Still all their cookies are good and change daily.
Cost for cookies is from $1.25 to $2 around.
They have some gigantic cookies-like a3 flavor spumoni shortbread (was very good) and some oatmeal cookies, double chocolate (very rich and good).

On my last visit I had the beef short ribs ($22) and the portion was quite big- you got 3 fairly large pieces of short rib,some very tasty green beans and jasmine rice.
The meat on the ribs was fall off the bone and very good.
Guest has the fish of the day-that was grouper with a sweet potato puree and something else.
The fish was nicely done and a very big portion-almost enough for 2 people (and larger than I've seen at other places).

I really want to go back and try the lobster pasta,it sounds so good!
They also sells different jams,sauces and seasonings to take home.
Bought a jar of marmalade and it is quite good!If you go to their website www.todrics.com the whole menu is posted there.
-dinner menu: www.todrics.com
-lunch and brunch menu: www.todrics.com
(these are hard to find,so thought I'd add direct links).

Lately there has also been a lot of discounted gift certificates for the dinner menu at Todrics.
Bought a few and am using those up now!
But still,I would go without them anyways (or plan to).
Also hope to try the lunch and brunch menu soon.
Here is a post on my blog of a previous dinner at Todric's.
prettytastyreviews.blogspot.com

Todric's is a lovely little place that you're unlikely to find unless you work for the government on McArthur or are egged on by your trusty GPS. Only meters away did we finally realize we were in the vicinity of gastronomic potential.

But it was worth it!

The brunch menu was filled with choices including omelets, poached eggs, pancakes, quiche, and more. The food was presented simply, but it was definitely tasty (for the record, I had a chef's omelet – cheese and asparagus - with toasts and a cappuccino).

The decor is unassuming, warm, and cozy. We got service at the table, but it seems the place can also metamorphose itself into an order-at-the-counter establishment (perhaps on weekdays for lunch?).

Food there is also very affordable.

Service was friendly, and we had a nice chat with the cook, Eric Patenaude, who's engaging and very enthusiastic about his cooking. He showed us around the frozen take-home entrees and emphasized value for the money. We made off with a lamb curry that we polished off tonight ... mmmm.

Went to Todric's on a weekend (it's on McArthur...just a few blocks west of Vanier Parkway...I know the location seems odd)...this place is FABULOUS!! One of the best brunches I have had in Ottawa. Their focus is on catering...but I will definitely come back for brunch/lunch. Fresh, delicious food! Omelettes and french toast were great. So was the quiche! The chicken club was to die for! Great ambience!!

I am very impressed by Todric's (the only thing that might seem weird is that the cutlery and condiments are self-serve...other than that, everything else is served to your table). The owner and staff are very friendly. Oh and they also carry quite a few take-home dishes, marinades, rubs and preserves.

3

An extensive brunch menu (maybe 10+ options?) and by rights they are probably all delicious!

I opted for the Reuben sandwich, which involved moist dark rye with a lightly toasted exterior, meaty tempeh, and a wonderfully sauced cabbagy filling. Tasty and satisfying!

The soup of the day was corn chowder so I chose this as my side and was very glad I did! Without a doubt this was the best corn chowder I've ever encountered.

This dish was a reasonable $14. The coffee was a somewhat less reasonable $3, but it was good coffee and it was served with a cute creamer and sugar bin so I hold no grudge. ;-)

It was pretty empty on a Saturday. They are busier on Sunday, when they have live jazz.

Service was wonderful, friendly, and it involved generous refilling of water glasses.

I went to Vittoria for brunch with my girlfriend last weekend. I had "Siena" Brunch: Bacon and Fontina cheese omelet served with seasoned potatoes and nine grain toast. My girlfriend had "Francesca" Brunch: Poached eggs, smoked salmon, mascarpone cheese and dill sauce served on grilled toast with seasoned potatoes. Everything was tasty and fresh. My seasoned potatoes were excellent. Good service. Impressive wine list. It's cosy!

I had brunch here several weeks ago. They do a table d'hote brunch menu.
The day I was there the options were:

Black Bean Soup OR
House Made Granola

Breakfast Burrito OR
French Toast with Bananas and Chocolate Sauce

Choice of Dessert

I opted for the Granola, followed by the French toast.

I had a latte to start, and the granola which was really good, and fortunately in a small portion because it's pretty heavy as a starter. It was nicely carmelized and really tasty.

The french toast was unusual...it was a large wedge of brioche type bread that had been coated in oats before frying. It came with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce, 2 large pieces of thick cut bacon that were a little too crunchy for my taste and 2 sausages that were slightly longer and thinner than the standard breakfast sausage, and a lot less greasy. I wish I knew where they get them. There was also a nice salad on the plate, and fried potatoes (not deep fried, either!).

Upside: The latte was included in the price, which was about $17 so there was a lot of food for the price. And almost everything was tasty. I had to have them box my dessert (Peanut Butter Pie) to go, as there was no way I could eat it after all that.

Downside: This is not the place to go if you have plans after. I was seated shortly after 12:00 and had my bill dropped at 1:40. Also, it is a lot of food, so go hungry, or with someone who has a bigger appetite than you. Also, I liked the table d'hote format, but probably wouldn't have if they'd offered choices that didn't appeal to me.

All in all, I'd go again.

Last Sunday morning after the snowstorm
this was one of the few places on Somerset/Wellington/Richmond that had parking spots (city did plow) & sidewalk was done also. So at 10:05am we were the first customers for brunch.
Coffee was hot and fresh and replenished nicely (after the server ran back from Herb&Spice across the street--fruit was very fresh!) Very reasonable prices. Vegetarian fritta platter was excellent, incredibly good homefries, oven baked veggie frittata, small side of fruit. Nice fruit cup with granola. French toast in triple sec with fruit and bacon or sausages was the most expensive item ($9),was huge and good. None of the 3 of us ordered benedict (there were 2 choices) but prices were about the best I've seen $8 or$9 and given how good the rest of the stuff was it seems like a great place for brunch. Friendly service, good food, hot coffee as needed. Love the friendly service here!

1

Went today at 11am for Brunch after reading Mark's review as well as several friend who were there last weekend. Big place .. it was my first time in the building and the place is massive. The eating areas were nicely put together and they have many other rooms for weddings etc.. but overall, very nicely done. After we looked at menu we saw several tables receiving "The Board" and could not believe how good it looked. After some great service with water and OJ, we ordered "The Board" and Tea. The good and bad ... I asked for the eggs without cheese since dairy and I do not mix well and they did. However it was loaded on toast with butter or whatever..wife did the "no fly zone" on that. As well as the mussels was in a cream sauce. Thats the Menu and I have learn to adapt. Wife loved the eggs and pancakes. The kimci, salads, Steak tar tar, Beef and sausage was amazing - the grill chicken was the best and the deserts were also amazing. At $37.00 each is pricy I thought but overall it was an amazing brunch - A real treat. Service was top notch, the owner/chef was walking around and enjoyed talking to the customers. What I really enjoyed was the talking in the kitchen. My back was to the kitchen and I continued to hear "Yes Chef" "More pancakes .." "Yes Chef" and so on. I believed there was 5 cooks doing the Brunch/Training. I laughed and was expecting Chef Gord Ramsey to explode after hearing so many "Yes Chef"

Overall ..a great experience. Great staff, great food and friendly service. I wish there were a few less "dairy (Cheese Butter)" options on the menu ..since I like dairy ..it don't like me options. How the hell did I survive travelling to Euorpe during my high tech days??? We will return for dinner in the near future.

Good job NEXT

1

The Superbrunch: bacon, sausage, capicolo ham, crepes, waffle, 2 eggs of choice, a side of fruit salad and beans. $14 if I remember well. No need to make any choices!

2

Here is a picture of the raisin-apricot loaves and mixed berries smoothies that is served as appies to the brunch meals. They gave us an extra one even though my daughter didn't order anything.

2

Came here on a whim with my son while my wife and daughter attended a birthday party at altitudegym.ca .

The gimmick at this family-style chain is the AYCE self-serve bread bar, where you choose bread and flavoured margarines and grill the bread yourself. I didn't have any this time around, as my breakfast was satisfying enough on its own.

For $12.95, I enjoyed this eggs benedict with smoked salmon on ciabatta. The fries were seasoned and tasted spectacular. This price included coffee/tea and the AYCE bread bar. Breakfasts also come with the Vitalia Duo, which involves a slice of cranberry-raisin-apricot loaf and a tasty shooter of banana-strawberry smoothie.

My son had a kid's meal for $4.79: bananas and crèpes with chocolate sauce, and chocolate milk to drink. He was thrilled with his meal.

In the world of chain restaurants, this place seems better than most. Looking forward to coming back and trying their pasta/pizza meals, as well as the bread bar.

1

The "Benedict" breakfast waffle consists of 2 waffles, 2 poached eggs, 2 slides of thick homemade bacon and Hollandaise. A very good breakfast option, period.

I wished it came with a little side of syrup because I am French Canadian by marriage so I love syrup and I also ran out of Hollandaise sauce for the last half piece of waffle.

1

This is the "Hangover Waffle" -- slow cooked brisket with curds and gravy. It sounds pretty awesome, but I didn't try it so I can't really comment.

2

They offer a selection of unique waffles as part of their weekend brunch menu. I had the one pictured here -- with chicken croquettes and sour cherry compote.

It was a cool idea, but I found the croquettes (made with mildly seasoned ground chicken) were very boring without the included hot sauce. And the cherry compote added a nice tang to counter the heaviness of the fried stuff but the combination just didn't work for me. YMMV.

I ended up eating this dish kind of separately: chicken croquettes with hot sauce as an appetizer, and waffles with maple syrup as dessert. It works!

1

Went out there on Sunday for a weekend brunch with my folks. We went around 1 o'clock, and got served immediately. I found the coffee good, but that's not why you're reading this (Actually, why are you reading this? I'm not as funny as others, and there are no nice pictures).

I had a debate between the hungry man (3 eggs, 5 slices of bacon, 3 slices of toast, a pile of homefires) and what they termed the breakfast poutine (Hollandaise sauce with cheese over homefries, with bacon). I went with the hungry man. My parents settled on the saner two eggs. All of us different types of eggs (Scrambled, over-easy, sunny-side up) and the three different meats(Ham, Sausage and Bacon). All of them turned out good. My Dad enjoyed his sausages, my mom devoured the bacon, and I found the ham perfect.

Their homefries were seasoned with what appeared to be a mixture of cornmeal and seasalt. It added a nice touch to the fries, and I enjoyed it. I suggest that if you want a nice brunch, give them a try.

3

I used to love going to Von's, but I think my time here is done. I was there for Sunday brunch a week ago. The service was terrible. The older woman (owner? manager?) was snappy and rude when we got there. We were a party of 4 and just coming in the main door into the restaurant. We couldn't all fit into the restaurant (no line-ups, it is just a very small entrance area), so the door was open briefly between the restaurant and the hallway. The weather was lovely outside. 3 of our party was chatting and holding the restaurant door partially open, while I tried to find out what the wait would be. The older woman pushed past me and snapped at my friends to shut the door that minute because people were getting cold. That should have been a signal to go, but we stayed. She proceeded to yell at every group the came into the restaurant to ask about the wait time. At least 2 different couples just turned around and left. The thing to note is the door opens into a hallway, not into the outdoors and there are no tables around the door, so I really don't see how anyone could even feel any outdoor air.

The meal was nothing special. The eggs benny (with spinach) were undercooked leaving the whites runny and others eggs benny were cooked hard. There was one sad, thin slice of orange for decoration on our plates. My friend's fruit salad side was canned and dull (and while I know it is April, there are still citrus fruits, bananas, apples, etc available). The waitress kept reaching across the table to top up water and coffee while we were talking (pet peeve of mine).

The final thing was the dismal state of the washrooms. I don't remember them being as dank and subterranean before. The woman's washroom is painted dull grey and the paint has all worn away in spots. The pipes running through the ceiling feel like they are pressing down on you and you have to leave the washroom to stand in the hallway to allow room for people to come out of the stalls and wash their hands. Really unpleasant and unexpected given that Von's tries to be a cut above the other places in the Glebe.

1

The husband and I came here for brunch today, because our standard (Jak's, right now) was doing repairs.

I had been here once before, a few years ago, and remember it being fairly good. The impression that we left with was that they took great care in some things, but didn't seem to care at all about others.

The service was really unattentive. We waited quite a while without being acknowledged, and when there was finally a table ready, we weren't seated so much as shooed into the seats. It was very strange. When ordering, the waiter was mumbling a lot. He didn't ask what my husband wanted for sides, homefries or salad, or what kind of bread. I don't think those things should have to be prompted from the customer.

They brought us banana bread and butter to start, which was a nice touch. This is one of those things that they clearly thought through, and I appreciated it.

I ordered the French Toast, with a side of bacon. It was a good portion and very tasty. I might say the best french toast I've had. The "season fruit salad" annoyed me, because it was a lot of berries that were not ripe and not in season. The bacon was a good portion, though crisper than it ought to have been.

My husband ordered the Western omlette. The homefries were a really, really small portion, albeit nicely seasoned. We talked about how the portion was smaller than you get in most restaurants, and had their been a second side (beans, salad?) it would have been a bit more explicable. He said the omlette was good, but nothing that he couldn't have gotten at a diner.
He asked for white toast, but got brown (there was no third option, which was a bit odd)

The orange juice was alright, though marked up as it is everywhere. The cafe au lait was quite good as well, though more milk than coffee. I asked three times for a glass of water, before it was finally brought.

The french toast was really good, but it would be the only thing that I would consider worthy of revisiting for. The bill was $28 for two drinks, two meals and my side, before tip. Not a bad price, but not worth such inattentive service.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE brunch at The Buzz. They serve real maple syrup (surprisingly a rarity in Ottawa, unless you hit a foodie joint like most of those listed here). The menu is brief yet varied, the food fantastic and chef-like (as opposed to 'line'-cooked) and the service is delightful...always. Crepes, home-made sausages/banana bread/granola...

My parents have been taking us here for Saturday brunch for as long as I can remember (guesstimate 8 years).As creatures of habit we always order the same thing:
Dad: eggs Benedict (I'm pretty sure this is on back bacon)
Mom: omelet special of the day. I always sneak a bite and they usually use a good cheese, though they are never good enough for me to think to order them the next weekend
Myself and sister: eggs Portuguese. poached eggs on potato pancakes with sliced tomatoes and basil hollandaise sauce. Notably absent is basil, but it is still our fave!
The benedicts are always delicious and even the portugaise which comes on potato pancakes still comes with amazing home fries. It comes with a selection of somewhat to overly ripe fruit (slices of melon, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, pineapple and kiwi)oh and a small chocolate
(the kind they sell at costco, maybe even the kirkland brand I cant remember for sure)
the coffee is decent at best, but free refills are aplenty. To give everyone a heads up, the later you go the more likely you will wait at the tiny crowded entrance.

My friend ordered the home-style omelet souffle style.

Had brunch here,and it was really good. Basicly their breakfast is eggs cooked in the oven on an iron skillet prepared 3 ways, Israeli style. You get some really good side salads, hot bread with different spreads, olives and coffee for around 10 bucks.

I went with the Mediterranean style prepared with peppers and tomatoes, could have used more spice but it was really good. I'm definitely going back!

8

New User 3740, I feel the need to say something because some of your comments leave me confused.

* Bacon being undercooked is a matter of taste unless it's raw. I like extra crispy but I rarely find that at buffets.
* Asian food looking scary does not sound like the problem is with the food.
* Desserts often have a glaze to preserve their freshness. This is normal and considered desirable. I bet they would have tasted nice.
* Roast beef *is* grey. Meat turns grey when cooked in the absence of nitrites.
* Sushi may be dry, but to describe it as "disgusting" doesn't really mean anything without more information.
* Are you honestly saying that the only vegetables in the salads were radishes and onions, or is that hyperbole?
* A plate of cheese to share with everyone else sounds quite normal for a buffet. There's usually a platter near the desserts with several cheeses and a garnish of real or fake grapes. You are expected to carve off little chunks of the cheeses and take them to your table on your own plate.
* You can't say "Bread? Barely." and expect that to mean something! :-)
* I'm sorry to hear that you vomited later that evening. You should call Le Café and let them know that this happened. There's no reason to think it was caused by the brunch food unless it happened to multiple customers.

We went for Father's Day brunch around 10:30 am, expecting a line-up but it was actually very quiet, probably due to all the construction on Bank St.

They had three choices for brunch, all of which are served with a grilled tomato "provencal", fried mushrooms, home fries and grilled toast.

Traditional: 2 eggs done as you like, double-smoked bacon, house sausage and ham. Vegetarian: Sweet potato, leek and ricotta fritatta. Vegan: Blueberry pancakes with coconut cream filling.

We tried the first two, and ordered toast for our toddler (who ate our homefries instead).

All the food was yummy and done well, the bacon was particularly delicious, and we all went away stuffed. The variety of sides was so nice, and made the meal feel very complete.

It's a locale with a touch of local history, built in the home of the old Imperial Theatre. It's actually a totally cute place, with art deco touches (check out the gorgeous wallpaper on the back wall) and cheesy old movie posters for a bit of visual entertainment. There are a video projector and a screen set in the ceiling, and a promise to start showing movies some time soon.