Ottawa Brunch (Hidden Gems?) [Food/Vendor]
2014 Sep 14
I was disappointed with Wild & Ada's....maybe my expectations were so high from all the praise they get here and elsewhere, and also the line snaking out the door. I had one of their specials (eggs baked in halves of avocados)and it just didn't impress. I did like the atmosphere there however, friendly helpful staff. I would still say it has lots of promise.
What about Good Eats which replaced the DT location of Scone which? Anyone tried there? I plan to try it Wednesday morning.
I tend to end up at the Ottawa Bagelshop every Sunday which my family, only 2 egg eaters in the bunch and everyone still finds something yummy (#19 bagelsub is what I love, and the smoked salmon bagelsub (#24) in a very casual, child friendly place. My main gripe is the price of coffee/tea with a charge for refills.
I like Benny's too....but you've already crossed that off the list for now.
Let us know where you end up!
What about Good Eats which replaced the DT location of Scone which? Anyone tried there? I plan to try it Wednesday morning.
I tend to end up at the Ottawa Bagelshop every Sunday which my family, only 2 egg eaters in the bunch and everyone still finds something yummy (#19 bagelsub is what I love, and the smoked salmon bagelsub (#24) in a very casual, child friendly place. My main gripe is the price of coffee/tea with a charge for refills.
I like Benny's too....but you've already crossed that off the list for now.
Let us know where you end up!
2014 Sep 15
I am a fan of brunch at Carmen's Veranda ( Carmen's Verandah
) on Bank in Old Ottawa South. Not a place to go if you are in a rush, but the atmosphere is the weekend personified and the food is tasty. I enjoy taking a stroll to the shops nearby after to um.. aid the digestion.
2014 Sep 15
John's on Welli West. Basic greasy spoon fare done better, best breakfast club in the city imnsho.
Broadways. Multiple locations. Because the Take 2 could feed a family of four, and the tater-tots are slathered in butter and garlic and onions and meth.
Pressed on Gladstone. Does evil, evil things with waffles.
Bearbrooke Farm at the Brewer Park Farmer's Market on Sundays, albeit kind of weather dependent.
....and i second/third/whatever pretty much everywhere upthread, Wilf/Ada, Stoneface and Gezellig being faves.
Broadways. Multiple locations. Because the Take 2 could feed a family of four, and the tater-tots are slathered in butter and garlic and onions and meth.
Pressed on Gladstone. Does evil, evil things with waffles.
Bearbrooke Farm at the Brewer Park Farmer's Market on Sundays, albeit kind of weather dependent.
....and i second/third/whatever pretty much everywhere upthread, Wilf/Ada, Stoneface and Gezellig being faves.
2014 Sep 15
The Buzz on Bank St. is a nice intimate spot. No jamming or cramming, hustling or bustling, which are what grate most on my nerves when I'm trying to unwind on the weekend. The food has been spot on the 3-4 times I've been now, too. It's only offered on Sunday though.
On Saturdays, I personally lean toward the less popular but still good. Izakaya always has ample seating and Asian-fusion-type options (as well as more traditional eggs/meat/toast/potato plates). Atomic Rooster is good for the more pub-oriented but still nice quality and atmosphere. Also like the Corner Grill in the Glebe, but that can get a bit, y'know...Glebe-ish. Pints & Quarts is good although less hipster (probably why I favour it). It's more of a sportsy place though.
Let us know how you fair out!
On Saturdays, I personally lean toward the less popular but still good. Izakaya always has ample seating and Asian-fusion-type options (as well as more traditional eggs/meat/toast/potato plates). Atomic Rooster is good for the more pub-oriented but still nice quality and atmosphere. Also like the Corner Grill in the Glebe, but that can get a bit, y'know...Glebe-ish. Pints & Quarts is good although less hipster (probably why I favour it). It's more of a sportsy place though.
Let us know how you fair out!
2014 Sep 16
Pressed offers a selection of interesting toppings on waffles and they are good - but has limited other breakfast options so you have to like waffles. Also, it’s a place where you order at the counter and then have to find your own table so if you want to be served this is not for you.
Personally I am smitten with brunch at Fraser’s – particularly the whole wheat & yoghurt pancakes!
Personally I am smitten with brunch at Fraser’s – particularly the whole wheat & yoghurt pancakes!
2014 Sep 17
In the end, we drove up Bank and landed at Segue (mentally marking Atomic Rooster and Carmen's Verandah as we did so, seeing afterwards that they were noted here - so those are definitely on the list to try next time).
Segue was ok. The service was very pleasant but incredibly slow and not in a relaxed, brunch sort of way. The menu was relatively short (eight options or so) but appropriately varied, with everything from a classic eggs and toast offering to an eggs benny, brunch burger and a fried chicken dish, all around $13 to $17ish.
I ordered the fried chicken. It was crispy on the exterior, moist inside, well-seasoned and tasty. It came with a very small amount of cauliflower puree and sauteed kale (essentially decorative) and a handful of green salad on the side. The portion was fine for me, but if you're a big eater, you might leave hungry. The vinaigrette on the salad was, strangely enough, quite salty. I like a good salty fried chicken dish but this was too much.
I took a bite of someone's brunch burger and it was very good - a nice bun (slightly chewy with a shiny exterior - maybe some sort of egg bread?) and a flavourful, handmade patty that was loosely packed and done to medium. This was a heartier dish, for those so inclined.
No fresh oj on the menu, which I always miss at a sit-down brunch, and the coffees weren't very hot - which a couple of other folks at our table made a point of remarking.
All in all, we had a nice enough meal but nothing stands out to draw us back. The search continues!
Thanks for the suggestions everybody :)
Segue was ok. The service was very pleasant but incredibly slow and not in a relaxed, brunch sort of way. The menu was relatively short (eight options or so) but appropriately varied, with everything from a classic eggs and toast offering to an eggs benny, brunch burger and a fried chicken dish, all around $13 to $17ish.
I ordered the fried chicken. It was crispy on the exterior, moist inside, well-seasoned and tasty. It came with a very small amount of cauliflower puree and sauteed kale (essentially decorative) and a handful of green salad on the side. The portion was fine for me, but if you're a big eater, you might leave hungry. The vinaigrette on the salad was, strangely enough, quite salty. I like a good salty fried chicken dish but this was too much.
I took a bite of someone's brunch burger and it was very good - a nice bun (slightly chewy with a shiny exterior - maybe some sort of egg bread?) and a flavourful, handmade patty that was loosely packed and done to medium. This was a heartier dish, for those so inclined.
No fresh oj on the menu, which I always miss at a sit-down brunch, and the coffees weren't very hot - which a couple of other folks at our table made a point of remarking.
All in all, we had a nice enough meal but nothing stands out to draw us back. The search continues!
Thanks for the suggestions everybody :)
cardamom
To give you a sense of our taste:
Art-is-in (love, but ridiculous line-ups and can be stressful), Gezellig (pretty good, but doesn't blow us away), Savoy (really enjoyed), Baker Street (overpriced and slow, ok food), Murray Street (heavy, so need to be in the right mood), Chateau Laurier (doesn't meet the "reasonable" criterion, above), Benny's Bistro (used to love years ago, but more recent visits left us more than underwhelmed and find the pastries seriously pale in comparison with more recent Ottawa entries), Edgar (LOVE, but so small and complicated to plan), Milestones (very good, actually, with a little something for everyone) and Stoneface Dolly's (ok, but nothing special - used to love it when it was in the old Jak's space, but think it's gotten pretty generic since).
Thanks in advance!