The Early Bird (Round 3)

We can't stop going to Early Bird. There was a new menu that included Eggs Benny that we really couldn't resist. I ordered the Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, which was great. The Hollandaise was perfection, the pulled pork was moist and delicious, and the slaw added a nice crunch. There wasn't anything special about the potatoes or fruit, but the fruit makes it feel like a balanced meal (even if it definitely isn't). The bread used for the Eggs Benny was a special creation, not sure if it was made in house or not, but it was nice and airy.

Pulled Pork Eggs Benny - smoked shoulder, house slaw, toast

Scott ordered the GrEggs Benny. He was raving about the soft poach on his egg, and how delicious the brisket was, although none made it across the table for me to try.

GrEggs Benny - smoked brisket, sauerkraut, 1000 island, toast

We were in the restaurant at 9 AM on a Tuesday, and it was completely empty. It is always a little strange being the only table, Service was great, but how could it not be with no one else there to make requests? We had blacked out our last experience, and are back to perfection.


Likes: Eggs Benedict! So glad to see them as a regular menu item :)
Dislikes: I guess the potatoes were a little boring
Food: 4.75/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Of course, any excuse to go and I will be back.

Berry Hill Food Company

Brunch is a long weekend requirement. As we are back from a long weekend visit with my family, it is time to share Sunday Brunch with you. We went to Berry Hill Food Company in downtown Oshawa, mostly because it is one of the few places I haven't been yet in my hometown. Actually, I am sure there are many, but it looked like it would be good. I scoped out the eggs Benedict options, and went for the Beef Tenderloin. At $16, I was expecting perfectly tender beef with creamy Hollandaise sauce. I was extremely disappointed - the beef was chewy, the Hollandaise was thin and there wasn't very much of it. The eggs were fine, but I have had better of every component. The potatoes were over-salted, but tasty. I really was filled with regret, wondering how good other menu items might have been, and why I made this choice.

Beef Tenderloin Eggs Benedict with sauteed garlic mushrooms

Scott was after more quantity, and ordered the Full Mounty. He enjoyed it, and I had some of that sausage, it was good. Nothing exceptional, again for $15 I would hope for more delight.

The Full Mounty - Canadian peameal, English sausage, 2 eggs, strip bacon, grilled tomato, baked beans, BH potatoes & toast

We left feeling overcharged and unimpressed. Looking for a great spot in Oshawa, we will have to keep looking. It seemed like there was so much potential, so maybe by ordering different things we might have been more on board. I do really want to say nice things... the service was good!

Likes: The coffee was served in a huge cup.

Dislikes: The food and prices weren't great.

Food: 3/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Probably not.

Earth to Table: Bread Bar

On Sunday we were headed through Guelph to visit friends and decided have a little brunch on the way. On the recommendation of a friend of a friend, we ended up at Earth to Table: Bread Bar. Their website looked really promising with lots of fresh looking dishes. As you may have noticed by now, we are breakfast & brunch connoisseurs with a critical eye for an egg. The brunch situation here is a kind of breakfast tapas, with small plates you can share or eat all yourself. It isn't what we started with, but I will start here with my favourite dish: Brisket & Potato Hash with Poached Egg. The brisket was delightful, so savory and flavourful, with a perfectly poached egg. Yolk on potatoes is one of the greatest joys of breakfast.

Brisket & Potato Hash with Poached Egg

My biggest disappointment was the French Toast. It wasn't very eggy, instead rather dry. The whipped cream made up for some of the lost moisture, and the caramel was tasty, but the bread was entirely the wrong choice for french toast. The bread was seedy and not very absorbent. I was very glad this wasn't the focus of my meal.

French Toast with Caramel & Whipped Cream

We were also a little underwhelmed by the Eggs Hammy. There was just very little seasoning, making it boring. The bread used here was fabulous, suiting of the Bread Bar name.

Eggs Hammy - poached egg with ham & hollandaise

The Root Beer-Baked Beans came in an adorable mini cocotte dish and were full of flavour. They were actually a little too spicy for me, and the beans were undercooked, so Scott ate most of this one.

Root Beer-Baked Beans

The Potato Latkes were the most confusing dish. It really wasn't clear how it was intended to be eaten. It reminded me of a pile of hickory sticks in both appearance and taste. I was really not into the taste of the salmon roe, way too fishy for me - although that is probably just my uneducated palette.

Potato Latkes with sour cream and cured salmon roe

While we are on the topic of fish, let's move on to the Smoked Salmon on Toast. This was much more how I prefer my breakfast salmon - classic, delicious combination. The only way this would have been better was more of it, luckily it was all you can eat!

Smoked Salmon on Toast - with cream cheese, capers, lemon, dill, & red onion

The breakfast nachos were better than they looked. They have found a really good guacamole recipe, there was just not enough. Not a huge egg presence, but it was good.

Breakfast Nachos - jalapenos, guacamole, scrambled egg, sour cream

Last but definitely not least, Scott's favourite dish: Eggs in Purgatory. This was a stunning example of the bread quality, that I hope and assume they make in house. The poached egg in tomato was excellent for dipping, being very rich and tasty.

Eggs in Purgatory - tomato, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, toast

We were there right when the restaurant opened, and were really excited about it conceptually. The dishes themselves weren't that impressive, and left us thinking wistfully of our fabulous breakfast in Kitchener, ON at Gilt Restaurant. Nothing was terrible, but for $28 per person I would rather be impressed than overwhelmed with amount of food. There was also a cold food bar available with cold salads and cold, disappointing pizza. We tried a couple, and they were big mistakes. Served hot, perhaps the pizza would have been better, but they weren't good. The pastry cart on the other hand, was filled with delightful treats. There was a salted caramel brownie that I couldn't get enough of, and actually bought 4 to take to our friends. Our service was great, very attentive, informative, but not too overwhelming.

Likes: Selection and concept of breakfast tapas is great.
Dislikes: I wasn't impressed by most items, cold pizza shouldn't have been included.
Food: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: No, and I wouldn't recommend it either. It just wasn't worth it.

The Early Bird (Round 2)

We always recommend The Early Bird, and always take people there when they visit. My brother was in town this weekend, so naturally we took him for breakfast Saturday morning. I ordered the Fat Elvis, and ended up taking a large part of it home. I love the panko fried bananas and thick bacon in between the monstrous slices of french toast. My only complaint with toasts this large is that the bread in the center is pretty dry, and there's no additional syrup provided. If I had dreams of eating the whole thing, I would have asked for more, but as it turns out I wouldn't be needing extra.

The Fat Elvis - House smoked bacon, panko fried bananas, smooth peanut butter and honey, served in a French toast sandwich, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar

Scott went for the Chicken N' Waffles, which houses his most prized restaurant item - the bacon jam. He was excited the first time he tried it, that it got replicated at home almost immediately. It is so savoury and delicious, that we each couldn't stop stealing some off his plate. The chicken and waffles themselves are also really good, but that bacon jam is the real winner.

Chicken N' Waffles - Sweet tea brined crispy fried chicken, stacked and layered between house made waffles, topped with bacon jam, duck gravy and crispy onions

My brother decided on the weekly special eggs Benedict. Never had we been disappointed before, but he cut into a poached egg expecting the oozy goodness that usually results, and found nothing but pasty overcooked yolk. I was embarrassed, Scott was embarrassed. We have obviously talked up this place way too much, and easily had our hearts broken by a single overcooked egg. We will live to eat again, but not without a little more reserve towards this restaurant. The search for flawlessness continues. Otherwise, it looked and tasted pretty good.

Benny Special -  cornbread crusted chicken, topped with balsamic spinach and poached eggs, with a side of potato and onion hash with tomatoes and feta (and probably more details I can't remember)

So here we are, no longer passing out perfect reviews for The Early Bird to everyone crossing our paths. It is obviously still a beloved breakfast place that we will definitely revisit. The service was also a little slower than I remember, but it was very busy. I still love the decor, which I lovingly refer to as Queens of the Stone Age / Day of the Dead Breakfast - skulls, concert posters, records and pop art cover bright pink walls. Bright paper flowers pack the ceiling over the taco bar, and the bathrooms are light with black light.

Likes: The portions are enormous, and the food is delicious. Dishes seem to be well-balanced.

Dislikes: That overcooked poached egg! Ruining their perfection...

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Yes, I have hope. My food was great, Scott's food was great. My brother loved everything else about his food.

The Red Wagon Restaurant

This past week Scott and I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia so I could attend the American Society for Human Genetics Annual Meeting, or ASHG 2016. We ate amazing food around every corner, but I will share just a few with you. Our first morning, I took up the recommendation from an old high school acquaintance to visit Red Wagon. It was very much out of the way, but we had a rental car and were very hungry. I ordered Crispy Pork Belly, in an attempt to make up for the sub-par pork belly we had eaten the night before in Whistler. This was delicious! Each of us at the table ordered pork belly, and we were all very satisfied with the crispy exterior and mouthwatering interior. The potatoes were tossed in some sort of cilantro situation that I don't love and would have preferred to be warned about (remember, cilantro is dish-soap).The coffee was spot on and flowing, the rye was delightful, the hollandaise was creamy, and the eggs were perfectly poached.

Crispy Pork Belly - 2 poached eggs, confit pork belly, grilled tomato, salsa verde, hollandaise, homefries and rye toast

Scott went more down his usual route, ordering the Supertrucker. This was an enormous plate of food that he was excited to finish. The pancakes were light and fluffy (although Mildred's are still the ones to beat). The non-traditional breakfast meats were excellent - pulled pork on pancakes, who knew?

Supertrucker - 2 eggs, 2 buttermilk pancakes, pulled pork, crisp pork belly, homefries, and sourdough toast

This restaurant is far out of the downtown core, so it doesn't feel like a tourist spot at all. It had been there forever, and feels like a really authentic diner experience. The service was great and friendly. We lucked out when we got there with no line, but when we left there were no open tables. The coffee and water were constantly full, which is always nice.

Likes: The tone of the place was great, the pork belly was perfection.
Dislikes: How far we drove to find it, and cilantro.
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Yes! If I am ever back in Vancouver I would insist on going back. Everyone else should, too!

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

On Monday morning, Canadian Thanksgiving, we had to travel back to London from having visited my parents. Of course, that means we could stop for brunch in Toronto! I had seen Mildred's Temple Kitchen on Instagram many times, so I was pretty pleased to see it was open on the holiday. I ordered the Big Brunch Skillet, and as you can see, we shared a side of chorizo sausage. First, I must say that the coffee was the absolute best coffee I've had in a restaurant, so shout out to Reunion Island Coffee. The skillet was very satisfying, but not mind blowing. Lots of spicy, tasty bites that went well with the eggs. I think I would have preferred poached eggs, since I really just don't like the jelly uncooked top of sunny-side up eggs, something I should have remembered. A nice rye toast would have been welcome too, it felt like it needed a toast.

Big Brunch Skillet - spicy pulled pork, roasted onions, black bean and potato hash with sunny eggs and piri piri salsa

Scott went his usual route - pancakes! These pancakes should be winning all the awards, they were so thick, light and fluffy. The Buttermilk was really doing good work, and that blueberry compote was delicious. I am a little jealous I didn't have a plate for myself. In the menu, it mentions that they are cooked low and slow, so I imagine the batter must be crazy thick to get them as high as they are.

Mrs. Biederhof's Legendary Light & Fluffy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes - served with Lanark County maple syrup & whipped cream.

Many things about this place were absolute wins. Like everywhere else in Toronto for brunch, it was really busy, and they don't take reservations. They do take your phone number, and text you when your table is ready, which is genius. There are so many little shops and things around Liberty Village to look at to entertain yourselves for 45 minutes, that the wait really didn't seem like an inconvenience at all. We actually bought a nice cast iron lasagna pan at a store nearby that we hope to use this week (this one). The dining area is so spacious and light, with enough charm to make it cozy. The kitchen line is completely exposed, so I could see every skillet and stack of pancakes prepared before ours. The music was great, kitchen staff clearly agreed - one chef stirred both a pot of something and his hips to Salt-N-Pepa's Push It. Unfortunately, our actual service wasn't impressive. Our server seemed completely exhausted. We quickly ran out of water and coffee, and were left for way too long with nothing to drink. All of our interactions with him felt really awkward, I didn't like it.

Likes: The atmosphere and pancakes were great!
Dislikes: I loved the coffee, and would have loved more of it - service was not ideal.
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. I do want those pancakes, but there's plenty more to try in the area. After such a long wait, I want to be more impressed.

The Church Key Bistro-Pub... Again

Sunday Brunch! Back in London for a quiet weekend between the chaos, we headed to our favourite restaurant in the city. I know I have shared about The Church Key before, but honestly it is amazing, you need to go now. Every Sunday is a fabulous list of options accompanied by a basket of tasty pastries. We have never had the same thing twice, and never been disappointed. Today brought with it some serious choices. I settled on the Blanquette of Salmon, always a sucker for salmon at breakfast with poached eggs. Everything about it was delicious, but that béarnaise sauce was incredible. I would buy it by the jar if that were an option. My brunch niche is clearly in the rich and creamy area of any menu. I made so many mistakes trying to eat this whole thing that has left me full for the entire day, but it was so, so good!

Blanquette of Salmon - toasted olive oil brioche and Italian style sliced salmon ceviche of brandy, lime, mustard and dill.  Surrounded with white wine veloute, fennel & black olive soffrito, poached eggs and béarnaise sauce

Scott went for the BBQ'd Pork Buns, and was also in heaven. The bun was soft and moist, while the pork belly just melted in your mouth. The miso squash puree was the real surprise for us here. It was so nutty and rich, an interesting combination that I would love to try again. At this point we were both in awe at how lovely the eggs were. Mine were poached, his was soft boiled, and both were perfect.

BBQ'd Pork Buns - traditional steamed Mantou Bun with soft boiled egg, pickled mushrooms, miso squash puree and Wuxi barbecue sauce.

Finally, the pastry basket! What an exciting time to be alive. Some of the favourites were back. Scott describes the Coco-Nutty Bar as legendary, and his all-time favourite. I love the jalapeno cheddar cornbread and the sticky cinnamon roll is so sweet and satisfying. This basket is clearly the reason I have been full all day. The pumpkin muesli wasn't sweet or spiced enough for me, but followed by the completely decadent chocolate bouchon it was forgotten. We are excited every time about what a great idea having the pastry basket at the start of the meal is, and we spend the whole time raving and savouring each bite.

Pastry basket - Blueberry muffin, Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Poppy Seed Lemon Loaf, Butter Croissant, Sticky Cinnamon Roll, Muesli Pumpkin Loaf, , Chocolate Bouchon, Coco-Nutty Bar, & Maple Pecan Financier

Likes: Service is great, presentation is fabulous, and the food was always impressive
Dislikes: The butter croissant was a little under baked this time around
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: I will resist going next Sunday, but the one after that? No guarantees! Okay maybe we will take a few weeks off...Go here!

Gilt Restaurant

Another weekend, another wedding. This time, my friend and roommate from Carleton University got to marry her wonderful new husband. As they are off on Honeymoon touring Europe, I can tell you about the fabulous breakfast we had at Gilt Restaurant in Kitchener, Ontario. I ordered the Lobster & Dill Eggs Benedict. Each toast had a whole lobster claw, that was of course just buttery goodness. The melted brie under the lettuce added to the creaminess of each bite. We need to talk about these potato puffs. We were loving them, so creamy and rich with a nice crispy exterior.

Lobster & Dill Eggs Benedict - brie, double smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, poached egg, lobster, dill hollondaise on toast with potato puffs

Scott ordered the Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread French Toast. This was actual banana bread made into french toast with classic fall spices. The banana bread was dense and rich, with all the cinnamon and nutmeg flavouring you would expect. The whipped cream, coulis, and caramel made it moist ad easy to eat.

Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread French Toast - with Chai whipped cream, dulce de leche caramel sauce, and berry coulis topped with walnuts

We also couldn't restrain ourselves and ordered some bacon wrapped dates. My only concern is that there were only 5 for us to fight over. These were sweet and spicy in all the right ways. The bed of arugula I am assuming was just to stop them from jumping off the plate.

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo and habanero with a Frank's Red Hot sauce

The restaurant itself was nice with a lot of black and hints of gold. We went right at opening, unsure if it would be busy or we would need a reservation. In some towns, Sunday Brunch is a big deal, not in Kitchener. We were the only ones there until we were leaving and one other table had just arrived. It is a shame, they deserve to be packed based on the quality of food and service we received.

Likes: Food was so good! I wish we would go back to see what they come up with next.
Dislikes: They had some music and payment issues due to the internet service, but that's a minor problem.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Probably, if I were back in Kitchener - there didn't seem to be much competition. Maybe I am not seeing the true Brunch scene?

Sunny Morning Breakfast & Lunch

I can't believe how busy it has been this week! I almost forgot to tell you about my delightful Sunday breakfast, the morning after watching two amazing people get married the night before. For a small moment we considered the complimentary hotel breakfast in the morning, but it looked so sad. Instead, we went to Sunny Morning Breakfast & Lunch in Etobicoke. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Omelette. This was perfect, I had cream cheese to spread on my marble rye toast for each bite of smokey salmon and egg. I opted for the side of fruit instead of home fries, since I just felt like I needed some fruit in my life. Three of us enjoyed the fruits, it was huge! The capers and red onion made for just the right flavour combination that is always a success.

Smoked Salmon Omelette - Smoked salmon, capers, red onion, with fruit, marble rye & cream cheese.

Scott ordered a sweet pile of tasty goodness, called Freddy's Caramel Waffle. It was delightful, with sweet caramel in every hole of the waffle. It was amazing to see, he didn't even use syrup. He loves syrup! I would call this a dessert long before accepting it as a breakfast, but there you have it.

Freddy's Caramel Waffle - golden waffle topped with pecans, banana slices, sweet milk caramel and whipped cream.

This place was really busy when we got there, and really busy when we left. We waited about 15 minutes, and service was quick. They were really on top of keeping our coffees full and the food came much sooner than we expected. It didn't seem like the quality suffered at all from the pace, I assume they are used to being busy on a Sunday morning.

Likes: The service was great, food was delicious
Dislikes: Tables were a little small
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: I would if I happened to be right in the area. I maintain that there are so many places to try in Toronto that I can't waste valuable stomach space on a second visit anywhere. I would recommend it though if you are looking for a great breakfast spot.

The Good Fork

On Sunday, we eat brunch. On Sunday in Toronto it is really hard to decide where to go since brunch has become so hot. A good guide is to stay local since there are so many great neighborhood spots. Airbnb means I am no longer restricted to the downtown core, and now get to explore and eat more like a local when I visit (yes, that's another Airbnb recommendation - you should really try it). We decided to try out The Good Fork, a really busy place that had a huge wait. Luckily, they offer to text when your table is ready, so we were able to go a couple doors down to a Timothy's for tea and coffee while we waited for our table. If you are in a rush, this is not the place for you, but then again, maybe Sunday Brunch isn't for you. I ordered the Fork Scram, which was perfect. I was in love with every single bite with the creamy creme fraiche and dill, and of course smoked salmon! The puff pastry was cooked to perfection, and the scrambled eggs made it feel like a great start to the day. The home fries were a huge disappointment. two of us ordered them as sides and were not thrilled. There was very little seasoning or character involved. Covered in ketchup, they were fine, but better home fries would have made this breakfast exceptional.

Fork Scram - puff pastry, two scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, whipped chive creme fraiche, fresh dill, and home fries

Once we had a table, service was pretty good. I just can't believe it was over an hour for a table. We definitely went at peak brunch time. If you are in the area, I really do recommend this dish. It was so refreshing and tasty. The pastry wasn't too heavy, and the dill was just right.

Likes: Every bite was heavenly.
Dislikes: Except the home fries - so boring.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Would I go again?: Probably not. It was good, but not wait-for-over-an-hour good. There are plenty more brunches to try.

Campus Hi-Fi

Sundays are made for breakfast, or brunch, or a big dinner... okay, food in general. We decided Sunday morning to head out to one of our newly re-opened favourite spots, Campus Hi-Fi. They had suffered a pretty big and expensive kitchen fire back in March, and I have been scoping out the location for the entire duration of renovations waiting for a sign they were back in business. Yesterday was our second time back since the fire, and it was everything we were hoping it would be. I ordered The Godfather Eggs Benny, and changed out the home-fries for poutine. I had no chance of finishing this, it was an enormous portion. I love the Hollandaise sauce, and the goat cheese made each bite so creamy. Nothing was out of place and I would order this every Sunday for the rest of my life if I could.

Godfather Eggs Benny - Goat cheese and crumbled sausage in tomato & spinach sauce, with poached eggs covered in Hollandaise sauce served with fruit and poutine

Scott ordered what used to be my staple - Shawn's Breakfast Poutine. While his came with toast that he loves to smother in jam, mine came with the fruit and had all the makings of amazing eggs Benedict. I am pretty sure this means I won this round of breakfast. You also can't really tell how deep this bowl of poutine goes. Don't worry, he was full!

Shawn's Breakfast Poutine - Fries topped with mozza cheese curds, bacon, gravy, 2 poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce

While we may not be back next weekend, we will definitely be back - hopefully before all the students get back and make it busy again! There was no line at all, maybe people haven't realized they have re-opened yet. On weekends in the school year, people are regularly lined up out the door. The service was typical, and pleasant. We got our breakfast a lot faster than I thought we would. My biggest complaint is that they only accept cash or debit, since I typically don't carry cash and love using my MasterCard.

Likes: Poutine is amazing for breakfast. Eggs Benedict are perfection. I love the addition of goat cheese.
Dislikes: I need to use my credit card at every opportunity, and am sad this wasn't an option.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. as soon as the guilt of poutine breakfast wears off.

Flapjack's Canadian Diner

Scott loves pancakes. I don't really get it, but they are his food of choice. For breakfast on his birthday in Ottawa, we decided to go to where hopefully the best pancakes in the city would be waiting for him. After a little bit of internet hunting, it became pretty clear we wouldn't find something to compete with The Early Bird's Full Stack of pancakes here in London. We decided to try Flapjack's Canadian Diner. When we pulled up, it was immediately obvious this was a tourist trap. Everything was Canadiana to the extreme, but we still kind of loved it, after all, we were in Ottawa as tourists! All the lumber, plaid, and maple syrup imagery was really setting the bar high. While we waited, we played Barrel of Monkeys at the table, which was a nice addition - except everything was sticky with syrup from previous little hands. I instantly loved the music they happened to be playing, it could have been one of my own playlists with Of Monsters and Men, Mumford and Sons, and other folksy indie artists (although I didn't notice any Canadians). Scott started with a Cookie Dough Milkshake that in theory sounded great, but was a real mess. The straw was one of the cheapest thin little straws that had no business anywhere near a milkshake. The drink was thick, with chunks of cookie dough at the bottom that just doesn't make sense for a beverage. At least it tasted good! The coffee was decent, too. Service was slow and erratic, I can only assume our server spent a lot of time talking in the back, and then came out when she felt like it. It wasn't busy, just us and a couple of other tables. Despite us sitting there with our menus closed, she put in the orders for the table that came after us first, which is always annoying. Coffee top ups were sparse, and she didn't check in much. We had a lot of time to play Barrel of Monkeys. Too much time.

So what about the pancakes? Scott ordered buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberries and topped with banana, and a side of sausage. The pancakes were as promised, fluffy and delicious. The way the options are, you can go as crazy as you want with fillings and toppings, and I think Scott made some decent fruit choices that made these pancakes not too ridiculous. Each meal came with house-made tomato jam that we both found way too acidic. It was actually kind of surprising to see that they had jars of it to be sold, since it really wasn't very appealing. Maybe we just didn't have the right combination of food for it, or got an off batch. Sorry for the blurry picture on this one - I had to be quick before Scott devoured the pancakes!

Buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberries & topped with banana

I am more of an eggs-for-breakfast person, so I went with The Big Feller omelette. Each of the omelettes came with home-fries and toast. I should have taken another shot of it cut open, because you really can't see what was going on in there, I guess you can see a bit of the meat coming out the end on the left but... oh my goodness this omelette! First of all, of course cheese curds belong in an omelette! Why haven't I seen this before? It is genius. Also, all the usual suspects of breakfast meats are always invited to my omelettes - and they didn't hold back on amounts here, this omelette was packed. Unfortunately, only half the plate came to impress. The home-fries were the most bland pile of lazy potatoes I have ever been served. I am not sure why they even wasted their time cutting them up. There was no seasoning, and smothering them in ketchup made them a little tolerable, but since I was filled with delicious omelette there was no point in even trying.

The Big Feller - bacon crumble, chopped sausage, diced ham, onion, and cheese curds

And then we got the bill. This was way too expensive for how hit & miss it was, or how little the ingredients actually cost. The real tourist trap nature was made extremely evident. I would never go back here, and would never encourage other people to even try it, instead I am just hopeful more restaurants use cheese curds in everything!

Likes: Cheese curds. Scott liked the pancakes too.
Dislikes: Value. Tomato jam. Home-fries. Stickiness. There was a lot of room for improvement.
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Nope. I would rather make my own breakfast.

Elgin Street Diner

After a long car ride, we made it to Ottawa! This was our first time using Airbnb (if you want to join & get a $30 travel credit, click here). It was actually fabulous, we had a studio apartment for 4 nights that was walking distance to everything with underground parking & rooftop patio for just $314. We didn't have to meet anyone or check in or out with anyone, everything was through keyless entry that I got the codes for through email. I am glad it was a great experience, since we have 2 other Airbnbs booked in the future!

As weary travelers, we headed to an Ottawa staple:  Elgin Street Diner. I ordered the Chubby Checker Chicken Burger, and made my side poutine instead of just fries. The poutine is really what it is all about here. The gravy is thick and meaty, and the St. Albert cheese curds are fresh and squeaky. If you haven't been eating St. Albert cheese, you have been missing out entirely. Go get some now, I want to. The chicken burger was fine, nothing special. It hit the spot in terms of the greasiness I was there for, bacon & cream cheese are rarely a mistake. That pickle was delicious, but the coleslaw... not my thing.

Chubby Checker Chicken Burger - Grilled chicken breast with cream cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, served on a fresh bun

Scott decided on the Smokey Burger, also with poutine. He said the smoked Gouda was great and the burger was cooked well, so what more can you ask for?

Smokey Burger - All beef patty topped with bacon, smoked Gouda cheese, house BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato, served on a fresh bun

This was 9:30 at night. and there were only a couple other customers in the diner. We got the food we imagined when we chose a diner for dinner. Not only would I go back, but we did! For breakfast on our last day we both ordered the Hangover Breakfast before starting our long drive home. Again with the poutine, how could we not? The beans were delicious, and we both ended up breaking our poached eggs over the poutine, a decision I recommend. The bacon was cooked perfectly for me, crispy and delicious. The egg bread toast wasn't a hit. it was over toasted in a lot of ways that didn't make it great. The coffee and the service were on point. Between both meals, our water and coffee was never long between being topped off. Our service was friendly, yet still felt genuine.

Hangover Breakfast - 2 poached eggs, bacon, baked beans, poutine, and egg bread toast

I had been here before when I lived in Ottawa and knew the Hangover Breakfast was a personal weekness. I was excited to see that things hadn't really changed, and we lucked out with our timing not having to wait for a table. The diner is also a Pokestop, which is a new thing you have to deal with. It means you can hear people playing all the time, and maybe it will wear off as the novelty does, or maybe they will incorporate it into their marketing, but at the time it was a cheerful thing that everyone was in on, and no one seemed too annoyed (yet).

Likes: The poutine is one of my all-time favourite things to eat. The atmosphere is great.
Dislikes: Coleslaw and egg bread are not my thing. I knew about the coleslaw, but I thought going in that the egg bread would be a good choice. Now I just wish I ordered Rye.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Would I go again?: Yep. Next time I am in Ottawa I will probably try. The poutine is just so delightful, and I love the diner vibes.

The Early Bird

This morning for breakfast we went out to one of our favourite spots in London, The Early Bird. Our first date actually took place here. We have been back many times since and always been extremely satisfied. We walked in a little after opening time at 9 AM, and there were already a couple other tables. By the time we left the place was pretty full, with a few tables still open on the patio. Today's special was right up my alley:

Eggs Benedict on cornbread with popcorn chicken, honey garlic hollandaise, and pork rinds with a bruschetta side salad

This was a great start to the day, although probably a little more salt than necessary. The popcorn chicken was hot and fresh, but I would have preferred a more flavourful batter. The honey garlic hollandaise was very subtle. The eggs of course were perfectly poached on the soft, delicious cornbread. I enjoyed the bruschetta salad more than I expected to, it had a salty dressing that made me more welcoming to chunks of raw tomatoes than usual. Scott on the other hand was feeling very ambitious - he ordered the full stack of pancakes:

Pancakes layered with smoked bacon, peameal, and potato hash topped with a fried egg covered in maple syrup.

Alas, he only finished two pancakes and all the layered parts - the half stack equivalent. We currently have some pretty fluffy and delicious pancakes in the fridge. I am not normally too crazy about pancakes, but these are really satisfying with how fluffy and absorbent they are for the maple syrup. While he continued to eat, I sat and sipped my fresh, bottomless coffee. The service was great, with 3 different staff members interacting with us throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well.

Likes: Food is fresh and plentiful. Feels like you are getting great value in quality & quantity
Dislikes: There are always these greens that I struggle with and end up dropping on myself like a real mess. The bathrooms are terrible for lighting.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I take people from out of town here and recommend it often.