Chapter 7 More Than Breakfast, Not Quite Lunch
655 Words
A step up from over-easy, bacon, brown toast, and coffee is that blissful meal invented especially for lazy, sociable weekends: brunch. Of course, on perfect brunch days, everybody wants to eat out, so you must be quick off the mark to get seated and served before everything gets too chaotic. One spot that seems to handle the crunch well is the evocative Lakeview Lunch (1132 Dundas St. W., 416-530- 0871), with its cozy, dim, old-fashioned booths and its antique movie memorabilia. Unexpectedly for its nondescript location, The Star on Queen 1912 Queen St. E., 416-469-0414) offers up beautifully presented and perfectly cooked brunches - eggs Florentine, seafood, and so on in an unassuming space that only seats about 25 people at a time. That's because its Escoffier chef/owner decided he just didn't want to fuss any more, so when the place is full, it's full. The best Jewish knosh is at the Free Times Café (320
booth rooms. In contrast, E Zone (170 Spadina Ave., 416-598-2042)
has a playroom ambiance, with hot- coloured plastic furniture and fixtures, as well as a tasty menu. They also rent out popular games at $1 each.
(Tip: One frequent bubbler cautions that: "Usually attitude of wait staff is inversely proportionate to quality of drinks served.") Confirmed bubble tea aficionados might like to branch out into a similar beverage, the syrupy Indian falooda, which has jellylike tukmaria seeds floating in it.
(Yum!) It's available at Punjab Food and Sweets (1448 Gerrard St. E., 416-466-4647), Lahore Paan Centre (1431 Gerrard St. E., 416-462-3293), and other locations.
College St., 416- College St., 416- 967-1078). Owner Judy Perly (related to Toronto's famous mapmaking family) serves up a feast of blintzes, stewed fruit, bagels, and other traditional treats, accompanied by live klezmer in the back room. At the gently upscale, sunny Swan Diner (892 Queen St. W., 416- 532-0452), the cheerful and usually efficient staff shuck oysters before your eyes and serve 'em with a choice of three condiments: red wine, hot pepper, and horseradish. Lots of other good choices too, so don't be daunted by the knot of people standing at the door the line moves fast. If you run out of patience, just step a little way down the street to the more modest but equally charming Cafe Bernate (1024 Queen St. W., 416-535-2835). Finally, your two authors have a disagreement over the topic of banana pancakes. One of us holds that the best are to be had at Aunties + Uncles (74 Lippincott St., 416-324-1375), while the other of us roots for the nearby Bellevue Diner (61 Bellevue Ave., 416-597- 6912). You'll just have to try both and let us know.
BUBBLE TEA
We have our reservations about even mentioning bubble tea. Any trend that pops up this fast may well have gone the way of the cigar bar by the time these words are printed (it's already oh-so-over in Asia). However, let's imagine for a moment the bubble phenomenon isn't about to burst. For those with no fears of
aspirating a tapioca ball, one of our
favourite locations is Tea Shop
168 (419 College St., 416-603-
9168, tasty168.com). On the menu
are honey cakes, delightfully jiggly
puddings, and sweet Japanese-style
toast, cut double-thick. Part of a
Taiwanese-run chain, it's decorated in
natural materials, with cozy screened
booth rooms. In contrast, E Zone (170 Spadina Ave., 416-598-2042)
has a playroom ambiance, with hot- coloured plastic furniture and fixtures, as well as a tasty menu. They also rent out popular games at $1 each.
(Tip: One frequent bubbler cautions that: "Usually attitude of wait staff is inversely proportionate to quality of drinks served.") Confirmed bubble tea aficionados might like to branch out into a similar beverage, the syrupy Indian falooda, which has jellylike tukmaria seeds floating in it.
(Yum!) It's available at Punjab Food and Sweets (1448 Gerrard St. E., 416-466-4647), Lahore Paan Centre (1431 Gerrard St. E., 416-462-3293), and other locations.
- Writer
