Le Petit Dejeuner (191 King Street East & George)

I admire Le Petit Dejeuner for striving to deliver something a bit different: potato rosti instead of home fries, apple-slaw instead of fruit or salad, organic sausage terrine instead of bangers; the kitchen at Le Petit Dejeuner thinks outside the pan. Unfortunately it doesn’t really work.

Once you get passed the exposed-brick, plastic-upholstered booth-seating, happy tunes (Beatles and the like) fast’n friendly service, and the obvious popularity proven by the line of bated-breath brunchers waiting for 10:00, PD’s relaxed atmosphere and popularity alone could not make up for where the experience fell short - flavour and value.

Where to begin. The Eggs Benny with sautéed bell peppers and onions was extremely disappointing. The hollandaise was bland and far too sparingly poured. The accompanying rosti was innovated but again bland, and the apple-slaw, while tasty, was not nearly tasty enough to compensate for the rest of the lacklustre meal. Perhaps the weirdest part of the meal (and the worst call on my part) was the side of breakfast meat - the organic sausage terrine. Having never particularly thought to eat hamburger or meatloaf for breakfast (okay that's a lie), I would not order this again.

Not only was the food mediocre but the value was worse. The side of bacon (three scrawny pieces) cost a bank-breaking $4.00. That’s more than a dollar-a-piece. The $4.00 terrine (read: burger/meatloaf) was also small and overpriced. The nail in the coffin was the syrup. Pouring table syrup on bacon and bangers is a sacred element of brunch, but PD doesn’t have table syrup and uses this as an excuse to charge $1.50 for the absolute most miniscule portion of "organic" syrup.

While Petit Dejeuner gets points for trying and possibly even for creativity, the menu really doesn’t work and the value is hard to justify. I’m all about paying a bit more for a creative meal, but it’s got to taste good too.

Edward Levesque’s Kitchen (1290 Queen St. E. & Leslie)

Un-renoed and 1960s-tacky, the vibe at Edward Levesque’s Kitchen is atypical of a popular Toronto brunch spot. Maybe that's what makes Levesque’s so great: unlike the come-to-be-expected-deliberate chaos of a trendy brunch place, where a canvas of items "found in grandma's attic" are used to fill the space and create ambiance, Edward Levesque’s genuinely understated interior of yellow walls and neat hardwood tables and chairs creates such a neutral decor that the joint clearly survive on its own merits. The authenticity and success of Levesque’s are only further proven by the diverse crowd this watering hole draws: fellow brunchers spanned all of society’s proscribed pop-cultural groups and ranged from groups of seniors to middle agers to young brunchers chasing the eggs-benny-dragon in pursuit of the tomorrow's coolest new brunch (but theirs yesterday).

Brunching at Levesque’s was a success. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by the talented-and-always-charming chefs whose cooking station hung over both Queen Street and the restaurant’s waiting area. We were seated quickly and service was quick throughout. Each table was accessorized with a jar of artisanal Danish fruit preserve – our table had blueberry but we also borrowed the ginger from our neighbours. Perhaps as another signature Levesque’s move, each table was also set with its own “vintage” dish towel folded squarely under a water pitcher.

As for our meals, the food was a mixed bag. Karina’s smoked mackerel, carmelized onion and chive scramble was flavourful but appropriately controlled and its accompanying salad was fresh, satisfying and simple. Karina had to order a side of toasted Ace Bakery walnut bread to eat with the preserve because the dish came with no home fries or toast. Leora’s weekends-only poached eggs with Italian sausage, corn bread, home fries and chilli-sauce was an interesting, but not repeat, order. The sophisticated simplicity of poached eggs and corn bread was lost under the yummy, but overpowering, tomato-sauce, which seemed far more Italian than it did Southern. The sausage also overpowered the eggs and cornbread and seemed to belong more in an Italian pasta sauce than on a brunch menu– bangers may have been a more complementary pairing. The baby was not thrown out with the bath water. The consensus was that Leora simply ordered the wrong thing for her taste, as this dish is one of the most popular items on Levesque’s brunch menu.

Home fries: burnt and immemorable. Coffee: drip, and not fantastic. Toasted Ace Bakery walnut bread with butter: fabulous. Danish preserves: very very yummy.

The quasi-unsuccessful order only made us more intrigued to return and sample more of what Levesque’s serves up. With such reasonable prices and surrounded by so many antique furniture shops we could see no reason not to. 3/5.

Lady Marmalade (898 Queen St. E. & Logan)

After a long blogging-hiatus we found our way to Lady Marmalade in Leslieville on Queen East. We’d been warned by Karina’s sister, Stace, to get there before 9:00 (AM!) if we weren’t interested in waiting endlessly for a table. The consensus was that 9:00 did seem a bit early for a Saturday, but we made it to Lady by around 9:45 and, even with two parties ahead of us, were sitting by just after 10. Although we must warn: by the time we left around 11:30 the line-up was clean out the door, past the entire storefront, and who knows how far down the block.

The atmosphere at Lady Marmalode was a combination was fun and make-shift– neither in a way that we hadn’t seen before. The lime green wood-panelled walls were cascaded with local art and the floor plan was decorated with an eclectic smattering of 1950’s-style kitchen tables and vintage chairs. The lay-out was really spacious and so we never felt like we were listening to other people’s conversations or eating off of strangers’ plates. For better or for worse. The music was a mixture of indy tunes (most of which we’d never heard before) and generally the mood was upbeat, boisterous and cheery.

One of the factors that made Lady so great was her mixed crowd: young families, middle-agers, post-middle-agers, and singles alike filled this one neighbourhood joint. There was a low-hanging chalk board and kids books near the door along with a selection of different newspapers.

Another exciting thing about Lady was the kitchen’s skill in preparing drinks. Mark ordered the mango lassi which was blended with mint leaves and, unlike many-a-lassi, it was not too sweet. The same went for Karina’s chai latte and Leora’s London fog (which is not necessarily a given on a brunch menu in this city). Drinks were satisfying and really flavourful thanks to not having been overwhelmed by sugar.

The food was all good although some orders were more successful than others. The most successful order all around was one of Lady’s many interpretations on eggs benny which included bacon, aged cheddar and mango in a lemony hollandaise. This dish was fabulous. The hollandaise was perfect and generously ladled over the dish, and it seemed like the mango was either baked or carmelized. Whatever it was, this dish really worked. It was also garnished in fresh chives which added a nice touch.

The huevos rancheritos was a bit of a disappointing order. It came with soft scrambled eggs, black beans, guacamole, whole wheat tortillas and a chipotle salsa. The dish did not stand out and the salsa was too watery.

The poached egg BLT with chipotle mayo, roasted tomatoes, bacon and avocado on whole grain bread was good but not spectacular. The chipotle mayo had kick and the flavours worked well but because the sandwich couldn’t be picked up it ate more like a benny.

By The Way Café (400 Bloor St. W & Brunswick)

By The Way Café’s whimsically muralled-walls, dark oak tables and Middle-Eastern inspired menu have become a landmark for weekend brunching in Toronto’s Annex. From 10:30 am onward the place is packed, and the background chatter of happy brunchers is a surprisingly-fine substitute for music in this music-free environment (at least the morning we brunched). Brunchtime seating can be “intimate”, but the café has done a great job maximizing seating indoors when it is too cold to sit on the glorious patio (heated with gas heaters from early spring onward). The café is a fantastic locale for people-watching as its floor-to-ceiling windows, and patio, hang over one of the Annex’s most trafficked corners, Bloor and Brunswick.

As far as the food was concerned, this was the first time that we have been divided.

Karina ordered the Shakshuka ($9.00), described on the menu as “two poached eggs in a rich and spicy tomato broth” with pita. Nothing in this dish wowed Karina. While the dish was flavourful, had the right amount of spice, and was most certainly unique on the brunch scene, the yoke in the poached eggs was not runny, and Karina was just not overwhelmed.

Rachelle ordered the goat cheese and sun-dried tomato omelette with zatar ($9.00). The dish came with hashbrowns, what the menu called a “Montreal bagel”, and sliced fruit. The omelette was delicious. Where else can you get zatar in an omelette? The zatar complemented the goat cheese and highlighted its sour undertones, but to our dismay, the bagel was not a Montreal bagel! To add insult to injury, it was not well-toasted as she had requested. This was disappointing to Rachelle, our well-toasted-Montreal-Bagel-lover.

Leora and Mark both ordered the Eggs Benny ($9.00). The classic order also came with hashbrowns and sliced fruit. If you like dill, this is the Eggs Benny for you. This dill hollandaise sauce made the dish. While we were a bit thrown off by the substitution of sliced-ham in the place of pea meal bacon, the dill hollandaise was so good that it almost did not matter. There’s no doubt that a Benny should be made with pea meal, but Leora would go back just for the dill.

Deconstructing the rest of the meal, the hashbrowns were delicious. They were fried with onion, well-seasoned, and were really soft – to the point that part of the portion begins to resemble mashed potatoes after a while.

In terms of coffee, the drip was really good. They make a mild, but flavourful cup: not watery, but not too intense.

We also disagreed on the staff. Leora liked the service and Karina found it curt.

Price-wise, their prices were a little lower than your average hip brunch place where Eggs Benny run around $11-$12.

RATING: All-in-all it’s a good, solid, satisfying brunch. Based on our rating system (see below) Leora would have given the brunch a 3.7, Karina would have given it a 2.8. We’ve compromised on 3.25/5.

Many factors go into a truly sublime brunch experience….

Rating Scale

	1	2	3	4	5
Innovation of menu	BORING!				Wow! Did Susur Lee create this?
Would you go out of your way to go back?	Out of my way? You couldn’t drag me…				Yes…I’d even walk it if I had to.
Service	Rude and slow				Did I just have sex?
Atmosphere	Uncomfortable/ tacky/ugly/dirty/Too loud/too quiet/				Perfection balance
Taste	Bland, under/overcooked …bad.				Manna from heaven

B Restaurant (2210 Dundas Street West & Roncesvalles)

There was pretty much nothing that we didn't like at B Restaurant. This sunny, friendly, casual joint serves some really great food. The restaurant hangs over the intersection of Dundas West and Roncesvalles, with bar seats lining the westward-facing windows. Light walls, cacti on all the tables, open-kitchen concept, Feist and the Postal Service, chalkboard menus, thermos refills, communal seating and tables upholstered in comic strips, scones in a pyramid-formation on the counter, happy brunchers and friendly service, the vibe at B was both hip and relaxed.

The food was truly fantastic. B takes classic, and not-so-classic brunch favourites, and gives them creative and sophisticated twists. Karina ordered the Eggs Benny ($12.00). This brunch classic came on a peppery scone, and was layered with fried tomato, grilled corn, cilantro, and jalapenos. The accompanying hashbrowns were crisp, seasoned, fried potatoes, and the green salad was fresh and garnished with a "B" made out of radish. Delicious flavours and great attention to detail.

Leora ordered the Cornbeef Hash ($11.00). The hash involved two poached eggs topped with melted chili-brick cheese, corn beef, sauteed onions, peppers, zucchini, sourkrout and another radish-B. Again - truly delicious. Simple ingredients daringly matched.

Such interesting and complex dishes were almost unexpected at a place where the bill arrived in a tomato-paste can.

The service was super friendly, the vibe was great, and the food was so interesting it left us wanting to return - especially since neither of us tried the omelette with duck, apple sausage and brie. Based on innovation, service, taste, atmosphere, and our desire to go out of our way to return, we gave B Restaurant a 4/5.

Note to brunchers: this place is a cash & debit only.

Aroma Espresso Bar (500 Bloor Street West & Albany)

Aroma Espresso Bar is the new-ish coffee bar that opened on the corner of Bloor and Albany in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood (old JJ Mugs location). While the cafe's art-deco decor borders on tacky, and while the constant images of CNN newscasts (on the mounted flat-screen television) may seem unorthodox, these stylistic blemishes are easy to overlook in light of the buzz, vibe, constant traffic, and great quality food that accompanies the "Aroma experience".

Aroma is almost undefinable: it confuses the boundary between restaurant and coffee-house. Like a good quality restaurant, fresh bread is baked daily and all sandwiches and salads are made to order. Yet, like a coffee shop, there is no table-service. Instead, you place your order at the cash, and when your order is up, the kitchen calls your name on an intercom system. You then take your tray/drink to a table/bar stool and do your thing.

While Aroma primarily serves drinks, sandwich, salads and pastries, it also serves the "all-day power breakfast". For the traditional brunch-goer, the pickings are slim on the Aroma menu. Other than the all-day power breakfast, the only brunch-like menu items are the fruit, yogurt and granola cup ($4.90) and an assortment of muffins and danishes (prices varying).

The food:

Both of us ordered the all-day power breakfast for $8.90. For an extra $1.50 (a discounted price), one can have any of Aroma's hot or cold beverages added to the meal. Leora added a latte. The power breakfast came with eggs (choice of hard-boiled, sunny-side up, over-easy, scrambled or omelette), a heap of salad (mixed greens, diced cucumber and tomato), large black olives, a pile of shredded feta cheese (cheese may vary depending on the day - it has been halumi, a middle-eastern cheese, in the past), and a mound of a moist, super smooth and creamy soft cheese. The breakfast also comes with four pieces of thickly-sliced artisenal bread (choice of whole wheat, rye blend, and a couple of others) and two salad dressings/dipping sauces (balsamic and thousand-islands).

The food was very good and very fresh. Simple but high quality ingredients were combined in this refreshing and light brunch. The portions were enormous. The attention to detail was also great. All drinks were served on a doily and came with a small milk chocolate square. The latte even had a heart swirled into its foam.

Great quality, great value and friendly service. If you don't mind the possibility of eating brunch on a bar stool, and you're in the mood for a light brunch that won't necessarily keep you "powered" throughout the day, give this a shot. A brunch at Aroma might even wind up being a bit cheaper than other trendy Toronto brunches: since there is no table-service, tipping is up to discretion.

RATING: There is no doubt that one could compile certain elements of the power breakfast at home, yet in this case simplicity indicates creativity; the combination of the fresh-baked bread, the huge portions, the fresh ingredients, and the attention to detail make the power-breakfast anything but ordinary. While there is only one brunch item on the menu, it is a good one. Yet we have to concede, despite its grandeur, it is not the most filling of meals, and given the bustling nature of the joint, it is not a dining experience. The decor is also far from hip, but the crowds and the buzz prove the contrary. While the breakfast was high quality and delicious going down, for these reason we give Aroma Espresso Bar's "all-day power breakfast" a 3.5 out of 5.

Luna (155 Dovercourt & Argyle)

What can we say about Luna? Luna, the Spanish word for "moon", is an adorable yet hip cafe nestled in the happening Trinity-Bellwoods/Queen West neighbourhood. The cafe is low-key yet grand for people watching. It also appears to be the place to see and be seen if you are a production assistant in the Toronto film industry. We totally enjoyed the casual atmosphere and would even recommend the place mid-week for reading with an ice-coffee. Lots of organic, fair trade, and free-range food can be ordered here.

The food:

Karina ordered: A breakfast wrap with sun-dried tomato pesto, avocado, brie and dill (couldn't really taste the dill). $10.50 (?). The wrap was tightly and neatly put together, and it came with a mescalin salad, lightly dressed. Overall - yummy. But no new and exotic flavours.

Leora ordered: A breakfast wrap with shitaake mushrooms, smoked gruyere and red onion. This was truly delicious. How unusual to get shitaake mushrooms at a Toronto brunch. The mushrooms were sauteed lightly and complemented the gruyere. This could be ordered twice.

In summary, the portions were perfect - not too big, not too small - just right for a hot hot hot summer morning. The average meal cost between $8 and $10. Sadly, unlike on most of our escapades, neither of us ordered hashbrowns or coffee. We also found Luna's employees to be really friendly.

RATING: When rating our food, we take into consideration the taste of the food and the innovative nature of the dishes. If you would and could make it at home we're less impressed. The rating system is out of 5. We gave Luna 3.5 out of 5. While we loved the atmosphere and the quality of the ingredients, we felt they may have been lacking in the creativity department.