breakfast – Page 2 – Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Apricot Tree Cafe, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Gouter

Published on July 1, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Apricot Breakfast from the Apricot Tree Cafe

The Apricot Tree Cafe seems to be quite well regarded, so maybe it’s just not my thing, but I got the Apricot Breakfast (“Smoked salmon, poached eggs, dill sour cream, Apricot Tree salad, toast”) and it mostly left me puzzled. Nothing on the plate was bad — in fact, the smoked salmon was actually quite good, and the eggs were well prepared, with a nice runny yolk. But none of the individual flavours particularly cohered in any meaningful way, so it basically just felt like random stuff on a plate. Also: the toast came unbuttered (with no butter on the side, either!), and get out of here with that.

Classic vanilla bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes

True to their name, Nothing Bundt Cakes sells bundt cakes, bundt cakes, and more bundt cakes. They’re available in various flavours like chocolate, lemon, and red velvet (among many others), and they’re all topped with cream cheese icing. They have full-sized cakes, but their specialty seems to be smaller versions that are about the size of a very big cupcake. I went simple with the classic vanilla, and it was tasty enough. This place is apparently a chain with hundreds of locations, and yeah, that tracks. It basically tastes like if Little Debbie came out with a line of bundt cakes. I have a soft spot for junky treats like that, so I enjoyed it — but at about seven bucks per individual cake, it might be a bit overpriced for what it is.

Blueberry tart from Gouter

I had a raspberry croissant that I really did not care for the last time I visited Gouter; however, I just tried a blueberry tart from their Etobicoke location, and I think maybe they’re better than I gave them credit for, because the tart was quite good. The shortbread crust was buttery and had a nice texture, the custard filling was creamy and not too sweet, and the blueberries and crumble topping were thoroughly tasty.

Tasty Brunch at Good Fork

Published on May 12, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1550 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://goodfork.ca/

The first thing I should note is that Good Fork is extremely popular. I showed up a bit after 11:00 on a recent Saturday and the place was an absolute madhouse; it was completely packed, with a whole bunch of people standing around waiting for tables and a 45 minute wait to be seated.

I came back a week later at around 9:30 and got seated right away, and by the time I left it was packed again. They don’t do reservations on the weekend, so be warned: show up early or get ready to wait.

I tried a couple of things. First up was the crispy chicken sandwich: “toasted bun, breaded n’ fried chicken thigh, lemony schmaltz mayo, lettuce, dilly labneh, pickles.” This didn’t particularly knock my socks off, but it’s a very good fried chicken sandwich. It kinda reminded me of an upscale McChicken. I got the salad on the side, which is fairly by-the-numbers, but is nice and zippy and does a good job of cutting through the richness of the sandwich.

I also tried the blueberry halva pancakes, which, unlike the sandwich, kinda did knock my socks off. From the menu: “buttermilk pancake stack, orange blossom ricotta, lemony blueberry, halva crumble, pure hockley valley maple syrup.”

These were some top-notch pancakes; the pancakes themselves strike the perfect balance between fluffiness and substance, and all the toppings were super tasty. It never would have occurred to me to put halva on a pancake, but its nutty richness complements the sweet blueberry sauce perfectly.

I also liked that the level of sweetness was relatively restrained — the dish comes with a bottle of maple syrup on the side, but it’s so good on its own that I found this to be completely unnecessary.

An Amazing Breakfast Sandwich at Hot Pork

Published on May 11, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 932 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/hotpork.to/

I think the Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich at Hot Pork might be the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had? If it’s not the best, it’s right up there, that’s for sure.

It’s the beef brisket. Good lord, that brisket. You’re basically cheating when you make a sandwich with brisket that good. You could put that brisket in/on anything, and it will suddenly be one of the best versions of that thing that you’ve ever had.

It’s just perfectly prepared, with a great level of smokiness that puts literally every BBQ joint in the GTA to shame, and an unctuous tenderness that’s seriously satisfying.

It’s otherwise a very simple sandwich, with just mayo, BBQ sauce (which is glazed right onto the brisket, which is griddled to caramelize the sauce), and an egg on a toasted English muffin.

The toastiness of the English muffin adds some nice texture to the tender brisket and the creamy egg, and the egg is perfectly cooked (normally I’d prefer a runny yolk, but on a sandwich like this I think the more solid texture works).

And the egg/brisket combo works so well (but again, that brisket would be delicious with basically anything).

It’s a phenomenal sandwich.

Tasty Greek Brunch at Bar Koukla

Published on April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 88 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://mamakas.ca/bar-koukla/

I visited Bar Koukla for brunch recently, and it was thoroughly delicious. But then this place is an offshoot of Mamakas Taverna, which I like quite a lot, so I probably shouldn’t be surprised.

I tried the patates arnaki, which features tender braised lamb served with Greek-style roasted potatoes and a yogurt sauce.

Every element here is so good — the lamb is tasty and super tender, the perfectly cooked potatoes are infused with an almost meaty flavour, and the yogurt adds a nice zippiness that cuts through the richness of the meat and potatoes. It’s a great dish.

My only complaint about the place actually has nothing to do with the food — I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the furniture at a restaurant, but the saggy, backless chairs here are absurdly unpleasant to sit on. They’re so flagrantly uncomfortable that I have to imagine that this is a purposeful choice to encourage diners to leave faster to improve turnover. It’s a sour note on an otherwise stellar meal.

Jodie’s is a Hidden Gem

Published on March 26, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 331 Horner Avenue, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.instagram.com/jodiesrestaurant/

Jodie’s is basically the definition of a hidden gem. It’s tucked away in an industrial area of Etobicoke, it looks extremely unassuming, and there’s very little information about it online. But yes: it’s a gem.

The menu consists entirely of no-frills diner classics. I came at breakfast and ordered the morning mixer, which comes with two eggs cooked as you like; a pancake or French toast (I went with the pancake); your choice of bacon, ham, or sausage (I got sausage), with a side of home fries and toast.

It’s an exceptionally basic diner breakfast that could very easily be fine, but not much more.

Jodie’s knocks it out of the park, however, with perfectly prepared eggs, a pancake that strikes a great balance between fluffiness and substance, nicely crispy/creamy home fries, and some tasty sausages that I think are fried (they had an exterior crispiness that’s quite delightful). It’s quite simple, but when the execution is as good as it is here, simplicity is where it’s at.