Ottawa Foodies

Had a very good Father's Day Brunch at the Manx. Just the regular brunch, but it was Father's Day.

Enjoyed my eggs benedict thoroughly. Nice egg on top of peameal bacon. Mmm peameal. Picked at my daughter's cowboy beans. She thought it was too spicy, but she thinks ketchup is too spicy. Not home on the range, but a good side. Coffee could use a taste punch.

Overall a tasty brunch and kid friendly.

I always get the same thing when we go to the Manx for brunch (the one vegan option), the tofu scramble wrap. It's served with a side salad and is an enormous portion size. Very tasty, and I love the salad dressing. My one complaint is that the wrap can be a bit spicy for the first meal of the day. They pre-mix the spices, so you can't get them to tone down the heat, unfortunately. I also love the orange and mango juice and the limitless supply of yummy coffee.

Haven't been in 3 years, but they had the most sensuous, satisfying garlic mashed potatoes accompanying your original benny. They would poke a couple of little garlic sprouts into the top of the pile of mash; it just made me giggle. Plus its so cozy and informal, you just want to have a game of checkers after brunch so that you can get around to ordering a pint from their ample bar. This place is one of the bigger reasons I want to move back to Ottawa.

Went here on Sunday with 3 other people for an 11:30am reservation. The place was mostly full, and the wall of windows along one side made for a nice sunny interior which displayed the original artwork on the walls very nicely (the artwork is for sale). Service was very casual and friendly.

We each had a different dish for breakfast: omelette with onions, chipotle, and other stuff ($12.99); french toast with bacon, maple syrup, and cream ($13.99); frittata with twice-smoked bacon and others ($12.99); and an open faced sandwich with fried eggs, some sort of meat, and others ($12.99). Each (except for french toast) came with assorted greens in a light vinaigrette.

I had the omelette and it was amazing. The eggs were perfectly fluffy all the way through, the chipotles were noticeable but didn't take over the flavour of the eggs, and other fillings were cooked to a perfect texture for an omelette (no crunch at all, but no mushiness). The french toast was also very well done and I gathered that the other diners were very happy with their choices as well.

Portions weren't massive, but were definitely satisfactory (I am a notoriously big eater).

Overall, you're definitely paying well above average for breakfast, but the kitchen really makes it feel worthwhile.

The Urban Pear is listed in the Entertainment book.

Did brunch here again last weekend, and it was pretty darn good. Service was fast and attentive, and the food was tasty.

I got a croque monsieur, since I was in the mood for a brunch-that-was-more-like-lunch. While the sandwich itself was really delicious, I didn't have my socks knocked off by the sides I got with my dish. The fries were good and crisp but (as FF says down below) pretty salty. I think part of the reason why is because they use kosher salt instead of table salt? It makes the salting a bit uneven. Also, the sauce they served on the side for my sandwich was odd. I wasn't sure what it was, and it didn't taste like much.

Didn't see how much the bill was, because we were being treated by friends of ours. Maybe one of these days we'll even do dinner here!

A friend of mine was in town from London (Ontario, sadly!), so a bunch of us (7) went out to the Metropolitain Brasserie for brunch.

Service was great: our server was knowledgable, attentive, and fun. A little bit scatterbrainted, but not a dealbreaker in any way, shape, or form.

Among the dishes we had:

- Eggs en cocotte forestière (two eggs baked in demiglace with cubes of double-smoked bacon; delicious)
- Crèpe of the day (duck, asparagus, sauce Mornay with smoked Gruyère; really good, but the asparagus was a bit icky, since it's obviously not from here)
- Daily special (a vol-au-vent filled with wilted spinach, sautéed oyster mushrooms, lobster (a whole claw and some other delicious bits), and sauce Mornay; definitely a hit.)

Plus an assortment of mimosas, cafés au lait, and crèmes brûlée.

We will definitely be returning; it's a nice change from the greasy spoon breakfasts, though I love them so.

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I went to Vittoria for brunch with my girlfriend last weekend. I had "Siena" Brunch: Bacon and Fontina cheese omelet served with seasoned potatoes and nine grain toast. My girlfriend had "Francesca" Brunch: Poached eggs, smoked salmon, mascarpone cheese and dill sauce served on grilled toast with seasoned potatoes. Everything was tasty and fresh. My seasoned potatoes were excellent. Good service. Impressive wine list. It's cosy!

I always saw Stonefaced Dolly's as being the best breakfast in town, no competition. However, as the months got warmer, I noticed an increasingly large line out their door (despite construction), and an increasingly short temper on their wait staff (whom I love dearly).

As a result, my partner and I tried Jak's a few weeks ago, and we are hooked. Not only is there no wait (though about half to 3/4 of the tables are full) to get in, the food is downright incredible, and the three times that we've been in the last two months, we have been impressed with the service.

The double standard breakfast (3 eggs, two meats, roasted potatoes, double order of toast, and fruit) is a good value and their other specialities breakfasts (omlettes with ridiculously amazing cheese, veggies and meats, or macs--fried eggs on your choice of bread with equally amazing toppings) are equally good in value and down right wonderful.

The only thing that this place is lacking is some good pancakes (found at Stonefaced Dolly's), otherwise I see them succeeding in the long run on account of word of mouth.

Went with a group of 8 people for Sunday brunch. We had actually intended to go to Baker Street Cafe, but it was full. Service was generally good with one or two minor exceptions for small things that were forgotten (cream for coffee, extra bacon). Most people ordered either the eggs benedict or the mediterranean omelette, with one person getting the pancakes.

Everyone was happy with their food, but I didn't hear anyone blown away by the flavours. I only say this because for $12 eggs benedict I would normally expect a little more than just standard eggs benny done well. For quantity, everyone but me seems to have been satisfied, but I'm a notoriously big eater so I think the general population would be happy with what they get.

All in all, a good breakfast with good service, but I'm not sure if it's worth the slightly inflated prices.

A filled crepe.

Surprising (mild) complaint: "too much meat."

From the same diner who had the platter-o'-animal here ottawafoodies.com/vendor/620 , hence "surprising"...

A 'mediterranean' omelette.

Top marks for a good combination of veg.

Deductions for the tiny amount of feta.

And no toast to the toast. It was so dry as to be melba, and no butter ever showed up (neither did anybody to ask until the end).

Strawberry juice was great, though -- not the bottled sugar water most places with "strawberry juice" on the menu are flogging.

We went to Scone Witch this past Saturday and were very pleased. My gf and I both got the scrambled eggs special (she went with the one with goat cheese (and the goat cheese was plentiful), and I got the mushroom rague). We both got salads on the side, 2 glasses of orange juice, a scone each (she got the onion and herb scone and I got the vanilla one - though we shared), I got a coffee and she got a hot chocolate. All together, the meal cost $32 and we left a $5 tip which is reasonably generous given that you place your order at the counter (though they do bring it to you.

For our money, we were very pleased. Some more upscale brunch places should come here to see how food should be cooked. The scones were incredible as was the rest of the food. I particularly loved my coffee and she was very happy with her hot chocolate.

The downside (if its important to you) is that its pretty informal place and you place your order at the counters. Having said that, I found them to be polite and quick to bring it to our table. I am fine with a relaxed atmosphere and ordering at the counter but if its not your thing...

We went to the Metropolitan about 5-6 weeks back for brunch and this was easily better in terms of the food and the service - and it was cheaper. I wasn't disappointed in the Metropolitan (it was what I expected - it was ok) but it was not that memorable. Scone Witch left me feeling impressed and thinking this is the place to go for a nice little brunch. As Mr. Schwarzenegger once said, I'll be back.

Cheers

I decided to stop here on a whim on Saturday morning for brunch. I had a water and eggs benedict ($13), while my friend ordered a caesar ($8.50) and eggs benedict. She was impressed at the preserved beans in the drink, but felt that the price was steep.

The eggs benedict was quite good. It came traditional style, with a salad, home fries and a fruit salad garnished with mint. The ham wasn't your deli sliced ham, but rather as if they'd cut it off a freshly cooked ham. The egg whites looked as though they'd been whipped and tasted a little watery- maybe it's just a different style that I have yet to encounter, as most times it's just hollandaise sauce on top of poached eggs. Anyhow, the eggs were good and runny and the hollandaise sauce was just right. My friend thought it could've been more rich, but I suppose that's more of a subjective opinion!

Service was attentive in the first half, though it dropped off around halfway through the meal. I'd go back... the food was good and the ambiance was nice.

My Pan-seared gnocchi, crispy lardons, spinach, poached eggs and chipotle mayo were just amazing. Again, the photo makes it look like a puny portion but it was right for me (and I eat well).

The poached eggs were top-notch aside from a slight tang of vinegar noticeable when eating just the white (I know you need some vinegar in poaching water to keep things together but I think they use a lot). Perfectly cooked, though. The crispy lardons were delectable and married perfectly with the pile of spinach buried underneath. The gnocchi were pleasantly chewy and very nice to eat. All in all a delicious feast!

Wifey's Croque Madame with green salad was phenomenal (she let me try some)! Everyone should try this. Our dishes, and also those we saw delivered to other tables, were delightfully presented and extremely tantalizing.

This photo doesn't do justice to the generous size of this plate!

Last Sunday morning after the snowstorm
this was one of the few places on Somerset/Wellington/Richmond that had parking spots (city did plow) & sidewalk was done also. So at 10:05am we were the first customers for brunch.
Coffee was hot and fresh and replenished nicely (after the server ran back from Herb&Spice across the street--fruit was very fresh!) Very reasonable prices. Vegetarian fritta platter was excellent, incredibly good homefries, oven baked veggie frittata, small side of fruit. Nice fruit cup with granola. French toast in triple sec with fruit and bacon or sausages was the most expensive item ($9),was huge and good. None of the 3 of us ordered benedict (there were 2 choices) but prices were about the best I've seen $8 or$9 and given how good the rest of the stuff was it seems like a great place for brunch. Friendly service, good food, hot coffee as needed. Love the friendly service here!

I had brunch here several weeks ago. They do a table d'hote brunch menu.
The day I was there the options were:

Black Bean Soup OR
House Made Granola

Breakfast Burrito OR
French Toast with Bananas and Chocolate Sauce

Choice of Dessert

I opted for the Granola, followed by the French toast.

I had a latte to start, and the granola which was really good, and fortunately in a small portion because it's pretty heavy as a starter. It was nicely carmelized and really tasty.

The french toast was unusual...it was a large wedge of brioche type bread that had been coated in oats before frying. It came with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce, 2 large pieces of thick cut bacon that were a little too crunchy for my taste and 2 sausages that were slightly longer and thinner than the standard breakfast sausage, and a lot less greasy. I wish I knew where they get them. There was also a nice salad on the plate, and fried potatoes (not deep fried, either!).

Upside: The latte was included in the price, which was about $17 so there was a lot of food for the price. And almost everything was tasty. I had to have them box my dessert (Peanut Butter Pie) to go, as there was no way I could eat it after all that.

Downside: This is not the place to go if you have plans after. I was seated shortly after 12:00 and had my bill dropped at 1:40. Also, it is a lot of food, so go hungry, or with someone who has a bigger appetite than you. Also, I liked the table d'hote format, but probably wouldn't have if they'd offered choices that didn't appeal to me.

All in all, I'd go again.