
WESTWAY DINER



TICK TOCK DINER


Also, the piddly little forks they give you often aren’t big enough to spear both chicken and waffles in the same bite, which is a bit of a bummer…
FINAL VERDICT

BONUS: Tilly’s Diner in Monticello, NY

Also, the piddly little forks they give you often aren’t big enough to spear both chicken and waffles in the same bite, which is a bit of a bummer…
Now, I don’t always get up in time for brunch, so when I do, it’s gotta be something funkalicious. Like, we’re hanging out at MARBL, this funky joint on King West, where they’re serving up four kinds of eggs benny — you can get ’em with back bacon, salmon, lobster or crab. Or you can do what I did, and order a lobster benny with a side of back bacon…then get them to put it on top:
OK, first of all, this lobster is just too legit to quit. Nice, fresh chunks that are so good, you don’t even need the bacon. But it does add a nice extra touch, along with the creaminess of the egg and the hollandaise. My only complaint is that the English muffin doesn’t hold up to all this deliciousness — it’s pretty much just a sad, soggy, bread vessel. But man, toast that baby up a bit and this dish is a 10/10, son!!!!
Now, apparently they make a mean mimosa at this place, but since the name of this blog ain’t Burgers, Bacon and Bubbly, I had to ask about the beer selection — which is all the way down at the bottom of Page 13 of their wine list. And there really isn’t anything special here; Bud Light, Peroni, Stella, Corona and Guinness. Well, even though it comes from a can and was served in a chilled glass, I still had to go with the ol’ Irish breakfast smoothie. It was only after I got the bill that I realized they were charging 12 bucks a can for the good stuff — three dollars more than any other beer, bro! Next time, I might hafta stick with orange juice….
Now, I don’t usually get up in time for breakfast…unless there’s a whole lotta meat involved. So we’re hanging out at Siempre Restaurant, this funky little joint on Front Street, just a Marcus Semien longball away from Rogers Centre. This place is only open for breakfast and lunch — they close at 4 pm, bro! And while they’re serving up all kinds of classics like omelettes, waffles, parfaits and seven kinds of eggs benny, I got my mind set on steak, Bro-rge Harrison!!!!
OK, so this wasn’t the greatest steak I’ve ever had; it’s pretty much the kinda meat you get at the grocery store. But the eggs were nicely poached, the Hollandaise was super-creamy…and the hash browns are what makes it!!!!
Dude, I could slam these french-fried potaters any day, Sling Bro-de! Perfectly crispy, lightly seasoned… You could make a flip-flop outta these hash browns, wear it to the beach, put it in the sand and it would still taste good!!!!!
Now, I don’t always get up in time for brunch — especially during Lockdown Number 3 — but since the late game on Hockey Night in Canada was between Vancouver and Ottawa last night, I actually went to bed early. And since I had more than a couple beers during the first game on Hockey Night, let’s just say I was a little hungover this morning.
So we’re looking for some classic comfort food, with a bit of a Toronto twist… which brings us to Sisters & Co, this funky little joint on Dundas West that’s only open from 9 till 3, serving up some funky brunch dishes like a Chicken Katsu Club Sandwich, Thanksgiving Chicken and Waffle and Cinnamon Bun Pancakes. But when I saw the Bulgogi Beef Benedict, I was all over that like Calgary over Montreal, bro! You KNOW I love the taste of beef in the morning!!!
Now there’s a forkful of flavour in Flavourtown, right here! The English muffin was a little too toasty, but the nice chew of the beef and oozy egg more than make up for it. They serve the hollandaise on the side, so it doesn’t get too soggy on the way over, and there’s more than enough sauce to go around, son!
Speaking of forkfuls of flavour, I couldn’t stop shoveling these home fries into my mouth, homes! They’re nice ‘n small, with just a little bit of a kick from the seasoning, and there’s almost two forkfuls for every bite of benedict. (This dish also came with a side salad…but hey, if I could substitute the salad for bacon next time, that would be great.) All in all, I’d say this was just the right amount of food for a hazy Sunday morning without making your stomach feel too heavy. Sisters & Co 1, Hangover 0.
Now, I don’t always eat breakfast, and when I do…there’s usually bacon involved. But not today, bro! We’re hanging out at Over Easy, this funky breakfast and brunch joint inside the Hotel Victoria on Yonge St, just a slap shot away from the Hockey Hall of Fame, where they’re serving up this crazy take on eggs benny, The Eggy Hammy Cheesy:
OK, now let’s break it down. What you’ve got here is a toasted English muffin, topped with baked ham, a three-cheese sauce, melted cheddar and some sunny side ups, with a little dijon in there for that extra kick. Served with a whole handful of home fries — dude, this is body by home fries!!!
Now, I don’t always drink beer for breakfast, so when I heard that this place was making its own lemonade AND iced tea, I’m like, let’s do both, bro! This here’s an Arnold Palmer, and it’s a hole in one in Flavourtown! And at $3.99, the price definitely isn’t wrong, Bob…
Yo, so last Sunday we’re hanging out in Yorkville at Buca Osteria & Bar, for some real-deal Italian brunch. And we ain’t just talking ’bout pasta and pizza in the morning — although you KNOW there has to be pizza involved. They’ve also got this crazy Italian take on eggs benny…they call it bombolone:
OK, now let’s break it down. What you’ve got is an Italian doughnut, topped with porchetta, non-fried green tomato, salsa verde, a perfectly poached egg, and then a whole lotta marscapone on top. It sure beats the hell outta back bacon on an English muffin at Tim Horton’s, son!!!!
Of course, Italian brunch means you’re not just eating one thing. We’re also throwing down some far-out farinata! This Genovese chickpea crepe is topped with stracciatella, hen’s eggs and a buncha black truffles, all the way from Lazio… Mamma mia!
And like I said, it wouldn’t be Italian brunch without pizza. This funghi pie is topped with mushrooms, gorgonzola, more marscapone — dude, this is body by marscapone! — and then some marjoram leaves, for that one serving of green stuff. Man, this fun guy is crispy, chewy and soooo not leaving for L.A. anytime soon, bro!!!!
So, we’re hanging out at Parallel, this funky, post-industrial joint on Geary Ave, just a reverberating tritone away from the Rehearsal Factory jam space. Now, this place is serving up all kinds of Middle Eastern classics: hummus, falafel, shakshuka…but what really caught my eye was the Black Sabbath.
Dude, this is the eggs benny of doom, bro! You’ve got two poached eggs on rye bread, but instead of hollandaise, they smother it in this black tahini, which has a super-strong sesame flavour, equal parts smooth and sludgy, like an Electric Funeral in Flavourtown. I’m not sure it goes all that well with eggs and tomatoes, since it tends to dominate everything on the plate…just like how Black Sabbath crushes everything in its path.