Tag Archives: Breakfast Spot

The Most Important Meal of the Day

In Praise of the Perfect Diner Breakfast

If anyone’s in the mood for a classic American breakfast, there’s a quaint diner called Norval Pancake Factory at 71 Mountainview Road North in Georgetown, that serves some amazing waffles, pancakes, omelettes, and other brunch items.

I first stumbled across the diner when it was at a different location, about 15 years ago. It was the first time I met Effie, the owner of Norval Pancake Factory. Effie is superb when it comes to customer service—she’s great at making sure both the service and food are excellent. The restaurant serves anything from all-day breakfast to club sandwiches, and of course, pancakes. At one point, they switched over to a fancier night diner, but to my knowledge, they’ve switched back to doing breakfast.

All the food is served hot and fresh. I once ordered a club sandwich and it took a little longer than average to get it to my table because they were grilling the chicken and bacon fresh. The meals are good portions, and everything is reasonably priced.

I was a little concerned about dining in, because I haven’t dined in many restaurants over the past few months, but it was great to see that the booths were separated by plexiglass, staff were all wearing face masks, and tables were spaced out appropriately. Effie visited tables just as she used to and asked how everyone’s meals were. Staff were extremely friendly, well trained, and familiar with the menu.

If you’re looking for somewhere to grab some unique breakfast items (smarties pancakes, cinnamon apple pancakes, and caramel pancakes), I highly recommend Pancake Factory.

Norval Pancake Factory
905-873-9080
http://www.thenorvalpancakefactory.com/

 

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Who Doesn’t Like Brunch?

We all have those lazy Sundays when we get up late, and look forward to having a hybrid meal that is not quite breakfast and not quite lunch. Here are some of my recommendations of some great places to go to in the GTA for a nice brunch. After all, you have to take a lazy, personal day, once in a while!

Aunties & Uncles – One of the best brunch places around! The restaurant is near College and Bathurst and serves up a perfect combination of breakfast and lunch items. Choose from your good o’ll’ pancakes to your basic sandwiches. It’s open from 9 am to 3 pm, and the restaurant only takes cash.

The Stockyards – Located on St Clair Avenue West, The Stockyards is a small, restaurant that specializes in smoked foods, but has a number of other awesome items on the menu. When it comes to brunch, they are known for their fried chicken and waffles as well as their smoked trout sandwich, biscuits and sausage. Of course, you shouldn’t rule out their amazing brisket as well.

Starving Artist – If you’re in the mood for something casual, one person at the office recommended Starving Artist. The whole menu is waffles (even the desserts), but you can get different kinds of waffles like benedict waffles or sandwich waffles. They have a great way of presenting the food, and it’s a fun place to go to!

Rose and Sons – Rose and Sons is a delicious deli place that has a tasty brunch menu, with things like the New York cheesecake pancakes, pastrami, and chopped steak and onion grilled cheese. This small restaurant is on Dupont Avenue and while a bit pricier than other delis, it’s well worth it.

Centre Street Deli – For those of you who can’t make it downtown, there’s a local deli in Thornhill that serves a variety of chicken and beef platters and sandwiches. Although they are known for their smoked meat sandwiches, their breakfast menu also includes eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, and omelettes. It’s an easygoing family-friendly location – perfect for something delicious and casual.

Rol San– If you like dim sum, this is the place to go! The restaurant is located on the east side of Spadina Avenue, two blocks north of Dundas, across from Kensington Market. If you swing by on a weekend, be prepared to wait for a little due to its popularity. The dim sum menu is expansive, but you also want to try some of their other dishes from the regular menu. Get a taste of some authentic Chinese food and consider visiting Rol San.

Steve’s Restaurant– Steve’s is a classic restaurant, and while the original location on Bathurst Street closed a couple of years ago, their second restaurant on Yonge Street, in Thornhill, is still very much up and running. Their famous all-day breakfast menu is to die for, with things like back bacon and eggs, New York steak and eggs, and a great club sandwich. They also serve up a mean omelette, with pancakes, crepes, and waffles to choose from.

Easy Restaurant– In Parkdale, on Queen Street West, you’ll find Easy Restaurant. They specialize in Mexican food and have an all-day breakfast menu with amazing omelettes. Choose from breakfast burritos, a breakfast quesadilla, or a guacamole BLT.

Maha’s– If you’re in the mood for something different, look no further than this popular restaurant which serves up Egyptian food. Try the Egyptian falafel, Maha’s award-winning lentil soup, or the Cairo classic. The service is friendly, the menu is unique, and I’d definitely recommend Maha’s if you’re looking for something other than bacon and eggs!

 

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