Yellow Griffin Pub - $$

http://www.yellowgriffinpub.com

Finally got to try the "more than 35 different burgers" at Yellow Griffin Pub. But really it is more than just 35. You also have a choice for Beef/Pork/Lamb/Chicken/Veggie/Turkey/Salmon/Bison burger for your patty. Which really makes it, 35 X 8 = 280 burgers!

The place is small and we were a big group. They let me call ahead 15 mins before I got there to reserve a table for 8.
Although it takes 20 mins to order, they do let you know on the menu, and the wait was definately worth it. They have a choice of sides including breaded pickles, sweet potato fries, coleslaw among others. They come with dips as well, so don't be afraid ot ask for your choice of Smoked Hickory Mayo, Garlic Mayo, Cranberry Mayo, Mango Mayo, Salsa etc. (it's on the back of the menu!)

Take a look at what we came up with!

Bahama Mama with Lamb burger - Pineapple with chunky mild curried mango spread and breaded pickles on the side

Chicken New Mexico burger (i believe) - Salsa, Tobasco, Guac, topped with peanut butter, diced sweet potatoes and chopped coriander, and breaded pickles on the side

The Healthy Kick chicken burger - A BIG roasted eggplant, grilled red peppers, and sun-dried tomato pesto and feta. With sweet potato fries. So healthy!

This was mine. I like to indulge. Lamb Calypso Burger - bacon, guac (substituted for avocado, but was even better), mango and cheddar cheese. YUM. I also got Smoked HIckory dipping sauce for my fries, and it was sweet, yet savoury. Lamb burgers are the way to go. The fries were a bit oily, but crunchy.

I'd some here again one day to try the other 276 burgers. Next time we need to confiscate the gadgets and concentrate on the FOOD!

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

http://templekitchen.com/

The girls and I had brunch today. It was Sunday, long weekend, and around 11:30am, there wasn't a line up, and they don't take reservations. The venue is sleek, and trendy, but comfortable, and there were a few families there.

Coffee was bottomless, but medium orange juice was $4.00 each.  We all ordered the Veda's choice. Essentially a smoked salmon benedict on croissant with Bernaise sauce. Lighter tasting than Hollandaise. (wiki:  Béarnaise uses a reduction of vinegar and tarragon, while Hollandaise uses lemon juice.)
It was amazing, and we gobbled it up quickly!

Sonia got the heuvros Monty. Black bean refritos (re-fried beans), sharp cheddar in a crunchy tortilla, with sunny side up eggs, salsa and avocado creme fraiche. It was like a breakfast salsa nacho. I might get this next time!

As much as I was comfortably full, I couldn't resist dessert. After a choice between Lemon and Honey baklava or Bread Pudding, we went with the Bread Pudding, which was rich, moist, flavourful, and was topped with almonds, and fresh peaches. The almonds were a nice touch.

I'd come here again for brunch. The dinner menu doesn't look like anything special. Some of the blueberry pancakes passed us by, and it looked light and fluffy. Writing this makes me hungry again!!!

Maggie's All Day Breakfast

yummmm
Eggs Oceanic.

Maggie's

by Sabrina Melchiori

Sep 19, 2006

Maggie's (400 College St. (416) 323-3248)

Located in the Kensington Market area, Maggie’s, the College Street staple and neighbourhood fave has earned its reputation as a decent greasy spoon. Cool jazz radio beats play in the background. There’s no attitude to deal with and service is friendly and laid back. Sizzling smells fill the air as the ceiling fans silently blow the smoke away. The sounds of the city are definitely palpable this morning. The kitchen noisily prepares dishes, while the College streetcar hums past. The bells of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields across the street clang occasionally.

Pleasant and casual, this is a place a single diner can feel at ease. The pink walls, and exposed brick painted red with mismatched photos and paintings give the place a crazy splash of colour. Stacks of local weeklies are thoughtfully provided. There are metal, mismatched cafeteria-style tables, low lighting and a helter-skelter decor. Red ketchup bottles and plain baskets of jam are prepared at every setting and a “seat-yourself” attitude prevails. Go early and you can linger over coffee and your meal. Later on in the day, be prepared to wait for a seat -- and your dish. This is a no-frills breakfast experience.

The crowd: It’s a cool, rainy Saturday, the kind of day where you want to go back to bed right after ingesting a big meal -- and it shows. The regulars are slow to make it in, and the little patio is deserted, but soon the trickle becomes a gush and the place fills. It’s a mixed bag of clientele with everyone from cool college kids in baseball caps, pulled back hair and sweats to elderly couples or singles quietly reading. Don’t worry about dressing to impress.

On the menu: Best thing about this place is the breakfasts. Religious Maggie’s diners swear by the French toast and these guys know their way around an egg, not to mention a batch of garlic fries which spice up the menu offerings. The all-day breakfast menu items (which range in price from $6.95-$12.25) come served with fresh fruit, coffee or tea. Breakfast/brunch staples include standard eggs, bacon, toast and fruit plates, toasted bagel or croissant with cream cheese, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Oceanic (with salmon), omelette Florentine, granola with yogurt and honey and the poached egg plate. Maggie’s Supreme (one massive plate) comes with the works -- eggs, bacon, toast, fries. Overall, it’s a good bang for your brunch buck.

Brunch for two: $30. Mon to Sun 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and breakfast items served all-day long.

http://auntiesanduncles.ca/

yumyumyumyum

Aunties and Uncles

by Sabrina Melchiori

Jan 2, 2007

Aunties and Uncles 74 Lippincott St. (416) 324-1375)

This College and Bathurst-area diner has a real community feel to it. People stop by to chat on the patio bursting with diners, and you get the feeling that they all know each other through six degrees of separation -- or less. It’s completely packed inside and out on a warm, late summer day. Inside, folk tunes play and the kitchen generates a load of heat, leaving diners hot and sweaty. Dog-eared greasy menus are passed out, with the usual brunch items all present.

The traditional diner-style ambiance includes items which may have once occupied someone’s basement at one point -- perhaps my own. Shelves are lined with old books, miniature cars and other toys which bring to mind decades long gone. The young casual staff, kept busy by the constant stream of diners waiting to get in, often disappear for periods of time. It’s casual to the extreme. A good place to meet a friend for a gossip session – or read a weekly mag while sipping a third cup of coffee.

On the menu: The usual brunch items and some new twists on the originals. Items include Belgian Waffles ($6.25), Cinnamon French Toast ($7.25), Omelette of the Day ($7.75). Breakfast Tacos ($8.50), Grilled Brie with Pear Chutney and Walnuts on Challah ($7.75), Granola and Yogurt ($6.75), Aunties & Uncles Club ($8.50).

The crowd: A neighbourhood-area staple for the young hipsters, area locals, as well as those who come from far and wide for the Belgian waffles (while they last). Local musicians Chantal Kreviazuk and David Usher have also been known to drop by for a fuel-up.

Brunch for two: $25. Brunch served weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Grilled Cheese

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/the-grilled-cheese

Bonjour Brioche

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/bonjourbrioche