Hot House Cafe

Hot House Cafe (35 Church Street, Toronto)

I decided to check out their award winning brunch buffet, and see what all the fuss was about. There was a live jazz band, which was pretty cool; too bad we were on the other side of the restaurant.

The buffet was pretty comprehensive. There's the standard eggs, sausages, bacon, and croissants, but there were also things that we didn't expect. I was pretty impressed with the variety.

Plate #1: chipotle mussels, lasagna, rice pilaf, some sort of tortellini, salmon, and roast beef.
The salmon was a bit dry, but I quite liked the lasagna and roast beef. The lasagna was very cheesy on top.

Plate #2: cheese and mushrooms omelette and crab salad.
There was a bit of a line to get to the omelette station, but it was pretty worth it. You pick whatever you want in it, and one of two friendly guys makes it for you. For me, cheese is a must. Berta said that hers wasn't salty enough. I think that's because she didn't ask for cheese.

The crab salad was pretty tasty.

Plate #3: cantaloupe slices, pineapple slices, apple crumble, and half a croissant. 
I didn't just pick up half a croissant; I split one with Berta. I liked the fact that the apple crumble was heated, but I would have preferred more crunch in the crumble. 

I wanted to try the giant waffle pieces and cakes, but alas, my stomach could take no more. The cakes looked pretty good though.

Random:

"This tastes plasticky," Berta said several times of the cantaloupe chunks, as she kept eating them until there were no more on her plate. I had no such issue with my cantaloupe slices.

Berta thought that the orange juice wasn't concentrated enough, and she does not recommend the Thai noodles. 

There was virtually no lineup when we arrived at the restaurant at a bit past 11 A.M, but the front entrance seemed packed about thirty minutes later. 

Total damage for the buffet brunch and juice: $30. The buffet alone is $18.95 per person, plus tax and tip.