Linda's Coffee Shop

Linda's Coffee Shop (32 Queen Street, Charlottetown, PEI)

Ran into this shop because the breakfast we thought was included in our conference fees at the Delta was not. It was basically the closest thing around that was open in the morning. Spotting other patrons with their name tags around their necks, it appeared we weren't the only ones who were misled.

Pretty tasty. The potatoes were crunchy on the outside and super soft on the inside. The egg with the cheese was nice. Server was friendly. Food might've taken a little longer than expected, but we just might've been really hangry.

Total damage: approximately $15 (including drink). 

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons breakfast sandwich...

Maybe it was because I was in a foul mood that there is no McDonald's near my work, but this tasted pretty crappy.

Turkey sausage breakfast sandwich on an English muffin

The piece of meat was so thin and sad-looking. And very salty. The cheese was too plastic-tasting... even for me. The egg was fine. The English muffin was dry and might've been better off toasted (more?) with a mound of butter. To add insult to injury, it's priced at $3-something. What is that? Like, the whole price of the #2 sausage egg McMuffin combo at McDonald's? Sadness.

Cora's

Cora's (16 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

905-508-1755

Hours: 

Mon - Sat 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sun 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

At the corner of 16th and Vogell (on a pretty warm day), we spotted a costumed cartoon frog waving at us. The waving frog was branded by Cora's, which is where we were headed. Pauline, who has never been there before said, "I like this place already". Indeed. They have cute pictures and interesting decorations on the wall. Since moving away to the States, Casey has missed Cora's fruit-filled breakfasts.

I ordered the Construction plate.

It's a plate full of protein and potatoes. I actually could not finish this. Too. Much. Protein. Bacon was crispy and sausages were tasty. Eggs weren't overcooked, nor were they raw.

Would I return? I will probably go again the next time Casey visits since he loves it so much. It's not the cheapest breakfast around, but they don't mess it up, and there are some pretty nice-looking dishes on the menu. Service was very friendly, but the food took a little while to come out. My coffee was refilled without me asking, which was nice. This location is less crowded than the one at Warden and Highway 7, but someone had mentioned that the other one is better and serves faster.

Total damage for my food and coffee: $16-something.

Note: the credit card machine didn't have the percentage option for tipping, so I actually had to do math in my head.

Omelette

I threw everything that was about to go bad in an omelette. And it was delicious. Ha!

It kind of burst open when I tried to flip it.

Cafeteria breakfast

Bacon egg McMuffin imitator, one order of sausages, and an apple juice.

The sausages had a weird casing that felt like I was trying to bite my way through wax paper. They didn't have the added honey, nor were they extremely salty. Though the bacon was acceptably crispy, I prefer sausage egg McMuffins from McDevil to the  imitation sandwich I had because the cylindrical egg makes it fit so much better in the English muffin and gives it more height at McD's. That's even considering the fact that the imitation sandwich had better cheese. 

Would I get it again? I'd more likely just go to McDonald's because it's comfort breakfast food. 

Total damage: approximately $5. 

Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast Burrito

Andrew had this great idea of breakfast burritos, and since the vegetables were already cut up from when he made them, I had to make them as well.

Sausages, scrambled eggs, red peppers, onions, spinach, and salsa!

I was too lazy to remove the sausage casings. 

I had to toast the wrap too, just for kicks. 

Result: satisfying and filling breakfast. My only issue was with the salsa. It was a bit watery, and made my perfectly crafted burrito leak. Andrew solved this problem the next day by straining the salsa before adding it in. 

Much thanks to Andrew for supplying the pre-cut vegetables and kitchen! 

Cora's

Cora's (16 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

Cora's Special.

The potatoes weren't as fried as Renée's so I felt a bit cheated. Bacon was crispy, eggs were fine, crêpe was meh. Fruit was sweet.

I was impressed with the girl who took our order (who I don't think was our actual server). She took all six of our orders without writing anything down and remembered everything, even Jess's waffle toppings on the side. On the odd side, she kept asking Renée what kind of eggs benedict she wanted, and I heard Renée say "ham" three times. 

Total damage: ~$15 for my food and a coffee.

Cora's

Cora's (Markham Town Square, 3760 Highway 7 East, Markham, Ontario)
905-489-2446
Hours:
Mon - Sat 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sun 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Construction breakfast (3 eggs, 3 sausages)

They actually came out with the wrong order first. Andrew was halfway done his meal before I got mine, but he eats fast. The bacon wasn't crispy. The sausages weren't breakfast sausages. The potatoes were good as they were slightly crispy on the outside, and soft inside. The overeasy eggs were cooked well enough.

Notes:
We were offered multiple refills on our coffees.

Our table was a bit sticky for some reason. Unfortunately, I had placed my phone on it before Andrew noted this.

Damage: $27.10 + tip for two people.

Chocolate Cheerios

Chocolate Cheerios (San Jose, California, USA)

Jess discovered this treasure from Stephen, and I discovered Chocolate Cheerios from Jess. So in like with them, she promptly bought a box for herself (which she shared with me) at the first opportunity she had.

I love Honey Nut Cheerios, but there's something addictive about Chocolate Cheerios. I'm pretty sure I finished most of Jess's box.

I also like that it "may reduce the risk of heart disease". It's like exercise!

Would I eat them again? Yes! I'd buy them from my local grocery store, but I never seem to find them there.

Total damage: free for me thanks to Jess!

Eggspectation

Eggspectation (220 Yonge Street, Toronto)
416-977-3380
Monday to Saturday: 7 AM to 9 PM
Sunday: 7 AM to 5 PM


Andrew wanted to go back to Eggspectation because the last time we were here, we saw so many interesting choices on the menu. 

Banango 

It wasn't as thick as when I last had it, and it tasted more like orange juice than it did mango this time.

Smoked salmon eggs benedict

The seasonal fruit is pretty sad. The poached eggs were cooked properly with leaky yolk goodness. The smoked salmon tasted quite salty, even for me. 

Mango burger

Andrew liked the skinny fries, which were surprisingly crispy. He said that the burger was definitely from frozen, but it tasted okay enough. He later mentioned that he'll stick to breakfast items for this restaurant. 

Service was a lot faster than last time we were here. It was a bit strange because last time there were hardly any patrons, but this time there were quite a few more people. Also, the fire alarm was going off in the mall this time, and they mentioned that they had to wait for it to stop to turn the stoves/grills back on.

Would I return? Sure.

Total damage: $24 for my drink and meal.

Eggspectation

Eggspectation (220 Yonge Street, Toronto)
416-977-3380
Monday to Saturday: 7 AM to 9 PM
Sunday: 7 AM to 5 PM

Banango: "banana and mango blended with fresh orange juice and ice".

Tasted like the drinks I used to make in the blender - not bad. I thought it would be more slushy-textured though because ice was listed in the menu. 

Eggstravaganza: "two eggs (any style) and two slices of French toast, choice of sausage, ham or bacon, served with grilled potatoes and chef's fruit garnish".

I was expecting the fluffy kind of scrambled eggs, but that's okay. Andrew (who ordered the same thing) was actually afraid that they'd be those kind of scrambled eggs, so he got sunny side up. The most interesting thing on the plate was the French toast. They used egg bread (tasted like Challah) which made it very soft. There were a few bites with slightly crunchy outsides. As a result of the type of bread used, the French toast didn't seem too heavy, even with the maple syrup. I quite liked it, and so did Andrew.  Everything else was decent.

It took an annoyingly long time for a server to come and get our order, but when she finally came by, she was very friendly. She brought us two glasses of water in addition to our drinks without us asking for them. 

Would I return? Yeah, I liked the French toast. Though... if it isn't obvious from the site, I do like French toast in general. 

Total damage: $42.32 for two people with beverages.

Over Easy

Over Easy (208 Bloor Street West, Toronto)

Berta wanted to try this breakfast-type place, so I went along for the ride.

Freshly squeezed small grapefruit juice ($3.50)

I know it's a small, but it's still a little dinky for its price. I don't remember it being too pulpy, but that might be because I drank it through the straw. 

My Western omelette ($9.99), I think.

I liked the potatoes, but they weren't as good or as super seasoned as the ones from Swan. The omelette itself wasn't bad. I mean, it is what it is. 

I think Berta got the Spanish omelette ($9.99)

Would I go back? Maybe if the line up wasn't stuck at the door. The wait was a bit annoying, but we did go at peak lunch hour on a Sunday.

Cora's

Cora's (16 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

Pear and brie crêpe-panini.

The pear and brie panini thing was pretty cool. There was a considerable amount of brie cheese in it. I wasn't too fond of the dressing-less salad. Not sure if salad dressing was an option, but our waiter didn't offer and we were in a rush so I didn't find out.

The orange juice was compliments of a previous scratch card coupon.

Total damage: free for me thanks to Casey!

Chez Cora

Cora's (16 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

(905) 508-1755

Hours:

Monday - Saturday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

This is one of Casey's regular places (until he moves away). Chez Cora is a chain of restaurants that serve breakfast and lunch. You're out of luck if you want dinner at Cora's. 

This location seems less known than some of the other ones that I've been to as the line-up isn't going straight out the door. That's probably because the plaza is new.

Apple Cheddar and maple syrup omelette (limited time only): 

I had an apple cheese and maple syrup crepe not too long ago, so I was yearning to relive that taste. Unfortunately, I think those flavours work better in a crepe than an omelette.

The apples were thinly sliced and crunchy. The cheese was a bit sparse. Egg was nicely cooked. Maple syrup was... weak? Potatoes were good. The plate seems to have less variety of fruits than some of Cora's other dishes.

Total damage: $18-ish for the omelette and a coffee.

Cora's

Cora's (16 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill)

905-508-1755

Hours:

Mon - Sat: 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sun: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Cora's (or Chez Cora for the Francophones) does breakfast and it serves it in a big way. You can get your fruits, carbs and protein in one plate.

Sheila's 1990's Harvest:

The brioche looked cool, some of the kiwi looked overripe, but Sheila seemed to enjoy the meal.

Mango banana smoothie:
It was thicker than I expected it to be and kind of sour. I think they use green mangoes.

Cora's special with added onions ($1.15) to the home fries:
It was really filling and I couldn't finish it. I just realized that I forgot to eat the pineapple. Rats. Other than that, standard breakfast fare. The yolks of my sunny side up eggs were nice and runny.

Total damage (for two of us): $32.50.

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons (Yorkdale)

Sausage breakfast sandwich:

The biscuit wasn't as crispy this time.

The utility derived from this thing is going down, down, down.

Total damage: $2-something.

Le Vieux St-Laurent

Le Vieux St-Laurent (3993 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal)

Festin 2: 2 pancakes, 1 sausage, potatoes, beans, 2 slices of toast (not pictured), bacon, eggs, and a coffee.
I ordered an extra glass of orange juice for good measure, but the coffee comes with free refills.
This breakfast lasted me for practically the whole day. It was protein and carbs galore. I was really glad that the cute fruit cup didn't contain any berries. It had cantaloupe, honey dew, and some grapes. The bacon was crispy, as were the potatoes, which reminded me of a superior, cut up version of the potato tornado from the CNE.

Sheila's apple and cinnamon French toast with a glass of chocolate milk.

Her French toast both looked and tasted very good. Sheila found it to be very sweet, and I found her staring at the meat on my plate during most of this meal.

Overall, this was a pleasant experience. This breakfast joint is unpretentious, the food is hearty, and our server seemed genuinely nice and attentive. I'm glad we stopped by.

Damage: $12.95 (post-tax, pre-tip).

Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe

Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe (429 Columbus Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts)

Before our trip to Boston, I had Googled some local favourites for our crew to visit since I don't like eating crap. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe was the recipient of a James Beard Award in 2005. That sounded like anti-crap to me!

There weren't any tables when we got there, so we ordered our food to go. Luckily for us, there was a park nearby where we could eat breakfast peacefully and take in the Boston breeze.

The menu advertises their turkey hash specialty, but I really wanted some pancakes that day.

Banana pancakes, to be precise. In the three large flapjacks, there were banana slices lodged inside. I thought this was pretty cool because for some reason I imagined bananas being mashed into the pancake batter instead. My favourite bits were the caramelized brown bits on the banana pieces.

Casey ordered the turkey hash, and it was quite flavourful and filling.

It should also be noted that there are no washrooms at this old school joint.

Total damage: approximately $10 USD.

Bagel Nash

Bagel Nash (7355 Bayview Avenue, Unit 1C, Thornhill)

It's okay for a Toronto (and surrounding area) bagel. I'm a bit biased toward Montreal bagels, so it's going to take an amazing piece of Toronto carb to convince me that it compares to the cream of the crop.
Damage: none! I found it on the kitchen counter.

The Senator Restaurant

The Senator Restaurant (249 Victoria Street, Toronto)

The Senator Restaurant looks like a diner, and the wait staff is pleasant like a diner's usually is. 

Smoked salmon and brie omelette with potatoes and Challah toast:
The Challah toast was nice, but I would've liked some extra butter to go with it, since I'm not a fan of jam. The omelette was good, but I didn't really taste the cheese.

Freshly squeezed orange juice:
I wasn't expecting the pulp that was in it. I guess I've been spoiled recently. Berta said that the pulp was good, and that she generally doesn't like the pulp in orange juice from grocery stores because it tastes "fake".

Left: bacon and eggs. Right: French toast with apple slices and syrup.
The sunny side eggs were cooked well, with the yolks runny enough. Berta is a big fan of the French toast. I thought they were okay, but I secretly prefer the ones I make because they have more character.

Overall, I thought the dishes had good portions of food on them. I just think that they run a bit on the pricier side for breakfast food. 

Total damage: $18 for 1/3 of all the dishes and a split jug of orange juice.