Oliver Bonacini Canteen

Oliver Bonacini Canteen

TIFF Bell Lightbox
330 King St. West
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3X2
Tel: 647.288.4710
http://www.oliverbonacini.com/Canteen.aspx

Located at the base of the brand spankingly new TIFF Bell Lightbox, Oliver Bonacini Canteen is a refreshing treat from the tourist trap restaurants otherwise found on King Street.

Upon our initial entry, however, my friend and I were put off by the lack of a host to welcome us. There didn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to the failed attempt of a queue that consisted of about 12 equally confused people standing around while approximately 6 tables in the actual restaurant sat empty. No one came to greet us or take our name for almost 10 minutes as we stood there like little lost sheep waiting for someone to take notice. Once we were finally seated, a lovely young woman with a cheery disposition made her away over and quickly changed our opinion of the new restaurant.

With a limited selection with Breakfast Plates starting at $10, Canteen does not skimp on quality. I had the Omelette with onion, tomato, 5 year old Quebec cheddar, and piperade. The dish itself was $13 and replying with a 'yes' when asked if I wanted toast as well, I didn't realize there would be an additional $2.50 tagged onto the bill for it. Despite being duped into toast I had assumed came with my eggs, the food was incredible once it arrived.

My fellow bruncher thoroughly enjoyed his Oven Baked O&B Granola which included fresh berries and maple syrup which was equally nutritious and delicious.

The atmosphere at Canteen is slightly upscale yet the service and decor make you feel comfortable and welcomed at the same time. The floor to ceiling windows provide a great view of city dwellers and the adjacent buildings. The large corner patio will definitely be filled once the nice weather kicks back in.

Here are some photos as well as individual & overall ratings of Oliver Bonacini Canteen:

Michael 80%
Chris 85%
Average: 82.5%

The Starving Artist

584 Lansdowne Avenue
Toronto, ON M6H3Y6
(647) 342-5058

Since somewhat recently becoming a west-ender and wanting to kick off the Toronto Brunch Club with a bang, we decided to make our first stop for this blog the Starving Artist (www.starvingartistbar.com).

A popular brunch spot on weekends while a predominantly cool-kid bar in the evenings, the Starving Artist should probably focus more on slinging beer than making waffles. Speaking of waffles, mainly everything on the brunch menu consists of these Belgian treats or, comes in the shape of them. Eggs Benedict, served on a waffle. Western Sandwiches, served on a waffle. Side Potatoes, cut like waffles. An interesting idea but one must really love their waffles to be satisfied at the Artist.

I had the Eggs Benny with avocado and a very good potato salad that, as tasty as it was, could have used a little less mayo. Lisa had the Mini Waffles with baked beans and an “extra” side of strawberries. What she paid $1.00 extra for was one strawberry sliced into four thin pieces and placed on top of each mini waffle.

One great thing about the Starving Artist is that it has two nice patios; one out front and one in the back. The service was very good especially from our winking waitress who, if it weren’t for her charm, we would be complaining here about mixing up our requested side orders (wink). The menu offers an array of vegetarian options and they will gladly make substitutes for meat when requested.

One thing that needs improvement other than, say, a more varied, less waffled menu, is that the only method of payment is cash. I can’t imagine too many hipsters with a wallet full of papers the morning after a night out on Ossington.

Here are some photos as well as individual & overall ratings of the Starving Artist:

Lisa 70%
Michael 79%
Average: 74.5%

THE TORONTO BRUNCH CLUB: THE TORONTO BRUNCH CLUB!

THE TORONTO BRUNCH CLUB: THE TORONTO BRUNCH CLUB!: "Welcome to The Toronto Brunch Club blog!People in Toronto LOVE brunch. No, really LOVE brunch.There are about 8,630,000 hits when you googl..."

THE TORONTO BRUNCH CLUB!

Welcome to The Toronto Brunch Club blog!

People in Toronto LOVE brunch.

No, really LOVE brunch.

There are about 8,630,000 hits when you google Toronto brunch.

We wanna make that 8,630,001 so we've decided to start this blog!

The blog is simple.

We'll go out for brunch and then we'll tell you about it.

We're not food critics or writers, just people who love hanging out with friends, having a good meal and not being judged that our first meal on Saturday starts at noon and includes a mimosa (or two)...