MITZI'S SISTER (1554 Queen St. W.)
mitzissister.com

THE UPPER CRUST: Chris, Tomas, Adam & Amelie

RATINGS:
FOOD: 4
PRICE: 2+
SERVICE: 2
AMBIANCE: 3+


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: YES
HP SAUCE: YES
PATIO: YES
BOOTHS: NO
OPEN-KITCHEN: NO

Mitzi's Sister is just that; her younger, hipper, significantly more social sister. Don't be confused though. She's the kind of girl who knows more about her dad's generation of music than he does, and unlike Mitzi, who's sitting at home sipping on lemon grass tea and listening to old 45's (not that there's anything wrong with that), sis still hasn't lost the novelty of loud music and partying until the wee hours of the morning. Mitzi herself is the kind of girl you'd take home to mom, whereas, Mitzi's Sister is ace in the sack. It all comes down to what you're looking for. And if you do decide you'd rather the freak than the frump, you'll find her in Parkdale, on Queen West, somewhere between Lansdowne and Roncesvalles.

STANDARD BREAKFAST:
2 eggs
sourdough toast
homefries
bacon
fruit
$6.95+tx.


THE FOOD: Undeniably the highlight of our visit. The rule to ordering at Mitzi's Sister: Just cause it's not on the brunch menu, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The portions were nothing to die for (and sparse even in comparison to Mitzi's Café), but the quality of the meal superseded our expectations just as it did at the café. With only one slice of sourdough toast (not nearly enough) and only 2 slices of bacon (?!) a point may have been lost, but was quickly made back by the potatoes alone.
Everyone Side-Note: Don't dump the Matouk's scotch bonnet hot sauce on your plate like you might Frank's. However tasty, it's a 7.5/10 on the make you fuckin' sweat scale.

THE PRICE: Seeing as the price and the fare were pretty much identical between sisters, I won't waste my time writing the same thing over and will simply quote Mitzi's Café review; "The price was pretty standard, could have a been a buck or two cheaper, but nothing to write slam poetry over."
Ps- On the topic of slam poetry, Saul Williams just dropped a new album; The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust! This shit is fucking grimey! Produced by Trent Reznor, Niggy Tardust is laden with punk and industrial undercurrents, infused with poetic hip-hop genius and a far cry from the Rick Ruben produced Saul of the past. Go download it already.

THE SERVICE: Our server, although friendly (gaining her the bulk of her rating), definitely could have stepped up her game a notch and didn't quite meet any of our expectations (which aren't generally set too high as you may have noticed). The coffee (and food for that matter) took forever and a day, the people who arrived after us got their grub well before we did and my knife didn't appear to have even been washed.
"Ewww. It looks like there's mayo on it."- Amelie

THE AMBIANCE: Mitzi's Sister appears to be a bar by definition and a breakfast joint by default whether that's the case or not. Like Aris and Musa before it, it is very dimly lit and as hangover friendly as they come. With an odd mix of Queen West hipsters, young urban couples (there were no less than 4 strollers in the place) and a family or two, Mitzi's Sister draws in quite an eclectic weekend brunch crowd. The patio in the summer is pretty key and other notabilities are the cliché mash of mix-matched mugs (try and say that five times fast), foot-long teaspoons and walls adorned à la uninspired art gallery, or as Tomas put it, "There's some nice shitty art in this place."

As the famous author Anonymous once said, "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." This could not be more true than with Mitzi's Café & Mitzi's Sister. Where the café has cieling-high windows and bright natural lighting, the sis has low wattage pendant lights hanging from the ceiling; and where the café has a cook manning a griddle in an open kitchen, the sis has a bartender manning a bottle in a fully licensed bar. Ultimately it comes down to the food to really show you the extent to which they're related. Whether you're an early riser looking for a sunny morning coffee or a hungover waste-case in need of a dimly lit caesar, the standard of eats is the same across the board. Go grab a root; there's a Mitzi's for either mood.

MAGGI'S (400 College St.)

WE THREE KINGS: Chris, Aaron & Austin

RATINGS:
FOOD: 3+
PRICE: 2+
SERVICE: 4
AMBIANCE: 3


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: YES
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: NO
HP SAUCE: YES
PATIO: NO
BOOTHS: NO
OPEN-KITCHEN: NO

35 simple steps to having a sluggish but all together not too shabby thursday like this guy:

(*me pointing at myself with my thumbs all awesome like)

1) Jump in the shower
2) Throw on the standard flannel+hoody+jeans combo
3) Grab a coffee at Big Bee
4) Smoke a cigarette
5) Catch a ride to work
6) Pour yourself a coffee
7) Put on some Every Time I Die
8) Check your email / facebook
9) Look for work to do to no avail
10) Watch Tom Waits interviews on YouTube in chronological order beginning in 1977
11) Pour yourself another coffee
12) Smoke another cigarette
13) Ask people for something to do to no avail
14) Check your email / facebook again
15) Tweak out a new profile photo using an unfinished sketch of yourself
16) Eat breakfast at Maggi's
17) Grab the new Now mag
18) Listen to some Dropkick Murphys
19) Pour yourself another coffee
20) Go over some typesetting for Aaron
21) Go for a cigarette and end up with Michele, Andre, James and a D-SLR
22) Photograph everything other than what you set out to
23) Take a pee
24) Check your email / facebook again
25) Retouch one of the photos taken earlier for Michele
26) Email directions to your place from the 400 for your brother
27) Meet Sarah downstairs
28) Hit up the LCBO
29) Drink some beers at Kevin's
30) Get offered a decent paying freelance gig
31) Accept a decent paying freelance gig
32) Go to the Protest the Hero listening party
33) Get right knackered on $6 Buds
34) Head to Sneaky Dee's for a King's Crown and Mo Drizzies
35) Somehow find your way home and crawl your drunk ass into bed

What the fuck am I getting at? Nothing really, aside from quenching the instinctually voyeuristic appetite of the human psyche and stating #16 in a creative, yet extremely pointless and drawn-out manner. Walk into any shop along College between Spadina and Bathurst and you've got a 50/50 chance of finding either breakfast or computers. At Maggi's you'll find breakfast.

STANDARD BREAKFAST:
3 eggs
bacon, ham or sausage
multigrain or white toast
garlic fries
$6.95+tx.


THE FOOD: Just like our "Tree dem Mo Drizzies!" at Sneak's later in the night, the eggs at Maggi's come in threes. (I ended up with 4 though, but that's completely beside the point.) Actually, I don't really have a point. The food was good. That's a point. This one time, myself and some buddies from Spanish were heading into Sudbury for ride night and so as not to lose one another, Steve, in all his french glory asked us if we should have a "meet point". Then I told him "I've got a meat point." and he asked where it was... lol.

THE PRICE: $6.95. The same price as Kos but with tastier food. The same price as Mitzi's, but not quite as flavourful. The same price as Bloor Jane but coffee's not included. The same price as Caddy but with no kick arse patio.

THE SERVICE: Any dude that brings me coffee and links me up with not only a pen, but a notepad and a smile is pretty much the coolest dude in the history of ever. Were it a pretty lady, a 4+ may have been in order.

THE AMBIANCE: The Hollaback Nickelback playlist aside, Maggi's is pretty okay. The puke...i mean peach coloured walls may not be the easiest on the eyes, but if you get there at just the right time , with just the right sky, you get a window full of balmy pleasure. As far as the remainder of the place goes, it's a touch run-down, but all it really needs is a fresh coat of paint and a dash of awesomer.

With a fittingly disheveled demeanor, walls littered with art and a medley of assorted cushions, Maggi's fits right into the Yasi's / Mitzi's mold without even mentioning the pattern in names. Maggi's edge; it's location could not be any better and recieves ten times the traffic as it's side-street sisters. It's foible; they don't put quite the same effort or welcome experimentation into their grub as their character laden counterparts, sticking to a pretty conservative (however savory) breakfast fare. All-in-all, Maggi's is worth checking out if you're in the area for reasons other than RAM; because Aunties and Uncles aside, it's better than alot of the joints on the block.

KOS RESTAURANT (61 Bellevue Ave.)

THE DYNAMIC DUO: Chris & Rocio

RATINGS:
FOOD: 2+
PRICE: 2+
SERVICE: 4+
AMBIANCE: 3


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: YES
HP SAUCE: YES
PATIO: YES
BOOTHS: YES
OPEN-KITCHEN: NO

Today is sunday. I'm 95% positive I woke up in The Twilight Zone. I was wide awake at 9:30. I was not hungover as per usual. I did not have morning wood. I was in the mood to clean the house and I'm now watching The Nanny Diaries, which I didn't even attempt to contest. Fucked eh; breakfast was probably the only routine thing to come of my day. On that note, Rocio and I hit up a decent (however strikingly conformist) little spot called Kos Restaurant; located bang on the corner of Bellevue and Nassau (formerly the Bellevue Diner) in the heart of Kensington Market. But anyways...I'm starting to catch some dirty looks for typing during The Nanny Diaries (god forbid). I'm gonna go now...

EGGSPRESS:
3 eggs
bacon, real ham or hot italian sausage
toast
hash browns
$6.95+tx.


THE FOOD: Not the best breakfast in the market, but definitely not the worst. Proving that presentation isn't everything, the only stand-out items on my plate were the hash browns with their surroundings coming across as (and tasting) fairly orthodox. Fruit is always a nice touch, however, Rocio mowed down my pineapple and didn't seem particularly impressed.
Rocio: "That pineapple tasted like garbage...from the dumpster!"

THE PRICE: At $6.95 before tax and with coffee running extra, Kos is not a place for the penny-pincher. It's far from over-priced, but after the tip, you'd be hard pressed to keep it under a sawbuck.

THE SERVICE: Fecking impeccable. Our server was one of the best I've had in a while. Before I was seated, my drink order was taken and the courtesy kept coming until we walked out the door. A fucking +.

THE AMBIANCE: Kos lacks character in comparison to its variety of immediate neighbors and is far from the second-hand chic I was expecting when Rocio suggested a Kensington Market breakfast. Divided into two sections, you've got the choice of either a more dimly lit, crimson coloured bar side (where I would have rather been seated and which my have upped the ambiance rating a + or two) or a brighter, more naturally lit pastel yellow diner side (in which we sat). Kos, however comfy, rubs me as just another one of the herd, so don't go in expecting the Kensington vibe just because of the location.

Not to be mistaken with K-os, Toronto's pretentiously melodramatic emcee, Kos Restaurant is much more humble (which doesn't take much). Formerly of College & Bathurst, Kos is a place I'd return to if only for the service. If you're in the area, however, and aren't much for the generic new breed of restaurant renovations, there are many more squality (yes, I made up a word and yes it's a combination of squalid and quality) joints to more suitably satisfy your Kensington experience. Pop your head in the door; If it's not your bag, you're nothing but a hop skip and a jump from Last Temptation or one of the markets many other comfortably scuzzy breakfast alternatives.

AVENUE OPEN KITCHEN
(7 Camden Ave.)

THE HE-MAN WOMEN HATERS CLUB: Chris, Tomas & Paul

RATINGS:
FOOD: 4
PRICE: 4
SERVICE: 4
AMBIANCE: 4


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: NO
HP SAUCE: YES
PATIO: NO
BOOTHS: YES
OPEN-KITCHEN: YES

...so then l was like, "Ughhh. Breakfast." and then Paul was like, "Mmm. Breakfast." and then I was like, "Where to?" and then Paul was like, "Lets check out that deli place I was telling you about." and then I was like, "Where's it at? and then Paul was like, "Around Spadina and Adelaide." and I was like, "What's it called?" and then Paul was like, "I dunno...it's named after the street or some shit." and then I was like, "I'm down."
And that's the story of how we ended up at Avenue Open Kitchen, located a few doors west of Spadina on the south side of Camden Street. Word.

STANDARD BREAKFAST:
3 eggs
bacon
toast
hash browns
$5.75+tx. ($4.40 from 6-11 am)


THE FOOD: The f'in food! Avenue dished out more than I could have expected. 6 streaky rashers a piece (thats limey lingo for bacon), Tomas ending up with 7! The potatoes were gold. The eggs were tasty, however, not up to Rocio's standards (too squiggly). Everything taken into account, the breakfast was solid and well deserving of praise.
Tomas: "I like this bacon cause I keep eating it and it's not finishing."
Paul: "It's magic bacon!"

THE PRICE: Too the blind eye, the price may seem like nothing special, however, taking into consideration the quality and price to grub ratio, it was phenomenal. Also, if you're unlike myself and find yourself out and about downtown between the hours of 6 and 11, you can knock $1.55 off your tally.
Ps- Whether you're getting bacon and eggs, french toast or a western omelette, all the breakfasts are equally priced.

THE SERVICE: Not a complaint. I had a water and a coffee in front of me virtually as soon as I sat down which is pretty much all a not too picky hungover chap like myself could ask for. Breaky was served up prompt and refills needed no requisition.

THE AMBIANCE: What is it with places called Avenue? Just as the Avenue Diner before it, Avenue Open Kitchen is a classic diner through and through. You'd almost expect to find this place down the street from the post office in Millbrook, Indiana. The place has custom labeled (on the back of a bill slip at that) squeeze bottles of HP and an aesthetic straight out of A History of Violence, sans ruthless killer attempting to off the waitress.

Johnny Bower endorsed and a solid 4 across the boards, this place is so good I'll bet you a thousand million dollars (Paul: "Incase you didn't know, that's a billion.") that Avenue Open Kitchen will find it's way into your top 5 list of Toronto breakfast joints. For serious.

MAKE IT BACON
Your daily dose of all things bacon

THE MORNING AFTER has a sister blog!

Updated daily with everything you need to know to keep you up to date with the rapidly growing subculture that is bacon.
Enjoy.

ARIS PLACE (229 Roncesvalles Ave.)

THE SHIT SHOW: Chris, Tomas, Paul & Adam

RATINGS:
FOOD: 3+
PRICE: 4
SERVICE: 4
AMBIANCE: 4+


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: YES
HP SAUCE: YES
PATIO: NO
BOOTHS: NO
OPEN-KITCHEN: YES

After the two weeks of hell-bent overindulgence that was the Christmas holidays (Special thanks go out to Bill, Adam & Amelie, Taylor & Vicky, Tam-Tam, Lionel and fam, The Olson sisters, Tiff, DD and all others that joined in the debauchery), a proper Toronto get-together and a proper Toronto breakfast was most definitely in order; A) Because friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life and B) Because there's no such thing as all-day breakfast in Blind River (who the fuck gets up before 11 during the holidays?!). With the little bro in town for the weekend, and for the first review of two thousand and great, we figured we'd take a ride down Roncesvalles and stop at the first place that caught our eye. Here we found Aris Place; just south of High Park Boulevard with "All Day Breakfast" prominently displayed in the window, the choice was evident.

STANDARD BREAKFAST:
3 eggs
bacon
buttered toast
potatoes
$4.95+tx.


THE FOOD: Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon (damn skippy we got four pieces!). The bacon was some of the best I've had and the tomato was a welcome addition, however as Adam stated, the hash browns were "toopotatoey". All in all, the tasty meter hit a solid 3+ and the verdict was unanimous.

THE PRICE: $4.95 + $1 for coffee! Shit, bring a date! Buy her two, who cares! She'll think you're ballin'! Slap in a side-order of smooth and you're guaranteed to make it to second base!

THE SERVICE: Loads of personalitay. Whenever our waitress came around she gave us all individual play-by-plays; "Toast, toast, toast..." and when we asked for more water she rolled by with a jug and said "The waterrrrr" in a funny voice. Nuff said.

THE AMBIANCE: If I had to say one attribute stood out while the others didn't quite add up to the same extent (reminiscent of our run-in with "cleavage girl" in Hero Burger later in the night), the ambience definitely took the cake. The lighting...OMFG the lighting. Adorned with low-wattage outdoor wall sconces it was hands down the best lighting of any place we've ever reviewed in this beautiful blog of ours. PERFECT lighting one might say. The interior of the place was à la cozy ski chalet with added elements of awesome. Wood accented walls and ceilings, faux leather table tops, deer antlers (or as Paul put it, "just enough death on the walls") and various captivating pictures including a '93 World Series poster starring none other than Joe Carter & Roberto Alomar.

To sum it all up, Pauly couldn't have put it any better...
"I don't know if this is the bacon talking, but it's nice in here. I like it.

MIZTZI'S CAFÉ (100 Sorauren Ave.)
mitzissister.com

THE ARBITERS: Chris, Tomas, Rocio & Renata

RATINGS:
FOOD: 4+
PRICE: 2+
SERVICE: 3
AMBIANCE: 3


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: NO
HP SAUCE: NO (fucking amazing habanero hotsauce though!)
PATIO: YES
BOOTHS: NO
OPEN-KITCHEN: YES

Located in the heart of Parkdale at the quiet residential intersection of Sorauren and Pearson (just a few blocks north of Queen West), you can find the ever so campy Mitzi's Café. Not to be confused with Mitzi's Sister only a few blocks away, this is the original establishment that spawned it's ever so popular counterpart. This is where it all began, so it only seemed fair for us to start here.

MITZI'S BREAKFAST SPECIAL:
2 eggs
toast
homefries
fruit
choice of:
- bacon
- sauteed tomatoes
- fishcakes
$6.95+tx.


THE FOOD: The food was schimply schpectacular. Instead of two eggs, I recieved a cute little family; the bread was sourdough; and between the bacon and the homefries, I couldn't decide what made me want to cream in my...coffee...more. A solid 4+.

THE PRICE: The price was pretty standard, could have a been a buck or two cheaper, but nothing to write slam poetry over.

THE SERVICE: No great shakes. The service, like the price, was run-of-the-mill and nothing seemed to stand out.

THE AMBIANCE: It reminded me of Yasi's Place sans (as much) character. Art is displayed on the walls in the same ceiling-hung fashion; formica tables are as far as the eye can see; and you'll find more mix-matched mugs than Value Village, of which Tomas had the choicest one in the place. A pink and cyan cartesian grid adorned with butterflies and a watering can sprouting flowers. As Tomas said, "Dude, this us the best mug i've ever had...I think the coffee even tastes better out of it." The temp was a little too toasty for my taste, but all in all, the place was retro and homey and a nice spot to check out on a much needed monday off.
Rocio Side-Note: The cook was wearing a train conductor's hat!

Easy Restaurant was our original destination when leaving home on this chilly monday morning and if it weren't for a navigational flaw on Tomas' part, Mitzi's wouldn't have even crossed our path. The fact that it did however was one of the best mistakes we could have made. My advice, Go make a mistake; you probably won't regret it. (Unless it's getting knocked up...that'd probably suck.)

MUSA (847 Dundas St. W.)

THE CAROUSERS: Chris, Tomas, Sarah, Nikki, Rocio & Kevin
(with surprise guest Stefan Wegner)

RATINGS:
FOOD: 3+
PRICE: 3
SERVICE: 4+
AMBIANCE: 3


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: YES (with a wide variety of caesars!)
HP SAUCE: NO
PATIO: NO
BOOTHS: YES
OPEN-KITCHEN: NO

Musa. To the Lithuanians, it's a river; to the Arabs, Moses; and to Torontians, it seems to refer to a damn tasty breakfast. About half way between Trinity-Bellwoods Park and Bathurst on Dundas West you'll find this afoot little eatery. Rocio name dropped this place one too many times, so I figured (if only to make her smile), I'd give it a go and I'm really quite happy I did.

CLASSIC BREAKFAST:
2 eggs
bacon or sausage
cajun or rosemary roast potatoes
toast
$5.95+tx.


THE FOOD: "Toilet water" and weak coffee aside, Musa from what I recall far surpased my expectations. I wish I had been sobered up for the experience, seeing as my recollection of the entire affair is minimal. Some highlights in a few words (taken directly from my notes) include:
∙ spicy chili butter stuff
∙ grapes cut in half
∙ steamed milk
∙ fruittttttt
Rocio Side-Note: The Salmon Rocket is sick.
Tomas Side-Note: Benny= 4+
Kevin Side-Note: Penis is nice.

THE PRICE: The price, the price, the price was nice. I settled in cash, no mechanical device. I didn't think twice. The bill was precise. No need to squeeze it out of me with a bench-mounted vise. Out came my wallet, a storage device. Limited funds but they seemed to suffice.

THE SERVICE: The service was amiably amicable, approachably benevolent, courteously cordial, graciously obliging and harmoniously polite. (That means really fucking good.)
Ps- I'd like to formally apologize to the little dude I heckled. When I asked if there was "...grinds in the coffee or just brown and water?!" it was just my little way of saying it could be stronger next time.

THE AMBIANCE: From the wallpaper-like extior paint job to the comfy booths, I was feeling it. If it weren't for the fact that the place was -15°, it would have been a very pleasent overall experience. The lighting was mint (as seen in the breakfast shot) and very hangover friendly. Bout all I recall.
Sarah Side-Note: There were pretty pictures on the wall. Part of me wants to say there was an elephant, but I don't think that's true.

Musa musa mo musa, banana fana fo fusa, me my mo musa...MUSA. (Check it out.)

IN 'ER SINCE 1944!

The infamous Av and Dav signage in all its selectively cropped glory.


Peace in the middle crease.

RED ROOM (444 Spadina Ave.)

THE CO-CONSPIRATORS: Chris, Pam & Shanghoon

RATINGS:
FOOD: 3+
PRICE: 4+
SERVICE: 2+
AMBIANCE: 4


ALL-DAY BREAKFAST: YES
COFFEE/ESPRESSO BAR: NO
COFFEE INCLUDED: NO
FREE REFILLS: YES
LICENSED: YES
HP SAUCE: YES (but not on this day in particular)
PATIO: YES
BOOTHS: YES
OPEN-KITCHEN: NO

So a photographer, a rep and an art director walk into a bar...
At the corner of College & Spadina, on the northern border of Chinatown and no more than a block away from my office is the wonderfully dingy Red Room. One of the most well known barstaurants in the area, Red Room doesn't often fail in delivering cheap eats and an inviting atmosphere.

STANDARD BREAKFAST:
2 eggs
bacon or sausage
homefries
salad
toast
$3.75+tx.


THE FOOD: I was pleasently surprised, seeing as this was my first Red Room breakfast and taking into consideration how hit or miss they are as far as food quality goes (the soups and sandwiches are mintacular whereas much else on the menu is nothing to write home about). The ratios were a little askew. I got four pieces of bacon and yet only a single slice of toast which was pretty hard to distribute amongst two eggs. I fucking hate when the toast to egg ratio isn't even. Grrr...
Shanghoon Side-Note: The pancakes didn't have enough egg in the mix.
Pam Side-Note: The sausages are tasty yet predictable.

THE PRICE: A 5 were they a touch more attainable. Also, the fact that it was on Westside's tab didn't hurt in the slightest.

THE SERVICE: Nothing special. Forgetful to say the least. Took forever with the coffee rifills. The only real plus was water without asking.

THE AMBIANCE: It's Red Room. I've only ever met one person ever (who I soon after disowned) that didn't feel comfortable under the faint glow of the sporadic christmas lights and surrounded by the interesting mix of original artwork (chickens getting nasty and all).

Red Room is one of those places you could hit up for a mid-day business breakfast, head with 15 odd friends to get knackered or swing by on a thursday for a quiet soup and sandwich over the new Now. Either way, check it out if you haven't already and tell those who say otherwise to shove it up their wazoo.