I arrived late to breakfast, allowing me to be warned that I should order extra bacon instead of the sausage. I was happy to have that opportunity, and there’s a quote later that solidifies my position.

The fruit cup (Which makes this breakfast stand out; I mean, it's a small thing but greatly relished after a greasy meal) had apple, orange, melon, pineapple, peach and grapes in it. Very refreshing.

When it's super busy, expect your meal to reasonably be a few minutes and enjoy the view out the windows towards Broadway in the morning. There's always an eclectic mix of passers-by: businessmen and dumpster divers alike.

The Don Deli seems to inspire loads of conversation in the patrons. A quiet moment at your table allows for snippets of conversation to be gleaned from the surroundings: lots of politics being discussed, social activism and business propositions. This place has a vibe that encourages verbosity in the clientèle. Maybe it’s the fruit cup?

Decent quotes from our table:
"This sausage tastes like really greasy testicle meat." The sausages were not a hit.
"2/3 of Americans are over-bese!" (overweight/obese)
And finally, not spoken but written on one of our group's t-shirt:

"Your big truck (small penis) doesn't impress me."

Good jokes all around, especially in Winnipeg on a Sunday. Very apropos.

The decor in the Don Deli is actually quite nice. There is art on the walls, large windows and a nice patio, which gives the overall impression of a diner that's not so greasy and a little more upscale. The price of the breakfast certainly solidifies the "upscale" image. You can get a cheaper meal elsewhere, but whole experience of the Don Deli would be lost to you. To this end, the kitsch factor is zero, but that's not a bad thing at all.

Our waitress was a blur, but we had no problems getting refills. Very nice.

It’s so good there’s usually a wait for just about everything, but they servers run in a blur and do the best they can. The sausages may be weak but none of the other food is. This is a prime place to eat breakfast on any day of the week, just get there before the massive church crowd comes in so you at least have a chance at a seat.

SEPTEMBER 23 2007

DON DELI

120 Donald St

Daybreaker Special - $7.75 before tax, coffee & refills included.

The first challenge of coming to the Don Deli is in finding the entrance. To somebody who's never been there before, it can be a bit iffy. Once you come through the south parking lot and find the doors, be sure to not walk into the grocery store, though you have to use the same entrance. Seating extends into the back through a set of doors that you wouldn't normally go through unless you were sure of what's behind.

That being said, the second challenge is finding a seat. The place is always busy on a Sunday, and there's a very good reason for it. The breakfast is tremendous. I don't mean the size is overwhelming, I mean it's just damn good.

The Daybreaker special comes with two eggs, bacon AND sausage, toast, hash browns and a fruit cup, w/coffee or tea.

This is one of the few places that give you a fruit cup with breakfast.