On the Road Breks

Various Locations

May-June 2008

Leif and I both took to the road for brief periods in June, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t thinking about breakfast! To the contrary, we were searching for new and exciting places outside of the comfortable abode of Winnipeg.

While Leif went out East and noshed in Toronto, I headed West and gobbled eggs in the mountains.

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Norm’s Place, Calgary, AB

10/10

Not actually a restaurant, but definitely the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Norm, the godfather of my travel partner Melly (and now of Breakfast) wanted to send us on our way in style, so he cooked us up a phenomenal Calgary breakfast. That is, steak, eggs, thick bread the type of which I can’t even identify, and potatoes mixed with cheese and onion that blew my mind. The steak was absolutely the best I’d ever had. EVER! Done on his barbeque in the morning, it was juicy, thick and tasty like Drum N’ Bass is boring.

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The Full Circle Café, Nelson, BC

8.5/10

Breakfast Special - $5.75 + meat ($2-3 each) + coffee ($2)

Kick Hash - $12

The Full Circle was recommended to us by several people as we wandered around this tiny mountain town. Our server ended up being the epitome of our Nelson experience: pretty, but poor. Bad service exemplifying a town that gives you a sketchy feeling like you’ve been up all night partying. But at least the food was good. I got the “Kick Hash,” which looked like vomit but tasted like goodness. This place is the Stella’s of Nelson. Fresh ingredients, thick, fresh bread and cooked with heart. The coffee was tremendous as well. Were it not for the perpetual foul moods of my traveling companions and the constant rain outside (yes, the two things are linked) this would have been an excellent dining experience. As it stands, it was just pretty good. I’ll go back again if/when I travel through Nelson in the future.

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Grapefruit Moon, Toronto, Ont.

9.5 / 10

Special $6.50 plus coffee. ($2?)

968 Bathurst.

One has to wonder at the average Winnipeg breakfast after reading the above reviews. My Toronto experience was similarly outstanding. Good kitschy decor, original art on the wall, bike parts on the ceiling and water served in a milk bottle. Ya! An almost perfect experience including a variety of coffee mugs, homemade hot sauce and an excellent seat by the window. Of my two breakfast experiences in Toronto, the other was not reviewed, too tired, they both had excellent sightlines of the sidewalk and the sunny pavement freaks walking by.

Toronto!

Toronto!

Toronto!

Toronto!

Calgary!

Nelson!