George's Fine Chinese Food - A Cambridge Institution!!!

George's Fine Chinese Food
21 Water Street North
Cambridge, Ontario

519-621-5110

Image Courtsey: George's Website

In her opinion:  

As a little Portuguese kid growing up in Galt, George's was the "exotic" restaurant that I never ate at. At least not until I was in high school. My parents emmigrated to Canada in 1974 and George's was already a hot spot in Cambridge. If you ask anyone from my generation about their childhood and adolescence they will ultimately include George's in their memories.  There's a Facebook group called "If You Grew Up in Cambridge, ON You Remember" and I have read the memories associated with this Cambridge institution there. 

I didn't try George's until I was in high school and earning my own money.  The first time I tried it, I fell in love.  I even convinced my Portuguese parents to try it.  They too fell in love. And finally, in 1992 when I started dating my Portuguese boyfriend (who later became my husband),I convinced a picky eater (before he was a foodie)that George's was so good, that he had to try it. He too fell in love.

George's Fine Chinese Food was opened by George Seto in 1951. George was known for not only his Canadian Chinese food but his generosity and kindness. George passed away in 1993 and left George's to his son Paul (who passed away in January, 2012 after this post was written) and his boys, John, Roy and Don to carry on with his legacy.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make George's something that it is not.  Is this really good Chinese food? No, not really. This is the epitome of Canadian Chinese food. Ask anyone of Chinese heritage if they like George's and they would laugh at you. Of course not! But ask any Canadian (and if you grew up in Cambridge you know I meant Newfie), Portugese or Italian kid and they would say yes.  

This is the home of 18 for 1...Soo Guy Almond Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Mushroom Fried Rice and Egg Roll.  Not just any egg rolls, but the best homemade egg roll you have ever eaten in your life.  There's no cabbage fillers in these egg rolls...just bean sprouts and a mix of secret ingredients. So good.

So on a snowy day in Cambridge with no intentions of leaving the comfort of our warm home, we ordered George's for lunch.  Our order was of course 18 for 1, an extra egg roll, an order of fries and gravy and a steam rice.  This is our usual order.

It is still good. Of course my food tastes has changed.  George's is no longer considered "exotic" in my culinary world.  It's comfort food of my childhood. It's the go to restaurant when nothing else comes to mind. It is still the best Canadian Chinese food in Cambridge. It's funny, recently I attended my friend's daughter's Confirmation celebration.  On the menu was George's Mushroom Fried Rice and of course, their Egg Rolls at the request of the celebrant.  The guests all ate it mixed with the majority of the Portuguese food on the menu. It was just natural. And I laughed to myself thinking the next generation is as hooked as our generation. It will only be a matter of time before John, Roy and Don's kids take over this Cambridge legacy.

Egg Rolls with George's Plum Sauce

No cabbage in these babies.

Soo Guy Almond, Mushroom Fried Rice
and Sweet and Sour Chicken

Fries and Soo Guy Gravy.

18 for 1 feeds two nicely.

In his opinion:

Every foodie has a "fast food/takeout" spot that no matter how bad, how greasy or how run of the mill it is for them, it becomes their guilty pleasure. Unfortunately, I have several...and George's Fine Chinese Food in Cambridge happens to be one of them. 

Oddly enough I share this guilty pleasure with one of Canada's top chefs, Jason Parsons from Peller Estates Winery and CityTV fame. He has personally assured me while I was dining at Peller Estates one day, that this was his go to place for "fast food" during his Cambridge days. If it's good enough for his high calibre palate, then it surely is good enough for me. I must admit that I have had this particular dish (18 for 1) way more times than I would like to admit. But, it always has been the favourite Canadian Chinese spot for many in this city, including me. 

Canadian Chinese food was the first commercialized way that many in Canada ever tasted anything that even resembled Chinese food. Unfortunately, these dishes are as far from real Chinese food as East Side Mario's is to real Italian food. Yes, sorry to bust your bubble but fortune cookies were invented in California and no resident Chinese person has ever heard of General Tao Chicken.

But on with the food. First of all, combo 18 for 1, it serves 2 people easily. We always get an extra steamed rice to complement the small regular mushroom fried rice that comes with it.

The egg rolls. Although I'm not much of an egg roll lover myself, I have consistently tried bad egg rolls in every "fake Chinese" place I have ever been to in my life. George's is the exception. No cabbage filling, just a simply made fresh egg roll with bean sprouts made by hand the same day! (I have witness them making them many times)!

The chicken is presented in 2 ways. First, the all too overused "sweet and sour" chicken. Boneless chicken strips drowned in plenty of sweet and sour sauce and a healthy portion for 1 person (even though the containers have gotten smaller with the years).

The other chicken dish is the "soo guy almond" and my personal favourite. It is again boneless chicken strips cooked and covered in a creamy gravy sauce with almonds, that tastes amazingly on top of the rice by the way.

We also always order the fries and gravy as a side dish. This really consists of fries with the exact same sauce as the "soo guy almond chicken", so if you are a fan of the sauce, go for it, if not skip it.

We pretty much stick to these combos 90% of the time we eat or take out from George's but there are many other favourites on the menu including: beef or vegetable chow mein, chicken chop suey, low mein and if possible, order the honey garlic spare ribs which I know that my good friend, cook John Seto hates to prepare due to the full wok cleaning required, but are very good.

The owners/kitchen crew are close friends of mine and it would be very easy for me to be bias in this review. But, if you ever have a chance to witness the volume of take-out/deliveries that happens daily from this place for a city as small as Cambridge, then you know that their food is a hot item.  Especially for the predominantly "Newfie" and Portuguese Cambridge demographic, not just for me.

Next time you are in Cambridge, anywhere near the Galt downtown core, give this restaurant a try. Try not to be put off by the overly Chinese themed  dining room and dated overall décor of the building; because trust me, the food does all the talking. 

Image Courtesy:  George's Website

Brassaii

Brassaii
461 King Street West
Toronto, ON


416-598-4730

In her opinion:

I can honestly say that this is a long time coming.  We have booked and cancelled this restaurant twice before and nothing was stopping us this time around.  This was our third and last Winterlicious dinner for the 2012 run. So on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 we headed to Brassaii located in trendy King Street West.  It is described on their Winterlicious menu page as chic and upscale and I would agree.

Executive Chef Chris Kalisperas serves his take on Mediterranean fare in this space which is be described as an expedition in urban archaeology and design.  The space is industrial and warm.  Stark and cozy.  Okay, enough with the contrasting discriptive words.  Going to dinner at Brassaii is like going to dinner at someone's large loft.  It's big but not overwhelming.

For my appetizer, I picked the "Potato and Leek Soup" served with truffle oil, creme fraiche and chives.  I love this type of soup and have often made it myself (I've enclosed a recipe from Martha herself). 

This soup did not disappoint.  It was a huge portion of creamy leek and potato deliciousness.  So good and filling.  The truffle oil added a touch of earthiness and the creme fraiche provided a little bit of tanginess.  Very good.

For my entree, I chose the "Artic Char" with saffron yogurt, fried cauliflower, roasted tomato salad and coriander".  

Not my favourite entree of this Winterlicious season.  I found the fish a little bland.  The accompaniments were fine but in my honest opinion I think this dish would have benefited from a rice or potato side.

For dessert, I picked the "Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding" with spiced milk chocolate mousse.

If I had to pick my all time favourite dessert, it is sticky toffee pudding! I love the moistness of the date cake with the sweetness of the toffee. Brassaii's version was excellent and definitely did not disappoint.  It is traditionally served with vanilla ice cream but this version with the chocolate mousse was a nice change.  Loved loved this dessert.

I enjoyed our dinner overall.  I wouldn't place it on my list of favourite restaurants!  There are so many other restaurants we want to try before heading back here.

In his opinion:


We finally made our way to Brassaii after some consecutive cancellations and we were very excited to finally be there.  The long walkway past the "summer patio tables" in hibernation makes for a grand entrance into the black canopy covered stairs to the restaurant upstairs.

Once upstairs, the coat check/front desk is a prelude to the unfinished, warehouse look that the restaurant has. The 5 ball chandelier above us are a reflection of the mix of modern and rustic look that we will encounter inside. High ceilings, exposed brick and large windows give it that "former industrial plant" look, but some subtle accents and the right spacing of the tables make it inviting.

We get seated at a table directly facing the kitchen where we can witness Chef Chris Kalisperas work his craft. Alongside him, a sous chef and a crew of what seemed to be apprentices, worked frantically to keep up with the demands of a full room of after work and special date night crowd.


The décor is rather minimalistic, with silver tubes hanging from ceiling as light sources and chairs that resemble outdoor patio furniture, yet comfortable. The support cement posts are marked with a large B and then a number, maybe for  orientation purposes. A very large bar with lots of mirror and bright lighted displays seem to be the real source of light for the room.

Bread basket came with 3 choices of bread, white , whole wheat and red pepper focaccia, served with whipped butter to top it all. On the picture below you can see me taking notes on my trusty pad, since I do not have the photographic memory that my wife has, the details always have to be recorded in pen, so I can blog later.

For Appetizer: "Salmon Crudo" with horseradish, coriander, cucumber and charred lemon. The raw salmon was velvety smooth and went well with the crème fresh under it. The crunchiness of the tiny cubed cucumber was a good contrast to the texture of the salmon (something I would never have thought of putting together), but it works well. I could not find a trace of horseradish in this dish and the mystery continued when the waitress could not explain where it was on this appetizer as well. A squeeze of lemon on a piece of raw salmon, turned it into partial ceviche, rounding out the flavour of the fish.

For Entrée:  "Braised Lamb Shank" with beluga lentils and gremolata. Gremolata, the chopped herb condiment that is usually found in Milanese braised veal shank, finds its way to this dish and works terrifically with the lentils, a smart and great addition to this dish. The lamb was fall of the bone cooked, yet each bite still firm and very flavourful. 

For Dessert: "Cheesecake" with lemon, honey and donut. My wife had claimed the "wanted by everyone" sticky toffee pudding so I took one for the team and ordered something different. The cheesecake just had enough lemon flavour not to overpower the dish and was very delicious actually, given that it was the "predictable" dessert of the menu. The little donut resembled the Portuguese Malasada pastry in flavour, especially with it's sugar coating. Coffee was a bit bland and week but drinkable.

The Good: Overall a good dinning experience, food was very good and staff attentive. The sticky toffee pudding lived to its expectations.

The Bad: The "Artic Char" Fish was rather bland and flavourless, surprisingly given that there was adequate flavour in everything else. The large bar sort of overpowers the room.

The Verdict: Given the amount of bad reviews for both the food and service I had read, I was pleasantly surprised, for the good. Food was well prepared, arrived on time and presented/tasted very well (except for the Artic Char). The space does feels a lot like a club that happens to serve sit down meals in the evening. I would return again maybe to try their brunch sometime.  

Luma

Luma
330 King Street West
Toronto, ON
647-288-4715

Described as the latest addition to Toronto's hottest new entertainment destination - the Tiff Bell Lightbox. Luma is an Oliver and Bonacini Restaurant and therefore, a guaranteed success in our humble opinions!

In her opinion:

We had originally booked Auberge Du Pommier as our second Winterlicious dinner, however; my fabulous friend Christian Martel couldn't make it, so we decided to go in a whole different direction. Boy, am I glad we did! Besides we had already been to Auberge many times and we needed to try something new...Luma was it.

The decor is warm and welcoming with great floor to ceiling window with views of King Street West.  Oliver and Bonacini have combined wood, stone and leather to perfection.

Chef Jason Bangerter has also combined years of culinary experience to form a wonderful gastronomic paradise.  On their Winterlicious menu page, Luma's menu is described as showcasing  "global and Canadian artisanal cuisine featuring the finest local and regional ingredients".  And I believe that their Winterlicious menu did this beautifully.  I was actually quite excited about this menu having previewed some of the delicious offerings via Twitter pics.

For my appetizer, I picked "Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Pate".  I had previously read about Chef Jason Bangerter's fabulous pates so I was really looking forward to this appetizer which was served with confit duck heart, duck skin crackling and braised lentils.

The pate was silky smooth and flavourful.  The braised lentils were topped with a nutty mixture which provided crunch to the smoothness of the pate.  The duck heart was delicious as was the duck skin crackling.  I loved this dish but will say that some type of crouton would have been wonderful given the portion size.

For my entree, I ordered the "Grilled Flatiron Steak" which was accompanied by butter whipped potatoes, oyster mushrooms and truffle creme fraiche.  Or as I saw it, the perfect choice to have with a glass of Cave Spring Cellars "Biff's Juicy Red".

My steak was cooked to a perfect medium.  The mushrooms were flavourful.  The butter whipped potatoes unbelievably soft and smooth.  The truffle creme fraiche added the right amount of tanginess. I believe that the richness of the truffle jus combined perfectly with the smokiness of the grilled steak in what I would describe as meaty goodness perfection! I loved this main.  I loved how the "Biff's Juicy Red" was the perfect match for this steak.

Finally, for dessert, I choose "Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding" with butterscotch and shaved white chocolate.  Being very fond of anything labelled bread pudding, I was dreaming about this dessert from the moment I read it on the menu.

Chef's Bangerter's pudding did not disappoint.  This was excellent. The butterscotch and white chocolate complemented the  richness of the pudding to perfection. I loved how the pudding was soft on the inside but the top had a buttery golden crunch. I could have one of these each and everyday of my life!  So incredibly good.

We had the privilege of meeting Chef Bangerter, who made a point of coming out to our table and introducing himself.  He also sent out a last bite for us to have before we completely finished our night at Luma.  

He personally served us his "Warm Cinnamon Rice Pudding, with Kumquat Preserves and Nutmeg Chantilly".  All I have to say is heaven.  So comforting and delectable. Chef Bangerter definitely made our experience at Luma even better.  Will definitely return to this wonderful addition of the Oliver and Bonicini culinary empire!

In his opinion:

Very few restaurants have surpassed my expectations in my varied culinary adventures around the world. Not sure if it's because I cross my expectations with some good research or I have become a bit jaded; but nevertheless, I'm often impressed but rarely taken back by my first experiences.

By the time I walked in to a still very empty Luma Restaurant (this due to our early reservation) I had that feeling. The feeling of I'm either going love it or I'm going to be extremely disappointed. 

It is a great space housed within the Tiff Bell Lightbox on King Street West and it takes some time going through the massive hallway, up the escalator and down the hall but in the end, it all added to the expectations. Finally, we are presented with wall to wall windows that surround this modern loft-like, grandiose space that is Luma.

The décor is mostly clean lines, modern and somewhat cold/chic. There is a Bar which seemed great for an after work meet or before dinner cocktail to the right of the entrance. Past the attentive ladies on the front desk, you find more of the same, a good combination of stone, wood and leather in what it feels like large well thought of space.

We were seated promptly after a quick coat check into a corner table with banquets on one side and chairs on the other. I began to peruse the menu as looked around and I couldn't shake the initial thought of, this seems like a mini-Canoe.  But when you look closer it certainly isn't and the menu is even further from it. Sure it shares the same Canadian ingredients base as it's forefront culinary style but that's where the similarities end.

Even though it is the prix-fixe menu from Winterlicious, I'm expecting great things from Chef Jason Bangerter's understated style. I'm reminded of what he was able to accomplish  throughout the years in my favourite restaurant in Canada (Auberge du Pommiers) and it seems inevitable that I would expect the same from his newly birthed creation.

Service starts out with the waiter getting us some O&B Sparkling Water, by the way a bargain at $2.50 each. The bread comes out simultaneously and my first reaction was, two buns only? Don't they know I'm Portuguese and
one small bun just won't do it? Later my fears were put to rest as the attentive waitress asked if she could refill our bread basket not once, but twice. The sourdough bread was still warm and was accompanied by butter with sea salt on top.

For Appetizer: I decided on the "Winter Root Salad". A hunk of iceberg lettuce, shaved roots, smoked bacon and a perfect mustard dressing. The crispy wheat berries provided the perfect offset of crunchiness to balance the whole dish. Not easy to make a big piece of Iceberg lettuce look good on a plate, let alone find such a balance of flavours in a salad. Kudos to that.

As the servers made their way around the room in a somewhat well choreographed manner, the empty plates were timely taken away, and the next course would make it's way to us within millisecond precision.

For Entree: I ordered the "Seared Albacore Tuna with Braised Sunchoke and Heirloom Bean Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette".  When I ordered this dish, I was thinking perhaps that these combinations of ingredients on my plate would have my sharpest sensors in high alert, and it didn't disappoint.  The crunchy medley of beans provided the perfect contrast to the soft, seared to perfection tuna. The rosemary vinaigrette provided the vehicle for the different beans to come together, rounding out their flavour.

I must admit that this was the dish of the night for me and would go as far as saying that this is my favourite kind of tuna to have seared. Its whitish appearance and surprisingly softness are much more subtle and delicate than your regular Ahi or Yellow fin,  which I prefer raw.

For Dessert: Panna Cotta...need I say more? Well, actually I should as it was "Apple and Buttermilk Panna Cotta" This perfectly made custard came with a side of soft apple compote which was contrasted by, of all things, maple granola which balanced the tartness of the apples very well.

Having continuously bad experiences with espresso's in some of Toronto's top restaurants, I opted for a cappuccino and turned out to be a great choice. It was done with the perfect mixture of the steam and foamed milk, as expected and tasted great.

,

Chef Jason Bangerter highlighted our night by dropping by and ensuring everything was going well and personally bringing us a last bite to complete our night. Pictured above (under her opinion) was our treat: "Warm Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Kumquat Preserves and Nutmeg Chantilly".  It was served warm, soft and a perfect way to end the night. As we were leaving, Chef Bangerter took the time again to speak to us and it was a pleasure to discuss food with such an accomplished chef, especially one that I have learned to respect so much from his genius days at my favourite French restaurant, Auberge du Pommiers. For those that know me, you know it isn't hard to get me talking about food, usually much harder to make me stop but it's always a pleasure to do it with a great chef.

The Good: It surpassed my expectations surely. Like I said before that doesn't happen very often.
The Bad:$17 parking at the Boxlight for about 1 1/2 hours is steep even for the Entertainment District. The restaurant should validate dinner parking as it has done in many its other restaurants around town.
The Verdict: Oliver and Bonacini do it again. The creative genius of Chef Jason is quite present in an almost grass roots menu that is served with just enough twists to keep you engaged, but without ever losing the integrity of each dish. Unlike a certain TO critic,  I witnessed knowledgeable, attentive staff, a great balanced menu with a fantastic take on artisanal cuisine and a touch of the unexpected in almost every dish!

I give it 4 1/2 olives out of 5 as rating

Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery!!! - An Exceptional Burger in our Neck of the Woods!!!

Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery
234 Clyde Road
Cambridge, ON

519-623-8500

In her opinion:

I had heard about this place in passing...it's name being associated with Lily Ruth and thinking, really?!?  But like many things, it got put into the back of my mind.  Then while going over urbanspoon's list of restaurants in Cambridge.  There it was on the top with a 94% approval rating.  It's located in the old Henning's place, an institution in Cambridge in the 1970s. I never ate at Henning's but I did at a couple of the other spots that opened there in that location over the years.  Little Louie's is owned by Steven Allen and his partner, Rachelle Matlow of Lily Ruth fame (one of our favourite Cambridge restaurants - now closed).  They still continue to operate Lily Ruth Catering out of this location.

Knowing how I felt about Lily Ruth's food, I had to try their new venture...the only problem was that they are opened only for lunch Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.  Thanks to the Waterloo Catholic District School Board's "PD" day and a couple of leftover holidays from last year...we decided to take the day off with the intentions of sleeping in (not likely with our 6 year old) and trying Little Louie's!

Little Louie's is on Clyde Road in a residential area between Franklin Boulevard and Elgin Street...if you blink...you might miss it...so don't blink!

We got there at around 1:00 pm, just missing the lunch crowd according to the staff.  The staff is fantastic!  Both Rachelle and Steve were on hand and took the time to talk to us about Little Louie's.  Which I can describe as a bright light in the mostly dull restaurant scene in the Cambridge area.

This place looks exactly like what I imagine a 50s burger joint should look like.  It has licence plates on the wall and a no-nonsense approach to good food.  It smells great in there too!  Since it was our first time there, one of the staff explained the way to order a burger off the handy little clip board or explained that we could order off the boards.  They had a weekly burger special, soups and a daily panini.

I ordered an old fashioned malted vanilla shake to drink.  I figured since I was having a 50s style burger lunch, I needed a 50s style drink.

This milkshake was amazing. The malted flavour was delicious.   Loved it!

I decided to order the 5 oz. beef burger on a soft egg bun with hickory smoked bacon, fried onions, swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and horseradish aioli.  I choose frites to go with my burger.  The horseradish aioli was a kind of strange pinkish colour but tasted amazing.  I meant to ask why the colour but forgot.

Oh, how I've missed Lily Ruth...these are the same burgers that I use to order for lunch when they were situated downtown. These are excellent burgers.  Succulent and moist. So good! The fact that I got to select my own toppings made the burger more personal and delicious.

We also ordered a soup, after all this is also a soupery.  We ordered the 'Smoked Chicken and Mushroom Soup".  The mushrooms were so soft and the chicken's smokiness added the perfect balance to the soup's creamy goodness.

The soup came with a little egg bun.  It was a little sweet just like a Portuguese "bolo de leite".  Enjoyed it so much.

I was smiling from ear to ear after enjoying this wonderful lunch at Little Louie's.  It makes me happy that places like this exist in my neck of the woods.  

On the way out, I had to get some of Rachelle's baked goodies.  I purchased a couple of the almond raspberry tarts, an apricot bar and a raspberry chocolate macaroon.  So far I've had the almond raspberry tart and let's just say...Rachelle can bake. Yummy!  Who am I kidding...as I'm writing and munching away, I've now had the raspberry chocolate macaroon and it too is outstanding.

Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery is awesome and I will definitely eat here again...we have calculated that we can catch them open on the way home from work...so no need for a day off!!!

In his opinion:

Me, I'm sort of sick of the fast food burgers and the cookie cutter burgers you will find in most places in this town. When you reach this point, that's when you know you are ready for Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery!
Nothing assembly line or boring burger about this place. It has a 50s diner feeling with the usual 50s paraphernalia hanging on the walls. It feels like it's going to be a different burger experience from the start. For those of us trying this place for the first time, staff quickly explains the process and points to all the options before giving us a tiny clipboard with the burger selection/topping choices. There is always a burger of the week, soup selections and the daily Panini up on the Board as alternative to the a "la carte" burger.

I opted for the burger and took my sweet time making my decisions. But there are so many decisions to make and according to my stomach, so little time to do it. After much debate (as usual), I chose the beef burger on a soft egg bun, but the 8oz size, as I was hungry and felt that the 5oz just wouldn't do it. But then the decisions got harder. Peppered havarti, sliced tomatoes,  hickory smoked bacon and leaf lettuce with siracha aioli were the winning choices. That seems pretty straight forward but that was just me not being fancy as toppings like sun dried tomato, salsa picante and grilled pineapple were also options. Choose the seasoned onion strings as my side (which ended up being awesome by the way). After all I'm a NO FRY GUY! Most of the time anyway!

The burger was extremely juicy and you could taste the different layers of the burger as you bit into it. The siracha aioli (a Thai style Chile and garlic sauce) gave it the spice, while the hickory bacon smothers it with it's smoked flavour. The beef patty is moist and tender and even though large, it never feels like it controls the taste, allowing the toppings, condiments and egg bread to co-exist perfectly.

This is definitely a place I will return to often!  Just as we had done when this was as sandwich joint incarnation by different owners. The friendly staff and the attention of the owners to the food they serve (they even took the time to explain the details and inner workings of their business) tell me why this place is already a success!  It will enjoy prosperity for a long time. Kudos to the mixed casual and elegant preparation and presentation of the food.  It highlights the mixture of style and clientèle that the owners serve to through their catering services and also this burger spot.

The good: A gourmet burger type of place is welcome is any city but with this level of taste, service and accessibility, I'm very glad they are in our town saving us a long drive when the burger cravings come knocking.
The bad: The hours...only opened until 6 pm and closed on weekends does restrict the clientèle to nearby workers, and non commuters. Harder for us 9-5ers that don't get back to Galt (Cambridge) in time to enjoy it.
The verdict: Not easy to find a gourmet burger at regular prices anywhere, but especially in Cambridge. A no frills, no nonsense approach to good food with exceptional ingredients and lots of flavour. Also saving me a trip to Stratford's Boomers for a great burger will come in handy.

I give it a 3 1/2 olives out of 5 as rating.

***Update: Please be advised that as of September 17, 2012 the restaurant will be opened from 11am to 8 pm Monday to Friday!

Papa Joe's Hot Kettle Restaurant

Papa Joe's Hot Kettle Restaurant
2492 Cedar Creek Road
Cambridge, ON  N0B 1E0

This is our Mel's Diner or Cheers Bar, your neighbourhood joint that welcomes you with a warm smile and has your drink of choice on the table before you are done sitting down.

In her opinion:

We've been coming to Papa Joe's for years.  We know most of the staff and have grown to develop relationships with most of the waitresses.  These are hard working girls.  We just love them.  The owners are also always there to greet you with a smile and ask how everyone is doing.  It's a family place and I always feel like family when I dine there.

Papa Joe's is our Sunday breakfast place.  Although, on this occasion we had a late lunch on a snowy Sunday afternoon.  The place was empty...this of course having to do with the weather.  On a Sunday morning the place is usually bustling and at time we have waited up to 15 minutes to get a table. I would say that they have one of the best breakfasts in the area.  Their menu provides a lot of choices for picky or health-conscious eaters.  It mixes Canadian favourites with a few Greek specialities - the owners are Greek after all.

I love their omelets and the "bacon and cheddar omelet" is one of my favourites. This comes with toast and home fries. I also really enjoy their breakfast skillets.  Which is a hash brown mixture with veggies and meat, topped with cheese and your choice of eggs.  Delicious. 

This place is also the closest restaurant near my office so I have ordered lunch to go on several occasions.  The service is fast.  The lunch is always waiting when I get there to pick it up.  I love their western sandwiches and on Fridays they have "hobo soup".  This is a beef vegetable soup that tastes amazing especially on a cold day...it's comfort at it's best.

On this particular Sunday, as I said, we went for lunch.  I ordered their "Patty Melt Burger".  A house made burger with fried onions and cheese on two slices of grilled rye bread.  Awesomeness!

With my burger I ordered the Caesar salad.  This Caesar salad is garlicky, with bacon and croutons.  So good.  It was a very satisfying meal.

I love Papa Joe's.  It's not a fancy place but it is a good place to grab breakfast on the weekends, lunch during the day or supper on a weeknight when you don't want to cook.

I won't write that we'll be back after our last visit...it's just understood that we will...after all, it's just like going home.

In his opinion:


Papa Joe's is undoubtedly a favourite spot of mine and many, especially for breakfast. The usual line-ups of people awaiting for their tables on Sunday mornings attest to the fact that it's in demand and people keep returning for more.

The portions are big, the food is good and the owners and staff make you feel welcome with every visit. It has that "familial" feeling that keeps you coming back over and over again.

Breakfast is really where they excel. A vast menu with many choices including the "lumberjack breakfast" (not for the faint at heart). It is also not the place if you are the calorie counting type but I can assure you that it all tastes good.

On this particular snowy day, we went there for a late lunch, thus avoiding the crowds and as it seems, avoiding any customers at all.

I opted for the "steak sandwich with a house salad and blue cheese dressing". My safe choice turned out to be quite good and flavorful, with the added bonus of a good cut of meat, sometimes hard to find in steak sandwiches.

The good: Awesome for breakfast (bring an appetite) as this place will feed you well.
The bad: Straight forward menu, not a lot of inspirational dishes, mostly what you would expect in a diner type restaurant.
The verdict: One of the best breakfasts in Cambridge (well...Ayr actually) and we always feel like we just arrived at a relatives place when going there, sometimes even better welcomed than at some relatives.


I give it a 3 olives out of 5 as rating