85 Hanna Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
416-588-5695
In her opinion:
I'm always looking for great places to eat and at times I'm happy to say that I often find them. Today, we drove to Toronto without a real plan. Edgar just said...you pick. So I did. At first I was playing around with different options in my head but as we got closer to Toronto I was definitely sure where I wanted to eat lunch/brunch on this gorgeous day in June. Mildred's Temple Kitchen was my choice. Am I ever glad I picked it.
I must say that this restaurant is not the easiest to find, but after some maneuvering around Hanna Avenue we spotted the walkway to it.
We were seated right away which was fantastic given the fact that we did not have a reservation. The room is very large and spacious with modern decor. It's a very nice room.
After checking out the menu, we decided to order their famous "Biscuits and Scones". They are described on their brunch menu as hot out of the oven current scones or buttermilk biscuits served with homemade preserves.
I was a little hesitant to orders these beauties. At $6 for two or $14 for 6. Well, let me say...absolutely delicious. The only other time I have had biscuits or scones this good was at Ruby Watch Co and Chef Lynn made them! Flaky and delicious. The currant scones had a very delectable orange flavour. The buttermilk biscuits were light and fluffy. So so good! They were served with creamy butter and strawberry preserves that was not to sweet. Just right. A little bonus with these babies was that they were on the house. The manager gifted them to us after we told him we were going to write about the brunch here! Very generous and cool!
For my entree, I picked "Huevos Monty". It is described on their menu as "Mildred's classic black bean refritos and sharp cheddar cheese baked in two flour tortillas and topped with eggs sunny, fresh salsa and avocado creme fraiche."
This was absolutely delicious. Fresh tasting and flavourful. The eggs were perfectly cooked. The sour cream, avocado creme fraiche and fresh salsa were the perfect accompaniment to the baked tortillas filled with deliciousness.
Overall, a very very good brunch. We will definitely return to Mildred's Temple Kitchen to try either their lunch or dinner. Great experience which I highly recommend.
In his opinion:
Like a blind bat out of a cave, I trusted only my sonar (wife) to guide me to a good brunch place on this Saturday morning. She picked Mildred's Temple Kitchen, and I'm surely happy she did.
I had heard about this place through our foodie circle on Twitter but it was not on my radar (yet) to try it or blog about it. The decision was made to go there but given the construction on Hanna Ave (Liberty Village), it was tricky to find.
The restaurant has a wonderful patio with a mix of regular and "comfy" seating for around 20 people, with funky umbrellas shading the patrons from the blistering sun. As you walk in, the space opens up into a nicely modernly decorated spacious room, with high ceilings, a sleek design and distinct sections. A few nice decorating touches include a life size suckling pig, unfinished ceilings and over sized vases.
The brunch menu is not very extensive but has enough good choices for everyone's palate. The emphasis is on fresh ingredients, light, tasty fare and although the portions were plentiful, we never felt stuffed!
The drink of choice for me was Bert's back. A Campari heavy mix with Vodka and fresh grapefruit juice. Absolutely not what I would ever see myself mixing at home but perhaps the actual reason I ordered it in the first place. Light, sour and smooth was the verdict, as I made my way through it, puckered lips and all.
Browsing the menu, looking at the 6 biscuits and scones for $14 made me think, these better be some good currant scones...and buttermilk biscuits! Well...they are even better than that. Flaky soft and packed with flavour, they are divinely served with home made strawberry preserve and butter. I was also told that if I take them home, all it takes is 5 minutes in the oven, wrapped in tin foil and they will taste like "just made". I'm testing that theory tomorrow with the 2 I brought back.
I then ordered the oddly named "Mandhandler" dish, which consisted of a very buttery and garlicky sourdough toast, topped with arugula, perfectly cooked slices of strip loin steak and covered by 2 fried eggs. There is something about garlic toast, fried egg and steak that takes me back to my childhood and gives me the warm feeling of a familiar combination. This dish did just that, made me want to mix all those components with every single bite as if I could not have it any other way. Besides the familiarity, this dish just works so well. Add the horseradish jus for good measure and there was the variation needed for the steak strips to shine even more. The very light salad (light on the dressing also) was a great compliment to the dish. Even as the most expensive dish on the menu at $19, it still is a must have.
Service was pleasant, our waitress not overly engaging until towards the end of the meal, and other staff was welcoming, efficient and congenial.
The Good: Modern Art Gallery like decoration but with a warm feel to it. The food is well executed, light fresh fare, flavourful dishes and great combinations.
The Bad: No bad to report despite reading some less than perfect reviews before hand, especially on wait times and service. Can be a bit pricey I guess!
The Verdict: A great place for eating period. The atmosphere, the feel, the cool washrooms and especially the great combinations of food make this a must try. I want to go back for dinner soon!
I give it a 3 1/2 olives out of 5 as rating
No comments:
Post a Comment