Food Adventure #12: Lady Marmalade
LADY MARMALADE (898 Queen St. East)
Kate: For our last foray into the Toronto brunch scene, we chose Lady Marmalade. In my four years living in Toronto, I had never been to this area (or many places east of Yonge, to be honest—I can count the number of times I’ve crossed the Don River on one hand), and holy shit it is far. It took me forty-five minutes to get there from my apartment, and an hour and a half to get to York afterwards. I have to be honest though: I am a (not so?) secret yuppie: my Masters paper (completed the day before this last brunch adventure!) was about local food, and one of the reasons I wanted to check this place out was that it sources it’s food locally, and they only use grass-fed meat.
Karolina: WHERE AM I? Seriously, this trip into Leslieville was like stepping into an alternate reality. Despite all of the weirdness, I have to say I fell in love with the neighbourhood, which I had never bothered to explore before. So quaint and yuppie, but somehow more tolerable than its counterparts to the west.
Although our final brunch resto choice was dictated by our scheduling constraints (do you know how hard it is to find a place that serves brunch on a weekday? Before 11 am? It’s basically mission impossible), Lady Marmalade was on our collective radar for months, so I’m glad we were able to try it out.
Brunch Hours
Lady Marmalade is open on weekdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m.-3 p.m..
Wait Time/Service
Kate: Karolina was already seated when I arrived (again: this place is so far out of the way, and the Queen streetcar is so slow and unreliable that I was about ten to fifteen minutes late), and the server was ready to take our order right away. The food came really quickly, and the server was nice, though a bit standoffish—something I would expect at The Drake, but not at a place like this.
Karolina: The server was attentive and accommodating, if a little stiff. There was no chatting, and when asked for recommendations or opinions about certain dishes, our server just sort of looked at me blankly and choked out a two-word response. But he was polite enough, and the food came quickly, so no major problems here.
Atmosphere
Kate: Sadly, Christina Aguilera et al were not blasting through the speakers upon arrival. In truth, I’m not sure if any music was playing at all. Though the restaurant had a huge window at the front, allowing sunshine to stream in, the green colour of the walls reminded me of vomit (very unfortunate when eating). The restaurant clearly catered to a wide range of people: there was a bucket of toys and high chairs for children, but it also seemed to attract a young, hip crowd. In general, it was pretty chill, though our table was round (both Karolina and I expressed the fact that we inexplicably are turned off by round tables) and in awkward proximity to the front door.
Karolina: This place has an odd vibe. Sort of like Hogtown Vegan, which seems perpetually unfinished, the walls are bare and it feels more like a room with tables and chairs than a proper restaurant. The fact that it comes off a bit un-put-together, though, adds to the homey, chilled out atmosphere. The crowd was diverse, which I appreciated; we were seated next two an aging yuppie couple with their baby in tow at one table, and two middle aged men at another. I like that the clientele is wide-ranging here; I’m tired of popular brunch places catering to hipsters (Smith, School, Rose and Sons, Big Crow, the Drake—I’m looking at you).
Coffee
Kate: I picked up a large coffee to drink on my way since the streetcar ride is so long; this was lucky, because the coffee here is absolute garbage. I couldn’t even choke down one cupful —it was like foul-tasting water. Such a disappointment.
Karolina: Huge letdown. I ordered an almond milk latte with a shot of vanilla. They added way too much vanilla, and it was syrupy and disgustingly sweet. I didn’t have the heart to send it back, so I finished it, but I was happy when it was over.
LLBO licensed
Kate: I had handed in my Masters paper the day before going here, and was heading to York immediately after brunch to do a presentation about it; that, in combination with the fact that this was our last brunch adventure (so sad), I was looking for a celebratory drink. Sadly, there was no alcohol to be found at Lady Marmalade.
Karolina: Dry brunch? What an outrage!
The Food
Kate: I got the huevos rancheritos (how are these different from huevos rancheros? I will never know…) with a side of bacon. Everything about this meal was fantastic: the eggs came scrambled and covered in salsa, served with a side of guacamole, a large serving of beans, and a warm tortilla. The bacon was perfectly done and delicious. I have zero complaints about the food—the portion sizes were huge and the meal was filling, but didn’t leave me feeling awful for the rest of the day (unlike my meal at Rose & Sons).
Karolina: I ordered the cheddar and spinach waffles, which came with a tomato orange sauce, a side salad, avocado, roasted tomatoes, and two poached eggs. The waffles were fantastic, and the eggs were cooked perfectly (I asked for them to come hard poached). The grilled tomatoes were surprisingly delicious, and the avocado was unsurprisingly delicious. I was disappointed with the salad, which was Asian slaw with sesame dressing. It would be nice if this came with a warning, as (a) not everyone likes sesame dressing (myself included), and (b) Asian slaw is a sufficiently atypical breakfast choice, that it’s worth flagging; I could see many people preferring a garden salad to accompany their eggs benny. The sauce on the waffles was likewise perplexing. The orange was totally unnecessary, and added a really weird flavour to an otherwise very pleasing meal. It seemed out of place, and overpowered the tomato component of the sauce. Apart from the salad and the sauce, it was delicious! Oh, and in addition to Sriracha (!!) they offer an in-house curry-flavoured hot sauce which is seriously awesome.
Kate: The two of us also got a side of potatoes to split. Our server informed us that they boil the potatoes prior to frying them; this meant that they were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside – absolutely delicious. These are tied with Rose & Sons for best hash browns.
Cost:
Kate’s meal: coffee ($2.50)+ huevos rancheros ($12.25) + side bacon ($3.50) = $18.25 + tax and tip
Karolina’s meal: latte ($4) + cheddar and spinach waffle ($12.25) + add eggs ($3.50) + potatoes ($3.50) = $23.25 + tax and tip
Final thoughts
Kate: Was it worth the trip? If you’re into young, hip, yoga mat-toting mothers pushing baby carriages, this would definitely be your scene; if not, I’d stick closer downtown. Though the food was delicious, there are a number of places that we’ve been to that are comparable or better (and which have alcohol and decent coffee).
Karolina: I’d definitely come back and ask for my waffles sans sauce, and my latte sans vanilla. Some components of my meal were pretty significant misses, but the parts that were good were so good that they rescued it. It might not live up to its billing as one of Toronto’s best brunches (at least in my opinion), but it’s a cute restaurant in a lovely neighbourhood, and I would recommend it.
| SERVICE | 4/5 Dean Sossins |
| ATMOSPHERE | 3.5/5 Dean Sossins |
| FOOD | 3.5/5 Dean Sossins |
| OVERALL | 4/5 Dean Sossins |
THE DEFINITIVE RANKINGS OF TORONTO BRUNCH SPOTS
Kate: At Dean’s Formal, I was both shocked and pleased to learn that a bunch of people actually read this column and care what we think about food! Having started out the year as an admitted non-foodie or food expert, I now feel fully qualified to inform you that the best brunch spot in Toronto is hands down Big Crow. However, if you are looking for something more specific, consult the list below and check out our definitive rankings of Toronto’s brunch spots!
Karolina: People read our column? I am shocked and surprised. Almost as shocked as I am with your table-making skills, Kate (see below). All those years of summaries have clearly paid off.
Thanks to the Obiter for funding our escapades, and to my unwavering brunch buddy, who welcomed me into her column and led me fiercely through Toronto’s intimidatingly hip and sometimes perturbing brunch scene. I’m excited for the fine foodies that will take up the Jurisfoodence mantle next year. Until then, stay hungry, Osgoode.
Kate: Thanks, Karolina. I hope that these summary skills will pay off in the future, but I don’t see it happening. And thanks for joining me on this adventure!
|
RESTAURANT |
KATE | KAROLINA | ||
| FOOD | VIBE | FOOD | VIBE | |
| The Lakeview | 11 | 10 | N/A | N/A |
| Aunties & Uncles | 2 | 7 | N/A | N/A |
| Easy Restaurant | 12 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| Saving Grace | 4 | 5 | N/A | N/A |
| Le Petit Dejeuner | 10 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
| Big Crow | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| School | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| The Drake | 9 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Smith | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| The Bristol | 5 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| Rose & Sons | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Lady Marmalade | 3 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
If you want to get day drunk or stay drunk: The Lakeview / The Bristol ($4 cocktails!)
If you want to impress mom: Smith
If you want to wait for an hour: Saving Grace / Aunties & Uncles / Rose & Sons
If you want a place with no judgment: The Lakeview
If you want someplace kitschy: School
If you want your food served with a side of side-eye: Aunties & Uncles
If you want to see and be seen: The Drake
If you want to feel hip as fuck: The Drake / Big Crow / Aunties & Uncles
If you want good hash browns: Rose & Sons / Lady Marmalade
If you want to check out the Premier League: The Bristol
If you want to converse with the next table: Le Petit Dejeuner / Saving Grace
If you want to gain ten pounds: Rose & Sons
If you want a cozy atmosphere: Big Crow
If you want a vegetarian/vegan/organic/gluten-free meal: Lady Marmalade
If you want to make a reservation: Smith / Big Crow
If you want something unique: Rose & Sons / Big Crow
If you want a dive: The Lakeview
If you want someplace classy: Smith
If you want a decent cup of coffee: The Drake / School / Smith / The Bristol (and Big Crow—but you’ll have to pay per cup)