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| - Nearly two years have passed since my first visit, so an update seems warranted. Early February mornings in Toronto can be cold and windy. A warm and inviting cafe like this one that opens at 7:30 am is welcome, indeed. If it serves excellent coffee alongside satisfyingly simple breakfast fare, then it's even better. And if it is also stylish inside with generous seating areas, huge glass windows, and comfortable tables, then you know you've found a pretty appealing place. L'eBM was just as good this time around as it was two years earlier. It almost made me feel like a local to be returning after such an extended absence only to find things strikingly similar to how I had once remembered them.
But maybe my breakfast needs are minimal. I'm not looking for lumberjack portions or flowing rivers of syrup. I don't need endless cups of coffee or perky servers checking up on me every five minutes. I can't eat a half dozen eggs scrambled, flipped, or fried in one sitting. I'll manage without a basket of buttered biscuits or freshly baked bread. And I don't mind a place free from the sounds of cell phones, rustling newspapers, falling forks, and raucous laughter. I can get my engines running without all the fuss.
A hot cup of coffee, a small bite to eat, and a quiet hour or so to read, relax, and watch the snow fall silently on the sidewalk just outside the window: that's all I really needed from L'eBM. I ordered at the counter, paid my bill, set my coat, hat, and gloves on an empty chair, and finished my breakfast without a single disruption. Doesn't sound like much, does it? But it's not easy to find. Here, they've delivered each and every time. Nice to know that some things retain their charms and consistencies, even after a few years have passed. It's good to be able to depend on that.
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