| rev:text
| - We checked out the Ace for brunch this weekend. When we arrived, there were a few couples/groups ahead of us, waiting for tables. The problem is, there's nowhere to wait. With the frigid temperatures we've been having, we were all trying to huddle by the door. A few couples took a seat at the counter while they waited for a booth, but this also caused quite a bit of confusion, as couples were then being seated out of order (they lost track of who was next, and who was sitting at the counter). There's one larger table in the front window, and every time the server needed to get to their table, everyone in the doorway had to shift and shuffle around to let her by.
Anyway, we were able to get a table fairly quickly - I don't think we waited more than 10 minutes. We ordered a cappucino and latte right away, and when our server came back with water, we asked her if we could order - we hadn't received our drinks yet, but we already knew what we wanted, having stared at the menu while we waited for a table.
As is customary for my hubby and I, he had the Eggs Benny, and I had the French Toast. It showed up oddly fast! That is not a complaint, but it was a bit bizarre how quickly our food arrived. In fact, we were still waiting for our coffee drinks. The French Toast with carmelized bananas and blueberries was enjoyable. I liked it more than I thought I would. The latte was satisfying. My husband enjoyed his Eggs Benny, but decided that he preferred the Eggs Benny at Barque's Smokehouse up the street better. But he did enjoy this one. He also commented that he homefries were good - he particularly liked how crispy they were, but also noted that nothing compares to our favourite homefries at Mitzi's Sister, where the mystery seasoning is magical. The homefries at The Ace were more plain, but still very well enjoyed.
The atmosphere is interesting - I like the kitschy, vintage feel of the old diner/Chinese restaurant. But it also feels a bit stale. In fact, I can't say for sure, but the wallpaper seems to be leftover from the restaurant's previous lives, and I couldn't help but wonder how many years of deep fryer grease and cigarette smoke were buried in it.
I enjoyed the experience, but it felt a bit claustrophobic and stuffy for breakfast. I'd be intrigued to see what it feels like with a late-night dinner vibe.
One last note - we paid via credit card, and when our server brought us the credit card terminal to our table, I was quite surprised to see that the default tip % was set to 20%. Luckily it had the option of "other". While I may sometimes consider paying a 20% tip, I didn't feel that our breakfast experienced warranted that much. It seemed awfully presumptious. It's a bit of a put-off. While I always do tip, I'm of the school of thought that a tip should be earned, not expected.
We'll return, but not in a rush.
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