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Sunday Brunch at Free Times Café is like no other brunch you'll find in the city. For me, it was like crashing a family get-together full of complete strangers, yet feeling strangely welcome.
I've had dinner on the patio a few times but never realized what an extensive dining area lay inside, including a lovely back room that makes 40 feel cozy and served as stage for an experience that had me feeling like an honorary Jew by the time I stepped back out the front door almost two hours later.
I wondered what I was signing up for when Avigail suggested we head out for "Jewish Brunch." After briefly lamenting the absence of bacon (or ham, or sausage, for that matter) I decided to go in with an open mind and try something completely new to me. As it turns out, it's possible to get absolutely stuffed on a delicious brunch buffet without consuming an ounce of pork!
Saturday brunch is a la carte; I highly recommend waiting an extra day and heading in on Sunday for the buffet ($20), especially since many of the same items are served.* I'm not one to drop $2-$3 on a few paltry sips of orange juice or coffee with my breakfast, but both are included in the price (!), the OJ is fresh squeezed (!!) and the servers are quick with a free refill (!!!).**
Another perk of holding out for Sunday is the klezmer band (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klezmer), which plays sets at 11:15 and 1:15. Guests are welcomed and the band introduced by more-hostess-than-proprietor Judy Perly, who brings a sense of warmth and celebration to the occasion that makes it feel like a special one even when it's not.
The Food
Being a complete neophyte to Jewish cuisine, I made the most of the trip and tried as many different things as I could possibly fit down my hatch. I was delighted with almost all of them.
The latkes were delightfully thick and crispy cakes of shredded potato, served with traditional sour cream and apple sauce. The blintzes were stuffed with cheese (ricotta?) and laced with just a hint of orange. They're deceptively filling, so just have one if you want to sample the spread. A host of bagels with cream cheeses and other topping options was next; I opted for cream cheese with lox (cured salmon) and was left a very happy camper. Scrambled eggs with lox also found their way onto my plate (delicious), as did two salmon cakes that stand out as the sole regrettable choice of the day. Fish was offered in several smoked and pickled varieties, followed by veggie and fruit plates and finally a spread of traditional Jewish and North American desserts, including dates (which I happen to love) and a crumbly-but-tasty sesame cake.
My favourite dish of the entire array was by far the pickled herring. Not the sort of thing you want to eat a lot of even if you are a fish fan, but the big chunks of tender fish and surprisingly tame brine made it hard to resist.
* Make a reservation.
** The coffee, as it happens, is lousy. I recommend pre-caffeinating with a latte from Manic just down the road.
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