After another colossal fail at brunching chez Saving Grace (frankly, my last ever attempt), I was grumpy. I needed a hot beverage and freshly baked snack and Ella's Uncle delivered.
Ella's Uncle is clearly no longer a "best kept secret" - it was at capacity inside and two wandering hipsters approached us on Dundas Street asking where "that place that serves great coffee is, we read about it online." I hadn't yet been inside but I directed them there anyway. "I think you mean Ella's Uncle," I said, showing them the Yelp reviews on my iPhone.
This is a "to go" coffee spot. There are half a dozen barstools lining the walls but there isn't much more room than that. Much of the space is taken up by a kitchen where all of the loaves are baked. Banana bread with chocolate chips OR nuts, plus cookies and other sweet things. We grabbed a couple of slices to go (holy shit, they were great). The list of specialty drinks was intriguing indeed:
* Red Mocha - two shots of espresso with hot chocolate and cayenne ($3.25)
* The Ella - two shots of espresso with warm milk and a shot of pure maple syrup ($3.25)
* London Fog - Earl Grey tea with warm milk and vanilla ($2.50)
* Warm Apple Cider ($2.50)
Two medium specialty coffees and two slices of chocolate chip banana bread came to only $11 - a nice surprise. The Ella that I ordered took a while (only one person working and a big lineup) but it was wonderfully tasty and just the right size. I would definitely order this again. The whole drinks menu looks well thought out and tried/tested. To go cups are simple and stamped with a small Ella's Uncle logo, which I appreciated. Great coffee place in the west - go here!