First off, I gotta start this review with my usual middle finger in the sky to the city of Toronto. I love you, T.O., but in such a Nietzschean fashion that I can only express that love as an endless challenge: "Be better. Do better!"
For instance, why I gotta come into this place at 3pm on a Saturday while every useless bruncherie in the city is packed to rafters, and have me, my girl and Rod Bowers and his little assistant be the only people in the place?
No complaints about the food though. Had a Rodfather sandwich, some roasted root veggies and a ginger ale.
Everything was good. The salad that accompanies the Rodfather is carefully composed with little bits of parsley and cale (that's right, THE John Cale!) and cauliflower (and a whole lot of other neat stuff) livened up by a puckery vinegar dressing. The bread tomato sauce reaction is particularly strong on this sandwich...you could just eat a bread and tomato soaker and that would be plenty good. Meatballs are strong; I'm a pretty big meatball snob... but I have no clue where a better commercially available ball is in Toronto. Roasted root veg prompted a conversation about how come we can't make such good roasted veg at home. Homemade ginger was just beggin to be mixed with some good tequila or some Goslings, but pretty nice all on its own. About $20 all in.
Stop disappointing me Torontonians. Cook your own damn eggs, and do your saturday lunching at the Meatball. HEY MEATBA-AAAAAAALLL!