I wish that I could break my rating out by "meals" because I had drastically different experiences with dinner vs. brunch.
Dinner = 3/4
Brunch = 1
Let's start with dinner!
A girlfriend and I went with zero preconceived notions other than some random heresay of goodness. It boiled down to location for us. Who wants to venture off of the subway line in Canadian winter? We were met with some pretty serious enthusiasm from a bubbly server. I could see some people being put off by her but she grew on me. The atmosphere was cozy and cool without being pretentious. They have a great drink menu and the server was able to recommend drinks that would pair with our meal selections. As a vegetarian my options were a bit limited but overall the menu sounded great. Several glasses of wine later we both agreed that we would happily return for soiree in the future.
Brunch
After the dinner experience I thought that brunch was likely to be off the hook. Unfortunately our experience was quite the opposite. Please expect a line up. Not a deterrant for brunch in the T.dot but good to know on those mornings that you wake up ravenous! Once you do get a table do not expect any deep conversation. The background noise was so loud that I found myself yelling at my significant other. I already struggle with a mumbling habit so this is an absolute no go for me. At first glance the menu looked great but again a bit limited for my people (the vegetarians). I opted for the a blt type sandwhich sans "b". In order to spice it up a little I added cheese and avocado. I was able to order a soy mocha which is a nice touch. Unfortunately it was weak to the point of being undrinkable.
Food arrives, excitement grows! We're starving and it looks great. Don't judge a book by its cover. The food was pretty tasteless and incredibly unfulfilling. The only oomph to the meal was the homefries which are interesting after the first bite...offensive two bites later. It appears that they are trying to distinguish themselves with something different but it ends up being potatoes drenched in cheap bbq sauce.
Biggest disappointment of all? It ain't cheap! The bill was close to the same as a dinner the night before.
I'm open to trying out Insomnia again for drinks but will never be back for breakfast. not with all of the other amazing restaurants in the city.