Ventured to the west end for a Saturday Brunch here at The Ace.
There was a moderate amount of seating, several booths and a few two seater tables, making the restaurant date and toddler friendly. I wouldn't recommend coming here with a group larger than 4. Arrived shortly before noon with a friend, there was a short 10 minute wait before getting seated.
We are big eaters so naturally, three mains were ordered.
1. Sauteed Italian Sausage, White Beans, & Rapini, topped with a Fried Egg & served with Brown Toast - $12 - (7/10) - The sausage was crumbled with the white beans and topped with a runny egg. I didn't have the toast, but it looked like a hearty whole grain toast I would eat if I wasn't avoiding gluten. We would have enjoyed this dish more if there were larger, more wholesome chunks of sausage.
2. Huevos Rancheros - Two Farm-Fresh Eggs served Over Easy with Black Beans, Guacamole, Sour Cream, & Salsa Fresca, on a Fresh Corn Tortilla - $11 - (8/10) - This was a gluten free option as the tortilla wraps were made of corn. The over easy eggs were farmer fresh. I usually don't like runny eggs, but the runny yolk perfectly fused the flavours of the guac, beans and tortilla together.
3. Nicoise Salad - Italian Tuna with Green Beans, Arugula, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Olives, & Lemon - $12 - (5/10) - Gluten free & dairy free - Always love my greens but this salad wasn't too inspiring. The arugula was fresh and the two green beans included were cooked to crisp. Downsides: small portion size and sparse sprinkle of toppings. The portion size is comparable to a side salad.
4. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice & Grapefruit Juice - $4.50 a glass - (9/10) - Can't really do wrong with fresh squeezed juice. My personal preference is to include some pulp and to serve this in a more generous glass.
Rating Summary:
Food: 7/10 - average for the dishes noted above, portion sizes could be larger for the price
Atmosphere: 9/10 - enjoyable diner vibe
Service: 8/10 - water service was lacking and servers could be friendlier