The Gabardine
372 Bay St. | (647) 352-3211 | thegabardine.com
My ongoing pursuit of a downtown breakfast has just been made more urgent; our articling students arrived this week, and I now have serious competition for my firm’s Cheerios. Although OverEasy (which I reviewed last week) was guilty comfort food, I can’t sacrifice another day to a bacon-induced stupor. Stratus (reviewed two weeks ago) was lovely, but its rarified atmosphere seems a little decadent for every day. I need something middle-of-the-road, a place that serves a decent breakfast and is neither too upscale nor too low brow. I’m beginning to feel a bit like an urban Goldilocks.
I settle on The Gabardine at Bay and Richmond. I had previously reviewed it for dinner and was optimistic about breakfast. Challenging, however, is the fact that they don’t open until 8am, which makes it hard to get to work before 9. Challenging, too, is that they are, in fact, really just opening at 8 — the staff is still getting prepared and is a little disorganized, and there’s a wait for coffee. The coffee, when it arrives, is good and strong but it takes several reminders before I can get cream. My companions and I order oatmeal with fresh fruit, nuts, cinnamon and maple syrup ($7), scrambled egg, cheddar and onion jam on a toasted English muffin ($8) and fried eggs with sausage and toast ($9). And then we wait. And wait. Those of you with 9:30 Chambers appointments will not be inclined to dine here for breakfast.
When the food does arrive, however, the oatmeal is some of the best around. And hearty — we were only able to finish half of it. The Gabardine also knows how to do an egg; the scrambled eggs were done to fluffy perfection. The staff have also woken up and coffee refills are frequent. There is a high volume walk-in crowd picking up muffins and other baked goodies and, since we seated by the door, we were a bit crowded. On the other hand, The Gabardine does strike the right balance in terms of a breakfast middle ground.
If my search for the perfect weekday morning meal proves anything, it’s that there is a market in downtown Toronto for the savvy restaurateur who can put together a breakfast that is both healthy and fast. There are legions of unfed lawyers making do with stale bagels and boxed cereals, scarfed down desk-side and chased with a coffee. Many of us crave — and would be willing to pay for — what The Gabardine and only a few other places provide: something tastier, more substantial, and better for our bodies and minds.
Judge Foodie’s verdict:
Highs: rib-sticking oatmeal
Lows: later opening time, service on the slow side
Kirsten Thompson is a Toronto-based research lawyer and commercial litigator. Since her call to the bar in 2000, she estimates that her restaurant to courtroom ratio has been approximately 14:1. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas for a review? Email her.
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