Negril

Date Visited: Lunch on Friday Mar 13, 2015

Company: Take-out for myself

A co-worker of mine who lived in Jamaica for a few years always mentioned the take-out place near our work where she always gets Chicken Sandwiches. I decided to check it out myself one day when I was leaving the office around lunch time and was heading downtown to work from Will's the rest of the day. It's a really small hole-in-the-wall spot in a plaza beside KFC and can only fit about 5 people to line up in before gets too tight. You order through a window to the kitchen where the guys are prepping the food for you. And for the month of March, they had a Small Jerk Chicken Dinner on special for $5. :)

I put in my order and stood back a bit to the window while the other people in line ordered. It got a bit busy around noon and it seems like there were a lot of regulars who knew what they wanted. Their soup was asked about but the guy was not down after he heard it was Goat Head... There were only two people behind in the kitchen, one taking the orders and the other making the food. It took about 10 minutes to get my order and I was quickly out of the packed room to head downtown.

The meal was still decently hot after the 30 minute drive to Will's. The chicken was very tender but didn't have as much kick as I thought jerk chicken would. The sauce wasn't powdery but rather moist and juicy. The rice was a bit bland and dry, it just had some beans in it and no sauce. I got a lot of rice compared to everything else. Even the coleslaw was minimal. The flavour was there but needed just a but more sourness to it. Overall, I can't really complain for $5, it was really worth it. It didn't have the authentic Jamaican flavours I was expecting but seemed they had a loyal following of regulars who enjoy the food.

Food: 2.5/5 - Good value but not an outstanding meal.

Decor: 1.5/5 - Small, white room but does the job.

Service: 3.5/5 - Quick and easy.

Willingness to go back: 2/5 - I wouldn't order that again but I'd return if I was feeling for something different then I usually eat.

Overall: 2.5/5

Website: none

Pho 99

Date Visited: Dinner on Sunday Dec 21, 2015
Company: +Stephanie Szebenyi

After some outdoor ice-skating at the Markham Civic Centre, +Stephanie wanted a small meal and I wanted something to warm myself up. I suggested some pho after having just gone to Pho Real and only trying a bit of someone else's, I was really craving good pho. Steph had never had any before so it would be a fun experience for both of us. We arrived at the small location in a plaza across the street from the Markville mall. We walked in and grabbed one of the large empty tables for 6. The restaurant was shaped like a large hallway with seating for 6 and 4 respectively on either side of the walkway down to the kitchen and payment area. The utensils were all on the table already for us to set ourselves and we got tea immediately as soon as we sat down. There was a TV on in the back with some Big Bang Theory on which made the restaurant pretty quiet as most people were watching it.


We checked out the menu for a while, explaining it to Steph and wrote our orders down on the paper provided at the table. We ordered the Shrimp Rolls to start and they were fresh, tightly wrapped, and minimal mint.
Moving on the Pho, I ordered the Rare Beef and Beef Ball Pho and the portion size looked a bit smaller than usual for a medium. Other than that, no real complaints about the meal, the beef was delicious and the broth was not the best I've had but still very good. Just could have used a bit more noodles. This reminded me an authentic asian restaurant with nothing too fancy but just good food to offer. We sat a bit longer after having out pho but they didn't really top off our tea at all.

Food: 3/5 - Great meat and noodles, decent prices.
Decor: 3.5/5 - Nothing fancy but surprisingly clean.
Service: 3/5 - No complains, very typical minimal service as you would expect at a classic Asian place but super fast.
Willingness to go back: 2.5/5 - Not sure if I'd go back here specifically but not against returning.

Overall: 3/5

O&B Canteen

Date Visited: Brunch on Saturday Sept 13, 2014

Company: Walk-in for 6

On the second weekend of TIFF, we somehow decided to go to the O&B Canteen for Saturday brunch. For those of you who don't know, it's a restaurant attached to the TIFF building and also very close to where most of my friends live downtown. +Will and I were the first to arrive and they said it would be a 20 minute wait. We hung out in the TIFF building and found a spot to sit and wait for everyone since we had a beeper which would call us when our table was ready. We waited over our 20 minutes and decided to go back to ask what was up with our table, all they told us it would be ready soon. It was very busy but they didn't seem too concerned that we had been waiting along time already and they weren't giving us anymore information than we had 30 minutes ago. When we were finally seated we got a nice corner table surrounded by their large windows.

I wasn't very impressed with the selection they had for breakfast/brunch, it was a tad limited overpriced. I decided to go for their $17 Canteen Burger with bacon, aged cheddar, pickled jalapeño, herb mayo, and hot house tomato. Our waiter had a bit of attitude but tried his best in getting us all our drinks and orders. I wanted to order an orange juice but it was $5, no way I was going to pay that. I know that it was O&B but I couldn't justify it knowing it would be a small glass. We had some nice conversations while we were waiting for our food and I had to help +Gisele pick a movie to see for TIFF. We left a bit to look at the schedule outside when +Rosemarie texted us that our food was there!

I was impressed with the look of my burger, the portion size was better than I had expected and the herb mayo sauce smelled awesome. The burger was very lean and less juicy than I would have liked but all the toppings were delicious together. It was better than the average burger and very meaty, the herb mayo was awesome (I want that recipe!). The fries were also great, lightly salted and crispy. There was a lot of mixed reviews of everyone's dishes at the table. They all seemed pretty good although the Gnocci portion looked a little small for +Will although +Gisele claims that she ordered it last week and couldn't finish it.

Food: 3/5 - My burger was pretty good but had higher expectations for the menu.

Decor: 3.5/5 - Loved all the natural lighting and modern decor, the isles are a bit small though and you have to go upstairs the TIFF building for the bathroom.

Service: 1.5/5 - Not vey impressed, a bit snooty.

Willingness to return: 2/5 - I would return if it was suggested but I can't think of a good occasion where I would to suggest going there again, neither the food or prices were enticing enough.

Overall: 2.5/5

Website: http://oliverbonacini.com/Canteen.aspx 

George Street Diner

Date Visited: Breakfast on Saturday Sept 6, 2014
Company: +Will and then +Stuart

Will and I had previous attempted to go to the George Street Diner one other time before, but on a late Saturday morning, the wait can be pretty long for this small restaurant. We saw The F Word recently which had a few scenes in there so we decided that we had to try again! We attempted to get there before 11AM this time since we had to go to Riot Fest all day and needed to do some drinking beforehand also. We were lucky that even though we were sat at the bar, another group was just leaving their table and we were able to quickly grab it before anyone else came into the diner. It took a few minutes for someone to come clean the table though and ask us for drink orders. The waitress didn't realize because she sat us at the bar which is kind of our fault for not saying anything... but also hers because like I said, this place is not large. It worked out because +Stuart joined us later on at the table, but they don't have any thing to accommodate a party larger than four. I enjoyed the diner atmosphere with the bar on the side and a row of booths but there's hardly any walking space in between the two, I don't know how they can work here!

We asked what kind of drinks they had and and I ordered a Caesar and +Will got some white wine and lemonade combo called a Ramona Shandy which were actually the only 2 drinks they told us so I'm not sure what else they have. Their Caesar is definitely one of my favorites I've had in the city so far, very simple but with some character too. Not very much hot sauce in it but it really lets you taste the veggie flavour, perfect vodka amount, and the bean was a cute garnish. I also tried the Ramona Shandy but it wasn't really for me, not sweet enough.

Their breakfast menu is quite limited to the staples dishes you're used to seeing at any restaurants with some Daily Specials written on the chalk board up front. I decided to go for one of those, their Special Omelette, I read that it had some Spinach and Goat Cheese in it and that was good enough for me. Unfortunately though, the cook that took my order messed up and made me a Western Omelette instead as I noticed when my plate came. Both the waitress and cook apologized thoroughly about it and said they can make me a Special Omelette but I hate wasting food and just felt bad so I just had the Western Omelette I don't mind Western's but it's sometime I can make at home very easily so I'm not very inclined to order it out. Overall, it was made very well, the omelette was pretty big but their large plate made it look a bit empty. It would have been nice to have some cheese in the omelette as its just quite plain otherwise with the ham, onion, and peppers. They gave us some jam on the side for our toast which was pretty tasty and home-made I assumed. The home fries were large, season pieces but I think they could have given a bit more. Their portion size left you comfortably full, I finished my whole plate along with the drink and didn't have to stuff myself. At less than $20 including tax+tip for my meal, I really can't complain as you really do get your money's worth, but it is kind of hyped up to be more than it is.

Food: 3.5/5 - Not the classiest joint but you get pretty good food for the price, very typical diner.
Decor: 3/5 - Love the red outside and interior decor but it's just so small!
Service: 2.5/5 - It was so-so, a few mishaps but they weren't awful.
Willingness to go back: 3/5 - It's so close to Will so I'm sure we'll try to go again if we want some cheap breakfast... if the line isn't too long that is.
Overall: 3/5

Website: http://thegeorgestreetdiner.blogspot.mx/ 

Mill Street's The Beer Hall

Date Visited: Dinner on Thursday Jul 10, 2014

Company: Girls dinner date for 5

It's not often that my girl friends from high school and I can all find time to get together but when we do, it's always an occasion. I was very excited that for Summerlicious this year they wanted to hit up Mill Street Brew Pub in the beautiful Distillery District. It was a great place to catch up over delicious food and good beer. The sun was beaming this Thursday evening which made for the perfect patio weather. We drove up from Oshawa with some time to spare walking around the area. Mill Street had quite the line entering the place but we were actually in the wrong one when we told them about our reservation. They had another entrance for the 'Beer Hall' around the corner which had no line, but it was very confusing as they led us to our table which was visible from the original line-up outside where we were. The place is huge to be fair, but we had a nice table in between their inside and outside areas (missing the walls to separate the two). 

We took a long look at their beer menu while the waiter brought us some samples of Palomar Ale... with hints of chipotle and lime it definitely had a kick! I decided to get the flight which is an awesome way to try out a few of their beers! The service is nice here that they'll give you samples if you're not sure of what you want to order. Our waiter was extremely helpful but it really took him a while once we did order something from him to get back to us. We were waiting forever for him to get back to us to take our food orders and I accidentally asked him what the Soup of the Day was and he had to leave again and go ask! Eventually we all had our orders in and we can just relax and wait for the food.

For my appetizer, I ordered the Heirloom Tomato Salad with local organic heirloom tomatoes, pecorino fresco, torn basil leaves, olive oil, and beer reduction. Everyone else had gotten the Pretzels and Fondue so I wanted to try something different. My tomatoes arrived and my plate was so bright and colourful looking, it was a beautiful mess. The dressing was sweet but not too overpowering of the flavours of the ingredients. The basil really stood out in flavour but they were so fresh it's hard to complain. The tomatoes and pecorino combination was amazing also, I never had pecorino before so I was pleasantly surprised how light it is after finding out its made from ewe's milk. I was very glad I got this appetizer as the fondue was very heavy and the cheese was a bit crumbly.

For the main, I got the Beer n' Beer Kabob while everyone else got the Chicken Schnitzel... I wasn't sure if I liked Schnitzel but I'll have to try it one of these days... The contents of my plate seemed less compared to the chicken because the schnitzel was huge! My plate had two kabobs of braised beef, cherry tomatoes, pearl onions, and peppers with fennel apple slaw and roasted mini red potatoes on the side. The plate didn't look very full with the 3 portions all separated and all over the place. The kabob was nicely grilled and the beef was a bit tough but had a very nice flavour. The small onions and tomatoes paired well with the beef and everything was cooked consistently through. I couldn't really taste the apple in the slaw at all but it was a refreshing flavour.  The potatoes were also nicely cooked with a soft centre and light seasoning. 

And finally for dessert, they didn't have the Frambrozen Apple tart that I wanted but only the Homemade Butter Tart left. According to the server though it was still very delicious. It was a very cute mini butter tart (not sure why we were given spoons) that you could eat in two bites. Our server was right as it was still very delicious but not enough! There also could have been more filling in proportion to the tart. It was a nice sweet taste to end your meal but definitely left you wanting more!

Also note that the sun was coming down during the meal which was really annoying as it was right in our faces and we just had to wear sunglasses just to look at each other :(.

Food: 4/5 - Great meal! Left you decently full (we still got Gelato after but... you know) and I love the flavours they have in their dishes here.
Decor: 3/5 - Kind of a weird layout into their patio but I love the inside, great for large groups.
Service: 2.5/5 - Really took a while for our waiter to get us settled in, but once our orders were put in, they were pretty quick with the food.
Willingness to go back: 5/5 - Love Mill Street, would definitely go back, especially for Summerlicious.
Overall: 3.5/5

Website: http://beerhall.millstreetbrewpub.ca/ 

Frankie's Bar & Cafe

Date Visited: Dinner on Saturday May 24, 2014
Company: Triple dinner date before seeing RENT at Lower Ossington Theatre

A group of 6 of us had tickets to see RENT in the Queen/Ossington area at 8PM and decided to meet up before hand to grab some dinner in the area. The theatre wasn't really in an area which we went to often so there were tons of new unfamiliar places to check out. We had originally planned to go to County General but it would have been a 2 hour wait, the place was very tiny! Closer to the intersection of the theatre, we saw Frankie's with a sign that claimed 'World's Best Burgers'. It didn't seem to be very full so we were seated immediately and got a large table in the back corner. 

We waited for the rest of the group to arrive while the waitress served us some waters. The place has a diner vibe but pretty modern decor. There aren't very many tables either but a few stools on the counter. They have a variety of beer on tap and seems like a decent not busy place to grab a drink. The waitress we had was very friendly but I spilled some of my water and asked for some napkins and she just wiped it away. There was so water on my pants I wanted to dry up but it wasn't much so I didn't ask again.

Their menu mostly focused on their Signature Burgers and had many different choices. I was debating between the Smokin' Hot Honey and the Aristotle Burger (like a Greek Burger) and I think I would have been happy with either as both were ordered at our table and looked great. I went for the Smokin' Hot Honey with Fries in the end. The burger had Jalapeno Havarti, Jalapenos, crunchy onions, bacon, letture, tomatoes, and smoked mayo. I actually didn't know that it had bacon as I usually never order burgers with bacon but it wasn't too overpowering. I also had to pick some of the Jalapenos off, a little too spicy for me but it was great once I did that. Their signature burgers are really well put together and creative. The patty very juicy and held really nicely together. The fries were pretty good but nothing too spectacular or memorable. Good place for a reasonably priced burger to fill you up!

They also had some board games behind the counter that you can play! We played some Connect Four to pass the time and didn't even notice how much time was passing by during our wait for food. 

Food: 3/5 - Not the best burgers ever but fresh ingredients, appealing meal, and reasonably priced.
Decor: 2/5 - Quite plain and not that much stands out.
Service: 2/5 - Nothing outstanding, she did her job.
Willingness to go back: 3.5/5 - If I was in the area I would definitely go again.
Overall: 2.5/5

Website: none

Cali Eats: O3 Bistro & Lounge

Date Visited: Late Dinner on Saturday Apr 12, 2014

Company: Walk-in for 5 

During our first night in San Francisco, we stayed at the HI near City Centre and decided to go to Smuggler's Cove, the famous rum bar which was just only about a 10 minute walk away. On our way, we decided to stop somewhere for a late dinner, a mission which seemed easier than it made out to be. After passing by a few restaurants, we finally decided to stop at O3 which situated at a busy intersection with very little people but a lot of traffic going by. We weren't looking for a nicer place like this but it was all that we found!

There was only about 2 other parties at the place as it was pretty late on Saturday for dinner. The place was very nicely decorated, clean, and modern. They had a variety of Thai cuisine on the menu from the classic pad thai to more authentic dishes. Their prices were all pretty reasonable, I guess which is standard for Thai food... $11 for Pad Thai is like every restaurant. I decided to be a bit adventurous as I wasn't extremely hungry and ordered a Pork Tom Kha Noodle Soup, which is Coconut milk soup, mushroom, tomatoes, bean sprouts, lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaves, green onion, and cilantro. I wasn't sure what exactly to expect but was pleasantly surprised with our meals. 

The presentation of all our dishes was very well done, I loved the huge soup bowl mine was in and all the colours present. The pork was very tender and went well with the broth... I was a bit unsure because the waitress seemed surprised I wanted pork with the Tom Kha and I wasn't sure how the pork pieces would be either. The overall flavour of the soup was very rich and milky, but not too salty. The spiciness was the perfect amount and really enhanced the flavours of all the unique vegetables. It was a great dish to warm your stomach and leave you pleasantly filled. I was pretty impressed with the portion sizes and prices because it seemed like a very classy restaurant which made me skeptical on going there with our budget.

Food: 4/5 - Was a bit adventurous with my choice and it paid off, all the other orders seemed delicious also.

Decor: 4/5 - Beautiful restaurant with dark wooded furniture and unique decor, seemed so fancy for how reasonable the prices were.

Service: 3/5 - Pretty typical for an Asian restaurant, wasn't too overbearing... actually quite friendly.

Willingness to go back: 3/5 - If I was passing by, I wouldn't object to eating here again!

Overall: 3.5/5

Website: http://o3restaurant.com

Top Notch Fish & Chips

Date Visited: Lunch on Sunday Nov 3, 2013
Company: +Will and +Lilian after attending the Nike Warehouse Sale

After some mad shopping at the Nike warehouse sale in the International Centre Mississauga, +Will, +Lilian, and I started driving around to find somewhere to have lunch. As none of us were familiar with the area, we just decided to stop at the first place we saw. After passing a lot of empty buildings and closed restaurants on Eglington, we finally found something in a large plaza we were wandering. Top Notch Fish & Chips was tucked away in the far corner of this plaza but seemed to be creating some traffic with people coming in and out, not too bad for a Sunday.

The place is a lot bigger on the inside than it seems. When you enter, you immediately come upon the counter to order with the menu right above. To the right is the long counter where the food prep is done and also where the sitting area is with tables along the window. The washrooms are in a hallway to the left and they're extremely roomy! They have a lovely patio in the front also, but it was a little cold for sitting outside. The decor was nice otherwise, they had a modern nautical look going.

The staff were extremely friendly, they brought our food to the table and made sure we had everything we needed. Will & I ordered the 4 Piece Haddock Combo which came with fish, large fries, coleslaw, gravy, & 4 bottles of Coke. The 4 big pieces of Haddock we got looked amazing, they were that perfect golden brown colour when something is deep fried for the right amount of time. It tasted amazing also. The fish melted in your mouth while the outside was crispy. The fresh lemon and home made tartar sauce gave the fish a great flavour, a perfect combination. The large-cut fries were also fresh, you can tell they use clean oil for the deep-frying. Will thought the gravy tasted weird, but I thought it was pretty normal for the type of gravy you get at a small restaurant like this. We also got 2 side plates of coleslaw for Will and I. I love this type of home made coleslaw, the large pieces of cabbage hold and maintain the bold sour flavour throughout, I could eat endless amounts of it. 


+Lilian ordered Steak on a Kaiser and Onion Rings. The kaiser was delicious, the steak was extremely tender and soft. She only topped it with ketchup and tomatoes but it really brought out the meaty flavour. The onion rings were also a nice addition to our already huge meal. The onion was thick with minimal batter but I did find it quite greasy just on the plate with no paper to catch the oil. 

We had 1 piece of haddock, some fries, onion rings, oh and 1 old-fashioned bottle of Coke to bring home that we couldn't finish, so we didn't do too bad. Everything totaled was probably around $40.

It was by-far one of the best fish and chips I've had, they did everything just right. Someone there ordered a Souvlaki dinner that I saw and that looked incredible also, so I don't think you can go wrong with anything there. Awesome joint run by a friendly staff, but most importantly, the food was great.

Food: 4.5/5 - Hefty portions & well-made food. 

Decor: 3.5/5 - Nicely lit and simply decorated.
Service: 4/5 - Friendly and attentive guys.
Willingness to come back: 4.5/5 - If I'm ever in Mississauga again lol.
Overall: 4/5
Website: http://www.topnotchfishandchips.com/

Sinatra's Italian Sandwiches

Date Visited: Dinner on Friday Oct 18, 2013
Company: Quick meal with +Will after work before heading to Toronto for the weekend

+Will had been telling me about Sinatra's ever since his team started ordering from there while working for a client in Oshawa. It's advertised to have 'the best veal sandwiches in town' and serves authentic Italian comfort food. I got to finally check it out when we were looking for a semi-quick meal on Friday before leaving Oshawa for the weekend. It's conveniently located about 5 minutes from my place but I never really noticed it until I met a friend who lives right beside it and mentioned it. It's a fair sized building located right on Simcoe St N with a huge yellow sign that's hard to miss. There's some abandoned buildings beside it, but otherwise looks like an average building in Oshawa you always pass by but never visit. Upon entering, the feeling is very diner-esque with booths along the front windows and a long counter for ordering with some visibility to the back kitchen. 


Checking out the menu, they have a couple of different options for sandwiches and a few toppings you can add for about a dollar more. I decided to go for the classic Veal Cutlet Sandwich with Provolone Cheese. After we ordered at the counter we grabbed a booth to wait for the order. The decor of the place is nothing too special, the booths were a bit uncomfortable and the decor seems extremely old. They do have a homey feel to the place though. They seem to get a lot of catering deals as there were a few people waiting for large pickup orders. Our food didn't take very long despite this factor.

Our sandwiches were wrapped with paper lined with tinfoil to keep the heat in and unwrapping it all to see the sandwich underneath was quite exciting. This thing was huge, there were about 4 layers of thin veal on the bun and topped with lots of sauce. You could even get free extra sauce on it! The sandwich was so delicious and fresh. The breading of the veal was crispy but the veal was still soft. The sauce was fantastic and had so much flavour, you could really tell it was homemade and authentic. The kaiser bun did a great job containing everything but the bottom did get soggy after a while.

I could only finish about half the sandwich and kept the rest for the next day... but it definitely wasn't the same as when it was just prepared. I have been craving for Sinatra's since this visit and can't wait to go back!

Food: 4.5/5 - Amazing and well worth the price.
Service: 3/5 - Nothing to spectacular but decent waiting time. 
Decor: 2/5 - Old-fashioned but doesn't really need to look fancy.
Willingness to go back: 5/5 - But the dilemma is... getting the same thing vs. something new! Either way I'm sure it'll be good!
Overall: 3.5/5
Website: http://www.sinatras.ca/

Buns Hamburger House

Date Visited: Lunch on Sunday Aug 4, 2013
Company: Group of 4, before heading to Osheaga

Right before our last day of Osheaga, we ventured to Sainte-Catherine for lunch and were faced with a slew of different restaurants on the busy street. Of all the options that were proposed by +Elliott, our local expert, we decided on good, cheap burgers. When I checked in on Foursquare for the location, I discovered that Buns has received a lot of praise and according to some, have the best burgers in Montreal. We did notice that it was pretty cheap, $8 for a burger, fries, and drink. But their menu basically started and ended there. I decided to go for a Burger Combo with a Vanilla Milkshake instead which was $11. Also, they don't charge taxes here!

We were in a bit of a rush to catch Frightened Rabbit's set so I felt like the time dragged on while waiting for our burgers to cook. There was only one worker there doing everything and even though it wasn't very busy, we waited about 15 minutes for our orders. We sat at 1 out of the 2 tables at the restaurant, it wasn't big but with only two tables it was pretty spacey, mostly for people to wait for their orders. Even the kitchen area seemed a bit cramped but perfect for only 1 worker. The place is a whole in the wall otherwise, there was nothing appealing about it and it's very drab. The bathroom was also a disaster with no toilet paper. I heard it's open late so I feel like they just didn't clean after the drunk people came in the previous night.

Anyways, back to the food. I had my burger with everything on it and cheese is included in all the burgers. The bun looked very firm and dense which was nice because it didn't get soggy. The burger patty was very flavourful and well done. It's a simple burger but tastes amazing. It didn't look too big but really fills you. The fries were large-cut and the potatoes were so soft and fluffy inside. Some of mine were overcooked but others were perfect. They had a bit of spices on them which gave it a nice bit of flavour. It was hard to finish all of them since they gave you so much but they were really addictive fries. The milkshake was also a great addition, it was very thick and had lots of ice cream. It came in a Styrofoam cup though which was a bit weird.

Food: 4.5/5 - I really enjoyed the food, fries were a bit inconsistent.
Decor: .5/5 - Only plus was that it was roomy.
Service: 2.5/5 - Server was nice but took his sweet time.
Willingness to come back: 3/5 - It's a good eat but there's no other variety to get here other than what I had already.
Overall: 2.5/5
Website: http://bunshamburgers.blogspot.com/

Fran's Restaurant

Date Visited: Brunch on Sunday Apr 21, 2013

Company: Getting breakfast after a night out and before the Jay's game with a group of 6 friends.

I've had this review pending for a while in my 'to-write' list because I wasn't sure if I was going to post it or not. The main reason was because my taste buds may not have been on their game this particular morning. After a night of drinking, my opinion on food may not be in sync with how I'd normally feel. Regardless, I've decided to go forward with this post because blogging is fun :)

So Fran's is located at the bottom of the Pantages Hotel across from St. Michael's Hospital on the corner of the street. It doesn't seem like it's attached to the hotel but according to the website it is. +Gisele lives just beside the hotel so I've walked by this place a few too many times. Upon first glance, it definitely looks like an old school diner/all-day breakfast place. I was pretty excited to finally try this establishment that fine morning. 

We were lucky to grab a table quickly upon arrival as the place was pretty full and more people started to fill in. We had a nice window seat with the sun shining in which is why my photos have so much shadow. The menu offered a huge variety, almost Pickle Barrel-like. They had unique combinations of classic dishes (for example, they have 6 types of Eggs Benedict). I was enticed by the Vegetarian Rainbow Benedict and ordered that along with a Vanilla Milkshake. From what I remember  we had to wait a while to get our food. Our drinks came in the meantime and I was very impressed with the Milkshake. I didn't like how it came in the mixing cup as it wasn't very pretty and a bit messy, but the shake itself was very delicious, thick and creamy how it should be.

When our food did arrive, the presentations of the plates were not very appealing. Laura ordered a waffles with strawberries and you can tell that they were previously frozen and not fresh, not very appetizing. My vegetables and fruits looked like they were just thrown on the plate. I was expecting a nice arrangement of the vegetables included but all I saw was a bed of spinach and some chopped peppers. The fruit wasn't very fresh either, the strawberry was literally shrivelled, why would you serve that as a garnish?

The actual eggs and Hollandaise sauce in terms of taste wasn't bad though. Half the plate was home fries which were good but I think everyone had a lot of that left over. +Alex and +Brian ordered the Steak Benedict which looked like it would've been a better choice but the consistency of the poached eggs were really off. One was completely cooked all the way through while the other on the plate would be runny which I found extremely odd. Everyone else seemed satisfied with their meals though, I definitely want to try their other options as breakfast was a bit disappointing. I'm curious as to how the other foods measure up when breakfast, their main attraction, didn't do it for me.

Food: 1.5/5 - Wasn't very impressed.
Decor: 2.5/5 - Surprisingly large but average.
Service: 2/5 - Busy time of day but we had to wait quite a while.
Willingness to come back: 3.5/5 - As mentioned above, wouldn't mind trying lunch or dinner here.
Overall: 2.5/5
Website: http://www.fransrestaurant.com/