ARTS & CULTURE
Monday, September 15, 2014 9
Jurisfoodence: Lakeview Restaurant
Food Adventure #1
kate henley › contributor
W
hether you are in desperate need of
a hangover cure, entertaining family for
the weekend, or just plain hungry, there
is one meal that can satisfy all of your
needs: brunch. That is why I have decided to dedicate
this year’s Jurisfoodence column to discovering the
best brunch spot in Toronto. Though I will check out
some of the undisputed “best” brunch restaurants, I
will also be testing my luck at some cheaper, hole-inthe-wall places. I promise to try my best to go to restaurants throughout the city, but realistically I will
probably be sticking to places within thirty minutes
of my apartment.
Disclaimer
While I am not a foodie, nor an excellent cook, I
would like to think of myself as a brunch connoisseur. However, should you doubt my expertise, here
are a few things about myself that may help you in
determining whether or not to trust my judgments:
• I am a 3L, hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• I had been a vegetarian for seven years until
February, when the tantalizing smell of steak
became too much for me to overcome. Now I love
meat, but will still eat vegetarian meals fifty percent of the time, so I will (hopefully) be able to
find the perfect brunch spot for everyone.
• I cannot function until I have had at least three
cups of coffee; thus, the presence of a good cup of
coffee will likely end up being one of the critical
factors in my reviews.
• To make up for the fact that I know almost nothing about food, I will be bringing along at least
one other person who knows something about
food to balance it out.
The Criteria
Whether you prefer your breakfast sweet or savoury,
there are a few key ingredients to a good brunch spot.
Following my predecessors, I will be rating the following criteria on a scale of one to five Dean Sossins:
1 Brunch Hours: I live in Osgoode Chambers, so by
the time I get out of bed and make it downtown
will I be too late to enjoy brunch?
2 Wait time/Service: I’m hungry and hung over
– how quickly can I get a table? How quickly
will my food come? Friendly service or smug
indifference?
3 Atmosphere: Can I talk candidly about last night’s
hook-up? Can I bring grandma? Can I wear sunglasses inside without judgment?
4 Coffee: Dishwater or strong enough to lessen the
grating voices of my brunch companions?
5 LLBO licensed: It isn’t brunch without a mimosa
or an Irish coffee – can I get that here?
6 Food: Is there enough to satisfy my hunger?
Greasy and delicious?
7 Cost: I spent all my money at pub night – how
cheap is this meal?
ê Above: Eggys in a basket. Below: Portobello and spinach eggs benny.
With these criteria in mind, I set out on my first
brunch adventure the morning after the first pub
night of the year.
considering the restaurant was dead. In terms of
the service, the server seemed to grow friendlier the
more he realized that I was hung ov \