ARTS & CULTURE
10 Obiter Dicta
Jurisfoodence: In Search of Toronto’s Best Brunch
Food Adventure #6: Big Crow
kate henley & karolina wisniewski ›
staff writer & editor-in-chief
Big Crow
176 Dupont St.
K ate: Karolina and I decided that since our last
brunch adventure was such a hit (though, technically,
the restaurant was a miss), she would be my official
brunch companion for the rest of the year. Per her
suggestion, we decided to check out Big Crow, which
is run by the owners of Rose and Sons and Fat Pasha in
a small tent-like structure directly behind R&S. There
is no sign (at least that I could see – we have established that law school has made me blind), so I found
myself wandering into R&S to ask for directions. Let
me save all of you the confusion: there are concrete
steps to the right side of Rose and Sons – head to the
white building in the back.
K arolina: Big Crow is indeed hard to find. Were it
not for the instructions Kate texted to me as I walked
over, I would’ve arrived even later than I already did.
But experience has taught me that all the places worth
seeing (and worth being seen at, for that matter) lack
ostensible signage. It was partly for this reason that I
expected great things from Big Crow, but also because
wandering into alleyways and entering unmarked
sheds as a prelude to brunch added a just enough
whimsy and pseudo-clandestineness to set our meal
off on good footing.
Brunch Hours
Big Crow is open for brunch from 11-3 on Saturdays
and Sundays. Hopefully you aren’t an early riser, or
you may need some pre-brunch sustenance.
Wait Time/Service
Kate: When I was checking out the menu for Big Crow
a couple of days before we went, I discovered that it
takes reservations – a first of any of the restaurants I
have checked out thus far. If you aren’t a planner, you
would still likely be able to find a seat, because there
were a few empty tables the whole time we were there.
K arolina: The empty tables were perturbing, especially considering (spoiler alert) how incredible the
food was. I’m almost hesitant to write this review at
all, simply because I’m worried that the lack of patrons
can be attributed to few people knowing about this
place (it just opened in July), and I don’t want to give
away what I regard to be Toronto’s best kept brunch
secret. But so much for that.
K ate: I didn’t realize it was so new! I no longer feel
that slight bit of shame for, you know, having to ask
where the restaurant was. Once we were seated,
it only took an hour between when we ordered and
when we left – half as long as last week. Our server
was extremely friendly and attentive, and refills of
water and coffee (when ordered – see below) came in
good time. The server kind of reminded me of Cam
from Modern Family?
K arolina: I could see that, but I would describe him
more like Cam with an edge. His acid wash Canadian
tuxedo, studded fedora, and rattail hairstyle reflected
êIn true Canadian fashion, every meal is better when paired with a fried slab of bacon!
the casual but carefully curated atmosphere of Big
Crow. He neglected to ridicule my enthusiastic photodocumentation of the food and the restaurant, for
which I am eternally grateful.
K ate: How did I miss the rattail?! So disappointed. He
actually seemed kind of thrilled when you asked to
take pictures…
Atmosphere
K ate: I thought that Big Crow was going to be in a
tent, and piled on layers thinking it would be cold,
but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was warm
inside. The atmosphere was really warm and inviting: it is furnished with long picnic tables, each bench
covered in throw blankets; there is also a huge fireplace and an open kitchen, so you can watch your food
being prepared on the barbeque. They also play pretty
decent music, and it was loud enough inside that there
was no fear of a repeat from last week (though there
was no one sitting directly next to us). Downside: the
bathroom is in the Rose and Sons building, which is
only accessible by walking outside between the two
structures.
K arolina: Ambiance done well can add a lot to a restaurant, and walking into Big Crow was tantamount
to being transported away from the Annex and into a
rustic eatery up north. The mess hall tables, cowhide
seat coverings, and casually strewn blankets were
complemented by the easily discernible, yet not overwhelming, smell of the BBQ, all of which coalesced to
form a wintery take on a down-home backyard cookout. I’ve been told that the roof covering is rolled back
in the summer to allow for al fresco F