Weekend Ten: Burgoo!

Today was a bit of an exception. Usually, we wake up early, and head out to our brunch as soon as we can. However, we slept in, which made us leave later than normal! This actually worked out for the better, as Burgoo doesn't open until 11.

Catie loves brunch + Dave loves brunch = We love brunch

Now, we've been to Burgoo before for dinner (Hello, lamb stew, hello, cheddar and parsley biscuits) and for take-out, but we'd never managed to wait for them to open for our brunch adventures. Our stomachs made us eat early!

When we arrived, our server sat us at a comfy table for two. A quick look at the brunch menu, and Dave decided on the croque-monsieur sandwich. Catie chose the soup and sandwich special, with sunset corn and chicken soup and gooey cheese grillers. To start, we ordered the scones.

The scones had a subtle taste of orange, and cinnamon butter (that's a good idea) was a very tasty complement. They were served warm, but not warm enough to melt the butter, sadly.

To drink, Catie had the Banff coffee (Bailey's and Frangelico,) and Dave had strawberry lemonade (lemonade with strawberries, yum.) The coffee came with whipped cream and sugar around the rim of the glass.

Our breakfasts both featured cheese, lots of it, and all of it melted and hot. Dave's croque-monsieur was toasted just right, with a mix of soft cheese and tasty crispy bits. The Dijon was subtle, and the ham was lightly salted. Catie's gooey cheese grillers were both gooey and cheesy, and on thick-sliced French bread.

 

Burgoo's tagline is Comfort Food, and we agree. However, there were a few strikes. Waiting until 11 for brunch is hard to do! Also, admittedly not a fault of Burgoo's, the people dining beside us were sharing the news of their new pregnancy with their friends, which led to some shrieking. The noise of brunch should be "mmm!" not "EEEEEEE!

That being said, the food was comforting, tasty, and affordable. This could be the perfect brunch...

Weekend Nine: Trixi's Crepe and Coffee Haus

Sunday came, and with it there was a need for food. Leaving Main Street for Cambie is not something that happens often, but today we ventured afar. Trixi's Crepe and Coffee Haus was our destination. It was a very wintery walk!

Catie loves brunch + Dave loves brunch = We love brunch.

When we arrived at 3306 Cambie (at 17th) there were only a few other customers. We took a seat near the back, took a look at the menu, and decided we were hungry. Now normally, one crepe per person is sufficient, but like I said, today was a special case. Three crepes were on order: Dave had one with pesto chicken, mozarella, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes, and Catie ordered one with lemon pepper chicken and Swiss cheese.

Both were flavourful, with generous chunks of real chicken - no sliced deli meats here, thankfully - and oozing melted cheese, both wrapped in a light crepe. The outside was done to a turn, with some golden brown crispy bits, and topped with chopped parsley.

For dessert, one crepe was clearly the best choice. Of course, I'm speaking of the raspberry jam sweet crepe. A good amount of jam, expertly made crepe, and a light dusting of icing sugar on the top. Sweet yes, but not overly so. The prices were reasonable, too - most savoury crepes are around the eight dollar mark, and none are more than $10.75. The sweet crepes are cheaper, with most costing about $6.

To drink, Dave had Orangina, and Catie had a latte. This brunch feast was quite tasty, and the cozy atmosphere of Trixi's made it all even better. Could this be the perfect brunch to warm up a winter's day?

Weekend Eight: Escape to Trafiq

With no plans or thoughts of where to brunch we wandered down Main Street looking for inspiration, until we arrived at Trafiq. This is a place that we have walked past many times while on our way elsewhere, always thinking, "yes, we'll go there next week." Well, this week was the week for Trafiq.

Catie loves brunch + Dave loves brunch = We love brunch

A cute neighbourhood cafe and bakery (with a second location in West Van), the decor is absolutely fitting and adorable. The street view is picturesque with it's large panel windows and small cafe style outdoor seating. The inside has the feeling of what I would call French rustic and Dave would call Italian rustic. Though, neither of us having been to France or Italy, arguing seems pointless.

Friendly, helpful, and incredibly efficient staff behind the counter allows Trafiq to keep up with the high volume of customers who keep them busy from the time the doors open in the morning to when they close, while still maintaining a level of customer service that feels special.

I was swayed to order a piece of cream cheese and walnut coffee cake after eating a sample of it as well as an incredible lemon tartlette and a Kahlua spiked latte. Dave resisted the coffee cake and instead ordered a ham and swiss croissant sandwich and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

The portion size of the coffee cake was enormous and perfect for sharing. The lemon tartlette was the best I have ever tasted. My Kahlua spiked latte was delicious, though a little rich. Dave noshed his ham and swiss croissant, which was fresh and fabulous. The only problem with the fresh orange juice, according to Dave, was that there wasn't enough of it.

Over all our experience at Trafiq was perfect, that is except for the stroller parking lot.

Weekend Seven: New Year, New Brunch

This weekend was a bit of a busy one. If that wasn't enough, many places were closed for the holidays. (We're looking at you, Crave, with your website saying "Come on in! We're open!" and the sign on the door saying "No brunch for you! We're closed!") After a brief walkabout, we decided to make brunch ourselves.

Catie loves brunch + Dave loves brunch = We love brunch.

We had stopped in at Solly's (the Main Street location) to pick up some snacks for a party, and we had some left over. Catie's favourite bagel, the Mishmash, and my favourite, the Sesame, both went well with the chive-and-garlic cream cheese. We split a cinnamon bun for dessert, adding a generous dollop of cream cheese icing, and I finished with an orange.

Yes, the yellow arborite table in the photo is the background for the blog.

Regretfully, we were so hungry for brunch this morning that no pictures were taken of the food, only of the aftermath. I'm sure that you, dear reader, can imagine crispy bagels piled high with cream cheese, a mountain of cinnamon bun capped with icing, and a wedge of juicy orange.

Was this the perfect brunch? It was easy, and eating in front of the fire was a nice change. However, the Quest for the Perfect Brunch will continue next week...