Weekend Seventy-Seven: Red Wagon Rerun

Today's post was written by Catie's sister Kim. Enjoy!
Catie and I will be taking a blog vacation. Keep an eye out for the continuing adventures of brunch in a few whiles - D.

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Hello again denizens of the interwebz it is I, Kim, older sister of Catie the famous brunch blogger. It was bright and early on a Sunday morning that I awoke to make my trek to the most delicious local restaurant of some renown, the Red Wagon. It is a wonderful little place at 2296 East Hastings and the emphasis should be on little because if you don’t get there at least 15 minutes before it opens at 9 AM you won’t be in the first sitting. As Catie and Dave had further to travel from their secret location I left my lovely lair and meandered down East Hastings to the tasty little bistro. Having arrived at 10 minutes to 9 I was halfway around the side of the restaurant, waiting for Catie and Dave to arrive.

It was a beautiful morning and I was full of hope that my early arrival would ensure my entrance into the temple of brunch. Catie and Dave made their appearance just before the line began to rush into the restaurant filling up the tables at an alarming rate. The line was cut off leaving the three of us with 8 people between brunch heaven and us. As some of you may know one of the terribly kind things they do when you are waiting in line at Red Wagon is the staff bring out coffee and treats to those waiting on line, and this day was no different. On this Sunday they brought out deliciously dark coffee and delightful doughnuts, which Catie remarked reminded her of Johnny Cakes from the Reef.

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and yet with the smells wafting out of the building I couldn’t enjoy the sunshine as the aroma was tastily torturing me. We were quite fortunate because while many people like to linger there was a relatively fast turnover and we were able to make our entrance in good time being seated by a gracious young server who cheerfully pointed out the daily special to us, Eggs Benedict on a baguette with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions and of course the homefries which if you haven’t had them are incredible. Dave’s only complaint was that it was difficult to keep his eggs on the baguette which kept sliding off humorously.

Not being one for mushrooms I immediately struck this from my possibilities but Dave took this advice to heart ordering this delightful plate for his meal. Catie and I looked over the menu hungrily, breathing the odors of scrumptious food around us. Having fantasized over the menu while waiting in line for the restaurant our choices were very clear. I choose the Trucker, 2 eggs, 2 buttermilk pancakes, homefries, toast, and my choice of sausage or bacon, being me I of course choose bacon with whole wheat toast. Having been up very late the night before I consumed 3 cups of excellent coffee.

Catie ended up having the Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict with the hollandaise sauce and of course the homefries, though not before being tempted by the Croque Madame.  She said her eggs were perfectly poached to her requested amount and that the hollandaise sauce was as always phenomenal. Catie also had a cup of coffee with her nearly perfect Eggs Benny, having got the Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict Catie did not have the same problem as Dave though. It was overall a delightful brunch out for the three of us and it was the perfect start to a beautiful day.

Weekend Seventy-Six: Sixth Street Grill

It was a sunny Sunday, and we felt hungry for brunch. It was a bit earlier than normal, so we searched for something that would be open on our own schedule. We soon found that 6th Street Grill opened at 9, so we put on our shoes and headed out from our secret location. Finding it largely (though not completely) full, we settled into one the large booths and read the menu. Breakfast is served all day.

OJ and coffee, check. Both fresh, but different temperatures, thankfully.

I selected the 6th Street Hash for $9.95, with potato and pastrami covered with hollandaise. It was more than I could finish, and the Hollandaise had a strangely sweet taste. That being said, I did enjoy it. Next time, however, I might go for an omelette.

Catie decided on the $7.95 Bacon Benny. It was good, especially for that price! The English muffin was toasted well, she said, and the bacon was thick-sliced. It would have been better is a pulled pork Benny had been available. Maybe in the future...

Inside, the decor reminds bruch-goers of the 1970s, with wood paneling and overstuffed pleather benches, which is strange as it is a newer restaurant. The music was appropriate too, with big rock anthems playing (note to self - not all songs were from the 70s - some were from the 80s) that had us wishing that we had larger hair and tighter pants. We noticed that the front windows might be open-able, which bodes well for future stops to enjoy the patio and general open-air experience.

Weekend Seventy-Five: Revisit and Reunion at the Wallflower

We left our secret location knowing that it would be a conflicted brunch. We were happy and excited to see a large group of Victoria friends reuniting but sad that our reunion was to say goodbye to Mandy who is moving back to the motherland of Victoria.

The decision was made to meet at The Wallflower Modern Diner on Main Street. We had done a glowing, though short review before and I was looking forward to writing a bit more this time.
Mandy, Dave and I were the first to arrive. Even though it was already quite busy, the friendly waitress quickly cleared and moved together a few tables for our large group. Soon Melanie and Jeffrey arrived followed closely by proud parents Gabe and Amanda with the newest Wiebe, Baby Elizabeth.

With Elizabeth suitably occupied on the Pac-Man table we commenced looking at the menus interspersed with chattering. Gabe ordered the gluten-free Crystal Benny ($12 + 1), while Amanda opted for the gluten-full version ($12).

Melanie chose the Breakfast Poutine ($10), which sounded so good it heavily influenced my choice, and Jeffrey decided upon the Meatloaf Benny ($12).

Mandy picked the very delicious sounding Peach Waffles ($9).

Dave had an avacado, chirzo and tomato omelette ($8), while I copied Melanie and had the Breakfast Poutine but with Hollandaise sauce in the place of gravy ($10).

Everyone seemed to love, covet and enjoy their food. Gabe enjoyed his Benny once Elizabeth fell asleep. The atmosphere was fantastic and the food was delicious but the best part was getting to catch up with old friends. I'm sad that Mandy is moving away. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up in Victoria, maybe for brunch.

Weekend Seventy-Four: Way Down Under Brunch at Ouisi

This one comes courtesy of our long lost friends from down under, Julia and Jody. -c.

Breezing through Vancouver following a wedding in Chilliwack, I emailed Dave and Catie to ask if we could do Sunday brunch. Happily, the answer was yes! And so, this post is brought to you by Julia of Randomly Yours, Julia.

 
Dave and Catie left their secret location and chose a brunch destination on Granville between 14th and 15th: Ouisi Bistro. (Sounds like French, Oui!) My husband Jody and I might have gotten a little lost but we did indeed arrive, and wasted no time perusing the New Orleans dishes on the menu. The dark walls and jazzy multicoloured paintings added to the easy yet classy atmosphere.

Orange juice was suspiciously absent from the table. We all drank water, which was a good choice. There is a warning on the menu that the potatoes are spicy but that didn't prevent me from eating mine, and I usually shy away from heat. Disappointingly, our potatoes were not very hot in the temperature sense, only warm.

Jody chose Eggs Florentine, which was met with envious "ooohs" when ordered. The spinach "was not as green as joyful as anticipated," but we have been spoiled by extra-fresh produce where we live. The eggs were perfectly poached (and free range). He really liked the potatoes, though he thought the outside would be crispier. The Cajun spices, though not as hot as he remembers from a trip to Georgia, had him reaching for his water glass occasionally. He also said the food was easily outclassed by the company.

Catie shared Jody's opinion on the potatoes - why were they not crispier? She enjoyed her brunch, the Eggs Nola, a tasty combination of two poached eggs on English muffin with bacon, smoked gouda and hollandaise. I might have to try gouda with my hollandaise next time.

Making me jealous, Dave ordered Hash it Out, which included potatoes, toast, poached eggs with Creole sauce and chorizo sausage. If I thought I could have eaten it all - which Dave did - I would have ordered it. The report was very favourable, aside from the not-hot potatoes.

I picked the Petit Dejeuner, which tempted me with its description of scrambled eggs atop corn bread. The corn bread was delicious - sweeter than I expected, with a crumbly yet moist texture. I very much appreciated the fresh crispiness of the bell peppers and green onion in the scrambled eggs. There was an unholy amount of cheddar cheese melted on top of (not mixed into) the eggs, which veered closer to a folded-over omelette than diner-style scrambled.

Ouisi is a good choice if you prefer savoury to sweet brunch and want something more adventurous than Canadian-style eggs, bacon and toast. If you visit, may the potatoes be hot and the corn bread just right.