YYC breakfast spots

[L.C.]

Recently, a friend and I have started going out for breakfast on Saturday mornings.
We have done Diner Deluve, Avenue Diner and Galaxie diner. We are trying to avoid hotels and anything really expensive, but that has limited our choices.
Any suggestions?

[Dan G]

When did Avenue Diner close? I was in yyc this weekend and went there for breakfast on Saturday and it has closed - sign said they are moving to somewhere...

I figured it must be fairly recent as there were other people also bewildered.

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Avenue Diner
105 Steven Avenue Mall, Calgary, AB T2P 1B4, CA

[TSAW]

I just read in the Herald today that it was moving to bigger digs, but it didnt' say where, or that it had already closed... sorry. not much help.

[maplesugar]

No announcement yet as to where they're moving, but at least they're not gone for good. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Avenue-...

[Dan G]

They need to update their website though - I looked late Friday night to find out what time they opened the next morning and it doesn't mention they are closed. Maybe they're focusing on the facebook page more, but then remove the website because that's what google finds.

[maplesugar]

Yeah I hear you I saw that the website mentioned nothing and iirc doesn't provide a link to their facebook group. I expect that's because a website update would have required paying a third party to change it(I'm assuming most restauranteurs aren't also web designers) - not excusable especially since at least three people have shown up to find them closed.

[sabz3003]

I had the same experience this Saturday. Braved the snow to finally check out 'Avenue Diner' after reading such great things about it on this board.. And when I got there, there was a huge sign saying "We have outgrown our space.."
A bit of a disappointment.. I do hope they come back bigger and better (at a similarly convenient location) so I can go check it out!

[greenboy]

Finally tried Diner Deluxe and have to say it really wasn't worth the long wait and the deathly slow service. Sure, the food was great - as expected for the price - but the overall experience was a bit of a let down. I can live without ever going back there. Next on my list...Over Easy.

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Diner Deluxe
804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6, CA

[Shazam]

Yeah, it's insanely busy there. Food's great though.

[alley]

If you are in the south (a little south of Chinook) I would recommend Cravings Market Restaurant. Breakfast from 7-9 Mon-Fri, Sat from 8am to I think 11.
Standard choices, some breakfast bowls, eggs benedicts and very good omelettes (my favourite is spinach, cheese and mushroom).
I go there sometimes on a weekday morning, it's not busy at all, busier on Saturdays, but the food is good, service is fine, Starbucks coffee, and you can get some nice baked goods for a treat after if you want.

BTW I went there the other night for a wine club dinner: about 60 people showed up to sample wines paired with Indian food (the theme of the night). A lot of fun. I don't think a lot of people know about this place, it's a bit out of the way.
7207 Fairmount Drive SE

[Viro]

Has anyone tried 'Wake' the new breakfast place that opened a few months ago on 10th St NW?
I do really enjoy the bacon and fried egg sandwich at Avenue Diner.

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Avenue Diner
105 Steven Avenue Mall, Calgary, AB T2P 1B4, CA

[sabz3003]

I did try 'Wake' bistro a few weeks back, and it was pretty good. The service was a little slow, but very friendly. I had an omlette (not the best i've had, but still good) - cant rememeber which one, and it was served with this great multigrain bread. The bread was REALLY good. The price is about average.

Another great place for breakfast is Laurier Lounge downtown on 7th street. Its a 'french' restaurant, and it is very good. Portions are small, thankfully, because I personally don't like the monstrous portions the usual breakfast places serve. The food was fabulous and the coffee they served was SERIOUSLY good.

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Laurier Lounge
1111 7 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0A1, CA

[Wasabilover]

We LOVE Dairylane...fantastic breakfast and lunch, but as someone mentioned a couple of times, its very small so go early or be prepared to wait with a coffee outside. But I just heard of a new place opening near Deluxe Diner on Edmonton Trail...I think its called Over Easy? Won't open until the end of October...

[rosetown]

adding links:

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AKA Winebar & Bistro
709 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J5, CA

Colors Cafe
2620 32 Ave NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 6B8, CA

Artisan Bistro
809 1 Ave NE, Calgary, AB T2E 0C2, CA

ABC Bakery & Cafe
112 3 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0B6, CA

Avenue Diner
105 Steven Avenue Mall, Calgary, AB T2P 1B4, CA

Belmont Diner
2008 33 Ave SW #1, Calgary, AB T2T 1Z4, CA

Cora's Breakfast & Lunch
4600 130 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2Z, CA

Dairy Lane Cafe
319 19 St NW, Calgary, AB T2N 2J2, CA

Diner Deluxe
804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6, CA

Bumpy's Cafe
1040 8 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1K2, CA

[rosetown]

more links:

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The Coup
924 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R, CA

Jacqueline Suzanne's Bistro
1219 9 Avenue S.E., Calgary, AB T2G 0S9, CA

Manuel Latruwe Belgian Patisserie & Bread Shop
1313 1 St SE #1333, Calgary, AB T2G 5L1, CA

Eat! Eat!
1325 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0T2, CA

Galaxie Diner
1411 11 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1G7, CA

[rosetown]

2 more links:

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1886 Buffalo Cafe
187 Barclay Parade SW, Calgary, AB T2P 4R3, CA

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus
2439 54 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 1M4, CA

[nonlinear]

1886? you can't be serious... i'm curious how many people here have actually had breakfast there, and how many just regurgitate the name that they've "heard" was good...

also - you're missing the 99th ave. cafe, which is BY FAR the best breakfast south of glenmore.

[maplesugar]

Woah! rosetown is doing a great job of adding links that the Calgary database wouldn't have otherwise.

Upthread on (10/28/2008) sleepycat mentions 1886 Cafe as being very good - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5676... I don't see where in this particular thread you've suggested 99th Av Cafe which it is why it was left off the list.

[nonlinear]

i'm sorry! i have comments on 1886 elsewhere, but for the time being, here is my review of 99th ave cafe:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/678036

[rosetown]

adding link:

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99th Avenue Cafe
10002 MacLeod Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2J 3K9, CA

[23skidoo]

rosetown,
There's a Cora's on Northland Dr. as well.

[rosetown]

created and added to database:

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Cora's Breakfast & Lunch
5111 Northland Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2J8, CA

[sharonanne]

Rosetown,
Thank you so much for your work. It's so helpful.

[rosetown]

Thanks sharonanne - missed some - old eyes. :)

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Regency Palace Restaurant
328 Centre St S, Calgary, AB T2G, CA

Central Grand Restaurant
1623 Centre St NW, Calgary, AB , CA

Big Fish
1112 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3K4, CA

Calgary Court Restaurant
119 2 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0B2, CA

Fortune Food
2404 Centre St N, Calgary, AB T2E 2T9, CA

[aktivistin]

Rosetown, thank you for adding all the links!

Noon Bistro listed above is no longer. It was in the space that was taken over by AKA Winebar. How do I remove/decommission the link?

[rosetown]

aktivistin - thanks for the heads up
Only the poster who added the link can remove it. If you had added it as a link in a post a 'remove' to the right of the listing would be viewable by you and no one else. I will also mark it as closed in the database

[hclass]

OverEasy is one of my fav breakfast spots in the city. Really well made dishes for good prices. I think the breakfasts start around $8 for the Panini, hover around $10 mainly.
After my last two visits to Avenue were very poor it was nice to discover this place. Be warned there is usually a wait on weekends.

[rosetown]

adding link:

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Over Easy Breakfast
824 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6, CA

[L.C.]

Anybody been to AKA Winebar for brunch yet? I've heard rumors of porkbelly eggs benedict...

[alau2]

Yup! The rumours are true! And it's a great brunch.

The Eggs Benedict ($13) comes with your choice of pork belly, house-cured salmon gravlax, farmer sausage or bacon. My husband loved the bacon -- from Broek Pork Acres farm in Coaldale.

I had the FSM hash which had BOTH pork belly and steak (mmmm) with two poached eggs, potato hash, corn, onions, peppers and grilled toast.

It's got good prices, I think, on par with the other brunch places in town, but the best part is there's no lineup (not yet anyway). It was funny watching the Diner Delux lineup across the street as we enjoyed our coffee.

I posted photos on my blog:
http://ugonnaeatthat.com/2009/09/10/c...

[L.C.]

I love your blog! I check it daily...keep up the good eating!

[alau2]

L.C.: Well, if you insist! Thanks! :-)

[L.C.]

So, I went to AKA Winebar this past Sunday. Got right in at noon and it was almost dead. Had my old stand by of 2-eggs Any Style. All was very tasty (especially the sausage), but my over-easy eggs were way, way over cooked. Over all, good service and good food. Will be going back soon.
Also enjoyed watching all the poor saps waiting to get into Diner Deluxe across the street while I was sipping my coffee...

[TSAW]

We tried AKA for brunch today at 11am and walked right in as well. It was only about half full the whole time we we're there (I should be keeping that a secret so I have the place all to myself!)

There was standard b'fast fare, but also some really original food ideas. I had french toast, which in addition to being excellent french toast, had nicely melted brie on top of each slice, topped with poached pears and drizzled with pomegranted syrup. WOW, how to kick french toast up! I was quite impressed and ate every last morsel! Hot Date had a boring omelette and fried potatoe chunks. But the rye toast was very nice high quality bread. My only complaint was that my Ceasar was $7!

Will definately be back and will maybe try there for dinner too. The upcoming Valentines menu (3 choices of mains) and chocolate sampler sounded delish.

[TSAW]

Just back from my second trip to AKA for brunch. The menu has changed slightly since I was last there. But awesome again! The chicken and waffles were excellent. I was a little unsure how 'fried chicken' could also be described as a confit chicken leg but it was tender falling off the bone, with a deep rich flavor AND super crispy skin. I wonder if they braised and then fried it? So tastey.. Waffles were quinoa - hot and crispy! And enjoyed the mango mimosa. Great place!

[jsfoodchat]

MANUEL LATRUWE's - What about a decedant waffle and latte at Manuel Latruwe's? You can't go wrong there. And you can take home some individual desserts for later - you can't leave without them.

CORAS - I like Cora's but it is more "chain" than "gourmet". But, GOOD as chain food goes. They have some fun selections. I like the Bobby Button a crepe with bacon and mushrooms. I always bring some home with me and eat it later too.

COLOURS - For well done standard fair that I can take my two year old with me and still enjoy my meal with NO LINE up is Colours restaurant in the Sheraton Airport hotel. And is perfect stop right before the weekend Costco trip. (Eggs Benny with home made Hollandaise, fresh squeezed fruit juice and an all you can eat pancake bar are the staples here ... just ignore the part where you get a freezer / McDonalds style hashbrown on the side - my kid happily eats that bit).

WILD HORSE BISTRO - Black Diamond - beautiful drive, beautiful brunch.

MCKAY PLACE - near Millerville - again, beautiful drive, great brunch, add the BEST service. Last time we went the hostess even played with my child while my husband and I ate. Just great!

Next on my brunch list to try are the following:

- De Dutch
- Bumpys (thanks John and everybody who recommended this- I'm SOLD
- Jacqueline Suzanne's

Does anybody have any comments on these?

[fmanning]

Dairy Lane is my favourite by far. I've tried several dishes and have yet to be disappointed. They also serve Fratello coffee, which I find absolutely delicious. Service staff is great and you never leave feeling greased out. Only problem is that it is REALLY small, and like Diner Deluxe, you gotta get there early or expect to wait. If you have the ability to go during the week it's nowhere near as busy

I tried the Cora's down in McKenzie Towne and didn't find it anywhere NEAR as good as it is out east.

And I know you want to avoid hotels, but if you do get stuck, I've had the buffet at the Westin many times lately, and it's actually very good. Their scrambled eggs are amazing

[sleepycat]

We had breakfast at Eat Eat in Inglewood and it was super delicious.
SO had the eggs benedict and sausages and I had the whole wheat pancakes and maple bacon. The bacon was more chewy than crispy but that was ok because everything tasted great. The eggs were perfect in that they just hit that solid state and were still golden but not runny. The yam chips (yes we had an appie with breakfast) were just a little over done. I would have liked them a little more golden, crispy,chewy but they were still pretty good. The portions were generous and we left quite satisfied. Those servers busted their butt getting everything out in a speedy fashion.

[sueflay]

What about DimSum? Try Fortune Foods on Center street north or the huge restaurant on the upper level of Dragon City Mall in China Town.

[sleepycat]

Hi Sueflay
Thanks for the tips I will put those on my to do list :D

Are these the right locations

Fortune Food Product Ltd
Category: Ethnic Food [Edit]

2404 Centre Street NE
Calgary, AB T2E 2T9

[phone]

Not sure about the Dragon Mall....

Is it this resturant?
Regency Palace
328 Centre Street SE
[phone]

[sueflay]

Ya those are the places. Regency is huge and buzzy. FF is a hole in the wall. I love both.

[sharonanne]

Once again, it depends on what you eat but Grand Central on 16th ave and Centre st North has the best egg tarts. The rest of their dim sum is at least as good as anywhere else I've tried.

[_foodlove_]

Don't forget The Coup for some interesting and healthy alternatives to typical brunch-y fare. The Mediterranean Scramble with olives, sheep feta, spinach and tomatoes is fantastic, as is the Hippy Split granola/fruit compote combo and The Frenchie for yummy ricotta-filled crepes! Here is a link to their menu...

http://www.thecoup.ca/menu.html

Be prepared for a lineup, but it's always worth the wait!

[23skidoo]

I like getting perogies and eggs at Nellie's (various locations, but I go to 17th Ave & 9th St SW). The breakfast burrito with sausage is good too, in a cheap diner-y sorta way. They also fry actual mashed potatoes - no frozen hashbrowns there. Caution: the coffee is pretty much truck stop swill.

That whole "freedom fries" thing from a few years ago was ridiculous, but I've forgiven them.

[ybnormal]

I recently went to Diner Deluxe's sister place down the street - Big Fish - for weekend brunch.

It was excellent - a deep-fried soft shell crab sandwich with wild boar bacon and organic tomatoes. Enormous to eat and delicious! A bit on the pricey side at $15 (with hash browns & coleslaw), but worth every penny.

Also shared the curry mussels, which were really good.

Lots of other brunch items to try...

[Jigga]

I was going to suggest Big Fish as well - but I hesitated because I like it so much and I can always get in without a line up ... so I didn't want to tip off the masses! But now that the cat's out the bag, I can say that it's my fave breakfast place in the city. I love the creative breakfast selections, fresh ingredients, and excellent brewed coffee (I haven't tried any espresso based drinks yet).

[alley]

Sigh. I'm with Jigga. Big Fish. But don't tell anybody else because I can't get in this Saturday I am going to be very sad.

Down the street Noon is pretty good as well - good backup if you give up on Diner Deluxe, tho not as cool.

[alau2]

Ooooh. I can't wait to try this place! Thanks for the recommendation!

[marcopolo]

artisan bistro! in bridgeland. this place is criminally underrated. these days, i prefer to diner deluxe, which is saying a lot, considering my better half worked at diner deluxe for years.

dairy lane and eat! eat! are good options too.

[aktivistin]

I'll third the Bumpy's recommendation--love the breakfast panini!

I visited eat! eat! in Inglewood for the first time today. Had the eggs benny with spinach and tomato--the hollandaise was done light, not rich though tasty, and the eggs were perfect. I didn't like the wilted/blanched spinach, but then again, I chose this option over ham. It's a great spot with a lot of menu choice (almost too much) and I'd definitely visit again to try their breakfast specials (today's was chocolate chunk banana pancakes).

To give you an idea of the prices, a full eggs benny is $12 and a half is $7 -- most other items hover around $10. That includes sandwiches and burgers.

eat! eat! has an early bird special every weekday from 7 - 9 in the morning. In short, I'd recommend it as another place to try. It is comparable to the places you have mentioned.

Other recommendations include: Dairy Lane in West Hillhurst, the Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus near Altadore/River Park (Crowchild and 54th Ave), and the aforementioned Belmont Diner in Marda Loop. For cheap breakfast, try these three Hong Kong-style diners in Chinatown: Calgary Court and ABC Bakery (although I'd check Calgary Health Region's board first to make sure there aren't any outstanding infractions).

[raidar]

I wondered about Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus, but didn't really get a feel for it from their website. Can anyone give more details about the food, is it really just a large crepe?

[dollykat]

I LOVE Pfanntastic Pannenkoeks! We go there at least 2x month. Similar to large crepe, but the fillings are baked into the batter, not rolled around. Choices are huge from savory to sweet. Prices are excellent, most pannenkoeks are 10-12 range for the savory ones. Very fresh food and great quick service. Nice touches to the service, like getting a gratis speculaas cookie with your tea. Very laid back family style place. Great for kids - they have a big toy box by the front door. Don't forget to try the Stroop syrup (a container is on every table) on your pancake - the owner suggested trying it on our savory pancakes - yum!

[jsfoodchat]

Yep - this place is foodie. I LOVE it too. BUT I can see how you might be sceptical from the look of it on the web and even from the outside.

In the end, the line up speaks for itself. If you are into the morning breakfast scene go at 9 am and beat the rush. By 10: the place is lined up out the door. As a tip, try sharing as portions are large. My husband and I get one savory too start and then have a sweet to finish. The cookes that go with the coffee are good too.

[sleepycat]

Breakfasty and brunch places are few and far in between. I have heard others mention Diner delux. How were those places for breakfast? We used to go to Perkins for buttermilk pancakes. They have pretty hearty breakfasts.

The last place we had breakfast was 1886 Cafe

187 Barclay Parade SW, Eau Claire
[phone]

It was very good and fully packed.

Another place I have heard of Belmont Diner

2008 33rd Avenue SW
[phone]

[raidar]

I've heard good things about Cora's (although I've never been) and I'm pretty sure I've seen John recommend Bumpy's Cafe as a reasonable breakfast spot. I also found you can get some good early morning eats at the CFM (plus some P&S coffee before you leave!)

[John Manzo]

Yep, Bumpy's has some delicious bfast items- including a really wonderful oatmeal w/ homemade fruit purees. And they are open Sat.

[cn1822]

Cora's is good and really inexpensive as well. I recommend the April 89 fruit loaded crepe with custard or the waffle which is the same except with waffle instead of crepe, if you don't mind fruit for breakfast. For savory try the Ben et Dictine or the Crepomelette au gratin. This is a Canadian establishment and originates in Quebec.

[nutellaluvr]

After a 6am drop at the airport this morning, I considered this to be an opportunity to try Cora's in Northland. There have been plenty of links to the establishment, and CH has offered up some AMAZING suggestions. So off we went! We arrived on a Sunday at 7:15am and there was no lineup. Great! Only half a dozen seats were occupied, and our server was prompt. She was of the plate-slinging variety, but whatever. We're good. Breki was served about 20 minutes later, all good. We dig in! Now I am so sad, Cora's IMO doesn't pan out. I had the 7th of July, hubby the Panini-Crepe (he sub'd swiss for cheddar which was graciously accommodated). But, crepes should not be ... gluey comes to mind, and the consistency of neoprene (there was NO way they could be cut without a knife), the fruit accompaniment shouldn't have been tossed yesterday, and the eggs in the Panini shouldn't be completely "browned". (sigh) On a picky point, and perhaps you think I am picky already, they might also want to use seedless grapes, cut the cores out of the pineapple, and pan fry the potato wedges for more than (... maybe) 30 seconds. I can't comment on coffee as others have since I made Espresso at home before leaving for YYC. I don't think other like establishments have anything to worry about. Hubby says he would have rather had a Tim Horton's breki sandwich (with biscuit) instead. If we were near Sunterra, we would add a container of their fresh fruit salad and be happier than going to Cora's. But hey, we tried, and you never know until you do... Next, Diner Deluxe!

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Diner Deluxe
804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6, CA

[maplesugar]

Sorry to hear Cora's quality has slipped so badly. Neoprene crepes? *shudder*