Mitzi's Sister or Brown Sugar bakery--or another nearby brunch place?

[Ediblethoughts]

I'm looking for a good weekday place for brunch around Queen and Lansdowne. And I drove by M's S and Brown Sugar Bakery---and wondered if anyone has tried them or if they know of another place to recommend near by. I've been to Saving Grace but I'd like something closer to Queen And Lansdowne---which I guess is in Parkdale?

[freshnwild]

I too recommend Mitzi's/MS, and was disappointed by Brown Sugar.

Passing by a few days ago, it looked like Rustic Cosmo had folded, although I didn't look too closely. I haven't eaten there much, but used to love their nutty cinnamon coffee.

I was completely turned off by the Easy a few years ago (the one you can enter from King) because they sold war toys, although I guess the food was OK.

I like the Dufferin Gate (King w of Dufferin) for a cheap weekday greasy spoon breakfast, and the Cherry Bomb on Ronces for incredible takeout coffee and treats (a few perches indoors) but those are getting a bit far from Q/L.

[robgm]

i didn't like easy because the the poatoes were very, very unevenly spiced and cooked to burned or raw versions of hash browns. the baguette has also been under or over toasted and the service great, mediocre or awful. the place is so uneven that it is unfortunate that it is the hood, cause i wanted to love it so much...5 visits have now put me off the place

[gregclow]

Rustic Cosmo was open today.

[Pantz]

Rustic Cosmo has been around since the 90's. I'd be surprised and dismayed if it went under. Let's be careful about casual mentions of closings!

[robgm]

Rustic Cosmo is still open

[Pantz]

Brown Sugar Bakery is essentially the neighbourhood Tim Horton's substitute for those who can't handle Coffee Time.

I would suggest Manhattan right next door, except they were closed last weekend and I can't say with confidence they'll be open. Unfortunate, because they have a lot of promise.

I would second the Mitsi's on Sorauren suggestion, though be prepared for a line up if you come past 10 am. I love their oatmeal pancake and their potatoes are legendary. That's the smell that you often get when walking by.

After that, for solid eggs try Easy where Queen hits Roncesvalles or Rustic Cosmo (just west of Dufferin at Queen and Noble) for an under rated gem.

[robgm]

The OP has asked for WEEKDAY options and many of the places in the thread only do weekEND brunch.

Manhattan hasn't been open for weeks now and is likely dead really before it started.

[Yongeman]

I think that Mitzi's (not sis) is better for weekday breakfast than the much higher-priced weekend brunch. Opens at 7:30 with a $6.95 standard, but good breakfast. Also agree that Easy has some good weekday breakfast options.

[gregclow]

I've gotten confirmation from one of the owners that Manhattan is closed indefinitely, and if it ever reopens, it will be under a different name.

[Ediblethoughts]

Brown Sugar=Tim Horton's, huh? That does not sound promising.

[Pantz]

The Tim Horton's comment wasn't so much a jibe as warning not to expect a cooked meal.

When that sign first went up, we thought the neighbourhood was getting a great little bakery. We were quite disappointed when it turned out to be a plain, basic little shop selling run of the mill pastries and sandwiches.

Bizarrely, NOW weekly named it in their list of best coffee shops last year, despite the fact that they just serve Seattle's Best.

[Ediblethoughts]

I get your drift; TH to some is the nirvana of food establishments. Just not to me.

[goodcookiedrift]

I work in Parkdale and used to live there.

Your only options for brunch (based on what you are looking for) is Mitzi's on Sauroren and Pearson and Easy on Queen and Ronces as previously mentioned. There really aren't any options at all on Queen stretching from Dufferin all the way to Roncesvalles.

Other than that, you'd have to trek up Ronces but even then, options are few.

Someone please open up a good breakfast spot near Dunn. I'm sick of eating at the Skyline.

[Ediblethoughts]

I like both of those places---they're on my list for sure. (Poor John's was good too though.)

[goodcookiedrift]

Spoken like a true Parkdalian. Anyone here will tell you that Brown Sugar has to be the neighborhood's biggest disappointment. The coffee is pretty much on par with coffee time (sans depressing drunks looming over their hot cup of job) and the bread is 9 times out of 10 stale.

And here we were, hoping that a cute cafe avec La Marzocco machines and fresh bread was going to be our regular breakfast spot.

[Ediblethoughts]

I actually stopped by BSB today and the comparison with Tim Hortons was VERY accurate. I almost had to check the door to make sure I hadn't gone into a TH's by accident.

[robgm]

Q &L is indeed Parkdale. Mitizi's Sister doesn't open until 4pm on weekedays, but as Sarah Cat states the original up Sorauren is open and great. Rustic Cosmo Cafe is at Queen and Dufferin and Poor John's Cafe is at Queen an Callender

[Ediblethoughts]

Do RCC and PJ'sC have both M-F brunch?

[gregclow]

I don't know about Poor John's, but Rustic Cosmo doesn't do traditional brunch during the week. However, they do have a great selection of sandwiches for M-F lunch, so it's still well worth checking out.

[Ediblethoughts]

We tried Poor John's today for breaky and while the selection is very limited (granola/yogurt, scrambled eggs, or omelette), the omelette was very good; I tried the portobello, brie, tomato and artichoke hearts and it was luscious! I wasn't as keen on the marble rye toast (too hard--probably because it's served flattened out) or the hash browns (a bit boring) but the really good mochachino made up for that. And my companions had the bacon and scrambled eggs and the bacon was very good. On the omelette alone, I'd go back.

[Sarah Cat]

My favourite brunch in the neighbourhood is Mitzi's on Sorauren at Pearson. It's owned by the Mitzi's Sister folks, but does breakfast/brunch exclusively. Their homemade sourdough toast is to DIE for. Good coffee, nice atmosphere. It gets busy, though.

[Ediblethoughts]

I have been to Mitzi's--it is a really great spot. I'll have to do the mapquest though since I didn't think it was that close to Q & L. Do they do brunch on week days? (I'd be there around 10am so I probably wouldn't have to worry too much about the busy, right?)