Karine's in Grange Mall- not so much

[food face]

Why can’t we get a good breakfast near Queen and Spadina? Karines... I want to love it, I really do. As people, I adore Maggie and the gang. I really appreciate their effort to not use plastic cutlery and create a homey environment in a tired old food court. But, the food is bad.

My first experience consisted of their eggs Benedict. Horrible. Amongst the worst powdered hollandaise sauce imaginable. The poached eggs where literally so overdone the yolks were borderline hard boiled. Both times, the fries were fresh cut but have been luke warm at best with a horrible greasy after-taste. I decided to give it another try this past weekend and ordered the standard breakfast special with the addition of paying a bit extra for cheese in my scrambled eggs. The scrambled eggs with cheese were a disaster. A overcooked sloppy flat pancake with shredded brick cheese thrown on top unmelted. My toast consisted of two butt ends of the loaf cold with gobs of butter gluey on top. I politely explained the situation to Maggie. She offered me another breakfast. I really appreciate the effort and generosity. So reluctantly, I ordered the French toast as I was still starving from being unable to stomach the first meal. Burnt, flavourless with patches of plain eggless bread throughout. On the plus, the salad and fresh fruit were nice but it’s all thrown together so hap-hazardly. It’s a mess of a meal. I realize it’s cheap as chips but I’d rather not eat anything at all. I think I may get some slack for this as the place is an OCAD/grange mall darling. Also as a side note, the Grange food court is wonderful, weird and depressing all at the same time. Is there anywhere to eat a decent breakfast done right in the area? Am I missing something?

[chocabot]

I tried it years ago on NOW review and regretted it. Same situation as you described, yet the place is busy everytime I've seen it... I don't get it either.

[jayseeca]

i used to go there all the time, mostly because she's so sweet, and for the fresh fruit with a meal. but the fruit is mostly unripe, and the food isn't made with love anymore. i can't even order a wrap without it immediately falling apart into a soggy mess after one bite. last year they also changed the fries, and now they're thinner and always greasy.

the only place i can think of that's close-ish for a sit down breakfast is O&B canteen.

[food face]

Yea, no love in the food. It seems like the one cook in the kitchen is doing too much at one time and totally overwhelmed. Where is O&B canteen?