Week 11: Sunny Side Up

I took 2 weeks off from the Breakfast Blog during a trip to Manitoba.  There are plenty of great places to eat and blog about all over Manitoba but time did not allow.

This week we ventured a small distance from Calgary to Cochrane, AB to a lovely little breakfast spot called Sunny Side Up. It's located at  519 1 St W.

Full Breakfast 

Tuscan Benny

Bill at the front entrnce

When you walk into this restaurant the first thing noticed is that it's bright, modestly decorated and very clean (that's a big plus for me)!  The menu has an expansive offering of Bennys, omeletts, and "perfectly poached" eggs.  It's obvious that "fresh" is the name of the game and the coffee is a special blend from a local roaster, Cochrane CoffeeTraders.  A special shout out to the potato wedges that are fresh, elegantly spiced and just the right amount.  

There's a huge blackboard in the restaurant that includes suggested menu items and a premature homage to spring, "April showers snow brings May... snowmen"! Having had a front row seat to Saturday's impromptu snow storm, we enjoyed the reference! There's plenty to do in Cochrane if you're interested in a stroll after breakfast including a beautiful walk along the river.

My breakfast partner is away next week golfing in Arizona so I'll be back with a new post sometime after May 8th!  In the meantime, enjoy one of these great books.....

We as human beings have the amazing capacity to be reborn at breakfast everyday and say, “This is a new day.” -Jack Kornfield

                                 THE BOOKS

Since my last post I've read two very good novels.  The first was Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller.  I found this gem at a book shop, Talisman Books & Gallery on Pender Island, BC. This is a very intriguing story about an elderly grandfather, Sheldon, who moves from New York to Oslo with his granddaughter and her Norwegian husband, Lars.  Sheldon, a former Marine sniper in the Korean war, witnesses a murder and escapes with the eight year old son of the deceased woman who is being hunted by the perpetrator.  The story weaves between the past and the present to tell a magnificent intriguing tale with humour and a snap shot of great humanity!

The second book was Don't Let Go by New York Times Bestselling author Harlan Coben.  Coben's protagonist Detective Napoleon (Nap) Dumas happens upon a clue that may solve the mystery surrounding his twin brother's death fifteen years past. The story includes a suspiciously abandoned military base, a murdered corrupt local police officer and the reemergence of a presumed missing or dead former lover.  

Week 8: OEB Breakfast Co.

The OEB Breakfast Co. is located in Bridgeland at 825 1st Ave. NE.  There are 2 other locations in Calgary one downtown and the other in Mission.  When asked, our waitress told us that OBE stands for Overeasy Bacon and Eggs!  However, the OBE Breakfast Co. website describes the values upon which the business is based:

  Outstanding People
  Embracing Evolution
  Bold Food Integrity

I expect the "over easy" explanation is considerably easier and generates a lot less questions!  The restaurant is busy and vibrant. The decor is a little intoxicating with modern furnishings and bright yellow and white counters and chairs.  The menu is very different with a unique selection of crepes, benny's, waffles and omelettes. We were fortunate to be seated next to the kitchen line where the servers pick up their food and were impressed by the colours, variety and portions of the delicious looking breakfasts!

I chose the ARTISANAL BAGEL SAMMY with fried hen eggs, white truffle mayo, haas avocado, lyalta watercress, semi dried cherry tomatoes and market fresh fruit!

This was singularly the tastiest breakfast bagel I have ever had!  The truffle mayo was sooooo tasty and the semi dried cherry tomatoes added the perfect juicy addition to the combo.  The fruit was fresh and included kiwi, strawberry, apple, pineapple and orange pieces.  Just every once in a while a perfect meal appears and whatever altered state of consciousness it creates is sublime.  This was one of those occasions!  The website describes the experience as "leaving you soul-full".

My husband chose the SMOKED BOAR SPECK Benny with
Haas Avocado, Semi Dried Tomatoes.  The smoked boar speck is a cured bacon that is cut like prosciutto.  A healthy serving of "twice fried herb potatoes" afforded a generous sharing which I genuinely appreciated!

Bill commented on the freshness of the ingredients and then went silent, as people do when they enter that altered state of eating a perfect meal!

We both agreed that this was our favourite breakfast since we started this eating "tour" and blog!

And then the book....

This week I finished reading Peter Robinson's Sleeping in the Ground, a compelling read with a dramatic, unexpected twist in the plot.  I had taken this novel with me to Victoria and reading it wholly swallowed up two 90 minute flights!  

My next couple of reads will be Gregg Braden's Human by Design and Michael Connelly's The Wrong Side of Goodbye!  

Week 7: Victoria BC Floyd's Diner

We have spent the past week in beautiful Victoria, BC.  We are staying at a hotel on Menzies St. across from the Provincial Legislature and a half block from the Victoria Inner Harbour.  While out walking we noticed a very purple house with white trim and awnings.  As it turns out, it's an eatery called Floyd's Diner. It was Sunday and there was a long line-up of people waiting to get in so we decided to wait until Monday (today) hoping that the wait was a weekend phenomenon!

We arrived at 9:30 am and were seated next to a large window facing the street, a perfect spot for people watching and enjoying the morning sun.  By 10 am the restaurant was full!  The menu is very interesting with dishes named after regular customers, historic locations (The Berlin Wall Omelette, You'll Be Liberated After You Eat This) and well known phrases (Listen To Me While I'm Talkin' To Ya Son), the two we selected.

The portions are beyond ample and the food tastes fresh and delicious.  True to Victoria's "hidden gem restaurants", the ambiance is casual, welcoming and the staff are very upbeat and attentive. The decor is eclectic yet reflects the overall theme of the menu.  Altogether, a clever overall vibe!

We are leaving Victoria tomorrow, returning to Calgary.  A quick mention of a couple of great places to eat: Fifth Street where the rotisserie chicken is "eyes rolling in the back of your head" delicious and Pizzeria Prima Strada. These are both places we return to each time we visit this beautiful city.

And then, there were the bookstores!

My husband is the consummate tour guide and is always on the lookout for local attractions and especially those that meet our individual interests.  He discovered that there were five independent bookstores in Sidney, a town just a short drive north of Victoria.  We decided to visit each one (a self-directed tour) and see what this concentration of bookstores was all about!  We checked out Beacon Books and new home to the Military and History Bookshop (overwhelming number of stacks of used books), Tanner Books and The Haunted Bookshop.  We didn't get to Galleon Books and Antiques as they had moved locations and we ran out of time.

Haunted Bookshop Sidney

The Haunted Bookshop, advertised as Vancouver Island's oldest antiquarian bookshop, was our favourite!  We purchased 3 fairly obscure books, one being a Biography of Vilhjalmer Stefansson's Explorations of the Canadian Arctic and a travel book titled A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush.  Neither of us had any indication that the shop was haunted but we were drawn to some rather unlikely reads!

In Victoria we visited Bolen Books which is Vancouver Island's largest (and to my mind, best) independent bookstore.

Week 6: The Bro'Kin Yolk

Just when you think the "Burbs" can offer no surprises, you stumble upon The Bro'Kin Yolk.  It's tucked into a shopping centre, Creekside, in Simons Valley. It's on the north end of the shopping centre next to Tim Hortons. This spot is a gem with a bright, open decor and a story to tell.  It is owned by two brothers Jeff and Gil Carlos who bring a touch of the Philippines with some of their special ingredients.  They chose the name Bro'Kin Yolk because they are  brothers, they wanted to create a place where families could enjoy a meal together and they care about the ingredients they use and the quality of the eggs they serve. The menu includes Bennys, Poutines, Frittatas and a wide selection of "Breakfast Classics".

                           

Baked Egg Frittata

House Cured Bacon Poutine

The selections we made were both tasty and very filling.  The Poutine was a bit heavy as one might expect but delicious.  The Frittata was baked, full of fresh vegetables and topped with a generous amount of feta cheese.  

We had a brief chat with the General Manager who said that the Carlos brothers are expanding their restaurants (one already open in Mahogany and another soon in Westhills) and then eventually on to other cities in Canada!  Another warning ladies, the washrooms are unisex!

BOOKS!

Last week we visited Shelf Life Books  and I bought a copy of Michio Kaku's The Future of the Mind.  Coincidentally CBC did a piece on his most recent book The Future of Humanity.  It's an interesting and provocative interview!

 

If you've ever had a worry about artificial intelligence or wonder about the existing abilities of scientists to replicate the human brain, The Future of the Mind  is a very thoughtful expansive look at these issues.  Does science have a practical understanding of consciousness and will we be able to control the myriad of directions science will want to take us in?  I won't say this is a definitive piece of work but it does make one want to stay informed!    

Week 5: The Beltliner

The Beltliner is located downtown at 243 12 Ave. SW right across from the Memorial Park Library.  The restaurant is a comfortable, open, bright space with large windows facing onto 12 Ave.  We arrived about 10 am and were seated and "coffeed up" immediately.  Coffee is served in gargantuan mugs and is delicious!

The menu is full of mouth watering breakfast offerings and we selected the West Coast Toast (salmon, sliced avocado, 2 poached eggs, sourdough, arugula and cherry tomato salad) @$18.50, and the Merguez 'n Eggs (lamb merguez sausage, stewed tomatoes, yogurt, cilantro, 2 poached eggs and toast) @$19.50.  Both were delicious, however the Merguez 'n Eggs was outstanding both in flavour and presentation. Our overall experience was very positive. Warning ladies, the individual washrooms are unisex!

The House Rules on the left are posted at the front entrance and add to the overall "lighter side" of the establishment.  

I am excited about reading Peter Robinson's novel, featuring the seasoned detective, Alan Banks! It's one of over 20 mystery novels by this very prolific bestselling Canadian author. I wanted to start reading at breakfast but this will have to wait!

And then...

We wandered over to Shelf Life Books , an independent bookstore situated right at the corner of 4th St. and 13th Ave. SW.  Shelf Life Books has a wide selection of titles and it is wonderful to explore the many aisles and nooks.  

We purchased two intriguing books, The Future of the Mind  (a New York Times bestseller) by Michio Kaku and Austral  by Paul McCauley. I'll have more to say about both of these in later posts.

Week Four: Breakfast at Vendome Cafe

The Vendome Cafe is located in Sunnyside at 940 2nd Ave. NW just east of the LRT tracks on a residential street  Although from the outside The Vendome looks quite small, inside there is ample seating space. It's divided into 3 areas giving a very Feng Shui , open feel to the cafe.  Overall it had a Victoria, BC vibe which we loved!  Order your food at the front counter and take your beverage with you to the table.

My husband chose from "The Benedicts" a Glazed Pork Belly with black garlic emulsion, furikake (a Japanese seasoning), pickled shallots, hollandaise on side, poached Mans Organic (local organic farm) free range eggs and added a fresh fruit bowl @ $21.00 total. Lots of food and a nice presentation. I selected the The Health that consisted of two Mans Organics poached eggs, avocado, harissa (chilli) paste, roasted red pepper tapenade, chorizo, multigrain toast and house made jam @ $16.50.  The chorizo was cold slices and not my favourite. When my husband noticed I wasn't eating it, he scooped it up and loved it. I love eggs and avocado on toast so I was a happy diner. Coffee refills are $1.00 which seemed a bit odd if you've ordered a full breakfast so we passed.

We would definitely go back to the Vendome Cafe.  It was relaxing, super clean and the fresh flowers on each table was a nice touch.

And then.....

Decorative match box

Right next to the restaurant is a wonderful shop, Mélange.  Please check Instagram or Facebook to get an idea of what an amazing shopping experience you will have when you visit.  Do not buy any more gifts anywhere until you have seen the expanse of beautiful items in this magical place!

We purchased a couple of small items including this gorgeous decorative box of matches (of which they have drawers full of beautiful selections).   There are lamps, sofas, tables, chandeliers, china, jewelry, statuary, linens, stationary and much more!

The Book....

One of my favourite genres is "nordic noir" that is a type of Scandinavian crime fiction that typically features dark storylines and bleak urban settings.

In Rupture the protagonist, detective Ari Thór revisits a case where a suspicious suicide is questioned at the same time that the town has been quarantined because of a possible deadly virus. Ari is faced with carrying out the investigation under much pressure to avoid public contact until a kidnapping, that may or may not be connected to the reopened case, puts the town on high alert. 

As a local politician tries to keep the image of a low crime town, Ari navigates through the challenges of the investigation as he fights his own demons. 

Week Three: Breakfast at Red's in Ramsay

Red's in Ramsay is located at 1101 8th St. SE.  We had eaten here before and enjoyed it. Red's is nestled in a residential part of 8th St. SE and has customer parking.  If you have the luxury of being able to go during the week, you're much more likely to find a spot.

The restaurant has two separate rooms with the area at the back including counter diner seating.  Red's has great natural lighting and the staff is very welcoming.

Perhaps one day I'll venture out of my comfort zone and try the Blueberry, basil and goats cheese stuffed French toast, but today I selected the three egg vegetarian omelette with spinach, red peppers, guacamole and cheddar cheese @ $17.50. It was flavourful and fresh tasting.  My husband had the Inglewood Omelette with Spolumbo's Chorizo, mushrooms and Brie @ $17.95.  Both meals were generous portions and our server was always near with the coffee pot. Some restaurants that are very popular have a "get busy and eat" vibe, but Red's has a relaxed atmosphere.

And no, I haven't forgotten about the BOOKS portion of this offering.  I just finished reading Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J. K. Rowling). This is the fourth Cormoran Strike novel.  The Cuckoo's Calling, was published in 2013. The Silkworm (2014) and Career of Evil (2015).  The characters are so well developed that by the time you're a quarter of the way in, you feel like you know them intimately. If you haven't read these delicious works of crime fiction, "shut the front door" and get to an Independent Book Store to start a journey into the mind and brilliance of Cormoran Strike. Shelf Life Books, Pages on Kensington and Owl's Nest Books are great places to visit.

No need to read in order but the main characters do evolve with time and experience.