Toronto, ON
(416) 703-7368 Perfect For: Brunch
I’ve been a terrible girl, I completely forgot about this Saving Grace post, and now it’s been literally months since my last visit. Well, we’re heading into the long weekend, and if you’re staying put in the city, perhaps trying a new brunch place is in order?
Saving Grace is a teeny-tiny eatery on Dundas St. West, that does not take reservations, and seats about 20. They have a clipboard, hanging by the door, for you to put your name down (with about 15 other names waiting ahead of you), and then you can wander off for an hour or so (2 hours in our case) before it is your turn to be seated. I know this doesn’t sound very appealing, because noone likes to wait for their food on a Sunday morning, right? Well, in Saving Grace’s case, the wait is well worth it!
By the time we got a table, both le boyfriend and I were desperately hungry…and smelling and seeing delicious somethings on other people’s plates definitely did not help. The blackboard inside the restaurant showcases daily specials and all-time favorites. Having heard that their Caramelized Banana French Toast was delish, my sweet tooth ordered just that, while le boyfriend opted for Poached Eggs with Coconut Black Rice, served with some veggies and toast.
The toast, the caramelized bananas, the maple syrup…it was all perfection. Gooey, sweet, crunchy, soft perfection. I almost bit le boyfriend’s hand for trying to steal a piece of toast off my plate…that’s how freaking delicious that toast was. The.Best.I’ve.Ever.Had. His rice and potatoes, too, were something extraordinary! Smooth, flavorful and delicate…I wish more of my meals were this good.
The service at Saving Grace is efficient and friendly, the setting is quirky, and selections are vast. It was definitely one of my most memorable brunches ever. There’s nothing bad to say about this place whatsoever…except for the wait. But if we could do it in the midst of the freezing cold winter, I think waiting around in the summer should be a piece of French Toast cake. Especially, with The Communal Mule Espresso Bar just down the street, where you can grab a coffee, read the paper, relax at one of their cool wooden tables, before heading back to Saving Grace to see if your table opened up. After all, good things come to those who wait.
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i will try this place very soon
thanks for the review!
It’s like deja vu all over again. We visited Saving Grace and The Communal Mule one Sunday morning a few weeks ago. I totally agree about the food at Saving Grace. It’s an eclectic menu that comes together in a delightful way. My Huevos came with sliced baguette. Hmmmm… Well, I normally don’t eat bread, but this was the best baguette possibly I have ever eaten. We didn’t even have to wait for a table. Maybe our timing was fortunate, but we agree to sit at the 4 seater bar overlooking the main floor area, and we got seated straight away. We had a birds’ eye view of the meals coming out (oooh, aaah) and the HUGE lattes.
At the Communal Mule we were made to feel very welcome by Peter and Nancy. I didn’t have room for one of those delightful looking pastries but I did have a SO espresso – I think it was from Peru via Counter Culture. There wasn’t any 49th parallel or Intelligentsia in sight. The art is eclectic and the vibe is relaxed. I count myself as a fan even though I live too far away to make it a regular stop.
[...] sister the Hoof Café for a while now. And this Canada Day, when Al and I decided to venture out to Saving Grace for brunch, which was closed, we ended up at the Hoof Café instead and I am happy that we [...]