The Brilliance of Brunch

There is something very indulgent about brunch - that's what makes it fun. By name and definition it is a combination of breakfast and lunch, eaten between breakfast and lunch, so you can have a nice sleep-in before getting stuck-in to some serious dishes.

Before this past Sunday I hadn't gone to brunch since my parents took me and my sister, Lara, to the Four Seasons when I was 8. I remember the sheer extravagance of it - a grand dining room with a mile long spread of all the classic goods, plus ... a dessert station! We couldn't believe our eyes - bowl after bowl of chocolate mousse, creme caramel and even jelly beans, caramels, and chunks of chocolate. Mom n' Dad - the same people who had vetoed sugared cereal - were letting us have at the dessert buffet like it was serving porridge and bran flakes. We weren't sure what had taken hold of their senses, but decided we should stuff our faces as quickly as possible in case they regained their faculties mid-mousse.

My idea of a perfect brunch has changed slightly to incorporate a mimosa or two (and I try my best to stop eating before I am ill), but it is still a lavish affair. My friend and I went to Medina on Beatty St. for one of our monthly catch-up sessions where I rediscovered the brilliance of brunch. The restaurant features a mix of dishes that are inspired from Belgium, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Some interesting choices include Oeffs Cocotte, Tagine, and soft boiled eggs with tabouleh and baba ganoush. We started by ordering Moroccan Mimosas and I ordered the Tagine which was delicious. Perfectly poached eggs are placed on a spicy tomato stew and surrounded by merguez sausage. After a brief TO and another mimosa, we went in for a second round of Belgian waffles with toppings reminiscent of the Four Seasons dessert bar - raspberry caramel, lavender milk chocolate, and white chocolate pistachio rosewater. We closed our 2 hour sitting with lavender lattes and I waddled out to face the rest of a lazy Sunday.

Brunch is back ... definitely.

Medina Cafe:
http://www.medinacafe.com/