The text messages start rolling in when I’m still ten minutes from the restaurant.
Running late!
Wardrobe malfunction!
Order me a mimosa!
As I scramble down the sidewalk I fire off my own message, ‘On my way!’ It’s four minutes to ten on a sunny Sunday morning. Welcome to Victoria, Brunch City.
BC’s capital, nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, is most often described with various forms of the word quaint: adorable, picturesque, charming. Surrounded by Pacific Ocean views, dotted with craggy hills and lined with the warm brick facades of heritage buildings, the description is apt. The look of staunch Old England reinforces its reputation as “the home of the newly wed and the nearly dead.”
But make no mistake; this is no sleepy Canadian outpost. Vancouver Island is a foodie haven where the locals produce charcuterie, bacon jam, and mozzarella with the milk of Canada’s first water buffalo herd. Authentic barbecue and craft cocktails are more than passing fads. According to Tourism Victoria, San Francisco is the only place in North America with more restaurants per capita.
In this city, if you want something deliciously unique and want it quickly, there’s no reason you can’t have it. The exception? Sunday brunch. You know that saying ‘good things come to those who wait?’ The person who wrote that was waiting for brunch in Victoria.
You mustn’t get the impression that demand is too high to have a great dining experience; that couldn’t be further from the truth. The city’s compact, walkable core means you can stroll by several proudly local eateries before making your choice. In many cases, the wait is so short there’s barely time to eye earlier birds with envy.
But Victorians, showing great loyalty to their favourite eateries, are willing to line up for good food. Anticipation becomes part of the experience. It’s about not having to rush. The best brunches are the ones that last hours, leaving you sated on both the social and nutritional levels.
“Brunch is an event,” says Josh Miller, owner-operator of Mo:Le Restaurant. “You’re going out yet it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Customer enthusiasm has lead to an unofficial partnership between two of my favourite places: Mo:Le (pronounced like the Mexican sauce) and Habit Coffee. Tucked into side-by-side brick spaces with skylights overhead and local art on the walls, strangers to the city often think the two are one business.
The system is so simple, it’s genius. If there’s a wait, put your name on Mo:Le’s list. Pop next door and visit the baristas at Habit. Find a cozy corner, read one of the house magazines and listen in on local chatter. Someone from Mo:Le will fetch you when your table is ready. Not finished your latte? Bring it with you. The dishes will find their way back.
Miller and Habit Coffee owner-operator Shane Devereaux respectively and separately describe their relationship with the same word: symbiotic. Thanks to small-city neighbourliness, their system developed organically. Says Devereaux, “We end up being a bit busier and he doesn’t send people away. In general in Victoria, small businesses, especially food-related ones, tend to work together.”
Side-note: if your day is not complete without great coffee, Habit is a must-do. This carbon-neutral outlet has forged a new standard in ethically delicious coffee, what Devereaux calls “quality-driven, from seed to cup.”
For a sublime brunch experience, you can’t go wrong with Ferris’ Upstairs Saturday brunch. The gorgeous room is highlighted with hardwood flooring and a teensy behind-the-bar kitchen that pumps out taste so big you’d never guess there is “only one cook & only one burner” if it weren’t printed on the menu. Try French toast stuffed with Brie and roasted walnuts, or order some of the oysters that have made the initial location downstairs famous.
To transport yourself into a bustling 1970s dining room with Arborite tables and Corelle dishware, step into Lady Marmalade which serves dishes like cheddar and spinach waffles slathered in tomato-orange cream along with tangy salad. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll know how right this combo can be.
Victorians in the know vie for one of Avalon’s twenty seats and order the house-made Oaten Toast. The deliciously dense bread is topped with cheddar or homemade jam and is available for sale; five dollars a loaf. A trip to Willie’s Bakery should include the fresh-squeezed orange juice. Take it to go with a crispy ham and cheese croissant and window-shop in the fashion district, just up Johnson Street — or stay for eggs benedict with chipotle hollandaise in the courtyard.
Back at Mo:Le, Mo’s Biscuit combines their signature cream cheese scrambled eggs with bacon, roasted red pepper, Havarti and a divine aioli atop a buttermilk biscuit. The restaurant also offers a daily fresh sheet with three gluten-free options.
So leave your watch at home and engage in a great tradition. Brunch is more than a meal here. It’s a culture, an obsession, a religion. Chat, order coffee, weigh menu options, sip a mimosa, savour, get a second coffee… and repeat.
Global Morning News Anchor Jennifer Crosby orders her bacon crispy and her lattes — often.
Brunch City Restaurants
Mo:Le Restaurant
554 Pandora Ave., molerestaurant.ca
Habit Coffee
552 Pandora Ave., or 808 Yates St.
habitcoffee.com
Ferris’ Upstairs Oyster Bar
536 Yates St., ferrisoysterbar.com
Ferris’ Downstairs Grill is equally delicious, louder and more traditional
Lady Marmalade
608 Johnson St., ladymarmalade.ca
Avalon
1075 Fort St.
Willie’s Bakery
537 Johnson St., williesbakery.com
Blue Fox
Walk up Fort Street until you see
the big group of people
919 Fort St., 250-380-1683
Their biggest hits include a Moroccan Chicken Benedict, and Oranges del Sol French toast (topped with vanilla velvet sour cream sauce, oranges, Triple Sec syrup and pecans).
Floyd’s
866 Yates St., floydsdinervictoria.ca
Along with John’s Place, Floyd’s was recently featured on Food Network Canada’s “You Gotta Eat Here.”
Order a Breakfast Scramble with eggs, spinach, roasted garlic, herb pesto and feta to help you recover from too much night before.
John’s Place
723 Pandora Ave., johnsplace.ca
Big portions for small prices. John’s lengthy menu will be easy on your
wallet and tough on your waistline — but the waffles are worth it. Opt for
the cream cheese syrup.
Shine Café
1548 Fort St. or 1320 Blanshard St.
shinecafe.ca
Shine specializes in variations on
the classic Eggs Benedict. Choose
the densely delicious Scottish
pancake scone as your side —
more pancake than scone.
Zambri’s
820 Yates Street, zambris.ca
This Victoria mainstay recently
moved into the imposing new Atrium Building. Full disclosure: I’ve enjoyed Zambri’s amazing dinner, but the new location opened after I moved to Edmonton. Tomato web editor Amanda LeNeve waxes rhapsodic about the meatballs and eggs.