Simple Bistro is a quaint and cozy little space on Mount Pleasant south of Eglinton. I had never been there before and was looking forward to trying another new restaurant. It’s a lot of fun to go out with my great grandfather for lunch on the weekend, but in addition to a nut-safe restaurant that serves local, real food and can do vegan, we also need somewhere that is good for him – serving eggs and bacon, so we were thrilled to find this spot!
Right when we walked in, we could immediately tell that the service was going to be good, since all of the waitresses had smiles of their faces and they talked very kindly to us. That’s a rare find, even though it shouldn’t be! I ordered a peppermint tea to start – so happy when it’s organic! It’s great that they serve hot water in a pot because I like steeping my own tea at the table. It would be great if they could use loose leaf instead of the tea bag in the future, because it saves so much waste in packaging and tea bags.
I hadn’t had meat in a very long time and decided to take the plunge and order the Simple Burger. What helped make my decision was that the waitress knew exactly the farmer from where the meat came from, and it came with Kozlik’s mustard on it – always a good sign! It was so juicy, which I think was a sign that it was very fresh. The french fries were absolutely amazing – thin and crispy, although, sadly, while I excused myself from the table for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, my family swiped a whole bunch of them!(By the way, I’m still holding a grudge over that). They serve very, very good housemade ketchup and an aoili of sorts too. I love dipping french fries into different dips, don’t you?
My sister ordered the eggs benedict and substituted the spinach for wild leeks (ramps), which they did happily for her and she loved it. It came with huge side salad and a little bowl of hollandaise sauce (because she asked for it on the side). My cousin and my dad ordered crepes that looked fantastic with wild mushrooms, and I would have normally tried them, but I had eaten SO much at Brickworks Farmers’ Market a few hours earlier (a massive crepe as per usual on Saturday mornings from Clements Crepes AND an impeccable grilled cheese sandwich from Ezra Title of Chez Vous Dining) that I was still bursting! Yes, I did eat two full courses for breakfast, I love the farmers’ market!! My mom was thrilled with her roasted veggie salad and and she loved that there was bee pollen in it. Meanwhile, back at my great-grandfather’s side of the table, he was digging into his french toast (bread was housemade!) with wild blueberry compote and cream. We all held our breath as the waitress served him his meal and put a little plate of bacon on the table, because he is very picky with how his bacon is cooked (he is 98 and allowed to be in my opinion), and he said, “this is cooked perfectly”! And, that’s all you should need to know to try this restaurant. Trust me!
I also was fortunate enough to get to meet the owner, Graham, and he was very nice and brought us desserts that were so rich and creamy, which included a s’mores sundae made of chocolate mousse with a chocolate ganache centre, 3 housemade marshmallows on top, and housemade graham cracker crust on the bottom. I really appreciated the plating arrangement of each dessert in a mason jar, which was very cool. I cannot wait to go back again, especially when I’m not so full so I can try more of their menu. Overall, it’s a great neighbourhood spot for brunch and I will return to try their dinner. I hope you all go and try it and can experience the wonderful feeling of knowing the people there are real and so is their food.
- Look how happy my great grandfather is at Simple!
- Rhubarb Dessert!
- Salad with Bee Pollen
- One of the best burgers I’ve eaten
- 100 mile Eggs benedict with salad & wild leeks
- Smores in a mason jar!
