It’s a (Brunch) Jungle Out There

Late-morning weekday meals are good for three things; enjoying great food with shorter-than-weekend-brunch line-ups, meeting friends who have screwy work schedules like myself, and absorbing copious amounts of alcohol from the evening prior. In the case of my pal Bryan Brock, co-founder of the popular 1 LOVE T.O. website and movement, he was reaping the benefits of all three. Well, let’s say he was tentatively enjoying his tasty meal at Lady Marmalade (his stomach was doing cartwheels, after all). But he was thankful for all the greens on his plate, which caused him to remark: “My plate looks like a jungle.”

Brock’s Poached Egg BLT ($11.50) was piled high with roasted tomato, red onion, spinach and chipotle mayo. He substituted avocado for the bacon and was a fan of the potatoes which took on some of the kick from its blanket of scallions. His queasy stomach meant only one of the poached eggs was eaten, so I had free range to devour his second. Speaking of which, Lady Marmalade uses free-run, organic eggs when possible and organic St. John’s Bread.

I discovered Lady Marmalade from a Brunch Map, made by my co-worker Lindsay, who’s a Toronto brunch connoisseur (more on that soon). The restaurant is located in the east end, with a sunny interior and charming mismatched furniture. A line-up forms around lunchtime on weekdays, so I can only imagine what it’s like here on weekends.

Lady Marmalade certainly are not afraid of greens, as many of their all-day breakfast dishes are accompanied by a salad. I go with Lindsay’s recommendation and try their infamous savoury Aged White Cheddar & Spinach Waffles ($11.50). It’s surrounded with smokey tomato-orange cream, scallions, bacon, roasted tomatoes and of course, a salad. The waffles are incredibly rich and filling, which means I’m also thankful for the balance of fresh veggies.

Whether you’re hungry or hungover, Lady Marmalade is the perfect spot for a weekday or weekend brunch filled with plenty of vegetation.

Lady Marmalade / 898 Queen St. East, Toronto
647 351 7645 / Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat & Sun 8am-3pm