Littlefish
Littlefish in the Junction is a brunch spot I've been meaning to make the great swim across town to. Armed with two friends to split a cab and swap food with, I realized that these waters are not as wide as they first seemed.
The place reminds me of my best friend's cottage - the one that is accessible only by boat (get it?) - and comes close to picket-white calmness that I've seen in movies. With simple pastel-hued furniture, radiating of delicacy and neatness, and containing much history in its walls.
Case-in-point: I overhear the staff talking about "cat-paw bricks," and like the nosy cat lady I am, I have to ask. Apparently, the old-timey methods of brick production found them left to dry outside, and in a prime position to be defaced by curious paws. This means the brickwork is quite old (and 100x cooler).
It's worth noting that leisurely Saturday brunches are an unbelievable luxury for me, this Saturday being the first I've had off in about 3 months; the price I pay for my irregular work hours and leisurely weekday brunches, I take it. It seems fair, but it also seems like I just won the lottery or something when I get up after 10am and plan my day around this meal.
I've also gotta mention that despite opportunities aplenty, I have never had huevos rancheros before. In honour of my dear friend Kate, sitting at home with a baby too young to have brunch (or food) at all, I am inspired to order her favourite dish ($12), perhaps by the same divine forces that inspire her to call me in the middle of it.
It's a bit more basic than I've witnessed in the past, but definitely satisfying enough to quell my fears of "did I make the right choice!?"; inevitable when dining with friends who order the thing you almost did.
The cheese and egg melt together in a creamy, stringy mess contained by the tortilla and smothered in all the right garnishes - though I was maybe expecting some beans in there. As this is my first time, I can't be certain if I was supposed to.
Much like our server predicted, our forks are getting passed around the table like nobody's business, ensuring nobody misses anything.
Holly has gone for the basic breakfast ($7); the stars of which are little sausage patties, emphatically recommended by our server. I push my mental block (re: eating tube-shaped meats) aside and try a little piece. I'm in luck! Because, as I just said, they are shaped more like mini-burgers, which I superficially feel much better about.
I haven't had a sausage in years, but these are very tasty; they taste very fresh, a little spicy and look hand-assembled. Holly is crazy about them, like the practically incandescent caraway-free rye toast ("no seeds! Just the way I like it"), and home fries. "Make sure you get some onion in there," she says, as I scavenge around on her plate. "It's nice and charred... the best part."
Ardi's stack of strawberry-rhubarb French toast ($8) comes drizzled with cinnamon crème fraiche, and is a dense and sticky delight. My pangs of envy are soothed by the generous samples she gives me, one last (and sizable) piece acting as the perfect dessert morsel to my cheesy breakfast. A proper balance of sweet and savoury (ie. high levels of savoury) is achieved, which I enjoy for a moment, and throw back out of whack with a large piece of Devil's Food cake for the road.
The cake is a little richer (though that's probably my chocolate-aversion talking) and stiffer than I expected, but the fondant icing is surprisingly not; a thick and creamy white chocolate paste that I keep eating, even after I've had my fill of the cake.
Never do I try this at home. I think it's a vacation thing.
Discussion
18 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
i stopped off here one morning to grab a coffee and muffin, not realizing that it's more of a sit-down place. the coffee was so-so (they definitely need a lesson from crema across the street). the muffin was pretty small for $2 but it tasted homemade. $12 for huevos rancheros seems pretty steep when you only get one wrap. have you tried the one from the beet?
Nice place, was there yesterday.. great addition to the area.
I love this place and it's just another reason why I adore the junction. But really, a cab to get there? It's perfectly accessible by taking the Junction 40 Bus from Dundas West Station, which will drop you practically at Littlefish's door. Common now!
i wasn't overly impressed with this place. kinda pricey for what it is. best to stick with simple stuff like the 2 eggs & bacon or pancakes. ditto on the coffee remark.
Check out Yasi's Place for another great Junction brunch spot - 299 Wallace Ave, a couple blocks east of Lansdowne. http://www.yasisplace.ca/
The huevos rancheros at Swan on Queen West include beans and look much different than the one pictured here. Apparently Swan's is really good - and it's huge.
My bad, guys. I think that the "Huevos" (as it was specifically named) on the menu were intended to be more Mexican-style eggs, as opposed to the full out "Huevos Rancheros" (ie. "ranch eggs") which do seem to usually be a bit more elaborate.
$12 *does* seem a wee bit high especially in relation to the other dishes, but it was yummy and very filling, for what it's worth.
Sorry for the oversight!
Also:
You're right, Jessie, I have taken the Junction bus before and it is very reliable; I don't usually take cabs unless in extreme circumstances, but on this day, with 3 people, to take the TTC would end up being just slightly cheaper and would take about 3 times as long. :-)
Thanks for the review - I've been meaning to check them out. I've heard mostly good things about Little Fish, however it does take some time to find yr footing when opening a new eatery. They could use a sandwhich board outside - I often walk by without realizing it's there.
Nice photos! The ones on the main BlogTO page totally made my mouth water.
Mentally noted and tucked away for later usage, the basic breakfast looks delish.
But since this was brunch, was the coffee free refills?
'twas! (free refills) :-)
I don't think Junctioneers quite understand how big of a deal it is that this guy has opened in the Junction. Kerry has opened some incredibly unique and successful businesses in Toronto; Ok Ok diner in Leslieville, The Lincoln, The Mockingbird to name a few.
Slightly ahead of the curve and a bit different fits in perfectly with the Junction in my opinion.
I ate at Littlefish with my family and I thought the meal was exceptional. Homemade sausage patties, crisp (not mushy) potato homefries, homemade salsa & guac.
The extra effort & attention to detail is there and I certainly appreciate it. I also thought the prices were very reasonable & the atmosphere very warm & comfortable. Staff were attentive and friendly.
Great to see a new eatery in the junction however they need to work on delivering a consistent and good product. We went there at 2pm on a weekday and were the only customers. We received barely warm hot chocolate that we had to send back (the server may have been new and admitted he didn't know how to make it) and the muffins were just okay (small for 2.00 and nothing to brag about compared to Crema's or the Beets muffins). Unfortunately, my husband also witnessed someone in the kitchen licking a mixing utensil and putting it back in the batter - not cool and while he should have said something, he was too disgusted and walked out. Homemade is one thing, but don't foodsafety is critical. That said, I'm willing to give them another try for brunch because I'd like them to succeed.
I enjoyed my first experience at Little fish. I enjoyed their mexican spicy hot cocoa a lot. $28 for two of us including tip is reasonable considering the meal was delicious. I will be going back.
This is a good new place, best place to go directly in the Junction for brunch if it's too far and cold to go to Yasi's.
There is a bit of finding it's feet, the coffee is sometimes not that hot, egg orders wrong...but it's new. for a place that has been open about a month these are minor and it's a totally great addition to the area. Staff are really friendly too.
Licking mixing utensils? Disgusting. Shows a complete lack of respect for food safety and more importantly, customers. I'm a chef in a well known bistro downtown and had I ever witnessed that from one of my staff, that person would have been fired on the spot. Totally unacceptable.
I totally agree. Restaurant was recommended by a co-worker but after that comment NO WAY. Hope this staffer was let go.