Restaurants
Mitzi's on College
Like Mitzi's Café and Mitzi's Sister, Mitzi's on College, the newest brunch spot in the Mitzi empire, overflows with the hip, the hungry, and the hung-over. Opening on Saturday, it has arrived just in time to pour hollandaise all over a perceived gap in the College/Ossington brunch scene (the diners next to me were bemoaning the lack of a good brunch in this 'hood, forgetting perhaps, that the Dakota Tavern is but a short walk away).
Since Mitzi's College opening had been delayed, I called ahead to confirm it was running and learned that the queue of excited diners stretched down the block. That was enough for my sweetheart and I to delay our trip until 3:30, when most serious Sunday brunchers have already dragged their morning-after smells and heavy bellies back home to bed.
It was a good strategy. By the time we arrived, the queue was a distant memory and only confusion among wait staff could delay our meal any longer. Some caveats: it was Mitzi's on College's second day in operation, and by all accounts it had been a doozy. If service in the future falters like it did on our trip, then only lazy hung-over locals too tired to walk for food will save the restaurant. For now, I'll just trust that Mitzi's needs to sling a few more oatmeal pancakes before they get their groove on. 
I'll also hope that they get some hairnets for their kitchen staff, because my delicious poached egg on sweet potato mash with aged cheddar sauce and sautéed leeks would have been a lot more appealing without the lone human hair nestled beneath my toast. For the record, I didn't mention it to staff: although I don't think hair on my breakfast is cool (especially when said breakfast breaks the $10 mark), I had waited awhile for this meal, and was eager to get on with it. And I'm glad I did, because, for the most part, it was really tasty. Poached eggs were perfectly executed, with whites as firm as the yolks were runny. Nestled atop a blazing orange scoop of sweet potato mash and smothered in a tangy aged-cheddar sauce, they gained delicate crunch from a sprinkle of crispy sautéed leeks. They were everything poached egg treats should be, and warm and tasty enough to add heat and flavour to my cold home fries.
My sweetheart's oatmeal pancake, the Mitzi empire's signature brunch dish, was the winner at our table. Both hearty and fluffy, it rode the fine line between healthy and decadent. Served with blueberries, creamy Pernod custard and a side of whipped cream, it's easy to see why this tasty treat has become the hallmark of a Mitzi's breakfast.
Mitzi's on College is a bit too far from my home and a bit too pricey to ever become a regular brunch option for me, and it's unlikely I'll be returning anytime soon. But one thing is certain: Mitzi's pancakes have earned a permanent place in my breakfast fantasies.
Poached eggs, sweet potato mash, home fries, fruit and toast: $13.75
Oatmeal buttermilk pancake: $13.95
Discussion
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Mitzi's does fill somewhat of a brunch gap; the Dakota is lovely, but not very veggie-friendly.
It seems to me that blogto is more about reporting and revealing Toronto's bountiful new and upcoming things than taking the time (and having the budget) to visit a restaurant 3 or 4 times - especially a place of Mitzi's echelon. I appreciate their consumer-perspective. If you want more in-depth reviews of greater gastronomical value, skip a blog and read Joanne Kates.
Having said all that it was day 2. The food was very good and the patio was really pleasant (well shaded, nice plant boxes, not too much traffic). We'll give it a couple of weeks, try to avoid the rush and go again.
I think there are a reasonable number of options in the general area, actually.
Apart from Swan, now that Mimi's is long gone, Mitzi's is probably the only other place to get the density that a good brunch demands.
Aside from that, what's with the lack of air circulation? Thank goodness we haven't been hit with any sort of real summer yet, because if it were any hotter inside the poached eggs my friend had would have been hard boiled by the time they made it to the table... invest in a fan, at $14 a pancake they should be able to afford a couple.
prices are high but if you treat yourself to brunch once in a while, who cares.
i will return.
And yes, reviewing a restaurant after only one visit is amateurish at best.
i do think it took a bit too long to get our food .. but who cares! it was their first weekend.
we've been back several times and have enjoyed every meal. The service is far better then most brunch places .. and should be for the price we've payed for our meals. I know it seems like a lot for most people .. but where are you going to get poached eggs on eggplant and saffron yogurt?? not many .. all in all my partner and i (who have lived in this 'hood for 10 years) are happy something decent has opened...
the servers and owners keep telling me that they are planning on opening for dinner soon ..
can't wait ...
Best brunch place on college, Boom, or everything else OTHER than Mitzi's on college. Absolute waste.
mitzi's however is pretty good. my partner had the pestoclub and I had eggs. What baffled me was our bill afterwards. After breakfast, coffees, tax & tip it was over $40. It took over an hour for us to get our food and they were actually OUT of a lot of things.
we will absolutely not return.
This "review" is completely worthless.
CAN YOU PEOPLE NOT WAIT UNTIL A JOINT HAS BEEN OPEN FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WRITING A REVIEW?
AND VISIT THE JOINT AT LEAST TWICE?
YOU CONTINUE TO BE VERY DISRESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOODS THAT THEY HAVE POURED EVERYTHING INTO.
Simple logic suggests that if you aren't ready to serve food then hold out.
If the City of Toronto came in for a surprise inspection, would you cry and say "BUT IT'S our SECOND DAY?". Yeah, that's not going to fly.
In addition, our servers (we had one server waiting on us and another who helped her out) were both absolutely adorable, charming and efficient. Very friendly, too. Mitzi's is not in my neighbourhood, either, but we will definitely come back. The layout may have been rather long and narrow, but the chairs and booths were very comfortable and it had a very nice ambiance. It was a little warm in there and I do hope they will have some kind of air circulation on hotter days. But those are petty little quibbles, compared to the lovely food, service and atmosphere. Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Loved the ambiance, so homey and cozy, and the staff was very friendly.
The food was great, so fresh, tasty, and arranged beautifully. Not the largest portions in the world, but really, really good and down-to-earth food. Everything seems like it is made solely for you. We had the Maple Latte (heaven in your mouth), an omelette special with pork and leeks (tender and tasty), and the homemade granola (outstanding, extremely crunchy, full of seeds, and not too sweet at all) with fresh yogurt and fruits.
for ordinary brunch
sorry I would rather goto lady mamalade
Is it a good idea to bring someone on a date to that place? ^^"
I just wanted to know if the place is calm... cosy.
Thank you!
Again, had the worst service ever. The only reason I didn't walk out is because the food is good. How can they still not figure out?!? Shocking.
The kitchen didn't get our order because their machine was broken so we waited 30 mins longer for food after waiting in line for 20 mins, fine. But why does the "manager" proceed to turn his back when offering coffee and water refills instead of offering our table any. Totally absurd. We were sitting at our table waiting for someone ask us if we wanted the bill. Are you supposed to pay at the bar area? Oh yeah, we asked the "manager" server, whatever for the bill and he totally forgot and then ignored us for another 15 minutes. If we got up and left without paying I don't think they would have noticed. If your customers look like they would like to pay and leave, you should ask them. Thanks for wasting 2 hours of my life.
If you are going to run a busy establishment, please get it together and do it properly. Hire bussing staff, hire wait staff that can actually do their job. Its really not that hard.