Restaurants
Scratch Fresh Foods
Scratch Fresh Foods is in an absolutely abysmal location. Unless you live near Glencairn subway, you likely wouldn't know about it; but you should. "Fresh" doesn't only apply to the food, but also to the very concept behind the business, which is run by Sonya Spagnola-Lee. Helping like-minded chefs get a head start in an industry synonymous with incredibly expensive upfront costs is a gutsy move.
She was in the same boat a few years earlier, starting with homemade dips. Prepared dips evolved into catering, and when a small laundromat in her neighbourhood folded (sorry, bad pun) Sonya dove in head first. Catering turned into a market, then with some nudging from customers, a small café, and cooking classes.
Closed Monday and Tuesday, the market-cum-café is well-stocked for grab n' go meals or for those not under time constraints: there are about 10 tables in the quaint dining room. Shelves line the entry way, stocked with products made by Sonya's protégés such as ready-to-go sauces, spices and desserts.
It's a family business, so service is swift and friendly. Sonya's daughter was our server, and her son was helping out in the kitchen. The food focuses on breakfast-to-lunch-style dishes, with the most expensive plates hovering around $13. Sonya is adamant that everything is from scratch, hence the obviously straightforward name.
The Full Englishman ($12.99) lives up to its name. A gluttonous portion of three eggs, (perfectly over easy), bangers, thick-cut bacon strips, a mountain of home fries, lightly buttered toast, and a lovely side of baked beans makes for a belt-busting meal.
Next up is the yogurt, which sees fresh fruit atop a deep bowl of vanilla yogurt ($6.25), which balances out the cholesterol collision with a welcome splash of colour (and vitamins).
Mini Cinnamon Pancakes ($5.99, or $9.49 for bigger portion) are a bit of a contradiction, in size at least. Three freeform and fluffy pancakes with a dusting of icing sugar and a smattering of cream cheese frosting leave me shaking like a sugar junkie. I probably should refrain from drinking maple syrup, but when it comes in an adorably tiny mug, things get reckless.
The Soup and Sandwich ($6.99) combo is another mega portion. Brothy butternut squash soup is an excellent partner for the king-sized chunky chicken and grilled cheese bacon sandwich, while the crusty, grilled white bread offers exceptional soup-dipping opportunities. I was easily sated by half of the sandwich and couldn't find the bottom of the soup bowl.
With a focus not solely on her bottom line, Scratch Fresh is unlike anything else I've ever seen. Dedicated to the local food movement and encouraging other wannabe chefs to join her is just the beginning. Sonya's energy is absolutely contagious, and her cooking is unpretentiously delicious. Now, to work on the location.
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The search is on, maybe the bristol yards?
Also +1 for The Bristol Yard - Best English style breakfast I've had in Toronto
I've been on the search for a proper FE for a year now and I was excited when I read about Bristol Yard. I was left wanting.
What happened to my posting? I've been posting on Blogto since it started, and have given it much critical feedback over the years to help it improve, and have never had anything removed before. Was this an accident? Surely nothing was written that would incite the removal? Ok, thanks, just wondering what's up. Am i being confused with some other person who posts using my name also?
PS. so far, based on some superficial research, black pudding does indeed appear to be celtic in origin.
http://foodculturewestcork.wordpress.com/tag/black-pudding/
Shane
Thank You
If I was being really picky about a real full english I would have scoffed at the idea of getting three eggs and having them prepared any other way than just "fried".
Now to your point about snootiness. Your comparisons don't hold up. Noone is saying this isn't a valid breakfast- it does indeed bear striking resemblance to a standard canadian breakfast enjoyed by many across the country. However, describing this as a "full english" (which is a relatively specific meal), is very misleading. I imagine people would be put out if a restaurant opened promising traditional napolitan style pizza only to find they made their dough with cornmeal and gluten free flour and topped it with monterray jack cheese. Or curry advertised as a traditional punjabi style dish only to find bland canadian style curry. Or a traditional american style hamburger only to find it's a linda mccartney burger patty in a bun made from riceflour and seaweed. All might be delicious(?) but all are sincerely misleading.
As the owner and chef of Scratch Fresh Foods, I am saddened to hear that you had a less then satisfying experience here with us. While I don't believe our service is poor, I will say that since this review has come out, we have been overwhelmed with business, and by my own fault, not fully prepared for the volume of new customers we had.
Over the last week or so we have taken drastic steps and made major improvements so that we are able to get our food out faster and handle the volume increase much better.
I wish that you had expressed your issues while visiting us, as we hold high expectations for our customer service and gladly would have done all we could to make your visit more enjoyable.
If you would like to contact me via email or by phone, I would love to discuss your concerns further and try to repair your negative experience with us.
Our sincerest Thank You's to everyone who endured the long waits for their understanding. Although very busy, we have very much enjoyed meeting many new faces and look forward to getting to know you all more!
P.s. scratch is fantastic.
http://www.icx.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=12577411