A Sunday Affair: Big Momma’s Boy

Two weekends ago, my friend Eric was in town. This meant a weekend of indulgence- eating my heart out all over the city simply because I could! So when Sunday rolled around I knew I wanted to take Eric out in typical Toronto fashion: to brunch.

Finding a brunch spot where both Eric, myself and the husband would be satisfied was another story, however. As much as I love going out to brunch, my brunch spots tend to be more of the healthy-hippie-variety, not exactly my hockey-playing-oreo-loving friend’s scene.

With a little research on BlogTO, I found a spot that I thought would work for all of us- Big Momma’s boy, a house-turned restaurant in an unassuming area of Cabbagetown. I was delighted as soon as we walked in- it looked like we were walking into someone’s family home! We were promptly led upstairs to a bright room, nearly empty, and seated next to a wall featuring painted portraits of cats, of all things.

Laughing about the décor, we didn’t have much time to glance at the short brunch menu. Filled with classics- always with a small twist (home fries with goat milk yogurt) Nick and Eric knew what they wanted immediately. It took me a little longer because even though the gluten-free options were prominent, I haven’t been eating much meat lately- this restaurant is definitely not for the vegan type- but I settled on a mix of sides that I thought would satisfy all my brunch cravings.

I started with some of their homemade gluten-free almond bread with house jam, a poached free-range flax-fed egg and a small side salad. The salad was basic, just some greens with some fresh berries thrown on top- but the viniagrette was a perfect complement to the simplistic salad.

I was most impressed with the egg- poached perfectly, which I enjoyed on one slice of my almond bread- a mix of sweet and savory, perfect with a smear of jam and equally as suitable to dip in runny egg yolk.

The boys feasted on classic eggs-and-bacon breakfasts, with sourdough bread and homefries. The eggs were cooked well, the bacon flavorful and the homefries outstanding. I do appreciate the effort of serving more natural, organic meat options. I don’t mind that my husband eats more meat than I do, but I do like when he can choose the healthier option!

The prices were reasonable, not your cheap-o diner but not an upscale restaurant either. Our three meals came out to just around $30 with teas all around.

Overall I loved the options that were provided- a large variety of sides to add on to your meal, plenty of gluten-free subs and the accommodation I received requesting a “sides only” meal. I do wish there were more vegetarian or vegan options- I do eat eggs so it wasn’t a huge problem,  they feature a gluten-free egg’s benedict I would love to try, maybe I’ll request it without the ham. But vegan options were far and few between aside from maybe a salad with some toast- hardly a full brunch. Depending on what you’re looking for, I think this could be a great option for gluten-free friends and classic brunch lovers alike.

What kind of options do you like to see on a brunch menu? Though I am not vegan, I do eat a mostly plant-based diet so I appreciate there being a vegan option. And I am always overjoyed when restaurants feature gluten-free breads- especially homemade!

xo

A Sunday Affair is a series documenting my love affair with brunch, featuring brunch spots all around Toronto and beyond.

Tagged as: breakfast, brunch, review