#5 on blogTO’s 50 Best Brunches: Lady Marmalade
The Location: Lady Marmalade (everyone lives west of here, right? Then take the Queen Street car all the way east of Broadview)
The Time: Friday afternoon
The Company: Fellow brunch-enthusiast and regular blog guest star Wendy, and husband Chris
Our vegetarian dishes are friends
Veggie Menu: Standard eggs with toast and potatoes, A.M. poutine (vegetarian!), Huevos Rancheritos and Huevos Migas (variations on a theme), organic tofu scramble, roasted vegetable or fresh tomato and pesto Eggs Benedict, a fruit parfait, porridge, and buckwheat crepes filled with fruit
Veggie Specials: Roasted garlic and navy bean soup
Going for brunch involves paying your dues. Usually this involves standing in line in a drafty doorway, or hungrily waiting for a text from the hostess while at a nearby coffee shop. Our good brunch friend Wendy paid these dues for us today as we cleaned up an unappetizing doggy accident and made an emergency trip to the dry cleaners. Thank you Wendy, for making this brunch possible.
Lady Marmalade is all business, so it’s no wonder they’re number 5 on blogTO’s list. The service was friendly and the food delivery was fast. They’re clearly old pros and know how this brunch thing works. Because of this, they decided to stop serving their breakfast poutine because it was slowing them down. It makes sense for efficiency, but was a huge disappointment. Poutine for breakfast needs to be a part of my life. Take it off your menu, Lady Marmalade, if you can’t serve it when you’re busy – it’s my understanding that you’re ALWAYS busy.
Brunching buddies
Our waitress recommended a vegetarian version of their Huevos Migas. I enjoyed the process of eating it, as I like dipping tortilla chips in anything and everything. The food tasted good too, but I remember the event more than the flavours. Chris’ roasted veggie Benedict was a decent benedict, but I wouldn’t travel out of my way to have it.
Lady Marmalade thrives in Leslieville because their residents also take brunch very seriously. In my opinion, it pales in comparison to the nearby Bonjour Brioche, which is more chaotic, less organized, but more delicious.
Lady Marmalade had a chance to win my love, commitment, and loyalty, as Bonjour Brioche doesn’t have a vegetarian breakfast poutine. But you withheld from me, Lady Marmalade, and for now, my Leslieville heart belongs to someone else.
veggie.brunch.toronto 
Are you crazy girl! The Bennies are the best in the city! Nowhere will you find a more delicious hollandaise sauce. Trust, I have tried.
I think I should have gotten a benedict with avocado. My favourite benedict is still at Starving Artist, with the waffles and avocados, but their ridiculous wasp problem and lack-luster sides keep them from being higher on the list.
I have mixed feelings about this spot. At times overly pretentious, other times really chilled. Trouble for me, non-vegetation, but allergic to soy, is that the veggies options are not friendly for me. And they haven’t always been pleasant about accommodating my allergies.
Bonjour Brioche is better, but Lady M’s price is better.
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