BITE: Reunited With My Pancake Lover

14 years later, Pay Chen reunites with a Parkdale brunch spot she never forgot

I waited 14 years to be reunited with a brunch I never forgot. I don’t have a valid excuse for waiting this long. I got busy, I moved away, shiny new brunch spots opened up to tempt me, but mostly, I dreaded the streetcar ride.

Tucked away on Sorauren Avenue in an area some call “Parkdale,” and others “Roncesvalles Village,” is the home of the best oatmeal pancake I have ever eaten. Mitzi’s Café has been keeping area residents well fed and caffeinated for 16 years. It’s exclusively a daytime place (they close at 4pm) and the menu is simple.

Every week there’s a variation on a poached egg, omelette, scrambled eggs, pancake and French toast. Granola and freshly baked muffins are also available.

When I am reunited with my lover – the oatmeal buttermilk pancake – it’s topped with espresso custard and toasted almonds ($13.95). Served with some perfectly roasted potatoes, I am efficiently carb-loaded. It’s a thick, fluffy, and substantial pancake that combines the heartiness of a bowl of oatmeal with the fluffy, dessert-like treat of buttermilk pancakes.

While eggs benedict are nice, and omelettes with cheese and mushrooms are lovely, you’ll find more unique variations at Mitzi’s. The other week the omelette ($13.95) was made with maple roasted pork tenderloin, old cheddar, spinach, and topped with a savoury applesauce. The scrambled eggs ($13.95) were a creamy mix of honeyed jalapenos and Havarti cheese with a chipotle sour cream.

Owners Jason Bradfield and Michael Watson scooped up Mitzi’s when it recently went up for sale. Customers for the past 16 years, they loved the casual, family-friendly atmosphere and food. Owners since January, they have plans to refresh the café esthetically, but the food will remain the same. When the warmer weather arrives, the patio will open and a weekday lunch menu will be introduced. While “cash only” was no big deal back in the mid 90’s, Jason and Michael plan to update the payment options.

The open kitchen (and small room) mean you will smell like breakfast when you leave. Let’s call it, Eau de Brunch. If you don’t roll out of bed until after 10 a.m., then expect a wait – the café seats about two dozen (hooray for the patio seats!). It was foolish of me to wait so long to return. I strayed and ventured elsewhere to satisfy my brunch cravings, but I’m back and ready for a new relationship…with an oatmeal pancake.