TOAST UNDER THE TABLE: Grazie (Bell's Corners)

Every now and then we come by a new place that I get super excited to share with everyone. Im very excited about this one. For the past few weeks we have been exploring the breakfast options in Bell's Corners, and noticing how many new signs advertised weekend brunch. One of these places was Grazie, which set up a billboard advertising it by the street. It went in the same strip mall that the Kid Kaf was, but on the other end. When we walked it, it was much more casual of an atmosphere than we expected. Italian names seem to evoke images of fancy table cloths and bring back images of our tots running around while the patrons eyed us uneasily.. Not here. It's casual, friendly, and welcoming. Perfect for families, friends, or anyone who just want to go out for a great breakfast. The restaurant has 3 high chairs and 3 booster seats, but the booths are the perfect hight that the kids didn't need either. They had a tv showing the news, and one other couple who was out for breakfast. I noted right away that the tables could be repositioned to accommodate any size of group, and I will certainly be picking it for breakfast meet-ups for the future. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming.

We were even more impressed by the menu. They accommodate everyone, it seems! They had many gluten-free options: pancakes, toasts, cereals, pizza, and entire meals! They offered custom smoothies, and milk options like almond, soy, etc. and they had heart-friendly options including a meal called "The Heart Institute" that consisted of egg whites, fruit, pumpernickel bread, and I believe turkey. They had all of our favourites as well: benedicts, 2 egg breakfasts, pancakes, omelettes, waffles, the works. Not only this, but the prices were incredibly affordable; starting at $4.50 for a complete breakfast WITH coffee.

Toast Man decided on a 2 egg breakfast, I had a benedict, and the kids split the chocolate chip banana pancakes. The food was ready impressively quickly in less than 10 minutes. The first bites were enough to get us hooked. The home-fries were wonderfully seasoned, the fruit was fresh, and the hollandaise sauce was delicious and the pancakes were some of the best we've tried.

We all polished off our generously portioned meals, and my mouth is still watering a few hours later as I write this. I think we have a new favourite and I can't wait to go back.