Hot House Cafe

34 Church St.
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 366-7800
Google Map
http://www.hothousecafe.com/

Date: August 6, 2006
What's on the menu: Italian (pizza, pasta, steaks, sandwiches), Sunday brunch buffet
Drinks: Full bar menu (beer, wine, cocktails), fresh squeezed juices, speciality coffees
Atmosphere: Casual and lively
Cost: $56 (tax, tip and drinks)


What better way to start a beautiful Sunday morning than with a hearty brunch meal. Toronto is filled with viable brunch options, but our restaurant choice this time is close to our afternoon destination, the Sky.... Rogers Centre. Hot House Cafe is a known favourite among locals and tourists alike for quick, casual italian fare. Even more known is their famous Sunday brunch buffet ($17.95), so our morning begins with a little concern for availability of a table at this hot spot (no pun intended).

As we walk closer to Hot House Cafe we're relieved to see empty patio spots. Inside, we're greeted by friendly wait staff who offer us a table inside or outside. We opt for the luxury of air conditioning on this hot day... something we know we won't have when we're at the Rogers Centre.

The cafe is big - the west section slightly elevated overlooking a large bar, the bar itself has space available for lone diners, patio seating is plentiful as they line the windows of the restaurant. Our table is in the back of the restaurant in a room normally reserved for private events. CFO is happy our table is within viewing distance of the buffet.

Without even giving our waitress a chance to take our drink order, we're both up and reviewing our food options. The buffet is divided in stations - "designed by you" omellet station, hot food area, salad section, fruits and raw vegetables platters, pastries & breads, waffles and french toast area.

The omelette station catches our eye - omelettes are made to your liking by the Hot House staff. Toppings include mushrooms, roasted red/green peppers, onions, caramelized onions, bacon slices, italian sausage crumble, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, cheddar cheese and a few others. Needless to say there are enough choices for even the pickiest eaters. As we go back to our table our waitress is waiting nearby to take our drink orders - 2 coffees ($2/cup unlimited refills). I sample my omelette, it's good, but it can't really be bad if it's filled with everything I like.

Round 2 is reserved for the salads and hot foods. At the salad section there is pasta, potato, 3 bean, thai stir-fry noodle, Greek, baby shrimp, even a spinach salad with a red wine vinaigrette. Sans the stir-fry, everything was good if not spectacular.

Now onto the hot foods.. what was there? Scrambled eggs, sausages, real bacon slices, roasted potatoes, lasagna al forno, cappeletti pasta, rice pilaf, steak and mushroom pie, bbq chicken thighs and drums, chipotle mussels and a stunningly large roast beef. Again everything was solid... only bad item were the mussels which were overcooked and didn't smell too fresh. Some cuts of the roast beef were a little tough, but given the right slice and a touch of extra spicy horseradish it was excellent.

Next up were the pastries, CFO and I aren't big sweet eaters so we limited our choices to a self-made waffle and an over soaked French toast. The waffles were fluffy and topped with your choice of chocolate sauce, maple syrup, whipped cream or a berry topping. French toast was soaked in syrup and topped with an apple and raisin mixture - not so tasty. We also saw a good selection of breads, bagels, cinnamon buns, cookies, an apple crumble and for dessert lovers 5 whole fresh cakes sliced and served as needed.

Health conscious eaters can rejoice, there was a section just for you - A selection of freshly cut fruit, a fruit salad, raw vegetables with dip, poached salmon, olives and fresh cheese. A quick look around and you'll find most groups enjoying fresh squeezed juices. Among the most popular is the Hot House Juice - a blend of strawberry, raspberry, mango, guava and lime juices ($3.95)

As we fill ourselves with all the tasty food we slowly see the cafe fill to capacity. The crowd is quite diverse - large family gatherings, tourists groups, couples and singles. The omlette station has a steady stream of people. A live jazz band plays in the background. Busy is the ony way to describe the staff. The Hot House Cafe is full of life.

After stuffing ourselves for almost 2 hours we finally decided to call it quits while we could still walk. The Hot House Cafe certainly lived up to expectations - great food and a lively crowd, it was a perfect way to start the day. The overall quality of the food was superb even for a buffet. A couple of items were less then stellar, but with so many choices it was easy to forget the bad dishes. Service was efficient as dishes were quickly cleared and coffee cups always filled. Brunch fans should put Hot House Cafe on their "to try list", our only suggestion.. make reservations, just to be safe.

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