Weekends were made for a lot of things. Brunch probably comes in at number one for me.
“It’s not quite breakfast, it’s not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end. You don’t get completely what you would at breakfast, but you get a good meal.” — Jacques, The Simpsons
There are plenty of places to go in the city of Halifax for a delicious brunch. Cora’s and Esquire Restaurant are a couple of standards for Cokebaby and me. If we’re feeling adventurous and want to leave our neck of the woods, we also like The Olde Triangle. Brunch for me usually means Eggs Benedict or, if I’m tricking myself into thinking I’m healthy, Eggs Florentine.
If you’re a foodie and into Twitter, a great way to find new eateries is to get your followers to do your legwork for you. Thanks to my followers, I was able to jot down some new places to hit up at a later date. The one that caught my eye came courtesy of @wryandginger who recommended Finbar’s Irish Pub.
Located in Sunnyside Mall in Bedford, Finbar’s is a great spot if you’re looking for pub fare and not interested in heading downtown. There’s a good selection of Irish beer on tap and if you’re into lamb burgers and hand cut fries this is the place to go. For an additional cost, you can even swap regular fries for sweet potato fries or go with curried chips.
But I digress from brunch.
Photo credit: Andrew Huff from Flickr
I have to admit, at the sight of a new menu I was thrown off course. Usually, I know what I want before I sit down thanks to the technology of online menus. When I saw the word boxty, my confidence in ordering Eggs Benedict faltered.
According to the menu, a boxty is the quintessential Irish traditional meal. It’s a potato crepe stuffed with one of the chef’s unique fillings. Served with Balsamic greens ($11). The day’s flavour was Cajun chicken. I was sold.
I’ve been told by a reliable source that the boxties we get here in Nova Scotia are a glorious bastardization of the original in Ireland. Next week, while on the Emerald Isle, I plan to taste for myself. Meanwhile, here’s what I can tell you about the kind we get in Halifax: They are perfectly delicious and the only other restaurant in the city that serves them (that I’m aware of) is The Olde Triangle at lunch. And they usually sell out. So, I have mixed reservations about letting you all in on the fact that you can now get them at a second location. On the other hand, if you don’t all rush out to try it, the menu item may not survive.
Cokebaby ordered the Finbar’s Irish Breakfast: Two eggs any style, bacon, sausage, homefries, toast, and fried tomato ($9). His meal was satisfactory but not anything he’d write home about. When he has an Irish breakfast there’s an expectation for Irish ingredients. Things like white and black puddings and soda bread. This breakfast was more of a standard full breakfast.
We both had coffee that wasn’t terrible. Now, I’m not saying it was good coffee or coffee that I’d make at home or even go out of my way to get a mug of but for brunch diner coffee it was at least palatable. The service was also efficient and friendly. When it comes to atmosphere, I have to say I enjoyed the quiet afternoon ambience. Often in the evenings it’s crowded and the noise isn’t buffered enough, making conversation difficult. Maybe that’s just old age creeping up on me though.
Kimberly Walsh is a social media and online community manager. You can follow her on Twitter @AliasGrace.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve only been at Finbar’s to hear a co-worker’s husband and bandmate sing. As far as Cora’s goes…I have never had a satisfactory meal there. Recommend Trinity, Brooklyn Warehouse Cafe, Epicurious Morsels and Milano’s for brunch. Still waiting to try Coastal Cafe.
Michelle: That’s too bad about Cora’s although by the sounds of it you’ve got some great alternatives for brunch. We’ll definitely have to check out your recommendations.
The Celtic Corner across from the Ferry Terminal in Dartmouth also serves boxty.
Witchypoo: I don’t think you understand how happy that makes me..! Thanks for that very important food update!
I want boxty and I didn’t know it did until I read this so thank you (I think). I’m sure it would be lovely without meat. Looks filling and I love filling
I want curried fries too. You know, I make curry often but have never had curried fries……
I also want to bottle beets – do you share recipes. They are just yummy though shredded on salad.
I must be hungry. Truthfully, I don’t usually read food reviews but yours were recommended and they are fun! I usually read cookbooks for fun and this is similar. Thanks
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Kathryn: My fave boxty is definitely of the vegetarian variety but they are difficult to come by. Perhaps one day I’ll try making them at home and then I can fill it with whatever my heart desires. I do share recipes and this summer I plan on doing some bottling so I’ll post any of the yummy recipes that I try out and will keep in mind more recipe sharing in the future. Thanks to the person who recommended my food reviews and to you for leaving your lovely comments!