where jess ate

Delux has been on our brunch list for a while. If I had known how amazing their brunch was, I would have made an effort to drop by sooner!

They only serve brunch on Sundays from 10:30am to 3pm. Mike and I dropped by just before noon one Sunday and unfortunately all the two-tops had been recently reset. However, they offered us stool-seating at the counter near the door. I didn’t mind since that meant I could get some food in my stomach sooner.

The restaurant, located on Ossington between Dundas and Queen, has a casual and relaxed feel to it. They have a small bar at the back of the restaurant which sits in front of the kitchen.

After taking our coats, the server asked us about drinks. Mike started with the Cuban Coffee ($2.50), which was a sweetened espresso shot. I really enjoyed it but Mike found it a tad too sweet.

Whenever I see donuts on donuts on a menu, it’s a safe bet I’ll order them. The Donuts ($5) at Delux came with six Timbit-sized donuts served inside a little paper bag which had “donuts” stamped on it. These little buttermilk donuts were coated with cinnamon sugar and had a nice crisp outside with a dense, moist interior. They also came with a side of dulce de leche Chantilly cream which paired perfectly with the donuts. But the donuts tasted great on their own too! This is a must-order!

The brunch item we had come here for was their famous Duck Confit Picadillo Hash – with tostones and two sunny side up eggs ($12). This dish certainly lived up to all the hype! The hash consisted of red peppers, raisins, capers, olives, chunky potatoes and of course, pieces of duck confit. The combination of the flavours went together perfectly. I particularly liked the addition of the raisins which added a nice bit of sweetness to the dish. My only complaint would be that there wasn’t very much duck (but the dish had several other components and was only $12).

The hash came with two tostones (plantains which have been smashed flat and fried) which were lightly seasoned with salt. Delicious! Another component of the dish was the black bean rice. I’m not a huge fan of black beans (or any beans, really), but the rice was so tasty I didn’t even mind the beans.

As if that wasn’t enough food, the hash also came with a little arugula and fennel salad which was topped with a light vinaigrette. I loved every component of this dish. And believe me, you won’t be leaving full after this!

The second dish we ordered was the Pressed Cubano Sandwich ($10).It was only noon but the server informed us that the last time he checked the kitchen there were only two sandwiches left. Thankfully we were able to snag one before they were all out. Must be a really popular dish!

The Cubano sandwich consisted of cheese, slices of pork, ham, cornichons and grainy mustard. It pretty much looked like a grilled cheese with ham in it and the price was a little on the high side given that it didn’t come with any sides, but boy did it taste amazing. A fantastic sandwich!

Delux’s brunch knocked it out of the park. This is definitely going in one of my top 3 brunches!

At a glance:
• Brunch served Sundays from 10:30 to 3
• Located on Ossington between Queen and Dundas
• Must order: donuts and duck confit hash

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 5 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars