where jess ate

There’s certainly no shortage of great brunch in the city but what we’re really lacking are restaurants that take reservations for brunch. Most of the time, we’re either waking up extra early to beat the rush or we’re spending an hour+ waiting. Sometimes, you just don’t want to deal with the hassle. That’s where Hopgood’s Foodliner (@FoodlinerTO) comes in.

Located on Roncesvalles, Hopgood’s Foodliner is a Maritime-inspired restaurant serving “contemporary east coast comfort.” The restaurant is named after a chain of supermarkets on the east coast owned by Chef Geoff Hopgood’s family (@chefhopgood).

We dined here several years ago when the restaurant first opened and had a really great experience but we haven’t been back until recently given that we now live on the east end. But after one look at their brunch menu, we knew it would be worth facing the awful Gardiner traffic to get there. If you remember the amazing brunch at the now-closed Hoof Cafe (think foie gras french toast and bone marrow doughnuts!), Chef Hopgood was actually the man in charge there.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was shocked to see it so empty. During our entire meal here, there were only a couple filled tables. I don’t think they’ve been serving brunch for too long so maybe that’s the reason. It’s currently being served on Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm but our server mentioned that they’re thinking of offering brunch on Saturdays as well.

Hopgood’s Foodliner’s brunch menu consists of many tempting dishes including the “Full Scotian” with black pudding, bacon, potato cakes, fried eggs and mushrooms. In addition to the entrees, you can order seafood (including oysters, little neck clams and crab) on the side.

I decided to go with the Eggs Benedict – with truffled hollandaise and smoked ham on a Mabel’s croissant ($16). The perfectly poached eggs were covered in a flavourful hollandaise and the fatty ham gave it all a nice saltiness. The croissant was slightly toasted, making it extra flakey. All in all, a killer eggs benny. The only downside is that it doesn’t come with any sides.

Mike went with Hopgood’s Hot Chicken and Waffles – fried chicken, buttermilk waffles, baby thyme, coleslaw and a fried egg ($15). While we both loved the benny, the chicken and waffles was even better! This was one of the best fried chicken dishes I’ve had in recent memory. The chicken was fried to perfection – a nice crisp and flavourful batter and wonderfully moist on the inside. The waffles were delicious and the gooey egg on top gave it a breakfast-y feel. I love sweet and savoury combinations and this knocked it out of the park.

We wanted to end our meal with something sweet so we ordered the Burnt Toast – with fresh cheese and strawberry preserve ($10). I was expecting something along the lines of french toast but this was literally a piece of slightly burnt brioche topped with cheese and preserves. Initially, I had thought about ordering this for my main but I’m glad I went with the benny instead. While we enjoyed the cheese and preserves, it was definitely overshadowed by the benny and chicken & waffles.

We had such a great brunch at Hopgood’s Foodliner. I’m still shocked at how empty it was while we dined here. We’ve had brunch at a couple other spots on Roncesvalles and Hopgood’s is definitely a stand-out!

At a glance:

• A Maritime-inspired restaurant by Chef Geoff Hopgood
• Brunch is offered on Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm; reservations accepted
• Located on Roncesvalles
• Highlights: Eggs Benedict and Chicken & Waffles
• Loved the brunch service here; highly recommended

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 4.5 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 3 stars