With the closing of my beloved Whistlers, my brunch mainstay for most of my adult life.
(crazy isn’t it?!)
I am now on the prowl for a new watering hole. A new place to hang my cap.
A new place to lose myself for an hour or two on any given weekend.
Yes, there are plenty of diners out there where I can get a quick all day breakfast.
But I can make that myself. (and usually better to be quite honest)
No, I’m looking for elevated, different, flavourful, fun.
I’m looking for interesting, cozy, local, one of a kind, small business.
I’m looking for sourced, local, seasonal, organic, sustainable, healthy (but decadent)
So today I began my search. I started in my neighbourhood with a newish restaurant, that has been on my radar, but I had yet to try.
Rikkochez
They serve a Cypriot / Mediterranean based cuisine. One glance at the menu a couple of months ago had me salivating. Not only are the offerings varied and delicious, but everything is organic, locally sourced and sustainable. They also offer GF & Veg-Vegan options of almost all of their dishes. (not some sad afterthought of 3 options at the bottom of the page) This is their mission statement:
“RIKKOCHEZ refers to a “rebound” — a movement in the food industry that is reviving the core beliefs of an earlier time, when sustainable farming and local sourcing were the norm… a time before ‘fast food’.
Our modern interpretation embodies those fundamental ideas — creating delicious and nutrient-rich food combinations in a locally-inspired Levantine-Eastern Mediterranean cuisine concept that delivers authentic and appetizing meals.
Our menu changes regularly depending on the seasonality and freshness of ingredients, so a specific dish may not be on the menu for long.”
I climbed up onto the chair by the window bench (with possibly the cleanest window I’ve ever looked through) sipped on my coffee and watched my fellow Greektown inhabitants go about their Saturday morning routine. (also, someone sitting in the window of any establishment automatically draws attention and makes it more appealing to passing traffic. No one like to go into an empty restaurant. I can’t count the number of people who walked by, looked at me, then doubled back to read the menu posted on door. I do the very same thing all the time)
The hardest part this morning was choosing which of the delicious options I would test first.
While the Full English breakfast called out to me, I wanted to go for something different and unexpected.
So I went with Mushrooms on Toast.
(Did you know mushrooms are the highest ranked Vitamin D containing veggie? So at this time of year, it is the perfect addition to your regular diet to combat the usual seasonal depletion. anyhoo… )
What was it? Portobello and cremini mushrooms marinaded in miso and tamari, gently sautéed and served on toasted sourdough, with two eggs cooked to your liking. (I went with poached as I still haven’t mastered making those yet) I also discovered a little spinach mixed in! (Bonus vitamin D!!)
It was as delicious as I suspected it would be. A touch on the salty side (which I of course was prepared for due to the tamari/miso combo) but that was perfectly offset by the unctuous yoke from the poached egg, which coated the mushrooms and soaked into the sourdough.
The portion was just right, though some berries would have helped cleanse my salty palate, and the accompanying coffee (a Brazilian/Canadian blend which they also put a great deal of research into) was very tasty, and topped up in a timely fashion.
This is a cozy little room, with a quiet, calm atmosphere, and an attentive, knowledgeable staff.
It was my first visit, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Fast. Food. Re-Focus 