December 07, 2014

Sunnyside Cafe, Esquimalt


Saturday was my third running of the Salvation Army Santa Shuffle.  Which went very well, Andrea paced me to push me hard, and I finished in a personal best for the course.  And it was a -fun- run, not a race.  I had fun, the people dressed as elves had fun, the Sally Army raised some money.  So who cares what my time actually was, just that it was more good exercise (I was happy I ran a fast time, so I guess I cared after all)

And afterwards, we headed to the Sunnyside Cafe in Esquimalt. I'd seen it at the top of many brunch lists, and as we were near-ish by, invited the normal brunch crew along to join in, and they came out for food and a catch up.  It is situated almost at the Navy Base, underneath Action Motorbikes.  The space is small, a long narrow frontage with a couple of tables outside and about seating for 20 inside.  It's counter service for the orders, but there was a server double fisting coffee and cream once we got seated.

The menu is pretty extensive, with about eight different Benny's, half a dozen lunch items and the standards of eggs, bacon, sausage and bread. The huevos have been mentioned as being really good. There's a also a build your own sandwich option, where you can get scrambled egg in a bun or wrap with two extras, like bacon, mushrooms or cheese.

I ordered the scrambled egg wrap with bacon and sausage.  There was an option of turkey, normal pork and sage or chorizo.  I went for the spicy sausage, with a side of potatoes and a big coffee.  The Brunette joined us a bit later and order a half portion of the vegetable Eggs Benedict.

The wrap was good.  The sausage was cooked well, spiced well and tasty, the juices flowing into the eggs and bacon.  The potatoes were sliced and quarter pieces of vegetable, partly fried I think and mostly boiled. And covered in a red powder that might have had some cayenne in.  The filled me up, but not so that I'd get excited about them.  Like I can get excited about good hash browns.

The Lovely Brunette of My Acquaintance has just raved about the Benny.  The half portion was a perfect size for her, and the hollandaise had some basil or herbs in it to make it really flavourful.  It was served with a couple of big slices of tomato, which had been warmed, not fried in the pan. This completed the meal, rather than carbing it up with potatoes.

The coffee was a good solid brew, setting the energy levels off again, but not so dark and potent that I would be vibrating for the next two hours.  I appreciated the constant top ups, and the service all around was fast and happy.  The whole experience was a good one, partly helped I am sure by the venue being just busy enough that we didn't have to wait, but there was people and liveliness about the place.  It's a good local place, and I'll be back next time I'm in the area for brunch... which given normal service will be for next year's Santa Shuffle.

Sunnyside Cafe on Urbanspoon

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