| Thinking we could escape the usual weekend brunch lineups, my friend and I headed to the deep Southeast for Sunday brunch and holiday shopping. Turns out word had gotten out about Cora’s, the popular Eastern breakfast chain (Chez Cora’s in Quebec), and the lineup was longer than anything I’d ever seen at Nelly’s. The hushed murmurs through the crowd was that the food must be good if we were all willing to wait that long to eat breakfast.
Located in a burgeoning Southeast business development and serving neighborhoods like Douglasdale and Mackenzie Towne, more and more of these shopping centres are popping up further and further from the city centre, eliminating the need to head inwards to do errands and shopping. Big-box stores have moved in and the high real estate prices are seeing more chains than independents joining in. One of those chains is the first Cora’s in Calgary, and so we found ourselves on a freezing Sunday morning in a very long lineup waiting to see what all the fuss was about.
A bit of a legend in the small business world, founder Cora Tsouflidou, the "Queen of Quebec Breakfasts," went from opening her first breakfast joint in 1987 in Montreal to nothing short of a dining empire, with over 65 franchised Cora’s restaurants across Canada.
Once we made it inside the door, cozy terra cotta tiles on the floor and shades of soft cornflower blue and buttermilk yellow created a homey country kitchen feel. Chicken, rooster and sunshine motifs, as well as menu items decorated the walls in cheerful and colourful children’s fonts. Staff prepared meals in the huge, open kitchen space.
Smiling out from the front cover of the breakfast menu is Cora’s warm, grandmotherly face. Inside is an extensive range of offerings with pages of bright oversized photos, colourful illustrations and lengthy descriptions. Open from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily (except Sundays – 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.), Cora’s menu focuses on breakfast with a page of lunch choices as well.
We started out by sharing a strawberry banana smoothie ($3.55), a healthy blend of yogurt and fresh fruit. When Cora originally developed her breakfast menu, she wanted to create combinations of traditional morning meals incorporating lots of healthy options, which accounts for all the fresh fruit.
My girlfriend tried the enticing warm brie with maple ($11.95), a huge piece of brie cheese warmed to a soft consistency then covered with mixed nuts, apple slices and maple syrup. Yes, it was as sweet as it sounds. A little too sweet for me, but my friend enjoyed the unique breakfast combo.
It also came with a mountain of fresh fruit on the side, and not the fruit mix you get at some places that tastes like refrigerated canned fruit. This plate had star fruit, kiwis, fresh strawberries and huge grapes just for starters. Healthy eaters tired of the lack of options at the greasy spoon, rejoice!
I tried one of Cora’s most popular dishes, a huge crepe ($11.15), folded in half and filled with thick slices of ham, melted Swiss cheese and fresh asparagus. A fan of the sweet and savoury combination, I also ordered a side of pure maple syrup ($0.65) to drizzle on my crepes.
We were treated to a piece of maple fudge at the exit when we paid our bill, a nice touch. Our breakfast at Cora’s was a delicious and filling way to energize for an afternoon of pre-Christmas shopping. Just allow yourself time to line up if you go!
Cora’s is located at 46 Street S.E. and 130 Avenue S.E.; phone, 265-7545. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.