EMMA’S COUNTRY KITCHEN 1108 St. Clair West, at Northcliffe, 416-652-3662, emmascountrykitchen.com.
No relation to Miss Cora’s Kitchen, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen or Ms. Emma Designs, Emma’s Country Kitchen (1108 St. Clair West, at Northcliffe, 416-652-3662, emmascountrykitchen.com, rating: NNNN) comes by her rural roots authentically. Named for the original ECK in Cheltenham run by ex-Stockyards head cook Rachel Pellet’s grandmother, the three-week-old café specializes in old-school baked goods but ditches the barnyard shtick for a more contemporary look.
At brunch, we start with impossibly flaky buttermilk biscuits ($3) that border on croissants, spread with whipped honey butter and house-made blueberry peach preserves.
“They’re the best in the city,” says our chipper first-day server.
She’s not far wrong. The eggy wedge of Swiss chard ‘n’ cheddar quiche that follows also proves a hit, as does its side salad of arugula in tart balsamic vinaigrette. Pellett and co-owner Heather Mee swirl ECK’s retro white bread with local peach compote before dipping it in buttermilk custard and turning it into one of the better examples of French toast (both $11) around. A side of Emma’s Benny – another of those biscuits topped with a poached egg, house-smoke peameal and a hollandaise infused with whipped cream ($6) – convinces us to go for the full monty ($13) next visit.
Billed as a hangover helper, the Kitchen’s I Know What You Did Last Night sausage burger topped with cheddar and house-cured bacon ($13), plated alongside a pile of perfectly skinny frites worthy of Jamie Kennedy, has us wishing we’d done something more exotic last Saturday evening than watch the Olympics in our underwear while sipping Gatorade.
Speaking of spuds, don’t leave without a bag of Emma’s spectacular sea-salted potato chips ($1). One exquisite chip and you’ll never miss Vickie’s again.
