THREE SPEED (1163 Bloor West, at Pauline, 647-430-3834) Complete brunches for $22 per person, including tax, tip and a pint of Three Speed lager. Average main $11. Open for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm, dinner nightly from 5 pm. Bar till close. Licensed. Access: barrier free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Though it’s better known as the Communist’s Daughter’s bigger sister, Bloordale’s Three Speed is so much more than just another hipster watering hole.
For starters, there’s the two-year-old saloon’s terrific all-weather backyard patio complete with ivy-dripping trellises, rustic cedar decking and a massive wood-burning oven.
Factor in ex-Swan chef Jane Ferriss’s retro brunch card of comfort food classics and it’s little wonder the gorgeous hideaway is packed to the gills this sunny Sunday afternoon.
We’re soon draining Bodums of French-pressed I Deal Coffee beans ($7/$3.50 half) and decimating a pair of freshly baked muffins, one savoury corn spiked with depth-charges of jalapeño and chipotle pepper, the other sweet with caramelized banana and chocolate chips (both $2).
I volunteer for the inevitable Benny and find a pair of free-range poached eggs from nearby Gasparro’s – guess they wandered over here on their own – in textbook hollandaise over beer-braised brisket and cornbread from the Portuguese baker across the street.
The Sammy du jour sees toasted slices of multi-grain with chili mayo significantly stacked with peameal bacon, oven-roasted tomatoes, a fried egg and a veritable forest of leafy green arugula.
The eggs-pert in our group declares the over-easies on top of his corned beef hash – a spicy dice of Chicago 58 pastrami, spuds, onion ‘n’ cabbage (all $11 with sides of dandelion greens in balsamic vinaigrette and buttery Yukon Gold home fries) – exactly to his liking.
We’re not sure quite what to make of what the chalkboard list of specials describes as Baked Eggs ($11 with toast) when it arrives at table.
More like fab poached eggs in miso mushroom soup thick with meaty portobellos and cremini, we think.
Pump it up with a side of sweetly smoked steelhead trout ($3).
As the sound system appropriately shuffles into the Velvet Underground’s Sweet Jane, we raise our pints of Three Speed lager ($5.25) to toast the imminent end of patio season and an al fresco brunch well done.
stevend@nowtoronto.com
