CAPLANSKY’S 356 College, at Brunswick, 416-500-3852, Sunday to Tuesday 10 am to 10 pm, Wednesday to Saturday 10 am to 11 pm. caplansky.com. $$ Rating: NNNNN
Zane Caplansky was having dim sum one recent morning when he had an epiphany.
“I’ve always wanted pancakes on our menu, but French toast is so done, especially stuffed,” says the likeable mensch behind downtown’s favourite deli. “Then it hit me – the Leaning Tower of Caplansky’s!”
No Pisa pizza this. Instead, picture an almost architectural stack of three thick slices of eggy pan-fried Silverstein’s challah (“the poor man’s brioche”) spread with alternating layers of buttery Mendel Creamery’s ‘s cream cheese (“not the same as the old Mandel’s on Baldwin, but close”) and house-made blueberry jam (“I’m a blueberry fanatic!”).
Douse them in real maple syrup (“not the crappy stuff”) and give them a dusting of confectioner’s sugar before draping them with several fat-free rashers of jerky-like beef belly bacon (“we cure it ourselves in the basement,” $13 with fruit salad).
Make sure to save room for lemon ricotta blintzes ($5) and a couple of Lipitors.
