Aunties & Uncles, Part II: I've already written about this place over here, but I went back over the weekend and had the most orgasmic meal: a fancy kind of grilled cheese sandwich made with brie, pear chutney and walnuts on challah. Each bite was rich and gooey and crunchy and just... just heavenly. Maybe not traditionally brunch-y, but still: perfect.

A Tex-Mex Showdown: La Hacienda (640 Queen St W) vs. Sneaky Dees (431 College St): I've had quite a few people recommend Saving Grace on Dundas to me. One morning, we drove over, and even got the best parking spot ever. Andrew looked at the restaurant from the car and said, "It looks a little... minimalist." Neither of us are fans of minimalism. We walked over, pressed our noses against the glass and realized that the minimalism was due to the fact that half the restaurant was being ripped up for renovations. Saving Grace will be closed until March. So. We ended up on Queen, at La Hacienda. I was craving Mexican. The brunch itself was nice - read the paper, sat in a comfy seat, felt all relaxed and Saturday morning-y. But, I wasn't so impressed with the rest of the meal. I had a plateful of soggy pinto and black beans covered with a fried egg, and a wedge of crumbly cornbread. Andrew had the breakfast burrito, which was a contradictory blend of dry tortilla and wet insides. Still in the mood for a good Tex-Mex breakfast, I went to Sneaky Dees the next day and had the huevos rancheros. For a few dollars you get a huge tortilla bowl stuffed with ham, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, topped off with a fried egg. Sneaky Dees wins.

The Rosedale Diner (1164 Yonge Street): A fancy, not fake diner for sure. I ate the Eggs Dostoyevsky (smoked salmon and orange hollondaise), and it came with frites instead of homefries, perfect and mixed with gossamer threads of fried onions. Andrew had the French toast, which, although not the best, was good. The crowd wasn't too annoying for a fancy-kind of place and they served real coffee. The bill, including coffee, was a little less than $30, and we were completely stuffed. It was worth it. If you're driving over, park in the LCBO parking lot across the street. Visit the LCBO too, and if you're lucky you can sample little plastic cups of wine. Go to the fish store afterwards as well.