Miss Cora’s Not Missing a Beat

A healthy hearty lunch for five dollars has become nearly myth in Toronto. Now, imagine a place where you could not only get lunch for five dollars, but lunch with a sweet mouthful of dessert and fifty cents change left over for… Well, ok, fifty cents won’t get you far these days. So, let’s recap—I am promising you lunch, desert, and a phone call for the sum total of five dollars. But where is this mythic provider of reasonably priced lunch foods and other goodies? Right in the heart of Kensington Market.

Miss Cora’s Kitchen settled into the heart of Kensington three years ago and have found themselves comfortably at home in the market. Cora’s soul warming food focuses on organic ingredients sourced from the market. A note to the waist wise: it’s healthy because it’s wholesome, not because it’s particularly diet friendly. If I only had one word to describe the effervescent proprietor it would be: epicurean.  Miss Cora’s philosophy is that food is about striking a balance between nourishing the body and nourishing the senses and the soul. Ultimately, according to Cora, it’s “about knowing that what you are eating was made using fresh ingredients, by a real person with love” and deriving pleasure from the experience.

Miss Cora’s Kitchen’s primary focus is catering, but when not feeding office meetings and wedding parties they’ll gladly prepare a few mouthwatering bites for those strolling through the market. Their daily offerings run the gamut from sickeningly sweet to salty and savory.

On the savory front Cora offers a daily soup, a handful sandwiches (5$), and an eclectic array of pizzas(3$), and if you come at the right times, hot mains like homemade pasta with marinara sauce (5$) or Mahogany Beef Stew. The sandwich bread leaves something to be desired, but their fillings steal the show.

The BRIE.L.T, is simple, but delicious. With a healthy serving of brie cheese, accompanied by spinach, a touch of mayo, and ripe roma tomatoes; it’ll satisfy even the loudest of lunchtime stomach growls. The pizzas are unorthodox, made on whole-wheat Persian barberi flatbread (and the tomato sauce is, of course, homemade, and fantastic).

Pizza toppings change to reflect what’s available in season and available in the market. It’s hard to guess what Cora’s next pizza creation will be, but past pizzas have included: chicken breast, with grilled artichoke, and mozzarella; goat cheese, sundried tomato, and baby zucchini; BBQ roast chicken, roasted bell pepper, and basil; steak, blue cheese, and onions.

On the sweet side Cora offers a butter tart your grandmother wishes she could make; flakey, buttery, crusts, filled with a caramel that is neither too runny nor too viscous. This may be butter tart perfection. There is a price to pay for perfection, and it isn’t cheap—2.50$ for these seraphic tarts.

Cora’s was deigned best cupcakes in Toronto by blogto.com. While their cup cakes are good, they’re fairly expensive for a less than euphoric experience. Their mini-cupcakes can often be a little dry, from sitting in the fridge, and lacking in flavour. Their vanilla has a bland cake-bottom and an over vanilla-ed frosting, while their chocolate cupcakes are lacking that ‘wow factor’. Their vegan coconut and their pink velvet cupcakes, however, are dense and absolutely delicious!

1 slice of gourmet pizza with toppings piled high 3$+ 1 mini pink velvet cupcake 1.50$ + 1 phone call = 5$ lunch

Miss Cora’s Kitchen is focused on catering more so than it is its takeaway nibbles, so don’t be too distraught when they run out of sandwiches or other treats, or if something isn’t crafted on the spot for you, there’ll always be tomorrow to sate that sweet tooth.

SERVICE 5/5 — Cora goes the extra mile to make you feel like a welcome friend, instead of a guest, in her kitchen.
AMBIANCE 3½/5 — It’s small, with little sitting room. Three stools to be exact. But the atmosphere is cozy, with butcher’s block counters, warm lighting, and fresh flowers. The kitchen takes up three quarters of the space, but it’s always fun to take a peek at how the magic’s made.
PRESENTATION 3½/5
TASTE 4/5
PRICE ¢
HOURS Monday-Sunday 12-6
LOCATION, LOCATION 69 Kensington Street

Aunties & Uncles

Some restaurants are pros at handling a deluge of customer’s; Aunties and Uncle’s, however, shines brightest during slow weekdays. The small space and open kitchen are often overwhelmed by stumbling undergrads seeking to assuage their hangovers. The wait staff get overwhelmed, the kitchen becomes chaotic, and the patrons grumble and moan about wait times that exceed the half hour mark. But, come on a lazy Thursday for lunch, and you can expect a piping cup of joe that rarely runs dry (2$, Reunion Island), some friendly banter with your sports enthusiast server, and well prepared and plated food.

Yves drinks a cup of Reunion Island coffee. Grown in Madagascar, roasted in Toronto, brewed at AU.

The decore is quaint, but a bit affected—it channels small town Ontario circa the 1950s with its airplane wall paper, outdate maps, long stopped coca cola wall clock, and pastel coloured Formica furniture. AU is homey not because it is particularly comfortable, but because it reminds you of what you think your grandmother’s kitchen would have been like.

Their set menu is ample and diverse with savory, sweet, and vegetarian options. And they are very flexible about sides; choose between challah bread, hash browns, Dijon potato salad, and mixed greens. Their potato salad is possibly the best in Toronto. Made with coarsely cut red skined potatoes, Dijon, fresh dill, and secret spices, this side is sinfully creamy, but it’s actually mayonnaise free and, surprisingly, vegan.

While the menu at Unties and Uncles is excellent for those watching their wallet (nothing over 8.75$), it’s not great for those watching their waists. Almost everything on the menu is heavy, buttery, and eggy. This may be why so many hangovers have been cured at AU. They are channeling that old diner vibe, so, grease should be a given, and on a cold winter day there’s nothing like a full belly to keep you motoring.

Three mains that will fill your belly

The breakfast tacos without chorizo. A poor decision.

The Breakfast Pocket (8.75$) is a patron favourite. The Breakfast Pocket is served on a warm onion bun, and thus is more of a breakfast sandwich than a pocket, but semantics aside, it’s delicious. Full of fluffy eggs, perfectly seared peameal, accented with caramelized onions, cheddar, and a hint of mayo, this sandwich/pocket is sure to fight off any hangover and all hunger pangs.

The Breakfast Tacos (8.75$) are satisfying, but my first mouthful failed to transport me to Mexican warmth. Despite the delicious cilantro sour cream, these tacos lack one key ingredient: salsa. Without ruffage the tacos are heavy, and their only real saving grace is the in house made chorizo and authentic Mexican tortillas. On my last visit to AU I decided to substitute the chorizo for mushrooms, big mistake. It’s the perfectly spiced chorizo that’s holding this dish together.

The Grilled Brie served with disappointing and underwhelming hash browns. The lesson: go for the amazing potato salad. Always.

If you are looking to forgo eggs, try the Grilled Brie (8.25$) served with pear chutney on challah toast. The natural light sweetness of the challah bread provides a great counterpoint to savory Brie. The Brie AU uses tends to be on the mild side  and does not overwhelm the delicate pear chutney. However, the walnuts can, and often do, overwhelm the sandwich. Walnuts have a high tannin level in their skins when compared to other nuts, that when unblanched can inundate the palate with bitterness. The bitterness could be balanced by a more flavourful pear chutney, or by blanching the walnuts, or by chopping them more finely, thereby sacrificing aesthetics. All together a good, and satisfying sandwich, but with a few small kitchen tweaks, this could be an awe inspiring, dream worthy, sandwich.

The meal was leisurely, the portions satisfying, and the service was good. The total for two people came to just over 21$. Ultimately, it wasn’t an out of body gastronomic experience, but it hit the spot, and as far as value for your buck goes, AU vying for first.

Full for 10$, I can handle that.

SERVICE 3.5/5
AMBIANCE 3.5/5
PRESENTATION 3.5/5
TASTE 3.5/5
PRICE $
HOURS Monday – Sunday 9 am – 3 pm
LOCATION, LOCATION 74 Lippincott Street (just north of College)

NOTEWORTHY

• Cash only
• Homemade ketchup with undertones of cinnamon and deliciousness
• Belgian waffles that strike a balance between a crispy outside, and a soft doughy inside.