The Duke of Duckworth

My apologies for the lack of blogs - I have been busy with work and family, and there hasn't been a lot of time for brunching - but I'm back!



Famously known as the stomping grounds of Jake on Republic of Doyle, and more importantly, somewhere I spent many days during graduate school, the Duke of Duckworth isn't all beer, and fish and chips, they actually have a pretty tasty brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday's. A friend and I headed down for brunch on a beautiful Sunday morning and literally waited for The Duke to open at 11:00 am to have brunch. For those who have never been to The Duke, it's a small, English style pub, that is often frequented by locals to eat, drink beer, and watch sports. The atmosphere is fantastic, and the decorations even better - who wouldn't want to drink at a bar with a Jester lamp?



After picking a seat perfectly situated to watch the soccer match, the waiter/bartender wasted no time giving us our menus and had a cup of coffee placed in front of us. I was quickly enticed to order a Caesar after I spotted one being delivered to a nearby table, which was definitely a very good decision for Sunday brunch at a bar. We both ordered eggs benny, and after placing the order, I really hoped the eggs were poached soft, as the waiter didn't ask our preference.

The order did not take long, and immediately I could tell the hollandaise was homemade, it wasn't as creamy as I would have liked (and there wasn't enough for my liking either), but you could taste the black pepper and it was good. I hoped that my soft poached egg would add some richness to the sauce - it didn't, because the eggs were poached medium. Sad. The English muffin was very lightly toasted, and instead of a ham steak, there was about 4 pieces of thinly sliced deli ham. The ham had been been fried and had been seasoned with pepper. I must say, I did enjoy the flavor. The hashbrowns were superb! They were pan fried with pieces of onion and I would suspect some bacon fat. If I were to guess further, they may have been pan fried in a cast iron skillet, as it just had delicious flavour that only cast iron can create. Definitely not your typical deep fried hashbrowns, but I have come to the conclusion that deep fried hashbrowns does not necessarily mean good - it can just mean greasy! So, I did enjoy the hashbrowns, as is, with no ketchup, or extra hollandaise.



Overall, how does the Duke of Duckworth rank in eggs Benedict? Not bad, I must say. I did enjoy the meal, it was full of flavor. The English muffin could have been toasted a bit more, and I wish the waiter asked if I preferred a soft poached egg, as that would have added to the richness of the hollandaise. I definitely give props to the homemade hollandaise, however there needed to be more of it! For $12.99, it was a pretty good price for a pretty good meal, and the Caesar, well, who can mess that up?



The Duke of Duckworth, I give you a 3/5. Not bad for a bar!

Cora

I've been on holidays - so between camping, fishing, some outdoor swimming and general shenanigans, there hasn't been much time for eggs benny (I know, that's absolutely shocking)! However, on the first day of summer vacation, I headed to Cora. One of the nicest things about going to Cora in downtown St. John's, is the beautiful balcony overlooking St. John's harbor. One thing that sort of sucks about the Cora chain is the inability to make reservations (maybe this is just in St. John's, I've never eaten at any other Cora restaurant), but I lucked out on my visit to Cora and only had to wait 10 minutes before we were seated outside.

I must say, just sitting outside with a coffee, watching boats come in and out of the harbor was a great experience in itself, but I had a job to do! I ordered my eggs benny or Eggs Ben et Dictine as they are called at Cora's, and a side of hollandaise because, hey, I'm on vacation! I opted for the traditional ham eggs benny, however, for those of you who like to mix it up a bit, Cora's offers eggs benny with other yummy options, including asparagus!

We didn't have to wait long for our food to arrive at the table (remember folks, this is a chain), and the amount of fruit on the plate alone was worth the $12.50! Let's start with the sides before critiquing the actual eggs benny. The roasted potatoes are always yummy at Cora's. I tend to dip my hashbrowns/potato side in hollandaise, so when I received a bowlful of hollandaise, my only critique about the roasted potatoes was that I wish there were more on the plate! As anyone who's been to Cora's knows, most plates come with banana, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberry, and apples, sliced and beautifully plated - so here's to Cora's for the yummy sides. The eggs benny was about the same in appearance as anywhere else, however you could see a slight crack in the hollandaise, and the it was a full slice of ham steak, which just made the eggs benny look clumsy and gigantic on the plate! I cut into the eggs (perfectly poached soft), and took a bite - something's not right here. The hollandaise is good (definitely not from scratch), the eggs are poached, the ham's not overly salty, a bit, but not a lot, what is wrong? It's the bread. The English muffin was stale. I was pretty disgusted with that, how do you mess up bread that isn't made in house? At this point, I was reallypretty I had that large bowl of hollandaise, as I lifted my entire eggs benny and placed some hollandaise underneath in an effort to add some moisture to the bread.

At the end of the experience, I couldn't eat another bite! The fruit and the roasted potatoes were great, but my stale bread, combined with a two huge slices of salty ham steak, really threw me at the end. That being said, if you're looking for brunch on a weekday morning or sunny afternoon, Cora is definitely worth it! I've had worse Eggs Ben et Dictine at Cora's, and I have gone back and had it again - so it's not the worst, but it isn't the best. I'm giving Cora a 3/5 (mostly because I love those potatoes).

Hungry Heart Café

A couple of friends and I hit up the Hungry Heart Café on a lovely Saturday morning for their brunch. For those of you who do not know, the Hungry Heart Café is a social enterprise and connected with non-profit organization, Stella's Circle. The Hungry Heart Café's profits go toward employment and training programs for Stella's Circle participants. So, not only do you get a gourmet meal, but you are also giving back to the community - which should be reason enough to go. What's the only thing that sucks? They're not open on Sunday's, and you often need a reservation for Saturday brunch - so you better call ahead!

Back to brunch - I can hardly describe how amazing it was. I had reserved a window seat, so we sat at our table, with blue linen cloths and fresh flowers and ordered our coffee. I naturally ordered my eggs benny, and a couple of friends ordered the special (which happened to be the most delicious French toast). Our servers were so fabulous, they topped up our coffee, and when the food came out, I actually said, "this looks amazing." I was not disappointed.

The eggs Benedict, as most of the Hungry Heart Café's menu, had its own twist. Instead of an English muffin, I was served on a crispy and delicious potato latke (almost like a shredded potato pancake), with thick slices of ham, perfectly soft poached eggs, and house-made hollandaise. If that's wasn't amazing enough, the hashbrowns were probably the best I'd ever had in St. John's. They were white and sweet potato chunks, fried with peppers, onion and seasoned to absolute perfection. I honestly felt like I had gone to hashbrown heaven! Not only that, but they weren't deep fried, so you didn't feel heavy after you had finished your meal. I've had a few 'plays on eggs Benedict' during the course of this experience, does anyone remember the cheese sauce fiasco? Well, these changes were embraced and welcomed - sooooo good (yes, that's five o's).

My friends and I enjoyed our experience so much, that we didn't want to leave, we refilled our coffees and ordered cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing (also made in-house). At the end of my meal, I can honestly say, the Hungry Heart Café has become the front runner of my quest for the best eggs Benedict.

Was the Hungry Heart. Café eggs benny worth $16.00? DEFINITELY! While you may think it's pricy, you have to remember that this was not your traditional ham steak on top of English muffin with deep fried hashbrowns - this was all made fresh, to order, and seasoned perfectly. On top of all that, a great cause! Hungry Heart Café - hats off to the chef - you've scored 5/5!

Greensleeves

It's summer, so naturally, on a hot summer day, it makes sense to look for a brunch option that has an outdoor patio. That's exactly what I did one Saturday afternoon. After applying sunblock and wearing a fedora, I sat at the Greensleeves outdoor patio on George Street and ordered eggs benny (and a mimosa, I am on George Street after all). The drinks came out, and when I placed my order, it was hardly 10 minutes before the eggs benny were placed in front of me. Seriously, I hardly had two sips of my mimosa! The timing in all this, was just not right to me, that's hardly enough time to poach my eggs, but I dove right in.

Eggs Benedict at Greensleeves come with hasbrowns and a side of baked beans. That was a welcome treat, and I actually liked the smoky flavor and bacon. The hashbrowns reminded me of my days at dining hall during my undergrad - frozen seasoned hashbrowns that were deep fried. They definitely weren't the best hashbrowns I've ever had, but I was a bit nostalgic while eating them.

Of course, the true test was the eggs benny. The hollandaise was a bit light but thick, so at first glance, I thought it may be homemade. I forgot to order a side of extra hollandaise (for dipping hashbrowns), but there was quite a bit on the plate, and that's when I tasted the hollandaise - I was disappointed. The hollandaise may have been homemade, but I know why my food was served so quickly - it was not a traditional hollandaise, but what I suspected was a yogurt hollandaise. The consistency was more like mayonnaise, but it had a bland taste. After another bite, there was no doubt in my mind - butter had been replaced with yogurt. Hence why it could be spooned on a plate so quickly. The ham was okay (it was just ham steak) and it's hard to screw up an English muffin - but, I will admit, I was disappointed (so was my brunch companion).

So, at the end of the meal, was it worth $10.99? I'd have to say, not really. While the beans were yummy, and my hashbrowns reminded me of days past, the hollandaise didn't do it for me. Actually, when I think about it, the hashbrowns weren't good if they were like dining hall! Best part of Greensleeves brunch - the outdoor patio and the mimosa!

Greensleeves, I love your patio, your servers were sooo nice, the mimosa was spot on, but the hollandaise - yuck - you're getting a 2/5.

Humphrys

Humphry's is a small sports bar in downtown-west. It's usually packed during a Montreal Canadians game, but it's nice and quaint for a Sunday brunch. I headed to Humphry's to try their eggs benny, and I must say, I did enjoy the atmosphere. The server was really nice, and brought our drink order pretty quickly. Then, we waited, and we waited. Eventually our server came over to say that they ran out of hollandaise, so we could wait 15 minutes for them to make more or reorder something else, so we waited, and waited some more. Finally, it arrived. Bonus, I definitely know they make their hollandaise in house!

The hashbrowns were nicely flavoured, but they were a bit too crispy, which was sad, because the flavour was great (when I say crispy, I mean I sent a few flying off my plate when I tried to spear them with my fork). The eggs were poached soft, and ham was good, but as you can see from the photo, the hollandaise wasn't as creamy as I prefer, but it was made fresh! Humphry's uses quite a bit of pepper though, the hollandaise and hashbrowns had a very black pepper-esque flavouring. You can even see specks of black pepper in the hollandaise. 

Due to wait time, a runny hollandaise and super crispy hashbrowns, I'm not sure if I would pay $12.95 for this meal again, but it definitely wasn't the worst eggs benny I've had. I'm going to give Humphry's a 2.5/5.  Oh and Humphry's, I'll see you for a few hockey games in the fall! 

Rumpelstiltskin's

'You feed the madness and it feeds on you.' Sorry. Couldn't help throwing in a very fitting quote from Robert Carlyle's character, Rumplestiltskin, on the televison show 'Once Upon A Time.' In some ways, this quote is on par with my addiction to eggs Benedict!

I digress, Rumpelstilskin's is a great place for brunch. It over looks St. John's harbour, it's delicious, and did I mention it's cheap? That's right folks $8.99 will get you eggs benny, hashbrowns, and a coffee! Can you say, 'deal?' I've gone to Rumpelstilskin's a few times for brunch, and a word to the wise, make a reservation, especially if you want a window seat or you're going on a Sunday! 

By the looks of that photo, it doesn't appear you're getting a lot of food - don't be fooled, I was very satisfied with the portion, again, for only $8.99! The hashbrowns were delicious, crispy and not over seasoned. The eggs benny has a slight twist, instead of an English muffin, you receive a croissant with ham, poached egg, and hollandaise. My only criticism: my eggs were not poached soft, they were closer to medium, so I missed that little extra yolk. The hollandaise was yummy and creamy, and you can even see what appears to be cayenne pepper flakes if you look closely. If I had to guess, the hollandaise is made in house. 

So. What do score do I give Rumpelstilskin's? I'm giving them a 4.5/5. If only those eggs were poached soft, they may have gotten a perfect score! I encourage all to make a reservation, and head downtown for brunch. Make sure to order a side of hollandaise for dipping those hashbrowns - it's worth it! 

Classic Café East

On recommendation from a friend, I headed to Classic Café East to get eggs Benedict. I've only been to Classic Café East once, many, many years ago; so I wasn't sure what to expect, only that I knew they had a good view. I had to wait quite a while for a table, but hey, that doesn't matter when you get to have hollandaise, right? Well, after waiting about 15 minutes for a table and ordering coffee, I was in for a shock...there's no eggs Benedict on the menu...it's the Classic Café East's take on eggs Benedict, called Classic Benny. It consisted of an English muffin, with ham, two poached eggs, topped with cheese sauce and bacon bits. At this point, I've already committed to brunch, so I figured I might as well go with it. 

I know what readers must be thinking, 'this blog is supposed to be about eggs Benedict, not some funny version of eggs Benedict.' I know, but I did go there because I was told they had eggs benny on the menu, so really, I'm just saving everyone the future trouble! 

So, back to the Classic Café East's 'eggs benny,' the English muffin, ham, and eggs were good, and the first bite, with the delicious runny yolk wasn't that bad...then the cheese sauce hardened, and it turned everything into a hot mess on the plate. On top of that, I'm pretty sure the hashbrowns came straight from a frozen bag at the grocery store. It had zero seasoning, including salt! They were so bland, I was very thankful for ketchup! It's really sad that I had this experience. Looking around the restaurant, some of the other brunch items looked very good. In hindsight, I should have ordered something else when I saw there was no hollandaise. However, I thought, if I go somewhere and they have bacon instead of ham, or croissants instead of English muffins, would I not review them? New rule: some substitutions are okay, but if it doesn't have hollandaise, it won't be reviewed. 

Classic Café East, I should give you a 0/5, as you weren't really eggs benny, but I feel bad. Your hashbrowns were not good, but your servers were really nice, you were not worth $13.00, but you did do well on the three out of four components that make eggs benny, so I'll give you a 1/5.

Smitty's

Time to review my first chain. Not every eggs Benedict can come from a local establishment, and I would speculate that some chains have their eggs benny perfected. So I went to Smitty's to give them a shot. Now, Smitty's is another establishment where you can get breakfast all day - so if you're in the mood for eggs Benedict on a rainy Thursday evening, you can head to Smitty's. They have more than one option for eggs benny on the menu, and I won't lie, I was tempted to order the 'Clubhouse Eggs Benedict,' which comes with turkey, bacon, and a slice of tomato, topped with a poached egg and hollandase, but for the sake of consistency, I just ordered the regular eggs benny.

The order came out quickly, and the plate was quite full! Only $12.49 for eggs benny and what I would describe as a mountain of hashbrowns. The hollandase was very creamy and tasted great, although it did appear to be breaking slightly - maybe the butter was left a fraction too long. My eggs were poached correctly (phew), and that ham was shaved, so it was refreshing to see something other than a hamsteak. That being said, it was a tad salty, and by the end of the meal, I was craving some water! Not to be outdone by the eggs, the hashbrowns were fantastic, crispy and not over seasoned. 

Was the hollandase made from scratch? Probably not, I am eating at a chain folks. Was it good? Yes. It was a bit salty, but paired with the delicious hashbrowns and good price, I can't complain!

Smitty's, you did well, here's a 3/5. 

The Guv'nor

Ah. The Guv'nor. One of my favourite places to go in St. John's. Great for a TGIF, lunch with coworkers, or dinner with friends. Do you know what else is amazing? You can get breakfast all day, which means eggs benny in the morning, afternoon and evening! Really though, anyone in St. John's who has not been to The Guv'nor, you should probably check it out - English pub grub, selection of beer on tap - it's great! But I digress.

Eggs Benedict at The Guv'nor. Not bad. I have a sneaky suspicion that the hollandase sauce is from a package of some sort, as every time I have it, it's very consistent and takes no time to arrive on the table. While you may be sad it's not made from scratch, at least it's yellow and creamy! It was a really nice sized portion, and at only $12.50, you are quite satisfied with the plate before you! The eggs were poached soft and with each serving getting a hamsteak cut in half, it was quite a good meal. Here comes the criticism though. While I enjoy the eggs benny, the hashbrowns were over seasoned. Ordinarily, I'm a fan of the seasoning salt, however there was so much on these hashbrowns that the hollandase was turning orange, and my overall eggs benny experience was impacted. I could not get the seasoning salt taste out of my mouth - too much!

Nonetheless, I have to say, it was enjoyable eggs benny. As I said before, The Guv'nor is pretty consistent, and if you ever have a craving for late night eggs Benedict, The Guv'nor is the place to go! I will definitely be going to The Guv'nor again for eggs Benedict, or a moose burger, or chicken fingers. Maybe next time, I'll ask for less (or no) seasoning salt on my hashbrowns! 

The Guv'nor I give you a 2.5/5 (sorry folks, I'm a hard marker).

Gypsy Tea Room

I was really looking forward to eggs benny at The Gypsy Tea Room. They are one of my favourite places to go for cocktails, and I enjoy their bar menu, so I naturally thought their eggs benny during Saturday brunch would be amazing.


The service was great, as usual, I find staff there are always pleasant. I promptly received my coffee, and ordered my eggs benny. My brunch companion and I received our order in a reasonable amount of time. As the waiter approached, I was disappointed that I forgot to order my usual side of hollandase for dipping my hashbrowns; however I decided it wasn't a loss at my first glimpse of the plate. The hollandase sauce was very light in color, it almost blended in with the egg! The side fruit salad was okay, but it was mostly cantaloupe and honeydew melon, I think I may have gotten one or two small pieces of pineapple as well.  The hashbrowns were probably the highlight of the plate, which is sad for an eggs benny lover. I couldn't wait to cut into my poached soft eggs, hoping the richness of the yolk would compensate for the lack of richness in the hollandase; but I was disappointed again. My eggs were poached hard. Not a drop of delicious yolk spilled out. This was not what I was expecting. The hollandase had a stronger lemony taste than I prefer, and it was almost resembling a mayonnaise in texture. I guess on the bright side, I know it was made in house and not from a pre-packaged mix.

Will I go back to The Gypsy Tea Room again? Of course.

Will I try eggs benny? I don't know, maybe after some time has passed...right now, I'm just too sad.

The Gypsy Tea Room, I'm giving your eggs benny a 2/5. 

The Quest for the Best Eggs Benny

A few years ago, I tasted my first eggs Benedict. I was at a conference at a university, it was the last day, and we were having a breakfast meeting...I was hooked. I have always loved breakfast, and I could probably eat it 3 times a day, but this was a new love. I quickly began ordering eggs benny at every breakfast and brunch (and sometimes dinner at establishments that served breakfast all day) that I could. After ordering the same dish everywhere, friends asked, 'where's the best eggs benny in St. John's?' That is my quest. I do not claim to be a chef, in fact, I only know what I know from amateur cooking, Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen episodes, and my mild addiction to cookbooks...but I know what's good. I have attached a small list of establishments that will be reviewed, and I invite anyone to put forth a suggestion or two. 

Let the quest for the best eggs benny in St. John's begin!

Here's just a few places I had in mind, please comment with suggestions:

*The Bagel Café

*Coras

*The Gypsy Tea Room

*Blue on Water

*Gracie Joe's

*The Duke of Duckworth

*The Guv'nor 

*Rumplestilskin's

*The Hungry Heart Café

*Smitty's