The Blake House
449 Jarvis Street / (416) 975-1867 / theblakehouse.ca
Just when we thought patio days without jackets were no longer possible, Mother Nature turned up the sun and heat quite a few notches. Luckily our choice this Saturday is The Blake House (formerly the Red Lion Pub) which has a large and beautiful stone patio. There is no wait at 11am. It is such a beautiful day we wonder why there are not more people on the patio - we attribute this to this being Thanksgiving weekend.
A short walk south of Wellesley station leads to the stately mansion style building that has been a bit of an icon in this city. Within the past year the Red Lion was gutted and the building now houses a dark wood, granite and leather bar that still maintains a cozy feel, friendly atmosphere and many beers on tap.
BQUAD settles on the patio with the sun on our backs, the leaves of the huge tree centre patio quietly rustling and every now and then a few fall as a reminder to what time of year it.
Our server is quick, friendly and easily rhymes off the long list of brews available. The brunch menu has an acceptable variety. Brunch is served from 10am - 3pm.
Bald starts with orange juice then orders the grilled veggie omelette (red peppers, zucchini, goat cheese, tomato, Portobello mushroom, roasted garlic). His verdict is “it was really good, hit the spot, no complaints”.
Brit orders the Blake’s Breakfast (2 eggs sunny, bacon) with sausages on the side. Brit received 4 sausages as his side, more than expected. “Outstanding” he said. Brit asked our trademarked hard-boiled egg question (do you serve hard-boiled eggs?). Our server informed that they do not because it would take upwards of 15 minutes which they feel is too long to have customers wait.
Black orders the BLT omelette which contains the obvious plus cheddar cheese. “It’s bigger than it looks. Very well balanced”.
Brown orders the Eggs Benedict (2 poached eggs over peameal bacon). “Excellent. It was gorgeous”.
All of our meals came with toast, hashed potatoes, and seasonal fruit. The fruit came in a small side bowl which keeps it out of the hot food.
Today we had a celebrity guest who joined in for beers. If you name this celebrity in the comments, you can join the BQUAD for an exclusive “super fan” edition of the BQUAD brunch! Take a look:
Beer wise, between us all we had Muskoka Cream Ale, a black velvet (Waupoos cider+Guinness), a black & tan (Muskoka+Guinness), Creemore and a Mill Street tank house ale.
Things we liked » the patio, the renovated bar, the price, branded beer glasses, variety of taps from macros to micros, heat lamps available, new bathrooms, the service and prices.
Things others may like » Thanksgiving dinner special $21 (including pumpkin crumble!), roomy patio for strollers, spacious interior, good neighbourhood for pub crawling, near TTC, frozen drink mixers for margarita lovers.
Things we did not like » Black thought the coffee is not worth mentioning and found the hash potatoes slightly oily. No complaints from the others.
Rating out of 5
Food » 4.75
Service » 5
Atmosphere » 5
Price » 5
Overall Summary » 4.94
Post Brunch BQUAD Drinx » The Churchmouse and Firkin at Church and Maitland (about a 5 minute walk from The Blake House). Across the street you’ll find Village Rainbow Cafe. Both have wi-fi in case you want to get your nerd on (like posting a brunch review!)
