Stone Crock - 1396 King St N, St. Jacobs

I went to the Stone Crock in St. Jacobs on Friday, October 17th with my parents, who were in town on business.

3	60%	3	3.5	2.5

The Stone Crock (and its associated restaurants, Stone Crock Bakery and Jacob’s Grill) is an institution in St. Jacobs, located right in the centre of town. The place is styled in the hand-crafted/Mennonite farmer look that is everywhere in town - but of course, they do it best. Check out those handmade rocking chairs, all in a row! The restaurant also has a small shop in the front, selling homemade jams, wooden toys, and a few offerings from their bakery.

There was a “Please seat yourself” sign as we walked in, and we first went to a booth on one side of the restaurant. There weren’t very many people there, and we had a hard time getting a server’s attention, so we switched to the more-populated side of the dining room, and were brought coffee and menus almost immediately. My parents both asked for decaf (because they are Old), and I was pleased to notice they had a pot available during the entire meal. My mom rated her decaf a 4.5/5. My full-caf coffee was probably a 4 - fine, but nothing to write home about.The cups were pretty small, too, which I find means that my coffee gets cold quickly.

The menu was not huge - one page of options - but with all the usual options, and including  “farmers’ sausage” for a meat option. My parents both ordered the special ($6.49 including coffee, which is not bad). My dad asked to substitute tomatoes for his breakfast potatoes, but was told that they charge extra, so decided against it. Their over-easy eggs were cooked properly, and my dad liked the sausage and beans especially, saying they were flavourful and delicious. The potatoes were slightly disappointing - they were a homestyle hash with a tasty crunchy top, but the overwhelming flavour was “bland”. Toast options were white/brown/rye, and as far as we could tell, the thin-sliced toast came from the Stone Crock Bakery. It was, quote, “fine.” My parents were a little disappointed that the orange-slice garnish wasn’t bigger. Still, not bad.

I ordered the stuffed french toast - multigrain french toast filled with berry coulis, fresh berries, and cinnamon cream cheese. It was very pretty - look how pretty! - but when it came to the table I was a little surprised that it was just one piece (for $8.99) - and also that it was more of a french toast sandwich. (I should say, though, that stuffed french toast is not something I order on the regular, so it is entirely possible this is the norm.) I had to ask for syrup (maybe also not a norm for stuffed french toast?), but it was pretty delicious, even though I could neither see nor taste cinnamon cream cheese.

The servers, when we flagged them down, were accommodating when we needed more cream, and when I wanted to look at the menu again. They also were great about keeping the coffee coming - we were asked 3 or 4 times, even after we had paid, so it certainly didn’t feel like we were being rushed out.

Total score: 3.75/5

SCORECARD

Atmosphere	Price	Variety	Taste	Flexibility	Service
5	4	3.5	3.75	3	4
Cleanliness	Special		Flavour		Courtesy
5	$6.49 incl. coffee		4		4
Ambience	Coffee		Cook		Speed
5	$2.39		4		4
	Plain Omelette		Coffee
	$8.49 (2 items included)		4
	Pancakes		Potatoes
	$6.99		3

The Bauer Kitchen - 187 King St S #102, Waterloo

I went to the Bauer Kitchener in Waterloo on October 17th with my boyfriend, Dave.

4	82%	3.9	4	3.5

The Bauer Kitchen is a member of the Charcoal Group - a local restaurant group that includes favourites like Del Dente (now dels Enoteca Pizzeria), the Charcoal Steakhouse, Moose Winooski’s, and others. It is, appropriately enough, located in the Bauer Marketplace, adjacent to fellow Charcoal Group restaurant, the Bauer Bakery and Cafe. The Bauer Kitchen only serves weekend brunch, which begins at 9 AM on Saturdays and Sundays, and as it is a specifically brunch place, some of the review standards I invented for this blog have had to be altered a bit. For example, their breakfast offerings include only the following options:

 However, the brunch menu, as you can see around the edges of that photo, include many lunch options, from sandwiches to pasta. This is a perk if you are brunching with someone who, god forbid, dislikes breakfast, but a disadvantage as far as comparing one restaurant’s breakfast special with another’s. Also, you will notice these options differentiate themselves from standard breakfast - poached eggs with spinach and fruit, brioche french toast with candied apricots, and homemade granola, just to point out a few departures. I also feel that, given the nature of the place, the prices were very reasonable. $12.95 is only a couple of dollars more than you could expect to pay for a fully-loaded omelette anywhere, and the quality of the ingredients, urban-loft-atmosphere, and cooking certainly makes it worthwhile.

The Bauer Kitchen is no diner breakfast - but it was, almost entirely, a delicious experience. I made a reservation via OpenTable for a 10 AM table (although it turned out I didn’t need to do so - it wasn’t empty, but also not very busy), and the hostess, after being a bit confused about the whole reservation thing, gave us a table by the window. Our waitress was stellar - very friendly - and kept our coffee coming throughout the morning. The coffee, coincidentally, was great and that is all I have to say about that. Good coffee, would drink again. We also both liked how the (raw) sugar and cream were served in a pitcher and bowl rather than in packets.

Dave ordered the Huevos Rancheros - pulled pork, guacamole, pico de gallo, refried beans, cilantro (his favourite thing), and an egg - which came with a side order of home fries ($14.95). It was very tasty, if weirdly cold. He really liked the hot sauce that was provided on the side, and appreciated the “warning: this is not ketchup” we got from the waitress.

I ordered the poached eggs with spinach, toast, and fresh fruit ($8.95), and added a side of home fries (because home fries - $2.95), and it, too, was good! The fruit was fresh if standard melons-pineapples-and-grapes, the toast (choice of multigrain or sourdough) tasted like it had been baked in house (great), and was thin-sliced and served with two kinds of jam and butter. My eggs came poached medium, and although they didn’t ask how I wanted them, they were AOK. The spinach, which was maybe a hair overcooked, was flavourful and provided a nice kick of iron that I love with my breakfast. The home fries divided our camp - Dave thought they “looked better than they tasted” and were a bit inconsequential flavour-wise, but I loved them. The spice combination on them tasted like the paprika/cinnamon combo I like to use on sweet potato wedges, and they were cooked well - a little crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I think that hot sauce might have cooked Dave’s tastebuds to subtlety or something on this one. Overall, it was a really great experience - the restaurant is gorgeous, the prices were reasonable for what was offered, and we both enjoyed our meals, the service, and (especially) the coffee.

SCORECARD

Atmosphere	Price	Variety	Taste	Flexibility	Service
5	4	4	5	4	4.5
Cleanliness			Flavour		Courtesy
5			5		5
Ambience	Coffee		Cook		Speed
5	$2.95		5		4
			Coffee
			5
			Potatoes
			4.5

Overall rating: 4.5

Kypreos Restaurant - 305 Lancaster St W, Kitchener

I went to Kypreos Restaurant in Kitchener on Thanksgiving Monday with my boyfriend, Dave.

4.5	83%	3.7	3.5	4

Kypreos Restaurant is a family-owned Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in Kitchener, right on Lancaster, and just a couple blocks from the 85 exit. Decorated in bold yellows, blues, and reds, their two dining rooms, outfitted with booths and tables, combine professional and family style decor in a way that is quite successful overall.

The breakfast menu was pretty standard - eggs, omelettes, french toast - but had a few interesting things on offer, including Loukaniko as a meat substitute, a delicious-looking Greek-style omelette with feta, tomato, sausage, and fresh basil, and a strawberry cheesecake waffle.

The server who seated us was very friendly, and we didn’t have to wait at all, even though it was quite busy. She also brought us our drinks in very good time, and a bowl full of creamers - which, unusually, was all cream with no milk. This is a bonus for me, as I do not take my coffee with milk (and neither does anyone I breakfast with frequently), and am always running low on the cream. I am sure the waitress would have brought milk had I asked.

I ordered their “slam” breakfast (called the “Power Breakfast”) - eggs (I got scrambled), choice of meat (I substituted tomato - four slices, which is more than I usually get), homefries, and pancakes or french toast (pancakes). It did not come with regular toast. The eggs were cooked well, moist and tender, and the pancakes tasted fine even if they were spongy and flimsy and kept falling apart on my fork.

Dave ordered a Western omelette with added cheese - the cheese was real, but the omelette was, according to him, “nothing special.” He did get toast (they only have white or brown), but it was burnt on one side.

I have to tell you about potatoes at Kypreos, though. They were amazing. You know how you either get the little crispy potato cubes that obviously come frozen, or home-style hash browns that are often pretty flavourful but kinda mushy? These were the best of both worlds - actual pieces of potato (with skins!) cut into cubes in-house, deep fried until crispy, and spiced. A++, awesome hash brown experience. 

The wait staff visited us no fewer than three times to check on our coffee situation, and the debit machine was brought to the table, which is always nice. Washrooms were relatively clean - the usual busy-holiday-morning wear and tear on the floors, but the stalls are spacious, and each was outfitted with a plant (!?) and an air freshener.

Overall, a pretty good experience, a solid 4 / 5.

SCORECARD

Atmosphere	Price	Variety	Taste	Flexibility	Service
4	3.5	4	3.75	4	4.5
Cleanliness	Special		Flavour		Courtesy
4.5	$4.99/5.99		4		5
Ambience	Coffee		Cook		Speed
4	$1.99		3		4
	Plain Omelette		Coffee
	$7.49		3
	Pancakes		Potatoes
	$6.99		5