Sunday, 2 March 2014

Cock 'N Bull Pub- Bells Corners

Update: We were invited back to try the brunch buffet which is served on Sunday mornings. The food quality was better and there were many options to choose from. It included both breakfast and lunch options, an omelette stand, and a dessert table. The service wasn't great.. We were given a high chair at a raised table, 2 feet below the table top, and we never got any cutlery. One of the families in the restaurant had extras and they came over and gave us theirs when the waitress didn't come back after a long wait. The bill was very pricey, but at least we didn't leave hungry this time.










The cock 'N Bull has been passed by on our breakfast hunt many times, but on this day, we decided to try it out. We walked in and were greeted by the smiling waitress who seated us in a quiet corner. She was very friendly and brought our menus, and took our drink orders. When we looked at the menu we were pleasantly surprised. It seemed unique and tasty. However, when we went to order, most of the options were unavailable because there was no fruit in the kitchen. The waitress was apologetic and I decided on my old favorite, the classic benedict. Toast Man chose an Omelette- The Beast (but hold the vegetables). It was basically eggs wrapping up an arc worth of meats. The kids shared the kids pancakes.

When the food came, we were less impressed than before. The homefries were hard and inedible. Im sure the entire restaurant could hear the first bite that we attempted. The eggs in the benedict were uncooked so badly that the white was still clear in some places. And the holandaise sauce seemed as though it was a rug pulled over in attempt to hide the rest of the mess. I had a few bites and gave up. 
The "meaty" beast, wasn't bad. Toast Man likes meat, and it was provided, so he said he was happy. The kids' pancakes were edible but they were tasteless and small. 

The waitress was super kind and brought toast to Toast girl to fill her tummy after the meal. This woman deserves a raise or a promotion, because she was the only thing going for this place. We won't be going back here again.




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The Cock N' Bull Pub & Eatery on Urbanspoon

Milestones (Kanata)

A last second (mid-intersection) change of plans this morning brought us to the newly built and just opened Milestones in Kanata Centrum. We parked on the side and took a big breath as the front doors were opened to our messy faced toddlers by hostesses dressed better than me on my very best day. This might not end well, we thought. The smiling hostess looked over the seating plan to chose the best table for our family and then led the way over with an itty bitty high chair that sat right on the bench. This wasn't a booster seat, but looked like a wooden high chair with short legs! This is one thing I haven't seen before so my day was already more exciting. The restaurant was classy and we sunk into our seats a little lower when Toast girl started to make a fuss and the waitress came over while Toast boy started chewing on the wine menu. The waitress was incredibly welcoming to our less than classy group and joked around with the kids while she took our drink orders and gave each child a kids menu and crayons. The drinks came right away: Starbucks coffee for the grown-ups and milk for the kids with little plastic animals hanging off the sides of the glasses. We placed our orders quickly since the kids were getting hungry and having a harder time than usual. As Toast Boy started protesting our injust decision to stop him from throwing crayons over the table divider to the next diners, the waitress came to the rescue announcing that she brought a zoo for them to play with! She handed out little plastic camels, giraffes, and chimpanzees to our little toast-inos who were distracted long enough for their food to arrive at the table.

Toast girl ordered a nine dollar grilled cheese sandwich with french fries, of which she had 3 bites before announcing she was full. Toast boy had the creamy chedder penne, which Toast Girl ate half of, so it must have been good! Toast Man ordered the knife and fork sandwich, a delicious looking specimine: french toast hugging: an egg, sausage, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce drizzled with hollandaise sauce. I had a few bites and it was even better than it looked. Toast man practically licked his plate (and Im pretty sure Toast boy did!). I had the Prime Rib Hash. Yes... Prime Rib Hash. It was delicious. When I took the first bite, I think it may have bitten me back. It has flavour! I didn't expect so much punch in my brunch (say that out loud now!) But it was good. The two poached eggs were perched at the top of a mountain of AAA prime rib, roasted potatoes, peppers, onions, and corn in some sort of barbecue sauce and topped with Holandaise sauce. Its not your average bacon and eggs, but if you are looking for something new, exciting and delicious, then you will be thrilled this dish. It's a large portion, this gal couldn't finish it, even though I wanted to!

The kids meals were finished off with a scoop of gelato and a cookie! We sent the kids under the table (see what I did there?) to clean up the crayons while we snuck a few bites. It was good!

Bathrooms smelled funny.. But there was a change table for those with itty bitties and it was pretty clean. On our way out the bartended came out to chat with Toast Girl and gave her another little animal. These people really love kids!

The bill was on the high end, as we suspected, but the service and the food was well worth it. The staff never acted as though our kids were unwelcome, as we worried, but were incredibly welcoming and catered beyond expectation to our young family

Great job Milestones and thank you for a wonderful brunch!

Kids Grilled Cheese

Prime Rib Hash

Kids creamy cheddar penne

Knife and Fork Breakfast

The zoo that our amazing waitress brought to our kids when they were upset

How the drinks are brought- Wait, not the crayon. That was our kids' addition. 

Kids meal gelato and a cookie


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You can see the menu here


Milestones on Urbanspoon

Monday, 24 February 2014

Woody's Elgin Street Urban Pub

On Saturday morning we were cruising downtown looking for a new spot to eat when, a little voice from the back seat called out “I NEED TO GO POTTY! RIGHT. NOW.” So as quick as we could, we parked the car and ran into the nearest restaurant: Woody’s Elgin Steet Urban Pub. I tend to avoid places who’s names begin with W’s and end with Y’s, just out of a inexplicable sense of uneasiness, but on this occasion I am happy we wandered into this pub which caters mostly to students.
                The place was cute, with a fireplace and high backed chairs. Beatles music played softly as we seated ourselves in a quiet corner near the washroom. The kids were given children’s menus and offered high chairs or booster seats, and the Olympic games were airing on the wall mounted tv’s. Since Toast Girl no longer had to go to the washroom…not even a little bit, we started scoping out the menu. It boasted free-range local eggs (A huge bonus for us!), an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet, and many other delicious options. The kids’ menu was compiled of lunch or dinner options, so our Toast kids shared an adult portion of banana bread French toast. Toast Man ordered a 2 egg with bacon breakfast, and I tried out the delicious-sounding, but not overly healthy, smoked meat hash.

The place was pretty quiet most of the time while we were there. No line ups, and quiet enough to have a good conversation (if your children let you!), but the music, free wifi, friendly service and atmosphere would be great for solo diners as well.  
The food came out in about 15-20 minutes. The kids devoured the French toast, even though the serving was quite large. I didn’t get a bite, but Toast Man snuck one and raved about it while Toast girl scolded him for it. The smoked meat hash was delicious, but the potatoes were just slightly undercooked. The rest was fabulous, and made up for it, though.
Toast Man’s homefries were nicely seasoned and his eggs were cooked great too. We all really enjoyed this restaurant. The total bill was around $50, at the upper mid-range for a family of 4. Coffee was unlimited but not free. The bathroom didn’t have a change table since it was so tiny, but they had a counter large enough to change a bum if needed.


Check this place out if you’re downtown. It’s a nice spot! I would love to try the Sunday buffet some day.


Banana Bread French Toast

2 Egg Breakfast with Bacon 


Smoked Meat Hash

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Woody's Elgin Street Urban Pub on Urbanspoon