Grazi Gives a Great Breakfast

This week I decided to head to Grazi café in St.Catharines, as it had been recommended by several family friends. I again took my mom with me, however, as it was not Valentine’s Day, it seemed to be much more socially acceptable. We were both surprised at the relative emptiness of the restaurant at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. After hearing so much about it we had expected it to be packed.

My Mother

About to enjoy the 'Grazi Special'

We were seated promptly, and I ordered a 'Grazi Special' two egg, two bacon, home fry and toast breakfast. With my life in a relative state of turmoil, it was great to get a familiar breakfast. It arrived quickly and was very tasty. Our waitress was very attentive and polite and took the time to learn about what school program I was in. It felt as though she really cared about the people she was serving. Grazi had a very healthy feel to it with fruit as an option in many dishes. Unfortunately, I was not feeling particularly healthy and wolfed down my eggs and bacon. The price was also quite comparable, and factoring in that the restaurant is relatively close to my house, I suppose I saved money on gas as well. All in all, Grazi offered a great breakfast for a reasonable price. The staff were exceptional and lived up to the name of the restaurant. I will certainly be going back!

The 'Thank You' sign

Highlight: The friendly service

Honourable Mention: The 'Thank You' sign

Bacon Strip Rating: Four Strips

The Flying Saucer Is Not Quite Out Of This World

This week I decided to try my luck in Niagara Falls at the FlyingSaucer. I had heard a lot about the Flying Saucer in my brief time working for Niagara Casinos. Many of my co-workers stated that it was a great place to go after working a midnight shift as the breakfast was quite large. To test this, I attended with my classmates Ethan and Haley. The restaurant was packed and we were extremely lucky to find a table and parking. I decided to order the steak and egg special for $11.99. This consisted of a large piece of steak as well as three eggs, home fries and toast.

The steak and egg special

 I ordered the steak medium rare, however this was not the condition that it arrived in. All in all, the breakfast was good, but the slow service was quite cumbersome. As you would expect, there were alien decorations on the inside, but there could have been more to really give the place an ‘out of this world’ feel. 

One of the few alien decorations

The portions were generous and I enjoyed my visit, but the real issue with the Flying Saucer is that it is not excellent in a particular area. The decorations are average. The food is ok, and the prices are slightly inflated. For this reason, I will give the restaurant a reluctant three bacon strip rating. I feel that were I to have tried this place at the start it may have scored higher, however, having seen the true greatness that the other breakfast places in the region can produce, I would not be in a rush to go back.

Highlight: Having breakfast with some great friends

Honourable Mention: They sell postcards

Bacon Strip Rating: A reluctant three strips

Silks Soothes the Soul

With my girlfriend away in Ireland for the month, I decided to take my mother out for a Valentine’s Day breakfast. We chose Silks in Virgil as we had heard it had a cheap breakfast that was quite good. Upon arrival I was embarrassed to see several people I went to high school with having breakfast with their spouses and young children. Needless to say sitting alone with my mother did not project the image of ‘functioning member of society’ that I am striving for these days.

'Functioning Member of Society'

However the breakfast itself was delicious. As advertised on the outside sign, you can get a two egg, two bacon, toast and home fry breakfast for a mere $3.49.

The $3.49 Breakfast Special

The service was very quick and we were enjoying our breakfast in no time. The restaurant was quite busy but it did not feel overly crowded or cramped. The cheap breakfast was very good. Ultimately the real selling point of Silks was the price and speed with which the meal was served. It’s tough to imagine finding a decent breakfast cheaper than $3.49 and for that reason the place scores very highly. Further it was not over-decorated with outrageous items all over the wall, but rather was painted in a soothing brown that made it feel like eating at a relative’s home.

Soothing brown paint and tastefully decorated

It is evident that Silks is a cornerstone of the Virgil community. It serves as a gathering place and a second home for many. I would certainly recommend Silks if you are looking for a quick, friendly and cheap breakfast. Just don’t go with your mother on Valentine’s Day.

My mother on Valentine's Day

Highlight: The price

Honourable mention: The soothing brown wall colours

Bacon strip rating: 4 strips!

Rozie’s Raises the Bar

With snow falling, I decided to keep my breakfast adventure closer to home this week. This led my sister and I to brave the snow and make the short trip to Port Dalhousie to give ‘Rozie’s Breakfast Café’ a try. The restaurant was packed but luckily we got one of the last open tables for two. Because of its location on Main Street in Port Dalhousie, Rozie’s has all sorts of rowing paraphernalia on the walls as well as lots of high protein breakfasts.

I was particularly intrigued by one called ‘The Coach’. Having not coached anything for a while, I felt a bit devious ordering such a breakfast, however, it was more than worth it when my scrambled eggs smothered in beans, tomato slices, and rye toast arrived. Normally I demand meat with a hot breakfast, but in this instance I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my meatless meal.

"The Coach"

To further add to the ambiance, the exposed pipes and high ceiling allowed for a very open feel even within a room that was quite full of people.

The cool exposed pipes

 I am also pleased to report that the home fries are delicious. There were none included with my meal, however when my sister carelessly knocked the syrup bottle off our table, I was able to sample a few from her plate during the ensuing confusion.

The syrup that provided the diversion

The delicious home fries

My experience at Rozie’s was truly top notch. It was clean and the servers were very friendly and attentive. I will certainly be going back.

Highlight: The entire ‘Coach’ breakfast

Honourable mention: The restaurant had an easily accessible first aid kit, which offered me peace of mind on such a slippery day.

Bacon Strip Rating: 5 Strips! 

The Blue Star

The first restaurant I chose to explore was the Blue Star in Welland. Not being a Welland resident, I asked my friend Adam to meet me there to ensure that I did not miss out on any essential details. The appearance of the Blue Star was not enormously welcoming from the outside. With drawn curtains and a relatively out of date sign, it did not scream ‘outsiders welcome’. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised upon entry to be quickly ushered to a booth with lots of space and a complete view of the entire place. 

The walls were adorned with Welland sports memorabilia and the ceilings were covered in stars. The place had a sort of Planet Hollywood meets Welland feel. Ambiance aside, our waitress quickly plied us with coffee. Adam chose to drink four cups, while I instead drank only water so as not to ruin my appetite. Following Adam’s lead, I ordered the standard two egg special for $5.95. The marquis item on the menu was something called ‘The Bushman’sSpecial’. Not being a bushman, I felt unqualified and eagerly awaited my two eggs, bacon, rye toast and home fries.

The bacon portion was extremely generous and the home fries were spiced perfectly. The blue collar feeling combined with a delicious breakfast reminded me of similar feasts that I had enjoyed in Northern Ireland years before. I would recommend that anyone try the Blue Star, if not only for the delicious and affordable breakfast, but also for the history lesson of the Welland sports community that its walls and patrons provide.

Highlight: Awesome home fries!

Honourable Mention: Very friendly staff!

Bacon Strip Rating: 4 Bacon Strips!