Lola's Commissary
Location:
634 Church Street, Toronto
Cost: Approx $25 pp
www.lolascommissary.com
I think seeing "sexy potatoes" on their online menu (although I think it's actually "sexy sweet potatoes" on the menu) is what sold us to eat here. That, and the recommendation from a friend at work whose paintings also hang in the restaurant :)
Our gaggling girlie troupe landed on the (beautiful) Lola patio for brunch this past Sunday and never before have we been able to so freely enjoy a brunch in such a large group (8). Mil"dread"'s wouldn't seat us, other brunch places don't take brunch reservations but at Lola's Commissary (open 6 weeks, now), it's not a problem. 
We took a while perusing the unique menu and daily specials which were such a mix of dishes that we had to take another few minutes to decide. 
In the meantime we got some drinks...
The service is friendly and accommodating. The food is fancy brunch fare (a tad pricey but tasty to boot) and gorgeously presented!
As usual I got the (straight up - challah bread dipped in egg custard) french toast due to my loctose-intolerancy and not being able to stomach the cheesecake french toast. I also got a side of fresh fruit ($6) and a side of sexy potatoes to share around ($6).
The other items ordered were as follows.
Multigrain waffles with a side of berries, dense and filling...
The egg white frittata (goat cheese, mushrooms, spinach and hemp pesto)
Eggs Lola: poached eggs, ancho chicken, torillas, avocado, creme fraiche
Lobster and goat cheese omlette
Roasted trout with quinoa and tabouli
Beef hash brunch feature
Therese DeGrace (executive chef) came out to greet us which was super. She's wonderfully warm and took the time to chat with us, which was really pleasant and so uncommon in the city!
The interior of Lola's is sort of industrial chic with brick, wood, high ceilings and tall windows. 
The paintings in the dining hall lend a certain mellow sweetness to the vibe with the upstairs catering to more of a loungey atmosphere with funky retro seats and laminated fantastical art on the walls.
Even the washrooms are spa-like and immaculate, with artwork adorning almost every surface (including a wall outside the restaurant).
The complimentary Nutella Cheesecake dessert was delish and perfect split eight ways.
Lola's is a definite must-try in the Bay/Bloor area - the patio alone will make you want to spend your whole afternoon there. We certainly did! And unlike so many other places in the city, our patronage was welcome! We're already planning our return!
11 Comments | Share Article | tagged Brunch, French Toast, Therese Degrace, Toronto, art, beef hash, brick, charles, cheeseake french toast, church, church/charles, eggs | in Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Toronto | Monday, August 24, 2009 at 10:15AM
Reader Comments (11)
A nice review...I agree, Lola's is a breath of fresh air.
Thanks for the comment Alex; will post up the pics and elaborate on the dishes, soon. It certainly is a breath of fresh air in the city!
Great food pics! Lola's is a great place for Brunch!
I agree with your review...Lola's is a wonderful place for brunch. Great interiors and patio, great service...with such patient servers that is so unheard of but is a reality at this place. It is definitely worth the money and time. Great place to hang out with friends! Great photographs as always foodhogger...you captured the sexiness of not only the potatoes but the other food items as well :)
Thanks for the comment Coat, those potatoes were the sexiest I've ever seen! ha!
Lovely pictures, Foodhogger. I'm inspired to visit this restaurant. It's always nice to find a great brunch restaurant where you feel welcomed and relaxed. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks Adriana :)
great place for dinner and lunch too....
tryed both....
great owners and patio, check it out!!
Thanks for the comment Mark; I agree, it's a great place. We're definitely going to give it a try for dinner, as well!
I ate at Lola’s over the weekend with a large group and loved the simplicity of eating fresh, quality food exceptionally prepared. The menu was creative and avoided over complication. The presentation of the food was notably perfect, and the wait staff was great.
We had twelve people in our party and they gave us a private room upstairs (which had an incredible atmosphere). Our whole group loved Lola's understated appeal (and intend on going back.) ;)
Overall: 9 out of 10 "Great place, amazing food, and excellent chef"
[...] wanting to check out Lola’s Commissary for a while now, especially after reading about the “sexy potatoes” at Foodhogger. Their weekend brunch menu was quite enticing: Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast, Egg White [...]