Mike Cohen, born and raised in Côte Saint-Luc, has long been active in the community as a volunteer, journalist, and consultant. He profiles restaurants in Montreal and beyond.
mikecohen.ca and @mikecohencsl
Readers know I’m a big fan of the all-day breakfast experience, so let me share a few recent outings that caught my attention.
Yolks
The first Yolks location in Quebec has officially landed at Galeries des Sources in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, right next to the newest Homers Donuts franchise. Founded in British Columbia by Steve Ewing, the brand is being developed in Quebec by the team behind Pizzeria Bros, via their company Capano. Yolks already operates locations in Ottawa and Toronto, with Alberta next on the horizon.
Yolks Breakfast is a boutique restaurant brand specializing in elevated breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The Dollard location is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
I was invited to a special VIP Friends and Family tasting ahead of the official opening on January 19, 2026. Dollard-des-Ormeaux City Councillor Anastasia Assimakopoulos joined me, along with two of her children, ages 8 and 10, and they had a great time.
The franchise is owned by Tony Aoude, a Kirkland optician, who is already training his successor to eventually take over operations. Mathieu Boucher serves as manager. Carl Sexton of Capano told me he’s optimistic that many more Yolks locations will soon surface across Quebec.
Steve Ewing launched the brand in a small blue trailer back in 2012. His culinary background includes experience in some of the world’s top kitchens, and his mission is clear: transform classic breakfast dishes into crave-worthy meals. Using house-made hollandaise, perfectly poached eggs, truffle-lemon potatoes, and their signature spicy house-made ketchup, every dish is prepared from scratch with care and attention. Ewing was in town to help ensure the Dollard franchise got off to a strong start.
The menu allows guests to customize their breakfast with a choice of eggs, proteins, and toast—artisan sourdough being one of the most popular options. All Bennies are served with two perfectly poached eggs on a double-toasted English muffin, topped with real hollandaise, herb-roasted tomato, fresh seasonal fruit, and a choice of side.
I opted for the buttermilk fried chicken and waffles: half a Belgian waffle topped with organic buttermilk fried chicken, gravy, and pickled jalapeños. I added potatoes and toast to round it out. One of Anastasia’s kids, James, was a big fan of the lemon-berry crispy French toast, a panko-crusted signature dish served with lemon curd, fresh berries, macerated strawberries, and real vanilla whipped cream.
Beyond breakfast classics, Yolks also offers smash burgers, sandwiches, and more.
At Yolks, eggs aren’t just a staple—they’re the heart and soul of the brand. The eggs are sourced from Coligny Creek Eggs in Abbotsford, B.C., where hens roam freely outdoors, enjoying sunshine and lush pastures. “We believe in giving them the best life possible, which is why we provide them with a premium, all-vegetarian diet,” the company says.
Yolks operates under the umbrella of the Happy Belly Food Group.
“I spent my early years growing up in the province of Quebec, so this is a very special day for me,” said Happy Belly CEO Sean Black. “I also spent time here during my years at MTY Food Group, so I know how much Quebecers appreciate their breakfast and brunch. As the breakfast category remains one of the fastest-growing sectors in the restaurant industry, we’re maintaining our momentum and aggressive expansion strategy.”
Chef Ewing is an unapologetic breakfast enthusiast. It’s his favorite meal of the day—and it shows. From free-range eggs and locally sourced bacon to real hollandaise (no shortcuts here), even the Dijon mustard is made in-house.
Unquestionably, this place is going to do very well.
Yolks is located at 44 Brunswick Blvd.📞 514-565-6699 | 🌐 http://yolks.ca or e-mail ddo@yolks.ca
Orange Café
I recently returned to Orange Café on Décarie Boulevard near Sherbrooke Street West in NDG—my first visit since before the pandemic. Social media content creator Arielle Wizman joined me, and I was pleased to meet owner Edmond Shillingford, who has worked there since 2012 and became the owner ten years later. The restaurant is open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
We started with fresh orange juice. “It’s made with orange juice and love,” Edmond told us.
I ordered the Two and Two: two eggs with breakfast potatoes, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a choice of two French toasts, pancakes, thin crêpes, or waffles, plus a choice of meat. I went with the French toast.
Arielle chose a healthier option—egg-white scramble with spinach, mushrooms, and fresh avocado, served with fresh fruit and tomatoes.
Orange Café’s extensive menu also includes omelettes, eggs Benedict, grilled cheese, poutine, burgers, sandwiches, smoothies, bagels, steak and eggs, veggie breakfast wraps, a kids’ menu, and more.
Orange Café is located at 4011 Décarie Boulevard. 📞 514-487-5455 | 🌐 http://orangecafe.ca
Petinos St-Laurent
I’m a longtime fan of the Petinos all-day breakfast chain, which continues to grow. The St-Laurent location has always appealed to me because of its central, convenient location—and now it has something new to offer: new ownership.
Kula Siva, who also operates the Vaudreuil franchise, has taken over the St-Laurent restaurant. Let me tell you how we met.
Last spring, while driving through NDG, a wild turkey suddenly ran across the street. I pulled over immediately to film it for an Instagram reel. Standing on the sidewalk nearby was a man wearing a Petinos shirt. We struck up a conversation—it was Kula. When I told him I was a journalist, he invited me to come visit. It took a while, but it was well worth the wait.
What a transformation. You can see it on the faces of the staff. On my previous visit, the atmosphere felt tense and stressed. That is no longer the case under Kula’s leadership.
This time, I was joined by social media influencer @demmalakhanian. She enjoyed a bagel with eggs over easy, while I opted for raisin-bread French toast.
Petinos offers an extensive menu including smoothies, milkshakes, eggs, omelettes, waffles, pancakes, French toast, crêpes, combo plates, eggs Benedict, yogurt, poutine, sandwiches, burgers, salads, a kids’ menu, and more.
The Petinos St-Laurent location is open Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 🌐 https://www.petinos.ca | 📞 514-336-9000
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