I have long been a fan of the Eggspectation (www.eggspectation.com) restaurant chain. A few years ago, I met Enzo Renda, who has driven this business globally with a presence in other parts of Canada, the United States, Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
There are actually more than 100 plus items on the Eggspectation menu. This place is a lot more than just breakfast.
The Eggspectation concept was created by Eggspectation Group, with its first restaurant in downtown Montreal in 1993. Since then, Eggspectation restaurants have become synonymous with innovation, high-quality food, excellent service, and a unique and exciting dining experience.
From the get-go, the Eggspectation team wanted to take its favorite mealtime ingredients and creatively expand their culinary taste delights across not just breakfast and brunch but also to lunch and dinner—set in a welcoming and energetic bar and café ambiance. This new level of innovation has led to today’s satisfying and diverse Eggspectation menu ranging from freshly prepared artisanal brioche French toast, thin French crepes, Belgian waffles, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, pastas, burgers, seafood, steak and—of course—eggs benedict! Those Montreal beginnings have grown to fit today’s fresh, clean, and very tasty modern American cuisine.
Each franchise has a different feel to it. While in Toronto, I noticed that there was an Eggspectation downtown, at the corner of Bay Street and Albert, right near a main entrance to Eaton Centre. The manager and franchisee is none other than Bennett Renda. Yep, he is the son of Enzo and has been running this location for 11 years. My breakfast companion this morning was an old friend whom I grew up with in Montreal, who has lived in Toronto for three decades. This was his first Eggspectation experience and he was impressed.`
We started off by sharing some gooey goose bread, something not available in Quebec. This is freshly baked bread, coated in house-made salted maple caramel sauce and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. It was a real treat.
My friend went for the Huevos Rancheros, two free-range eggs, prepared any style, piled on tortillas, layered with refried beans, ground chorizo, avocado, jalapeños, house-made pico de gallo, and cilantro-lime aioli. He told me this is always his “go-to” item when he orders breakfast at a restaurant. I chose the All American: two free-range eggs, prepared any style, with applewood-smoked bacon, ham, and sausage. This was served with the trademark Eggspectation’s Lyonnaise-style potatoes.
I sat down with Bennett after my meal. Watch my interview with him on Instagram.
This attractive location has two entrances, one interior via an office building and another off of Albert Street. There are 90 seats inside, including 12 at the bar and 90 more on the seasonal patio
Bennett grew up in RDP and Pierrefonds and got his first taste of Eggspectation when he worked as a busboy at the then Rockland Centre location. While he considered a career as an electrician, he knew that he was destined to become part of the family business. When the opportunity arose to head up a new Toronto restaurant, the 35-year-old jumped at it.
The place was packed the morning I was there. “Business is good,” he said. “We get a lot of foot traffic and many customers from Montreal. The location is terrific. Indeed, we benefit from the tourist trade and our proximity to Eaton Centre and Nathan Phillips Square.”
This Toronto location recently underwent a significant facelift, closing up shop for four months to spruce the place up.
I will certainly make Eggspectation a regular stop now on my future Toronto visits
There is handicapped access via the office building and the Albert Street entrance.
Eggspection Toronto is located at 483 Bay Street, #130. For more information, call 416-979-3447 or log on to www.eggspectation.ca