Sunday Morning Chowdown

Tomato Fresh
Food Cafe
3305 Cambie Street
(At 17th Ave.)
604.874.6020
tomatofreshfoodcafe.com

Tomato is one of those places that's a total lock if you're going for brunch with your parents. It's classy, the servers dress well and demonstrate exemplary hygiene, and your folks have probably read about it in The Vancouver Sun. Fortunately, in spite of these yuppie trappings, it's also totally delicious.

My recent visit to Tomato was with a friend, her mom and her aunt. While they are open-minded people, I'm sure that my elder companions were more comfortable here than being served by hippies on the Drive. It is slightly pricier than those eastside brunch places, but then a big part of going out of for brunch with the older set is that they're going to pick up the tab, so I didn't worry about it.

Tomato has a lot of variety in its offerings. On the 'healthy' side of the brunch spectrum, there's granola with yogurt and fruit salad, in the middle there's waffles, omelettes and sandwiches, then bennies and milkshakes on the 'treat-yourself-right' end.

I had the Diner Classic, which is really just the ol' bacon and eggs, with hash browns and toast on the side. Tomato does this very well. The eggs were perfectly poached; the bacon was, in truth, backbacon, which is leaner and closer to ham than its stripped cousin; the hash browns were more like roast potatoes and not too greasy; the toast was fresh sourdough and came with a wedge of butter and jam.

If someone else is picking up the tab, I recommend three additional items. Firstly, start off with some juice. Tomato's freshly squeezed juices will diminish the effects of a hangover much more quickly than coffee. I had the 'Daytripper', which mixes strawberries, oranges and pineapple. Secondly, if you're one of the meat-inclined, get the turkey sausage; it's delicious and adds a little oomph to your meal. Thirdly, if you're getting an egg dish and you-like me-use up your toast to scoop up the eggs, get an extra order of toast. You don't want to miss out on the jam. And a little extra of their delicious sourdough can't be a bad thing.

And if you need a post-brunch haircut, you're all set. Charles the barber is set up in a little nook next to the front door. Cuts still only 11 bucks!

Brunch served weekends and holidays, 9am-3pm
Price: $12 (including coffee and tip)
Lineup: 5-10 minutes
Vegetarian options: Plenty!
Soy milk: Yes, but it curdled. Dang!