hof kelsten

i've been here a couple of times, it's primarily a bakery selling loaves, pastries and good coffee but they also have a sandwich and soup menu, and on weekends a few brunch selections on a handwritten menu. i really liked my challah french toast with bacon, poached egg and maple syrup. really really good. i want to get back down there and try thesalmonsandwich and matzo soup of which i hear very good things.

you may have heard about hof kelsten. in a short time, the legend has grown about the bread guy, jeffrey finkelstein. he is montreal’s prodigal son, who has worked at some of the top restaurants around world. his list includes toque, french laundry, per se, and even el bulli. now back in montreal he has been making bread over at hof kelsten and also has some other items that are a little more than just bread. simply put hof kelsten does brunch. so one saturday morning, the montreal food divas were miraculously awake and not hungover so it seemed logical to do brunch. now finding a spot that will impress the divas is not always an easy task but we knew that hof kelsten would not disappoint. hof klesten is an un-assuming place, not too fancy, with a long table on the right, some smaller tables on the left and a counter by the window. lots of people come in for take-out as the space available is limited and you may have to wait a while to get a spot. the process is that you place your order, pay, they take your name and call it when it’s ready so you can pick it up and seat yourself. food brunch is available saturday and sundays from 10am to 4pm. the menu has a handful of items each priced at around $12-$14 with coffee at $3.75. so your bill will get to a little under $20 when you factor in taxes. there is no filter coffee so no refills, and payment is by cash or debit card , so no credit card. the menu draws inspiration from an historical montreal jewish breakfast food scene – the use of challah , schnitzel andsalmonhas the old school eastern european influence you can still find after all these years, and the shakshuka has that north african (morrocan) flavour that we are seeing more and more of in brunch menus which is great for mixing things up on the menu. shakshuka $12 schnitzel $14salmoncroquettes $12 french toast $12 we started with the french toast $12 which uses challah bread and is topped with a fried egg and veal pancetta and maple syrup. using challah

i got the beef brisket sandwich and an iced latte. sandwiched in between were some purple cabbage slaw, moist and tender beef, and thin slices of roasted apples. the slaw was too “wet” , which made the bread a little soggy, but other than that every bite was enjoyable. my friend got the  gravlax  sandwich . the thick slices ofsalmonwere fresh and well-seasoned. together with the cream cheese and slices of onions, this was one refreshing sandwich. to be honest, i preferred this to the brisket, due to its milder overall taste. despite already feeling full, my friend insisted on getting the babka and hell yea, it was a good call. despite being on the buttery side it still retained the gooey and dense chocolate-y essence. i have yet to try their brunch menu but for those who want something more than just sandwich and pastries, try the shakshuka, schnitzel, orsalmoncakes.

the concept is simple: order your brunch at the counter and then grab a seat and wait (impatiently) for your name to be called. the menu is equally straightforward- only a couple of options, but they're done right. i ordered the shakshouka, and my friends tried the smokedsalmonsandwich on homemade rye bread (accompanied by some freshly squeezed oj and some coffees). the smokedsalmonwas thickly cut atop a spread of dill cream cheese and onions. they t