sparrow is amazing! it's my new favourite place! conveniently located in mile end just a few blocks from my house, this is the kind of easy place that i'm going to want to rely on for bright brunches and delicious dinners. most people tend to talk about sparrow for their brunch (saturdays and sundays, 10am-3pm), but i have confirmed that any time of day or meal is excellent there. just look for the sign with the sparrow on it!one of the nicest things about this restaurant is the gorgeous décor. it feels casual while remaining completely on point. the front windows open up to the street in the summertime, letting in tons of natural light. the small touches did no go unnoticed; from the interesting wooden surfaces, trunks being used as tables, to the gorgeous bird-printed wallpaper that creates their signature look. the space feels like what you wish your house would look like (or at least mine, anyway), and it's a comfortable and welcoming room to spend some time in.
i first visited for brunch on a sunday. the wait to get in can be quite long because everyone knows that this place is good. try to beat the rush by showing up a little bit earlier. after about 20 minutes, we were offered a seat on their couches at the front which surround a trunk-like coffee table. this sufficed for us and was quite comfortable. they offer an array of brunch cocktails, including three different types of mimosas, but i decided to go alcohol-free and selected the honey ginger lemonade ($3.50) which sounded magical. this was refreshing and great. i loved that all three parts of the flavours came through clearly, making the drink sweet, zingy and tart all at once. a nice alternative to boring coffee or typical juice options.
before our "main course" we opted for something from the "bites" section of the menu, because the mini doughnuts (pb+j, nutella, or lemon curd - $5.00) could not be refused! these come in three flavours, and you can choose to get all three doughnuts in one flavour or get one of each. one of each seemed like the smartest option. i was most curious about the pb+j and least interested in the nutella one (so over nutella!). however, they were all very warm, sugary, soft and delicious. each pastry orb contained a blast of hidden flavour, and each one worked really well. i loved the tart lemon curd, while the other two were filled with classic sweet flavours.
they have so many interesting and innovative main dishes to choose from, but i was easily drawn to the house-smoked trout (with spinach & green onion pancake, soft boiled egg, beet salad, whipped crème fraiche - $16.00). this plate was incredible. i can't stop thinking about it. and speaking of their plates, all of their dishware is simply gorgeous. everything comes out on eclectic, mis-matched, vintage plates and they are all stunning. it lends so much to the overall lovely experience. but back to this dish: wow. it personified brunch happiness on a plate for me. the trout tasted fresh and was lightly smoked to perfection, and i enjoyed that it was something different than the typical salmon variety. the egg was cooked and seasoned so perfectly and the beet salad was just right, with the chunks of beet glowing like rubies on the plate. the best surprise was the pancake buried underneath it all, savoury and unassuming, providing an excellent vehicle for the rest of the components, all bound together by the beautiful crème fraiche. i also like that they use only locally-sourced free range organic farmeggsin their dishes. i can't say enough about this piece of art.
so clearly, brunch was a very big success.
but since sparrow offers dinner also, i didn't want to write this review until i could weigh in on that meal as well. we returned on a friday evening to a restaurant that was much emptier and were able to sit wherever we wanted. by the time that we left, the place was completely packed again. this time we sat at a nice table near the front and were able to take in unobstructed views of the large bar and more of the perfect décor sense. candle light dotted the tables once the evening fell upon us.
the cocktail menu is long and exciting. i decided to go for a trusted favourite, the spicy caesar (vodka, clamato, lemon, pickle, olive, onion, well spiced - $8.50). i've had a lot of caesars in my day, some better than others. this one belongs in the column of excellent ones! while they call it "spicy" it was just the right amount of spice, and not overdone at all. all of the correct components were harmonious and i liked the garnish of some of my favourite pickled items. this was a perfect caesar.
the food menu is interesting because many of the dishes follow an obvious indian theme; from tandoori chicken wings to butter chicken. however, i would certainly not call this an indian restaurant at all. they also reiterate on the dinner menu that they make every effort to source local and sustainable products, which i always favour. to start, we picked the chicken livers on toast ($7.00). wow, wow, wow. these were great! i was so impressed at the portion size, considering the low price. this was savoury and warm, similar to a pâté. i loved the dash of coarse salt and the studs of cured pork on top. this plate really surprised me with its quality and abundance. bold flavours. something that everyone must try!
for my main dish, i was immediately interested in the mussels, chorizo & white wine with fries ($13.00) because coincidentally, this is almost exactly the same dish that i cooked at home for dinner on my most recent episode of erikaeatseverything: the girl can't cook (mine was specifically called steamed mussels with tomato and chorizo broth). so i was super curious to stack mine (which i thought turned out really well) up to this version! it was really, really good. the amount of mussels were so heaping, that there was no way to keep count. this version was a bit spicier than mine, because they used a lot more plump chorizo than i did. the mussels were cooked to perfection and i loved the salty broth that boasted a hint of wine. moules-frites (mussels and fries) is such a popular dish in belgium and france, that it's no surprise that it carries popularity in french canada as well. the fries were cooked to golden perfection and were some of the best fries that i've eaten. served with housemade mayonnaise, of course, as is the french way. this meal was incredibly filling and extremely delicious. i am already living with cravings.
for dessert, they offer a "dessert du moment" ($7.00), a dessert that varies on the particular day of your visit. i didn't think that we'd have any, but after hearing that that evening's dessert was earl grey and lavender crème brûlée... there was no turning back. i liked the reasonable portion size. cracking through the perfectly caramelized shell lead to a light and delicious custard. i loved that the flavours from the tea as well as the lavender came through well, and combined perfectly with the toasty top.
welp. sparrow owns my soul now. i love everything about them so much and only wish that i had started visiting them sooner. the value is incredible because the amazing quality of the food and large portions seem to demand more than their low and reasonable prices. i want this to be another one of my "places" and i want the staff to get sick of seeing me in there. love, love, love!!!