The Great Balancing Act
Frankly Eatery, Frankly Delicious
While we’re on the the topic of brunch foods, I have something I need to say.
Listen, I know I am biased, but I truly believe I live in the best brunch neighbourhood in Toronto.
Those of you living outside the tee-dot may not understand what a bold statement this really is.
I live in a city obsessed with brunch. Every single restaurant touts a special brunch menu. Line-ups spill into the streets on weekends between 10 and 2. In Toronto, a restaurant is only has good as its brunch.
In Leslieville, my ‘hood, you can throw a rock in any direction and hit a place that specializes in this holy meal. And me? I am a girl on a mission to try brunch at every one of them.
Which brings us to Frankly Eatery. A newer addition to the Queen East line-up, offering brunch classics with an Indian twist. Brunch is so overdone around here, I love the idea of fusing the traditional dishes with some cultural spice!
My roommie and I popped over after a Pilates class. Our abs were in pain, but our bellies hungry.
Our Pilates instructor (hi Sandra!) recommended their rice bowls. Megan went for the one on special: chicken in a tomato coconut sauce over rice.
I had a bite and it was gooooood. The sauce rich thanks to the coconut, but still light because of the tomato. Only mildly spicy so the flavours still stood out.
I however had eggs on the mind so I went with the Egg Bhuri.
Spicy Indian style scramble with onions, peas and tomatoes served w/ green salad and sliced baguette.
They asked me if I wanted it mild, medium or hot. After going back and forth, I opted for the mild, and happy I did! It was still spicy but without making me break into a sweat. Loved the peas and the amount of eggs I got. The greens were nicely dressed and I piled everything on top of the baguette slices.
The best part though?
My roommate, who doesn’t blog, but still takes pictures of her food. Everyone’s a closet food blogger 
Another one to cross off the Toronto restaurant list! And unlike last time, this local spot gets two thumbs up. One thumb for the awesome food, a second thumb for our waiter, who was wearing a Vandelay Industries t-shirt
NOW Magazine
A
Spiced-up brunch
Frankly brings complexity to everyone’s fave weekend meal
By Steven Davey
A
You have to get up early to beat the Leslieville brunch bunch. Why, here it is just after 9 on a gloomy Saturday morning and both Bonjour Brioche and Lady Marmalade are packed to the rafters. By 10, there’ll be lineups.
A little further east, chef Alka Graham and brother Rick Chander’s Frankly is just as slammed, every one of its 18 seats taken. Open six months, the cozy café already has a loyal following. T. Rex on the sound system makes me an instant fan.
If it’s eggs Benny with home fries you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place. Instead, go for corn tortillas piled with tandoori-style pulled pork kissed with cumin, perfectly scrambled free-range eggs and garlicky roasted tomato salsa lashed with avocado cream, a heap of commercial organic greens dressed in honey balsamic on the side ($11.50).
Wrapped in a thin tortilla, chunks of chicken breast in garlic aioli get a similar treatment ($10 with salad), the addition of Subcontinental cabbage slaw and crunchy roasted chickpeas an unexpected twist. Gobi parantha ($8.50 with salad) turns out to be thick whole wheat crepes stuffed with al dente cauliflower sided with East-meets-West sour cream raita. Make sure to pair them with links of house-made sausages laced with chilies and dipped in coriander chutney ($3).
Frankly’s BLT ($9.50 with salad) sees toasted slices of St. John’s Bakery’s excellent sourdough stacked with unusually thick Upper Cut bacon, ripe tomato and avocado mayo. Pesto Palooza ($11 with baguette and salad) finds scallions and jalapeños folded into more of those fabulously scrambled eggs finished with chopped bacon and a drizzle of cherry-tomato cream.
Coffee ($1.95) is strong and eco-friendly, tap water doctored with lemon, and servers ably keep up with the crowd. The room might be small, but its rewards are substantial. Frankly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
NOW | October 14-21, 2010 | VOL 30 NO 7
EYE WEEKLY
Frankly Eatery
New east-end eatery kicks brunch up a notch in Leslieville, adding a bit of Indian flare to traditional breakfast fare
BY Sean Kelly Keenan September 15, 2010 14:09
Editorial Rating: 4 Stars
Address: 1118 Queen E.
Phone : 647-350-1611
Lunch for two : $30 including taxes and tip
Reservations : No
Wheelchair access : No
Hours : Tue-Sun, 9am to 4pm
aa
It’s not often that you come across something new in terms of lunch- and brunch-counter offerings. Sure, there are any number of variations on traditional themes and concepts: diner fare jazzed up with more expensive (a.k.a. sophisticated) ingredients like truffle oil or caviar, for example, or eggs benny with pulled pork in place of ham or bacon. Yes, they are different in terms of style and execution, and there’s nothing wrong with that. (In fact, in cases like the Hoof Café’s rabbit and celery pancakes, there’s something very, very right about it.) But there isn’t necessarily anything earth-shattering about it, either.
Every once in a while, however, something truly unique does get added to our early-morning gastro lexicon — such was the case when huevos rancheros started popping up on brunch-joint menus across the city a decade or so ago. When this happens, it’s a time for rejoicing — at least, it is for those of us who are long past their Sunset Grill–lovin’ due dates. Thanks to Frankly Eatery, one of the latest additions to Leslieville’s ever-growing stable of hipster-friendly breakfast stands, it’s time to break out the maracas and party hats again because Frankly’s Indian-inflected diner fare isn’t only novel, it’s downright delicious.
Located a hard-boiled egg’s throw from long-time neighbourhood breakfast standard Stratengers (one of the early adopters of the aforementioned huevos rancheros, I might add) and directly beside the ever-unchanging B & B Fish and Chips restaurant, Frankly doesn’t give the outward impression of a place that’s looking to break any moulds. The elegantly simple signage out front makes it seem like its designer grew into adulthood sometime in the mid- to late ’90s. The Nirvana and The Smiths tunes playing lightly over the sound-system only serve to back up the idea that you’ve stumbled into a cozy, 16-seater, slacker-generation oasis in the heart of the trend-chasing east end.
It’s when you scan the menu that Frankly makes a unique impression. Yeah, you’ve got some of your usual breakfast hits, such as vanilla cinnamon French toast ($7.75), made with scrumptiously chewy artisan baguette and served with sensational mixed-berry compote, some cubes of honeydew melon and cantaloupe, grapes and a pot of real maple syrup for dipping. But sharing the space on the menu are items like good morning parathas ($8.50), buttery roti rounds stuffed with items like cauliflower and cilantro sour cream.
Open-faced besan puri “tacos” ($10) are listed as a weekend special, but if I had my way they would become a mainstay of Frankly’s carte. Two light-and-golden chickpea crepes come topped with scrambled eggs, cilantro-laced sour cream, fresh salsa and a smear of mango chutney. The spice level is slightly underwhelming — a good thing for those with an aversion to heat — but the flavour is tremendous (especially after I get some extra chilli sauce to add to my second taco). The clump of mesclun mix which comes as a side to virtually every item on the menu is noteworthy for the honey-balsamic dressing — or, more to the point, the well-
proportioned use of it. Kissed ever so gently with the sweet oil-and-vinegar mix, the various flavours of the now-ubiquitous lettuce mix actually come through, reminding us of why the bagged California blend became so popular across the city in the first place.
Fragrant daal ($5.50) is more of a purée than a soup, with a good kick of black pepper riding at the end of each spoonful, providing just as much stick-to-your ribs comfort as any bowl of oatmeal does. It comes with sourdough toast instead of the menu-promised warmed pita (that isn’t really so much of a complaint as it is an observation). The tasty bread does a fine enough job sopping up the remains of my hearty bowl of soup, but considering how many other places it shows up over the course of my visits, flatbread would have been a nice change of pace.
When it comes time for lunch, Frankly’s brand of Indo-deli fusion works well. The curry chicken-salad sandwich ($9), for example, is stellar. Tender chunks of curried breast meat get mixed with avocado mayo and crunchy walnuts, then garnished with some mixed greens and shaved carrots. Served on, um, sourdough toast, it holds up easily to a 10-minute trip home. In other places I’m not so sure. The spicy homemade sausage sandwich ($8.50), made with seasoned ground pork piped through a pastry bag, is more like a kebob than sausage. And while sharp red onions and mango chutney add a recurring depth of flavour, the texture is off-putting, reminding me of the club sandwich made with spam I once received at a sandwich counter in London. Veering back into more familiar territory, there isn’t anything wrong with the bacon, pear and Swiss grilled cheese ($11) they have on as a Saturday and Sunday special — the dense, thick-cut, black forest bacon they use is flat-out awesome.
Frankly could use a bit of refinement in certain places. The service is friendly and engaging, but at times can be slow. And depending on how busy the kitchen is, the wait between ordering and filling your belly is inconsistent, one day taking 10 minutes for a bowl of soup, the next just half that amount of time to whip up an entire take-out order. Considering they’ve only been open four months or so, there’s still time to work out kinks like that. Besides, in a city where brunch still tends to revolve around basic and familiar fare, for those of us looking to give our palates a different treat, the food here is worth the wait.
Urbanspoon
We love Frankly
by Arlene Cohen (1 review)
September 06, 2010 – Likes it
So glad to have this wonderful restaurant around the corner from us. Fantastic Indian fusion food artistry, family owned/operated and extremely accommodating to special orders. It’s like our second kitchen/dining room. We eat their frequently, never get tired of the menu and recommend it to all our friends.
Urbanspoon
Good food
by leroymarko (96 reviews)
August 22, 2010 – Likes it
Nice little addition to the restaurant scene of Leslieville. Small place, small kitchen, but great food. Nice Indian touch to what’s being served. Professional and friendly staff. Was a bit slow to get our food, but would still go back.
The Leslieviller
- Reply by Tara on August 8, 2010 at 1:57pm
-
We just checked out Frankly Eatery yesterday for lunch. SO GOOD! I had the Indian Open Faced Taco too and holy cow was it delish! I love how delicately it was spiced, but still had a strong flavour. The Huz had the breasfast wrap, also yummy.We had our food To-Go. They were friendly and surprisingly fast for not fast food (Both meals were ready to go in about 10 minutes).
I can’t wait to eat there again!
You have to get up early to beat the Leslieville brunch bunch. Why, here it is just after 9 on a gloomy Saturday morning and both Bonjour Brioche and Lady Marmalade are packed to the rafters. By 10, there’ll be lineups.
A little further east, chef Alka Graham and brother Rick Chander’s Frankly is just as slammed, every one of its 18 seats taken. Open six months, the cozy café already has a loyal following. T. Rex on the sound system makes me an instant fan.
If it’s eggs Benny with home fries you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place. Instead, go for corn tortillas piled with tandoori-style pulled pork kissed with cumin, perfectly scrambled free-range eggs and garlicky roasted tomato salsa lashed with avocado cream, a heap of commercial organic greens dressed in honey balsamic on the side ($11.50).
Wrapped in a thin tortilla, chunks of chicken breast in garlic aioli get a similar treatment ($10 with salad), the addition of Subcontinental cabbage slaw and crunchy roasted chickpeas an unexpected twist. Gobi parantha ($8.50 with salad) turns out to be thick whole wheat crepes stuffed with al dente cauliflower sided with East-meets-West sour cream raita. Make sure to pair them with links of house-made sausages laced with chilies and dipped in coriander chutney ($3).
Frankly’s BLT ($9.50 with salad) sees toasted slices of St. John’s Bakery’s excellent sourdough stacked with unusually thick Upper Cut bacon, ripe tomato and avocado mayo. Pesto Palooza ($11 with baguette and salad) finds scallions and jalapeños folded into more of those fabulously scrambled eggs finished with chopped bacon and a drizzle of cherry-tomato cream.
Coffee ($1.95) is strong and eco-friendly, tap water doctored with lemon, and servers ably keep up with the crowd. The room might be small, but its rewards are substantial. Frankly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
EYE WEEKLY
Frankly Eatery
New east-end eatery kicks brunch up a notch in Leslieville, adding a bit of Indian flare to traditional breakfast fare
BY Sean Kelly Keenan September 15, 2010 14:09
Phone : 647-350-1611
Lunch for two : $30 including taxes and tip
Reservations : No
Wheelchair access : No
Hours : Tue-Sun, 9am to 4pm
It’s not often that you come across something new in terms of lunch- and brunch-counter offerings. Sure, there are any number of variations on traditional themes and concepts: diner fare jazzed up with more expensive (a.k.a. sophisticated) ingredients like truffle oil or caviar, for example, or eggs benny with pulled pork in place of ham or bacon. Yes, they are different in terms of style and execution, and there’s nothing wrong with that. (In fact, in cases like the Hoof Café’s rabbit and celery pancakes, there’s something very, very right about it.) But there isn’t necessarily anything earth-shattering about it, either.
Every once in a while, however, something truly unique does get added to our early-morning gastro lexicon — such was the case when huevos rancheros started popping up on brunch-joint menus across the city a decade or so ago. When this happens, it’s a time for rejoicing — at least, it is for those of us who are long past their Sunset Grill–lovin’ due dates. Thanks to Frankly Eatery, one of the latest additions to Leslieville’s ever-growing stable of hipster-friendly breakfast stands, it’s time to break out the maracas and party hats again because Frankly’s Indian-inflected diner fare isn’t only novel, it’s downright delicious.
Located a hard-boiled egg’s throw from long-time neighbourhood breakfast standard Stratengers (one of the early adopters of the aforementioned huevos rancheros, I might add) and directly beside the ever-unchanging B & B Fish and Chips restaurant, Frankly doesn’t give the outward impression of a place that’s looking to break any moulds. The elegantly simple signage out front makes it seem like its designer grew into adulthood sometime in the mid- to late ’90s. The Nirvana and The Smiths tunes playing lightly over the sound-system only serve to back up the idea that you’ve stumbled into a cozy, 16-seater, slacker-generation oasis in the heart of the trend-chasing east end.
It’s when you scan the menu that Frankly makes a unique impression. Yeah, you’ve got some of your usual breakfast hits, such as vanilla cinnamon French toast ($7.75), made with scrumptiously chewy artisan baguette and served with sensational mixed-berry compote, some cubes of honeydew melon and cantaloupe, grapes and a pot of real maple syrup for dipping. But sharing the space on the menu are items like good morning parathas ($8.50), buttery roti rounds stuffed with items like cauliflower and cilantro sour cream.
Open-faced besan puri “tacos” ($10) are listed as a weekend special, but if I had my way they would become a mainstay of Frankly’s carte. Two light-and-golden chickpea crepes come topped with scrambled eggs, cilantro-laced sour cream, fresh salsa and a smear of mango chutney. The spice level is slightly underwhelming — a good thing for those with an aversion to heat — but the flavour is tremendous (especially after I get some extra chilli sauce to add to my second taco). The clump of mesclun mix which comes as a side to virtually every item on the menu is noteworthy for the honey-balsamic dressing — or, more to the point, the well-
proportioned use of it. Kissed ever so gently with the sweet oil-and-vinegar mix, the various flavours of the now-ubiquitous lettuce mix actually come through, reminding us of why the bagged California blend became so popular across the city in the first place.
Fragrant daal ($5.50) is more of a purée than a soup, with a good kick of black pepper riding at the end of each spoonful, providing just as much stick-to-your ribs comfort as any bowl of oatmeal does. It comes with sourdough toast instead of the menu-promised warmed pita (that isn’t really so much of a complaint as it is an observation). The tasty bread does a fine enough job sopping up the remains of my hearty bowl of soup, but considering how many other places it shows up over the course of my visits, flatbread would have been a nice change of pace.
When it comes time for lunch, Frankly’s brand of Indo-deli fusion works well. The curry chicken-salad sandwich ($9), for example, is stellar. Tender chunks of curried breast meat get mixed with avocado mayo and crunchy walnuts, then garnished with some mixed greens and shaved carrots. Served on, um, sourdough toast, it holds up easily to a 10-minute trip home. In other places I’m not so sure. The spicy homemade sausage sandwich ($8.50), made with seasoned ground pork piped through a pastry bag, is more like a kebob than sausage. And while sharp red onions and mango chutney add a recurring depth of flavour, the texture is off-putting, reminding me of the club sandwich made with spam I once received at a sandwich counter in London. Veering back into more familiar territory, there isn’t anything wrong with the bacon, pear and Swiss grilled cheese ($11) they have on as a Saturday and Sunday special — the dense, thick-cut, black forest bacon they use is flat-out awesome.
Frankly could use a bit of refinement in certain places. The service is friendly and engaging, but at times can be slow. And depending on how busy the kitchen is, the wait between ordering and filling your belly is inconsistent, one day taking 10 minutes for a bowl of soup, the next just half that amount of time to whip up an entire take-out order. Considering they’ve only been open four months or so, there’s still time to work out kinks like that. Besides, in a city where brunch still tends to revolve around basic and familiar fare, for those of us looking to give our palates a different treat, the food here is worth the wait.
Urbanspoon
We love Frankly
by Arlene Cohen (1 review)
September 06, 2010 – Likes it
Urbanspoon
Good food
by leroymarko (96 reviews)
August 22, 2010 – Likes it
The Leslieviller
We just checked out Frankly Eatery yesterday for lunch. SO GOOD! I had the Indian Open Faced Taco too and holy cow was it delish! I love how delicately it was spiced, but still had a strong flavour. The Huz had the breasfast wrap, also yummy.We had our food To-Go. They were friendly and surprisingly fast for not fast food (Both meals were ready to go in about 10 minutes).
I can’t wait to eat there again!
Martiniboys
 |
nickbaute 30 Jul 2010, 10 : 36 PM
 Frankly Eatery ix a little gem in an unlikely part of the city – the little Leslieville eatery blew away my expectations in every way. |
a
blogTO
Frankly Eatery
Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote)
Posted by Gadjo Sevilla / Reviewed on July 21, 2010
You don’t need to go far to find Frankly Eatery. It’s next to Okay Okay and across the street from Pulp Kitchen. Since it opened earlier this summer they’ve been offering brunch with a bit of a twist. Their healthy, all-day South Asian inspired brunch items are unique to the area and worth experiencing. 
Inside, pleasant scents of spice mingle with freshly brewed coffee and the busy sounds of a kitchen in prep mode. Hits from the 80′s (Roxy Music, The Smiths, XTC) emanate from the sound system. The small space may be plain but it does have the charm of a family-run eatery where the owners are completely hands on. 
We begin with the Gobhi Parantha ($8.40), a large Indian style toasted flatbread stuffed with spiced cauliflower and served with a delectable cilantro sour cream and side salad. 
The flatbread is pancake-fluffy yet tastes like a mealy papadum. It’s aromatic but not at all spicy in a hot sense. The side salad comes lightly drizzled with honey balsamic vinaigrette. 
I’m not usually a big fan of cilantro and avoid it when possible but I manage to thoroughly enjoy the homemade cilantro and sour cream sauce that comes with the Gobhi Parantha. It’s both refreshing and adds a dimension of freshness to the flatbread’s earthy taste. The Cheddar Apple sandwich ($7.00 – top photo) brings together slices of cheddar, thinly sliced apples and a savoury pure maple butter spread on a toasted walnut raisin bread that also comes with a side salad. 
The cheddar, apple, maple butter and raisin bread work very well together and create an almost pastry-like experience. This sandwich tastes superb and is a double-decker meal that’s perfect for a quick brunch or lunch. 
Frankly Eatery also serves scrambled eggs ($8.50-$10.50) with chives and cheddar, Egg Bhurji (spicy Indian style scramble with onions, peas and tomatoes served with salad and a baguette), smoked salmon and pesto and prosciutto. 
For sandwiches and wraps ($8.50-$9.50) they offer a chikpea wrap which the owners promise is a good vegetarian option and a tandoori chicken wrap that I plan on going back for.
Foodhogger
NEW: Frankly Eatery
In Breakfast, Brunch, French Toast, NEW RESTO, Toronto on June 21, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Location:
1118 Queen Street East, Toronto
So, I first posted about Frankly Eatery in April. Our friends opened up Frankly (the name deriving from them not knowing quite frankly what name to give it) in Leslieville and we finally got the chance to check it out this past weekend.
Loving the signage outside and how warm and cosy the interior is.
They had a few weekend specials, one of them being: Scrambled eggs w/ scape-jalapeno pesto topped with sausage & bacon, tomato and red scallions served w/side salad & baguette.
Everything Everything was fresh and came out hot and tasting delicious.
I got my standard: French Toast (Vanilla cinnamon French toast topped with our mixed berry compote and pure maple syrup and a side of fresh fruit. $7.75). I have to admit I knew what I was going to get when I saw the menu before Frankly Eatery even opened 
And it was incredible – we were loving the baquettes and the berry sauce on top. Perfect.
The Aloo Parantha (large Indian style flatbread stuffed with shredded spiced potatoes served with a homemade cilantro sour cream and side salad 8.50) was cooked to perfection – exactly the way we like it, tasting wonderfully homemade.
The Egg Bhurji (Spicy Indian style scramble with onions, peas and tomatoes served with green salad and sliced baguette. $8.50) was amazing!! Definitely something I would get again.
One of the other specials was the Tandoori Chicken Wrap (Tandoori chicken, slaw, roasted chick peas, garlic aioli w/ side salad) which, with the side salad, was quite filling.
And finally, there they are! The fantastic crew bringing it all together: great job guys – everyone is loving the place and we can’t wait to come back!
a
The Leslieviller
Finally had a chance to check this new place out. I was pleased. I ordered their weekend special called an Indian Open Faced Taco. It had such wonderful flavour. The service was great and the coffee bold. Looking forward to going back to try their much raved about sandwiches.
Yelp
Jim M.
North York, ON
Went for brunch on Canada Day. I had the Aloo Parantha which was amazing. friends had Tandoori Chicken Wrap and French Toast. Everyone was really impressed. Atmosphere was laid back and comfortable. Service was friendly and attentive. You must try this place!
Urbanspoon
June 24, 2010 – Likes it – I loved the simplicity of the place combined with cheerful staff and a unique menu. The fusion concept works really well – my favorite was the Aloo Parantha and Tandooru chicken wrap – which had fresh and homemade feel. Would definitely go back!
Urbanspoon
“Nice!” by Arby (1 review)
May 22, 2010 – Likes it – Me and my friend Shawn (who helps to run his wife’s coffee shop, Voulez Vous) stopped into Frankly Eatery as the first stop on a coffee crawl we were doing this Friday afternoon. It was a nice start to the crawl. The very friendly, if somewhat non-verbal (he said it all with a few words, great service and body language that was positive), gentleman who gave us our perfectly fine espressos (and a menu to take away) made a good impression on us. The little things matter. As coffee geeks (I hate the word ‘geek’ but can’t think how to convey my status better), we appreciated not just the perfectly made espressos but the presentation as well. They were poured into proper demitasses with saucers. The coffee didn’t wow me, but wows are rare, not just in commodity coffee, but also in culinary coffee. So… Shawn and I both decided that we would happily revisit this nice little smile-inducing eatery again. Well done folks!
Yelp
Toronto, ON
5/25/2010
4 Stars
YES!
Great coffee. Friendly service. Scrambled eggs with cheese and chives cooked just right. Simply delicious thick cut maple smoked bacon. The side salad was dressed perfectly! The baguette could have been toasted… Hey.
The music was GREAT! The staff kind and calm. No rush, no fuss, no muss.
A perfect addition to Leslieville. What I appreciated the absolute most was not the typical Leslieville attitude! What we got was attentive service honest and direct answers to question, and the owner/staff making sure we were enjoying our meal and our time spent in this pleasant space with these polite and gracious hosts.
I hope that there will be more of this in Leslieville.
I will be back again the next time, later in the day to explore the Indian twist on breakfast.
Yelp
Toronto, ON
Although I’m yet to taste the food, I have been in for coffee, which was great and the people are incredibly nice. And, their choice in music was awesome–retro, early 90′s hip-hop. Looking forward to eating there soon with the family…. Okay, I’ve tasted the food. One word: fantastic! The tandoori chicken wrap was superb, the vinaigrette dressing on the side salad was the best I’ve had in…forever. So good. Felt good eating it. Felt great afterward. Keep up the good work!
Yelp
Went here for a late lunch, and loved it. The music is awesome, the staff were super attentive and the food was great and reasonably priced.
If I was being super critical, the portion size for the french toast was a little small, and the water was a bit warm, but these are really minor problems since the food and the service was top notch.
We’ll be back!
Urbanspoon
“Nice!” by Arby (1 review)
May 22, 2010 – Likes it – Me and my friend Shawn (who helps to run his wife’s coffee shop, Voulez Vous) stopped into Frankly Eatery as the first stop on a coffee crawl we were doing this Friday afternoon. It was a nice start to the crawl. The very friendly, if somewhat non-verbal (he said it all with a few words, great service and body language that was positive), gentleman who gave us our perfectly fine espressos (and a menu to take away) made a good impression on us. The little things matter. As coffee geeks (I hate the word ‘geek’ but can’t think how to convey my status better), we appreciated not just the perfectly made espressos but the presentation as well. They were poured into proper demitasses with saucers. The coffee didn’t wow me, but wows are rare, not just in commodity coffee, but also in culinary coffee. So…Shawn and I both decided that we would happily revisit this nice little smile-inducing eatery again.Well done folks!
Frankly Eatery
Leslieville, Toronto
Nicole Bauman – April 27,2010
www.martiniboys.com
Continuing our eight-part series of “The Leslieville Overhaul,” is the addition of the new Frankly Eatery: the adorable brunch/lunch spot with a menu not found anywhere else… actually.
Owned and operated by brother/sister team Rick Chander and Alka Graham, you’d think these guys have spent their entire lives running restaurants. Shockingly, this is their first one, and everything from the food to the countertops is customized. With Graham manning the kitchen, the menu features early morning starters and light lunch classics that are almost all recognizable… almost.
First, there’s the scrambled eggs list, with choices like chives and chedder, pesto and prosciutto, smoked salmon, and egg bhurji- that’s the “not so common” one. It’s dazzled up with Indian ingredients like onions, peas and tomato’s with a spicy Indian scramble to it. The menu gets even more exotic with the “Good Morning Gandhi Parantha’s” – a large Indian style flatbread stuffed with shredded spiced potatoes and homemade cilantro sour cream, or spiced cauliflower. Parantha’s aren’t even found at most Indian restaurants, yet they’ve made their way into this little breakfast nook. Crazy? Yes… moderately.
For lunch, there’s a small sandwich list with eats like cheddar apple (cheddar with sliced apples, homemade pure maple butter spread on walnut raisin bread), tuna salad (celery with tomatoes, red onions, alfalfa sprouts on whole wheat grain), curry chicken (with walnut, celery salad, avocado may spread with curry chicken on sourdough bread), and a few others. Bevies include loose-leaf teas from House of Tea in
Toronto’s Kensington Market, coffee, espresso’s, lattes, san Pellegrino, and water (not by the bottle, they’re against that).
While the menu is elaborate, the décor is simple- exposed brick, small seating area, and hardwood everything. The counters and countertops are actually made from hardwood flooring. Like Chande said, “Sometimes you get creative when you’re trying to be resourceful.” The wall hangings are hand painted or drawn by Graham’s husband. This helps define the place as a family-run establishment. It’s cozy with a bit of that “rough around the edges” look, and it feels like an evening bistro, a nice break from the usual “50’s diner” brunch look.
Reasonable prices (dishes go for $8-$12), family and baby friendly (complete with change table on site), fresh homemade ingredients (locally bought as much as possible), and a catchy name (“Frankly” they couldn’t come up with anything else), this one’s likely to last through any future Leslieville overhauls.
The Leslieviller
Reply by Nicole R on May 1, 2010 at 1:08pm
Just had lunch at Frankly – BEST sandwich I’ve ever had. I got the curry salad sandwich with avocado mayo and walnut and my husband had an apple&cheddar one on raisin bread. DELICIOUS!!!!
HIGHLY Recommend this place for lunch.
Yelp
Kelly A.
Toronto, ON
Being Mothers Day, it was, of course, my job to take the kids out for brunch so mom could sleep. However, as luck would have it, they decided to sleep until almost 9AM this day, vs their usual 6:30 wakeup. This meant Lady M, OkayOkay and the other established spots would already be queued up. Having two hungry toddlers on my hands, I decided instead to try out Frankly, the new kid on the block.
We were seated pretty quickly, and they had high chairs and boosters, which is a nice touch. We ordered as soon as the waitress came and then waited, and waited, and waited. Too long: -1.5 stars too long. The table that ordered 90 seconds before us got their food about 10 minutes before us, and the table that ordered 15 minutes after us got theirs 5 minutes after us. Bad luck, I guess.
Now the good. They had a special “Indian open-faced taco” on. At last I’ve found a rival for Lady M’s huevos migas. It was a couple of indian pancakes topped by scrambled eggs, tomatoes, cilantro mayo, chili sauce, and home made sausage. Very tasty, and just at the line of spiciness acceptable before 10AM. The kids had french toast (simple but tasy – but a small portion,) and scrambled eggs with cheese.
Prices were good, service was friendly, kitchen was a little slow. If they keep that open-faced taco on the menu, I’ll be back.
Chowhound
childofthestorm May 08, 2010 03:24PM
I went there this morning and really enjoyed it. My wife (who’s Indian) had cauliflower parathas and loved them, while I had the daily special, Indian “tacos” on puris with egg, cilantro sour cream, green chutney…great flavours. The place is small and the vibe in there is very cool, with nice service.
Kind of a weird name for a restaurant but I think it should do well, if Lady Marmalade has lineups outside the door for its Tex-Mex spin on brunch, I would think Frankly’s Indian take on things should win them some fans. I’ll be back.
Yelp
Toronto, ON
I had a chance to try Frankly’s this weekend, and I will DEFINITELY be back!
The atmosphere at Frankly’s was relaxed and friendly, and the food was over-the-top good. Where else can you get an open faced Indian taco with homemade sausage for breakfast? The coffee was also excellent, and our server was genuine and attentive.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about Frankly’s – it’s so refreshing to eat at a place where you can tell there has been a lot of thought put into the menu, and the food stands up to the menu’s promises.
Prices are very reasonable. I’ll be back to try their sandwiches as soon as I get the chance.
The Leslieviller
This morning ( Mother’s Day) we continued our efforts to sample each and every brunch spot in the hood by paying a visit to the new Frankly Eatery. The restaurant is small ( seats approx 16) but very cozy and the service was very friendly and quick.
