You Gotta Eat Here! host John Catucci eats out — a lot. No really, A LOT. So when he told us that Victoria, B.C. is the official brunch capital of Canada, we listened (and drooled).
“People there are obsessed with brunch,” says John, noting that brunch spots in the garden city always have lineups, and that whenever the YGEH! crew visits a Victoria restaurant at brunchtime, it’s packed like a sweet-cheese blintz (which you can find at Victoria’s The Village).
Why are Victorians so hungry, particularly on weekend mornings? Maybe it’s all that fresh ocean air. But more likely, it’s the sheer variety of delicious eats that’s inspiring them to throw off the covers and queue for breakfast.
After all, if you could stuff your face with a tower of red velvet pancakes, or a heaping of brioche French toast topped with caramelized fruit, wouldn’t you? If you prefer savoury, how about a double stack of pancakes layered with pulled pork and topped with a maple BBQ glaze, jalapeño sour cream and pickled cabbage? All of these dishes and more are offered at Old Town’s Jam Café, which serves breakfast all day long.
Speaking of all-day breakfasts, Mo:Le serves them too, offering an array of Tex-Mex and vegetarian fare, like poached eggs with tinga, eggs benny, red pepper polenta with eggs and fruit salsa, and huevos rancheros.
What if you knew that a Scottish breakfast of potato scones, black pudding, fried tomatoes and crispy rashers of bacon was just a quick stroll away? If you’re near one of Shine Café’s two locations, it is.
And if we told you that red shakshuka, Montreal smoked meat-festooned bennys and a heaping platter of meat, fruit and roasted potatoes could all be yours with a quick trip to any of The Village Restaurant’s three Victoria locations, you’d go, right?
John Catucci is a funny guy, but Victoria’s brunch selection is serious business. And by the way, the meals pictured here are just the top of the flapjack stack. Be sure to check out our You Gotta Eat Here! Restaurant Locator for more details on Victoria’s best brunches.