Exploring the best of Toronto and Southern Ontario.

Happy Monday, everyone… and happy Valentine’s week! hope you’ve got some fun plans to celebrate “Love Day”, whether that’s a special date night with your S.O., a Galentine’s brunch with your girlfriends, a cookie-decorating day with your kids, or treating yourself to a spa day, fancy dinner or something else you enjoy. People tend to forget it amidst all the commercial messaging, but Valentine’s Day is all about showing yourself some love too!

I was thinking of doing a Valentine’s-themed post today… but then I remembered another fun holiday that just happens to fall in the same week this year, and I had an even better idea. Yes, tomorrow is Mardi Gras, and I thought it deserved a little love too! Even though it’s more widely celebrated in the U.S., I love any excuse to celebrate a holiday, and Mardi Gras is no exception. Along with experiencing Oktoberfest in Munich, Carnival in Venice and Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras is something that’s always been on my bucket list. It’s not something I get to cross off this year… but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the holiday right here at home. In addition to its association with elaborate parade floats, ornate costumes, strands of colourful beads, and okay, yes – its fair share of drunken revelry – Mardi Gras is also synonymous with two iconic foods: King Cakes and pancakes! Now, King Cakes are definitely an American delicacy, though you can occasionally find them around Ontario during Mardi Gras season: for instance, Front Porch Southern Kitchen in Langton offers them for pre-order, and Mississauga’s Daddy O Doughnuts bakes King Cake-inspired donuts. But while these colourful cakes may be hard to come by this side of the border, there is one thing that Toronto happens to do really well… and that’s pancakes!

Tomorrow marks the traditional ‘last hurrah’ before Ash Wednesday kicks off the 40 days of Lent. The time-honoured tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates back to 600 A.D., when Pope St. Gregory banned Christians from consuming any sort of meat or animal product – including dairy – during Lent. So on Shrove Tuesday, Christians used up their remaining stores of butter, milk and eggs by making pancakes. The tradition spread from England throughout Europe, most notably to France, where the French created the King Cake and renamed the day Mardi Gras – a.k.a. Fat Tuesday. Today, millions of people around the world celebrate Fat Tuesday with a pancake supper… and who am I to flout tradition!?

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably know I’m a big fan of brunch, which means I’ve tasted my fair share of pancakes over the years. There are so many great places to get pancakes in and around Toronto, but when I was thinking about this post, there were a few favourite spots that came to mind almost immediately. So today, I’m sharing my top ten picks for the fluffiest, tastiest, most Mardi-Gras-worthy pancake stacks in the GTA. Starting with the first contender…

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes, Lazy Daisy’s Café, Toronto

This cheerful, family-friendly café in The Beaches combines two of my favourite breakfasts – pancakes and cinnamon buns – in one decadent offering. Their buttermilk cinnamon pancakes have the prettiest swirl pattern, and come served with fresh strawberries and a scrumptious cream cheese drizzle.

Lemon Frittelle, Oretta, Toronto

The “lemon cakes” at this chic King West restaurant are a fluffy, pillowy cross between pancakes and frittelle (traditional Italian doughnuts.) Served with sweet mascarpone and berry compote, the stack is on the smaller side, but that’s okay – you’ll have room for one of Oretta’s signature bombolone! This restaurant happens to be one of my favourite spots for a girls’ brunch, which may or may not have to do with the fact that they offer bottomless mimosas on weekends.

Spill The Tea Pancakes, The Morning After, Toronto

This hangover-themed eatery is a stone’s throw from the Entertainment District, which explains its name. I’m well past my party days, but I still love its cute patio and these pancakes, arguably the most unique flavour combination on this list! They come swimming in coconut matcha custard and topped with fresh berries, black sesame seeds and shredded coconut. If you love matcha and coconut (which I most definitely do) you will LOVE these!

Mrs. Biederhof’s Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, Toronto

As someone who loves discovering new restaurants, I rarely eat at the same spot twice. So when I go back to a restaurant multiple times, you know it’s got to be really good. Such is the case with Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village. Their weekend brunch is so popular that it’s not uncommon to wait 1-2 hours for a table… but it’s all worth it when you finally dig into that ridiculously fluffy stack of buttermilk pancakes, topped with wild blueberry compote, whipped cream and Lanark County maple syrup. Mildred’s gets bonus points from this old Hollywood fan for naming its menu items (as well as the restaurant itself) after characters from Mildred Pierce.

Black ‘N Blue Flapjacks, School, Toronto

If you want to start a heated debate among Liberty Villagers, just ask them which spot has better blueberry pancakes: Mildred’s or School. I lived in the neighbourhood for six years and have eaten at both spots multiple times, and it’s a tough debate to settle: both dishes are excellent in their own right. That said, if I’m being honest, I do have a personal favourite between the two… but I’m not telling which! You’ll just have to try them both and decide for yourself. And I won’t blame you if you have to do a few taste tests before confirming your final answer. You know… for research purposes!

The 6ix Pancakes, MARBL, Toronto

If you like your flapjacks with a side of flair, you’ll love the 6ix Pancakes at this splashy King West restaurant. The vanilla buttermilk pancakes (yes, there’s six of them) come topped with lemon balm, lemon blueberry compote, and actual edible gold flakes. MARBL has a beautifully designed interior and glam patio, making this the perfect spot for a date or a decadent girls’ brunch. To read more about MARBL, check out my blog post here.

Champagne Pancakes, Motel, Hamilton

Attention Hamiltonians: you don’t have to go all the way to the 6ix to enjoy some sparkly pancakes! The Champagne Pancakes at Hamilton’s Insta-worthy Motel Restaurant have champagne in the batter and come topped with gold flakes, Devonshire cream and raspberry champagne coulis. Talk about a meal fit for royalty!

Red Velvet Pancakes, Pür & Simple, Multiple Locations

I always say I love brunch because it’s an excuse to start your day with dessert, and Pür & Simple takes that literally with this fan-favourite dish, which is basically red velvet cake in pancake form. Topped with fresh raspberries, cream cheese icing and raspberry coulis, sprinkled with icing sugar, and garnished with whipped cream and mint, they’re a great way to start your day on a sweet note. Pür & Simple has several locations around the GTA: click here to find the one nearest you.

Feature Pancakes, Kerr Street Café, Oakville

This bright and cheery Oakville eatery rotates their menu offerings regularly, so you never know what you’re going to get. All I can promise is one thing: whatever you get is going to be really, really good. I also have to give a shoutout for their amazing customer service. When Tania and I went for brunch last spring, their pancake special at the time featured peanut butter cream and Nutella, which I’m just not a fan of (I know I’m in the minority on that one!) I asked if they could replace those toppings with their featured French toast toppings – fresh strawberries and vanilla bean custard – and they were more than happy to accommodate! I love a menu that allows for substitutions. Bonus points for presentation – check out those gorgeous edible flowers!

Purple Hills Pancakes, Brunch & Co, Whitby

If you read my last post about this (relatively) new restaurant in Whitby, you already know I’m a huge fan. ICYMI: their Purple Hills Pancakes are one of the most epic brunch dishes I’ve ever eaten. The four giant pancakes are served in a mini skillet and topped with heaps of blueberry compote, crispy bacon strips, house-made brown sugar butter, maple syrup and whipped cream. Not only will you fall in love at first bite, but with their generous portion sizes, you’ll have enough left over for a pancake supper that night. Happy Mardi Gras!

Well, that’s all folks… my top ten picks for the GTA’s best pancake stacks. If you try any of these dishes for yourself, let me know what your favourite was – I’d love to hear your reviews! And since it is also Valentine’s week, those of you hoping for some “heartier” content can check out last year’s posts about my favourite homemade Valentine’s Day desserts and my favourite romantic Ontario restaurants for a special date night.

Who else out there celebrates Mardi Gras? Any of my fellow Canadians? (I’ve heard it’s a pretty big deal in Quebec!)