“Why do you North Americans always queue up for brunch?” JJ asked as we approached the Sunday morning lineup at Nellie’s on Kensington. He says people in the U.K. often go to pubs for big British breakfasts on the weekends, but there are no lineups.
I’m not sure, actually. Why DO we do that? Maybe we just don’t have enough brunch spots to satiate everyone’s cravings for eggs and stuff. Someone should do a per-capita study.
As it is, there are five Nellies scattered in convenient inner-city locations, easily distinguished by hand-lettered green and yellow signs. As far as I can tell, all are decorated with knickknacks and old Life magazine covers, mismatched plates and Christmas coffee mugs.
Calgarians seem to have a love it or hate it attitude towards the city-wide chain, which might also depend on the location they frequent.
We went back to the Kensington one, which seems to be pretty consistent. The weekend lineups move along fairly well, and the busy, but very nice, servers get food to the table extremely quickly.
I’ve also never seen so many offers to refill my coffee. It’s just too bad the coffee isn’t very good.
The food I’ve had, on the other hand, is tasty. Jason’s eggs benedict (it got a thumbs-up) came with potatoes and fruit, which he appreciated. JJ was satiated with his French toast with a side of bacon.
I very rarely order huevos rancheros ($9.50), but Nellie’s is done with refried beans, which makes it very yummy. It’s got some crunch from red and green peppers as well as a LOT of cheese.
Hats off to the potatoes. I hate breakfast potatoes that are undercooked and unsalted. These were done properly by my books.
Nellie’s adds some nice, little touches. Mini muffins (chocolate chip one day, lemon poppyseed another) are added to every plate. Lollipops send you off with your bill.
The menu is extensive enough to keep you coming back into lunchtime, including sandwiches and the Ukranian “break the fast” (kolbasa sausage, perogies, eggs and toast).
Now someone do something about those lineups.
Nellie’s on Kensington, 1414 Kensington Rd. NW, 270-0173. Open Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekends 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Five locations in Calgary.
UPDATE – January 2010: The owner of Nellie’s pleaded guilty to 43 health code violations at five of the six restaurants in Calgary, and was fined $61,870.
The citations by health inspectors, dating back 12 years, included mouse droppings in food in the kitchen, as well as perishable foods stored on the floor, not being kept at a proper temperature, or not being handled safely by staff.
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