I am a breakfast person—which is to say, I like to go out for breakfast. In fact, there are a handful of local breakfast establishments I frequent, typically visiting at least a few of those during any given week. Heck, if work didn’t get it the way, I expect that number would be more like—well, everyday!
Needless to say when I’m traveling, breakfast is not just a staple to begin my day. I make it a point to find great spots, which often become highlights of my trip. The purpose of traveling, at least to me, is to amass a memory of experiences. There’s no reason breakfast can’t help fill up the internal hard drive with memories.
When I was in Ottawa a year ago, we made our way across the river—into Quebec—to visit Edgar, a renowned breakfast/brunch cafe in Gatineau. I was excited, but my excitement would soon turn to disappointment. It was closed for renovation—bummer!
No need to worry, I was back in Canada—and trust me, Edgar was on my list.
Chez Edgar
I was a bit intimidated by the language barrier. I mean, I’ve been in foreign, non-English speaking countries before, yet somehow, this seemed different. For instance, when I was in Germany, I knew I was in a different country, and mentally prepared for the language challenges that faced me. But here, we simply crossed the bridge. We ventured precisely 4.02336 km to reach Edgar, and everything was now in French—which, by the way, I don’t speak.
We were greeted to a warm, energetic welcome—”bonjour!“ This was good; I understood that. I just didn’t know how to respond. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for the staff to recognize we had exhausted the extent of our French, and they continued on in English. I was pleased to receive an English menu—otherwise, I was literally prepared to order an omelette du fromage.
I took a look at the first item on the menu: the Dutch Baby—there was no need to read anymore! A crêpe soufflé, filled with apples, pork belly, aged cheddar, and syrup. I admit, this is not a typical combination I would be looking for, but there’s no arguing—it’s unique! As I understand, it is also their trademark dish.
The verdict? If you’re a breakfast junkie like myself, this is the place for you!