Cora

My favorite breakfast chain has finally come to BC! My first introduction to the Montreal based chain, Cora was in Newfoundland when we went to visit Big M's family in 2005. We had just gotten off the plane and the in laws took us there for a late breakfast. It was a long trip and I was a bit plane fatigued but I remember being so impressed by breakfast.  My first breakfast with  I wondered why they were not in BC as their focus on healthier, fruity breakfasts would be a hit on the Best, I mean West, Coast.

We had another couple of visits when they opened up a franchise in Calgary. I was happy to go, but it makes me crazy-mad when Alberta has things that BC does not. That is just not right. So my joy was increased when I found out that some smart person had opened up in Coquitlam, near the Coquitlam Centre mall.

Big M and I were so excited that we woke up early to go for brunch....on Mother's Day.



Probably not the best choice of days to go to a brunch spot geared towards families. I will admit that Big M tried to wake me up earlier so that we could avoid the lines but I resisted and we got there at 10:00 on the dot. The joint was rocking. There was a line out the door. We were expecting a line as every trip we took to Cora's has involved some sort of line up. Happily, the line moved quickly and the Manager gave us regular updates on how long we were going to wait, but it wasn't as long as he was estimating.



The restaurant has the same look as the others we have been to. A large, sunny yellow room with the names of the dishes on the walls and a country feel to the decor. I am not so big on the "country-cute" theme, but I can overlook that for awesome breakfast.  There is also a bit of a patio, but it was too cold to be opened.



Everything on the menu has a cute name and story to go with it. Fun. I also like the big colourful pictures that go along with the description. Knowing what is coming to your table is a bonus for me.

Big M went with the Cora's Special:





A good sign for the restaurant is when the plate that you get actually looks like the one in the menu. He really enjoyed the breakfast. The potatoes were a highlight as they were really nicely seasoned. He said the eggs were cooked nicely, and consistently. (inconsistent eggs have been a problem for his last couple of breakfasts...) He is not a big fan of ham, but I noticed that he ate everything, so it must have been tasty.

I was torn between pancakes/crepes or something that offers more fruit as their breakfast are known for their fancy and plentiful fruit servings. I happily found one that offered both, the Buckwheat Blessing.





It is impressive on the menu, even more when it arrives at the table. I wonder how many chefs are in the kitchen just to carve fruit? The waitress also brought this to the table:



I had to call her back to ask what the second bottle was for. It is Molasses. Weird. Michael figured it must be a Montreal thing.

The crepes were well cooked and I liked the cheese and sausage combination. I did not try the molasses with the breakfast, it was just too weird for me. I don't generally like syrup on my sausages so I couldn't do it, even though it was offered. I also ended up with a nice amount of leftovers, in an earth friendly recyclable container, as I couldn't get through it all.

It was well worth the trip and line up. We actually had fun in the line up as they brought us fudge and we chatted with the people in front of us. Their daughter, Melissa, was working there in her first hostessing job.



Mellie, your parents are really proud of you. I hear you are an excellent soccer player as well.   They gave me a couple of soccer nicknames for you but I won't mention them here.  ;  )  I tried to convince your parents that they should play the "my daughter works here so bump us to the front of the line" card, but they wouldn't do it. They also told us that the actual Cora had been there earlier in the week to ensure the restaurant was running up to her standards. Nice for a chain.

Hooray for Cora's! We know they are going to be extremely popular and would really like to see one open a bit closer to us, but it is a fun trip to Coquitlam and an excuse to go to the mall.