Date: Saturday April 8, 2006 12:00pm
Group: 2
Reservations: None taken – just walked in from the streets
My order: Strawberry banana smoothie (Approx. $6), Cinnamon Brioche (Approx. $10)

Location: 4120 Dixie Rd., Mississauga ON. 905-624-1297 – Near the NW corner of Dixie and Burnhamthorpe.

At first glance the restaurant itself doesn’t seem too special from the outside. However, the line of people waiting to get in is a good indication of what this Quebec-chain breakfast and lunch restaurant is all about.

A casual, family oriented restaurant, this brightly décored interior was once quoted as being a Debbie Travis crossed Disney atmospheric home with its crayon-rich colours and “fun” typography along the walls and menu.

The menu is relatively simple, yet diverse as it uses its main ingredients in many ways. And what are its main ingredients? Fruits of course! Almost every meal on the menu comes with a minimum of a small side order of fruit. Most main dishes – if not all – are accompanied by a myriad of fruits that cover the main attraction. The other prominent ingredient are crepes, which made me wonder what Quebec’s great deseire was for crepes. When I went to Montreal last year, I went to a great breakfast restaurant that served crepes in combination with their regular breakfast dishes. In my opinion, that was a great place. My order this time was a cinnamon flavoured brioche dipped in french toast batter, served with one egg (your choice) and crispy bacon strips (just the way I like them), and fruits galore covering the entire plate making one wonder if they ordered a brioche or a plate of fruit.

Surprisingly these fruits were fresh as well, even if they weren’t in season. Ranging from freshly cut bananas, strawberries, canteloupe, melon, and watermelon, it was a good combination to wake up anyone’s soul. While my order was relatively dry with no sauce to pour on top, there is always that option of a side order of pure maple syrup for an extra $0.50 or that other maple syrup, which is free for the taking on each table. The brioche dipped in french toast batter made it seem like I was in fact eating a cinnamon roll coming from the likes of Cinnabon… only without all the ooey gooey sweetness that they are known for.

And what about my drink? The fruit smoothies cost about $6 and come in its own plate no less! The drink is no doubt made from freshly squeezed juices and is mixed with yogourt to make it that much more special. Mine even had one whole strawberry in the cup – albeit it was a frozen one. Garnished with a pineapple slice on the rim, a piece of green leaf (I’m guessing it was there to add colour to the drink) and a slice of fresh orange on the drink plate, it was a good change to my regular orange juice from concentrate that I’ve been drinking every morning.

They sat my table in a completely separate room that segregated us from the rest of the restaurant. This small room fit about 25 people at most and had only one small entrance connecting us from the rest of the crowd. However, with all sides of the room decked out with large floor to ceiling (well, almost) windows, it didn’t make much of a difference as we were able to see the outside, and inside of the restaurant. The service was not affected either as there was always that one waitress who would check up on us with perfect timing. I over-extended my stay as we stayed sitting at the table far after we had asked for our bill. This didn’t seem to bother any of the waitresses though, as not once did anyone hint at us that there was a lineup at the front. We weren’t aware of this until we left our table to pay for the bill up at the front, and naturally felt a little guilty for staying that much longer.

My overall experience was a very positive one at that. I would definetely go back again just so I can try their crepes and other breakfast dishes. It’s a good way to start off any morning and is no doubt a healthy option for anyone watching their diet. I’d have to say a lot of their food reminded me more of a hearty home-cooked breakfast. If you had the patience to cut up all those fruits, make crepes or french toast, and make your own sweet and savoury sauce, I’m sure one can make something similar to what you see on Cora’s menu. But then again, why go through all that trouble when you can head out to Coras and save yourself all the work, all for about $10?

Cora’s is a chain so don’t fret, there are locations to serve you wherever you are. Check their website at http://www.chezcora.com for additional locations near you.