Are you Epicurious?

This morning for brunch Gil and I consulted "the list" and decided we would head back over the bridge to north end Halifax and see what's going on at Epicurious Morsels. 
We found this cute little bistro tucked into the very middle of the Hydrostone Market. The Hydrostone is a very popular mini shopping district sporting many eateries and cute boutiques, it touts its self as "Halifax's European Shopping Experience".  Parking was slightly difficult to find however it was a lovely morning so we parked a few streets away and walked through the Hydrostone neighborhood which is a part of Halifax I particularly enjoy. If you want to know more about Historic Hydrostone... click here! 

 I liked the cute little patio seating and was pleased to see the waitresses frequently went out to refill water glasses and make sure the outdoor customers were happy, but I have a thing against eating out on the side walk so we went inside which turned out to be a great idea because inside was a cool and calm oasis from the summer heat.


We were greeted right away by a waitress who was sweet but not TOO enthusiastic, too enthusiastic is almost as annoying as total apathy to your presence... anyway she was neither, she was great.

The decor was lovely, clean and very much what I imagine when I think about Parisian cafes. 
The menu was nice and simple. There were only six selections for brunch. I like that sometimes because I have a hard time choosing when there are 56 things to pick from. Four of the six items had no meat, one had ham and one had salmon. I thought it was refreshing that nowhere was there a breakfast fry up of eggs, bacon and home fries. Nice as those things are I was craving change.

While we waited for our breakfast we were served our coffee. I don't usually gush over coffee, especially since I don't drink as much these days but I must gush now. What you see here is the best cup of coffee I have had in months, nay... YEARS!
I can't tell you what was so perfect about it except that it was just the right strength, there wasn't a hint of bitter, if was very flavorful and the perfect temperature. Now I am not one of those "coffee people" I can't really tell you the difference between dark roast and mild. I can drink Tim's or Starbucks, I have even had instant once or twice in a pinch, but I am here now telling you...I had a relationship with this cup of coffee. Yes, it was good! 

We also got bread while we were waiting. BREAKFAST BREAD! How decadent. I have been trying to not eat bread when it is served before meals but Gil insisted I try it (okay okay, my arm was very easily twisted) and I was not disappointed. Warm, chewy, crusty baguette with a smidgen of butter. I have never been served bread with my brunch before, not unless it was toast, so found it a bit odd but it was so yummy and truth be told it made me feel a bit Continental ( she says with her pinky finger stuck out). 

Then came the main event!

This is the California Croissant, it is served with a poached egg, avocado, tomato & Mornay sauce. Mornay sauce  is a Béchamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added. Usually, it consists of half Gruyère and half Parmesan cheese. It was lighter then a hollandaise sauce and the flavour was very mild but extremely pleasing. I have to tell you right off the bat that any breakfast that includes avocado is a winner in my books but this was even more delightful then I imagined. It was the perfect size with the one poached egg. Kudos to the cook for making a soft poached egg that was actually soft. I find that hard to come by in many breakfast spots. I found my meal filling but not stuffing...

And speaking of stuffing....

Gil had the stuffed french toast. I am pretty sure he licked the plate but not before gifting me with a taste of this french toast filled with a mixture of strawberries, banana and cream cheese. Thank you for sharing Gilly, that is true love. It would have been too rich for me to eat the whole thing but as a nibble it was superb! 
The service was great, she didn't hover but dropped by to make sure we had enough of everything and offer refills on the coffee. Everything was quick but we felt no rush to leave, there were a few other patrons but it certainly wasn't packed. The bill came to $26 which is pretty much mid range. Over all I give Epicurious Morsels two satisfied thumbs up and can't wait to go back some evening to try some of the delights I glimpsed on the dinner menu.