The Hoof Cafe

I am writing this review late, but I ate there in 2010.
This was one of the best brunch places I have ever been too.
The dishes that I had that really stood out were the donuts with lardo (cured pork fat) and the braised pork belly with maple syrup. Bbasically it was cut and cooked like really thick bacon then braised to softness with a nice sweetness.
These two dishes will standout for me for a long time to come.

This is Black Hoof — the finale. As the curtain draws, I know that even if I scream encore the cast has gone into hiding and will reappear playing different roles in BHCo come spring.
Think autograph is to signature dishes at the Hoof. With the exception of a few dishes such as the Ploughman’s and the Granola… I have been lucky enough to have gotten «autographed» by he plethora of stars reigning from the Tongue Grilled Cheese to the unforgettable Pork Belly Pastrami (cue Nat King Cole).
We arrived at 9:30 in anticipation of longer than normal waits… but surprisingly nabbed a spot at the bar in the first sitting. Yay!
We ordered the Bone Marrow, Pork Belly Pastrami, Spot Prawns and Grits, Hay Ham, Hoof Crepes, Tongue Grilled Cheese and Suckling Pork Benny.
The bone marrow fell short of what I expected from reading others’ rave reviews. While it was an experience, I found it to be lacking in flavor of any kind but it was buttery goodness!
I have never tried grits before but I think I got the best first-​hand experience… like never having been in an airplane before and flying first class the first time. It had a texture that was somewhere between a porridge and a potato purée. Very creamy! The eggs were a little overpoached for me as the egg whites were a bit rubbery in texture for my tastebuds. The BC prawns were a little smaller than what I was anticipating (as the barrista told me they were similar to tiger prawns and those are massive buggers). Nonetheless the shrimp had a certain oceanic freshness to them (albeit being a bit heavy in the salt). The sweetness of the pork belly pastrami bits which were accented with maple syrup balanced out the salty flavor of the dish.
So I can now say I have no regrets as I got to experience the Hoof Café during it’s closing week. Until we meet again…

Dining Experience: Brunch
Specialty:Brunch, Charcuterie
Menu items: Suckling Eggs Benny, Tongue Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Brioche French Toast
Ok, not your regular brunch place, I understand. But that it should become your regular brunch place, indeed it should. Or perhaps, not so much… Hoof Café is so popular now in the Foodies industry, that to get a table on a weekend requires both patience and good attitude.
I learned about this exquisite brunch place through the Foodies grapevine. Many of the people who know about my passion for food thought I would be pleased with the second version of the Black Hoof, turned brunch spot. They were right.
Hoof Café, located in the up and coming Foodies area of Ossington and Dundas; is a place where creativity, flavour, innovation and taste join to bring Torontonians a taste of what a true brunch restaurant should be all about.
Charcuterie style dishes is what they are known for. From the same owner as the Black Hoof (right across the street), Hoof Café delights our morning senses with recipes and ingredients that just mix and match in one’s palates like no other.
The menu, like the restaurant, is petite and contains a slick and short assortment of dishes that will for sure require further investigation with the waiter. The menu items rarely change, however they do swap from time to time a few of the dishes to introduce brand new ones.
My favourite of them all is the Suckling Eggs Benny. This is Hoof’s Café version of your good old Eggs Benedict. Their version however, is what makes this dish special. The english muffin they use is rather tasty and not as bland as the ones you will find at a grocery store, I have yet to decipher the difference. In between the poached eggs lays the suckling pig. Each muffin is topped off with a very good amount of delicious, succulent and moist pieces of pig. The hollandaise sauce is buttery, yet not overpowering and quite fresh. You can tell they make their own sauce freshly everyday. For plating, the Suckling Eggs Benny are garnished with a piece of deep fried pig’s skin and arugula leafs. Good Morning to me!
My second favourite of their menu is the Tongue Grilled Cheese. Tongue is considered a rather unique piece of «muscle» one eats from the cow. Known by many as something rare, Tongue is actually one of the most common served dishes in many countries across the globe. I like my tongue shredded, rather than served in its wholeness. This is why this grilled cheese sandwich is a hit for me. The sandwich is simple and has very few ingredients; however they all mix in very well making this an extravagant version of a regular grilled cheese sandwich. Pieces of tongue, cheese, dill and a tasty sauce is all this sandwich needs to be a hit.
Now on to my absolute favourite part and what I look forward to at the end of each visit to Hoof Café. Dessert. A delicious, exquisite and just perfect Brioche French Toast.
The bread used here was to my knowledge the same used in the grilled cheese. This bread is soaked in egg, honey, orange zest, butter and drizzled with thyme and peanuts. There might be a few more ingredients that I am missing, but by far the aforementioned hit my sweet spot every single time. Whether as an appie or as dessert, you can never go to Hoof and not order the Brioche French Toast. Oh, and if the toast in itself is not enough, Hoof Café also serves it with an addition of foie gras. Dare I say more?
Warning: Hoof Café does not take reservations or credit cards. Expect to wait between 20 – 45 mins for a table on weekend brunch peak hours. Worth the wait though.
Buen Provecho,
Viviana.

Last meal ever at Hoof Café today before it goes to the deadpool *tear* Everyone walking out of the place was sad !!!
Still one of the best (and fattiest) brunches I’ve ever had, but needs to be had at least once.
We went at 11:30 and told it was a two hour wait. After a smart decision, we got our computers and waited at the Common Mule. An hour later we got the well anticipated phone call to walk over!
Looking at the menu, it targets meat (especially pig) lovers, and may not be the best choice for non pork or meat eaters, but! you can still have something here if your company should want to go.
My only real comment is that they REALLY hiked up the price of the Brioche French Toast with Foie Gras. The french toast used to be $ 9 + foie gras = $ 14. Now it’s $ 13 + foie grad = $ 27 !!! It looks the same.
On plus side is that you can now order a side of Bone Marrow for $ 8. Yummmm fatty goodness.
Today I had the Tongue Grilled Cheese — creamy, meaty, not to salty, fresh toasted egg bread.
My boyfriend had the prawns with cheddar baked grits. A bit on the oily side but oh so yummy.
Tips: around 1:30 this sunday, the crowd seemed to die down and lots of seats available.
IF you’re looking for a brunch this wee/​end COME HERE before it all closes down!

Dropped by The Hoof Café for a drink and a quick snack on Sunday evening.
The place was packed but just a short wait and we got to sit at one of the tables.
Personally I prefer sitting at the bar a lot more because I find the bartender a lot more attentive, charming and fun. then the lone waitress that has to take care of all the tables…
Duggan’s Brewery #9 IPA 6.2% A.B.V. ($ 5)
— nice strong ale malt with a hint of citrus and caramel.
— Bitter and sweet at the same time
Suckling Pork Belly ($ 12)
— love the crispy salad on the side. Those are really addictive… I have to say they tasted like chips?! a little crunchy, a little crispy but definitely was vegetables
— The Pork Belly is as tender and melt in the mouth as expected. and went well with the reduction sauce on the side…
Bone Marrow ($ 8)
— Fatty and Oily… and grossing my friend out. :P
— So ended up I ate the whole order… which is not much! :P
I think Hoof Café is better to come for Brunch or a drink. and if you really want to have good food and services during dinner, it is much better off to just go the Black Hoof instead.
The café itself did get super noisy… and I thought Chinese dim sum restaurant is noisy :)

Due to the news that Hoof Café was closing down to become Black Hoof and Co., I just HAD to go before the 28^th of February. Possibly due to the news, everybody else decided to go this weekend. It was about a 30 minute wait, so my friend and I decided to trot around Dundas West until we got called in.
We sat at the counter — which wasn’t too bad. I decided to go big or go home — I got myself the brioche french toast with the foie gras. My friend got himself the suckling pig benny. We also ordered ourselves the bone marrow beignets.
The brioche french toast was amazing — however, a tad sweet for my liking with the syrup. The orange marmalade on the side worked great if you needed something not too sweet. The foie gras was absolutely amazing and definitely went well with the sweet french toast. I think if I had the french toast by itself, it would’ve been too sweet.
My friend ordered the eggs benny — I don’t think I’ve ever tasted an eggs benedict THAT good before. I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
HIGHLIGHT of Hoof Café: the bone marrow beignets I don’t know what it was, but it was just deliciousness with raspberry jam in small portions.
It was to die for.
People: You MUST go before they change it into Black Hoof and Co. for brunch. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so good in my life.

Here are your instructions, if you choose to accept them:
1. Go to the Hoof Café.
2. Order one of everything.
3. if you can’t order one of everything, at least order these things:
– a. the bone marrow beignets
– b. bone marrow
– c. pork belly pastrami
4. Enjoy them heartily, because you can now die happy.
Everything I tasted was amazing. In addition to the deliciousness above, I had the brioche french toast, and for something not topped with meat it was still amazing.
I have to really give special mention to the bone marrow. I’ve had it at other places where it’s had a kind of mealy texture, but at the Hoof it was jelly-​like, fatty, unctuous, rich, orgasmic.
My husband asked: «What did that taste like?»
I said: «LIKE GOD’S SALIVA.»
I’m not kidding. The most delicious thing on the planet. ON TOAST.
One tip: It’s a tiny place, so you don’t really want to go with a group larger than 4. Also, go early; twenty minutes before the place opened on a Saturday morning, there was already a line-​up. Did I mention it was kinda snowing? There’s practically nothing I will stand outside in the cold for, but I would totally do this again for the food at the Hoof Café.

This is one of my favourite brunch joints in the city. It is a small place with excellent food, so you can imagine how busy it can get on weekends. The place opens at 10 AM but people are willing to wait outside early in the freezing cold just to get some of their deliciousness.
It seems they change up their menu, which is only visible on one chalk board in the place, from time to time. Nonetheless, I have never had anything there that I didn’t love. Brunch is done similarly in this city, but The Hoof is refreshing in its uniqueness. If you like trying weird stuff like bone marrow and tongue this is your place.

Housemade sauerkraut +spaetzle, sausage, and two fried eggs with custom HP like sauce on side?
Brunch heaven. Better than you know what.
WAY BETTER.

One of my favorite discoveries in my extremely limited knowledge of Toronto. It was totally worth the half-​hour bike ride, even if we arrived sweating and puffing, and even if a garbage truck nearly backed over HG’s bike.
It’s been a while, but here are the things I remember:
Décor: light, airy, snug, cozy. It had an old-​world feel to it, somehow, and I wanted to paint the morning light that etched the walls (even though I don’t paint).
Drinks: one of the best Caesars I’ve ever had. Spicy, bold, tart and salty with lots of pickledy-​things, and well-​balanced. Somehow, I only ever crave these for brunch.
Philosophy: use the whole beast. I approve! There’s a lot to be said for the efficiency of using everything you’re given to work with, and so many tasty morsels that are missed by traditional wasteful New World cuisine styles.
Food. Oh. My. Gods. Started with little round strawberry doughnuts, freshly made using the rendered fat from the pig — they arrived too hot to eat. You know how bacon makes everything better? Right. I don’t typically like doughnuts. Almost a year later, I can still remember the way these tasted.
Pulled pork benedict: I’m a benedict fan, and this was hands-​down the best benedict I’ve ever eaten. (Seriously, why hasn’t this been thought of before?) Rich tender pulled pork, creamy flawless piquant Hollandaise, a fresh baby arugula salad (one of my favorite things), and crisp buttery English muffin. The whole thing together was decadent, rich but somehow not too heavy, and wildly flavorful. We ate every last morsel and wished we had room to eat it all over again.
I’m looking forward to coming back for other meals. (I’m salivating just thinking about it.)

By golly, this place makes me want to turn Canadian — (not that there’s anything wrong with it) «eh».
I would climb into their little kitchen and sleep there and eat off the floor if it means I get all my food from this kitchen.
We went for a visit over the weekend and thanks to Unilocal I discover the place that would throw my whole diet off — if I was ever on one.
I never ever ever EVER order anything sweet for breakfast, mind you. The sweet stuff (ie waffles, pancakes, and french toast) would come AFTER I have my breakfast while I’m sipping on my coffee but this place threw my eating system out of whack. I had their brioche french toast with foie gras and I wanted to get down on my knees and thank the guy (or girl) who thought to force feed the duck or goose to create such a delicacy. My very elegant french toast came with real maple syrup and you can see the fat of the foie gras blending nicely in with the syrup to create a slightly gamey sweet au jus.
The french press coffee was the PERFECT nectar to combine with this dish. A large carafe easily can fill 4 mugs. I also sample the Ploughman’s (Charcuterie) plate filled with slab of salami, prosciutto & pâté, an arugula salad and a side of bone (filled marrow roasted to perfection). We wanted to order their brioche beignet but 2 things happened — they were out of it which is fine because we ran out of room to store them and I might have to start stuffing my cheeks which would be very unappealing indeed.
The Hoof Café is a MUST try if you’re looking to brunch in Toronto.

Snap judgement: Loved it. We went there after having dinner at the Black Hoof across the street since they only had carrot cake for dessert.
Seriously, look for Peach Fritters on the menu board. It’s lip smacking good! I’m talking about perfectly fried fritters with crème fresh, sorbet, and peach jam. FYI, the best part of the dish lies on the bottom of the bowl. Make sure you scoop that baby up and smother it all over your fritters.
One last thing, don’t share it with anyone!

We went to Hoof Café as a precursor to our Black Hoof dinner experience
while we waited for a table to be made available across the street. Since they’re owned by the same people anyway, we weren’t too bothered by the wait. In fact, it was a very tasty and heart-​stopping start to the evening!
The selection of beers is very refreshing — my first taste of a Duggan beer! The artisianal plate made up of charcuterie and cheese came with a complimentary bowl of warm crustini that we were able to refill, which is a bonus as bread is something that is to be paid for at Black Hoof. The bone marrow was incredible and just enough for all five of us to each have one deliciously rich bite.
The service was quick and attentive. When we received the call from Black Hoof that our table was ready, we were told that we had a bit of time (10 minutes) to finish up as they’ll hold the table for us.
I can’t wait to come back for brunch!

My friend and I were the first customers of the day. Having come from NYC, I didn’t feel like this place was small or tight. The dining area wasn’t big but the tables were well spaced.
As for food, we had the goat yogurt with granola and the suckling pig benny (a.k.a. eggs benedict). The goat yogurt had a consistency and taste closer to cheese than yogurt. Paired with the granola (see picture posted), it was very delicious. We shared it, but it would probably be enough for breakfast for one.
The eggs benny was also amazing. I get eggs benedict at almost all breakfast places I try for the first time, and this was definitely up there with the best. The portion wasn’t extremely large, but it tasted great. Also, their fresh squeezed grapefruit juice was very good.

Food is just as good as ever! Delicious suckling pig eggs benny. Beignets on weekends only, and they’re delicious so order them! When I went they had a strawberry rhubarb pie with fresh whipped cream, wildflower honey and a (limp and dirty) basil leaf for garnish. That was delicious.
They had Caesars and summer sangria house-​made by their «mixologist» with house-​mixed rose. I tried the summer sangria and I was disappointed. No fruit flavours came out, and it kind of just tasted like cheap white wine. I wouldn’t recommend it. They also were making Orange Crush cocktails with Campari in celebration of the Netherlands winning that day.
The food was just as good as the other times I’ve gone so this spot remains a 5.

This was the one place on the Toronto to-​do list I made in California that I refused to miss. So even though I was jet lagged and exhausted, I got up when my 8:00 wake up call rang the hotel room and proceeded to drag my sleepy boyfriend out the door so we could get to the restaurant before 10:00 am in order to beat the crowds I was dreading on this particular Saturday morning.
And boy am I glad I did. Hoof is a very cozy restaurant and several people were already lined up outside by the time we got there, about 10 minutes before the doors opened. Once inside, there is a chalkboard listing the day’s offerings. We were so excited, we ended up ordering half the items on the board, all of which were wonderful. Of special note is the pork belly pastrami. My boyfriend says it is the best thing he has ever eaten, which says a lot. Basically, this «pastrami» is bacon meets fatty pork belly fried ever so slightly crispy. Two slices of this heavenly meat sits in a sweet reduction of maple syrup, suckling pig jus, and soy sauce. I am dizzy with delight just thinking about it.
We also tried the bone marrow doughnuts that I had read so much about. These are little doughnut hole sized balls with a texture similar to beignets with centers filled with vanilla, marrow and rhubarb. These were rich but tangy and perfect starters for our brunch.
The toast with goat butter and rhubarb jam was the best toast I have ever had in my life. The butter has a very delicate goat milk flavor which gives an added dimension to the butter which I found quite enjoyable. If you are a good eater, you should also give the suckling pig eggs benedict a whirl. The perfectly poached eggs sit atop succulent tender shredded pork that melts in your mouth. The English muffin is obviously made at the restaurant and has a density that holds up well to the sauce and the egg yolk so you don’t end up with the usual soggy mess.
If I lived within an hour of this restaurant, I would be there every weekend. Fortunately for my waist line, Hoof is on the opposite coast, but I will always dream of having the opportunity to eat there again.

If you are a cow and had a reason to die, it should be so you can be served at the Hoof Café.
This place is one of the most talked about brunch places for good reason. It is a bit out of the way, but worth the trip.
We arrived around 1:30 pm on a Saturday and it was packed.
The hostess was very helpful and took our phone number so she could call us when a table was available. She recommended a few coffee shops in the area. Very helpful!
(insert non-​descript coffee experience here)
The Hoof Café is warm and laid back. All the servers are awesome and super friendly.
I had the Hoof Hash ($ 11). I had high expectations which were totally met. Potato bits with tender juicy cow tongue, greens, combined with sauteed and deep-​fried shallots accompanied with perfectly poached eggs.
I was practically licking my plate. Each bite was a wonderful medley of flavors and textures.
My friend ordered a side of the pork belly pastrami. It looked a lot like bacon, but softer, fattier, and more glamorous soaked in something that resembled maple syrup. It melted in your mouth, salty and sweet perfection.
I enjoyed every minute of my meal here.
I will come back for sure and I want to try that tongue grilled cheese that everyone likes so much.

This is an ode to the wonderful glorious marvelous smells and taste of meat!
Upon opening the door to this intimate diner situated in what probably was a former local convenient store was the amazing flavours that hit me between the nose and eyes. I immediately went from having a pretty cruddy day to floating on the vapours of browned, fried, broiled animal sacrifice and it made me oh so happy.
We shared the pork ribs that had this familiar but indistinguishable dry rub. Immediately I think it’s Asian, but not exactly. It had a bit of kick but you could taste the cayenne and what we could only guess as 5-​spice or star anise or some kind of jerk rub.
We also had the Crispy beans and Crispy Salad. How can anything crispy go wrong? As long as it’s not burnt, its great. If my salad was crispy every time, I’d have salad every day. Who says you can’t make friends with Salad?
I LOVE duck. Quack! All kinds of duck, and the Duck Sammy, a duck sandwich was perfectly flavoured and oh so moist and mouth watering. Fortunately/​unfortunately they had mixed up our order, and was extremely late with the duck, but they took care of it and didn’t bill us for it. After the experience, I was almost going to ask them to add it back on the bill because it was worth it (but I didn’t).
The place was packed, and the service was great.
I’m going back next week. Enough said?

The Hoof Café was the undisputed culinary highlight of my trip to Toronto this past week. I came with Susan C. and Vivek S. (thanks, guys!) for a brunch on a Friday afternoon and sat at the bar.
As Martin S. notes, it’s a cool twist on classic brunch items. And seriously meat-​tastically cool at that. Seamlessly integrating the often-​divergent genres of charcuterie and unthreatening, comfort-​ish brunch food, Hoof Café is some seriously good grub.
The wildest thing is that while you’re eating pigtails, tongue, or pork bellies, nothing is jumping out at you being all «look at me! you don’t usually eat me! Aren’t I novel!» Nope. It’s just chilling out, unpretentiously waiting for you to enjoy it. I can easily see Hoof Café turning charcuterie haters into serious addicts.
The pigtails and grits were phenomenal, with coarse, cheese grits served alongside of stew of flavorful pigtail bits topped with thin-​sliced scallions and a sunny-​side up egg. The tongue grilled cheese was equally awesome — not knowing it was tongue, you might think it was just extra-​delicious pastrami served with a bit of coarse mustard on buttery bread.
My personal favorite was probably the pork belly pastrami. It looked like bacon, but had that fantastic melt-​in-​your-​mouth goodness that only pork bellies can really achieve.
I also had my first Caesar cocktail here, the Hoof Caesar, and will never malign Clamato juice again.
Amazing (yet accessible) food, friendly and conversational service at the bar, cool homey space. Looking for a foodie experience? Eat at Hoof Café. Looking for a damn good, rich and greasy brunch? Eat at Hoof Café. Hoof hoof hoof hoof

Brunch is the most overrated meal ever. You want me to pay double-​digits and wait in the cold for over an hour on a weekend for a couple of eggs and some bread? Hell, no.
But brunch at The Hoof Café is not the tired egg-​crap I see at every coffee shop and fine diner in town. After all, it’s run by the same people behind The Black Hoof[1], the current darling of the hipster food-​cognoscenti in Toronto. (And if you know me at all, you already know I can’t STFU about their Raw Horse Sammy.) So when they do eggs Benny, pancakes, hash, and french toast, these dishes are every bit as interesting and inspired as what you’d find at its progenitor.
Two meat-​loving Unilocalers, Vivek S. and Anthony R. from Massachusetts, joined me on a weekday to avoid the Saturday and Sunday rush at The Hoof Café. As it was, most tables were filled by 1 p.m. so we perched ourselves on the stools at the bar and peppered the friendly bartender with questions about the food while she peppered the rims of our Caesar glasses.
FOOD
Remember that old commercial where the guy smacks his forehead and says, «I could’ve had a V8!»? That’s how I feel about the Hoof Caesar, The Hoof Café’s rendition of the Canadian classic brunch cocktail. At $ 8, it’s a bargain when you see how many hand-​crafted ingredients go into it: Hoof Café’s own pink-​peppercorn-​infused vodka, house hot sauce, and house-​made Marmite syrup and pickled yellow string bean. With its bright, refreshing flavors and overall deliciousness, I could’ve had four more. Alas, I did not want to fall off my stool.
Grilled cheese with tongue ($ 14); it’s funny how the cheese gets top billing in this sandwich because it’s all about the tongue. Shaved paper-​thin, each slice is tender and succulent. The thick buttery toast has a schmear of piquant grainy mustard on the meat side and smoky grill marks on the outside. The accompanying house-​made pickle slices help cut through the richness of the meat, teasing me to go back for more of that irresistible tongue. Yes. I’m still talking about the sandwich.
A side of pork belly pastrami ($ 4) yielded five thick slabs of meat, alternating layers of delectable swine with sumptuous melt-​in-​your-​mouth pig fat. I would swear off bacon if I could have this in its stead.
Pigtails and grits ($ 13) were served in a bowl with creamy grits on one side and a thick ragu of pigtail morsels on the other, crowned with a perfectly cooked sunnyside-​up egg and scallion salad. I broke the yolk with my spoon, allowing it to anoint the rest of the dish. The thin scallion slices provided a welcome crunch and sharp contrast to the rest of the dish. With flavors that were comforting and familiar yet intriguing and haunting, this was my favorite dish of the meal.
A side of hock links ($ 4) had plump little sausages served with glazed baked beans and a frizzle of fried collard greens. Again, everything looked familiar but the preparation was so deft, I have a newfound appreciation for the humble baked legumes.
Now that I think about it, the dishes here are only a dollar or two more than the brunch items at every other place in town but the quality and creativity are unparalleled.
SERVICE
Hip, young servers who are knowledgeable and without a soupçon of attitude.
VIBE
An inviting interior of hipster shabby chic; as I looked around the small dining room I kept noticing new things: a chalkboard menu written in nice handwriting that is not overly neat; glass-​paned cabinets that reveal liquor bottles and big canisters of infusions; a light fixture made of Mason jars.
BOTTOM LINE
Brunch at every other place: listening to music on mono mode
Brunch at The Hoof Café: listening to music on Dolby Digital
It’s time to experience stunning quality (or whatever the fuck the Dolby slogan is).
5 stars.
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[1] See my review: