SCHOOL

The Urban Craze
More Information

• The Entree
• The Atmosphere

Reviewed by: Vince

The simple things never fail to impress me. Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s – it takes someone creative, patient and attentive to detail paint a delicate yet precise picture. The team behind the School Restaurant presented all these qualities in a nice little package. I remember my first thought as I caught the glimpse of the patio of cheerful and trendy people under the late morning sun – this is nice. This is really nice.

There’s no better way to start a Sunday morning than walking into a school. Well not a real school per se – a school that served eggs, buttermilk pancakes and peanut butter and jelly sandwich cookies. After perusing the menu (it was printed on lined paper on a clipboard) and the unique decor, I determined that the School was aptly named. Aside from the classic red brick walls, there was a collection of clocks hanging overhead which reminded me of the childhood days waiting anxiously at my desk for the 3:30 dismissal bell. “No more pencils, no more books! No more teachers’ dirty looks!” There was a collection of books behind the open kitchen that acted as the final piece in the puzzle. Many small things indicated to me that the interior designer for this restaurant used every bit of brain juice to ignite each customer’s memories of school.  Did I mention that the waitresses all wore navy-blue and red plaid kilts?

The wait for a table was short and time passed quickly as my partner-in -crime and I passed conversation with a friendly lady with her baby who was also waiting for a table. It seemed like everyone loved being there, sort of like a budding community. I can’t say for everyone but I appreciate servers who found pleasure in their jobs. Everyone at this restaurant, down to the kitchen staff, wore a smile which made my meal all the more pleasant. For our meals, we selected two items: under the “Eggs and Savoury” list, we chose the Overstuffed Croissant with Bombay Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Trout. The croissant was definitely overstuffed as my eggs and trout overflowed onto the plate. I particularly  enjoyed the combination of a classic smoked taste with the daring hint of curry. Our second selection was the Black and Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. This was definitely my favourite dish of the two. It came as a stack of five to six small pancakes topped off with whipped cream and berries with a beaker (yes a beaker from AP Chemistry) of syrup. I often find the buttermilk flavour in pancakes served at other restaurants to be overwhelmed by the maple syrup. That was not the case here – all the flavours complimented each other as the gentle buttermilk seeped between the delicate sweet juices of berries and syrup. As I savoured the taste in my mouth, the words that came to mind were: fluffy, warm, happy. It tasted like candy. If you like candy, you’ll definitely love these pancakes.

Overstuffed Croisant and Bombay Scrambled Eggs

Blackberry and Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

The School presented itself as a well-rounded package neatly tucked away on the west end of Liberty Village. Although unassuming, this restaurant presented many qualities that a Toronto foodie would enjoy. The food was delicious, the people were nice, and the place was well-themed. If you still haven’t had enough, you can even grab some Nutella scones on your way out for an afternoon snack.

The Damage: $40 after tax