Eastbound Brewing Review: Brunch Home Edition
I’ll Be The First To Say It: I Miss Brunch.
Okay, I’m definitely not the first one to say it — and I’m glad I’m not alone! Yes, there are much more important things happening in the world right now other than a few missed brunches. But what I really mean when I say I miss brunch is that I’m craving the comforts of life before this.
Enter: Eastbound Brewing’s brunch in a box. I had initially planned to check out Toronto’s Eastbound Brewing in person since it’s been on my must-visit list for a while and they’re a BooknBrunch venue partner. But when COVID-19 hit, they, like many restaurants, pivoted and adapted to our new reality. Thus, brunch in a box was born.
Let’s dive in:
What’s Inside Eastbound Brewery’s Brunch in a Box?
Eastbound Brewery’s brunch in a box is a $40 treasure trove filled with everything you need to put together two to four servings of delicious brunch. That includes:
- 1 bottle of Walter Caesar Classic Spice Mix
- 1 Eastbound Michelada Rim Seasoning
- 4-pack of Eastbound beer
- Recipe for the Perfect Michelada
- Eastbound house-made fermented hot sauce and pickle skewers
- 1 package Eastbound Apple Pie Compote
- 1 Baked French Toast Casserole
The Dish
Putting everything together was a breeze: Put the French Toast Casserole in the oven for 25 minutes to reheat and mix the Michaledas per the instructions while you wait! A few sips in and the casserole will be nice and toasty, waiting for that apple pie compote to top it off.
Right now, it’s nice to experience something that feels almost too easy — especially when it’s as delicious as this. The French Toast Casserole — made from brioche with cinnamon custard and icing sugar — was moist and not mushy, with the perfect amount of crispiness around the edge (if you’re a corner-of-the-brownie-pan person like I am, you’ll love it, too). The apple pie compote was the ideal (and very generously supplied) topping; we somehow even had extra to use with later snacks!
The Drinks
The Michelada — AKA Walter’s Caeser mix + beer + accouterments — is pretty much a side salad, right? You’re supplied with four Eastbound Brewing beers to use, and since I have yet to visit the pub in person, I set aside the drinks that I wanted to try on their own (the Nerve Tonic Juniper Saison and Backpacker Blonde Ale). I chose the Revealed Constellations Smash IPA to use for the drink, with the Inexplicable Grisette as my refill option.
Like a classic Caesar, the Michelada is almost a meal unto itself, sipped for long after my final bite of French Toast. The use of beer makes this drink heavier than a Caeser but still balances out the meal nicely. It had the perfect amount of spice, thanks to the in-house hot sauce you add in yourself!
The pickle skewers were the surprise hit of the meal for me; however Eastbound’s chefs are making them, they’re doing it right, and I would eat an entire jar if given the chance.
The Bottom Line: 5/5 Brookie Stars
If you’re in Toronto and live within Eastbound’s delivery radius, I highly recommend grabbing their brunch in a box for your next weekend treat! Delicious meal? Check. Easy? Check. Supporting a local restaurant? Check! How can you go wrong?
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Shannon Hodgen is a lifelong writer, DIY enthusiast, and homebody. She satisfies her need to put pen to paper–or, more accurately, fingertips to keyboard–as an agency copywriter, blog contributor, and freelance editor in Toronto.
Favourite Book: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Favourite Brunch Spot: Dirty Food Eatery in The Junction
