Café La Gaffe
24 Baldwin Street (at McCaul)
416-596-2397
Lunch for two with wine, including taxes and tip - $55

It’s hard to believe that just two weeks ago we had a gorgeous sunny day with patios hastily opening at various eateries. It took the staff at Café La Gaffe a moment to adjust when we sat ourselves at one of their patio tables. Being a little early for lunch was probably another reason why it took some time for them to notice us there. Considering how fast this small café fills up during lunch, we thought it best to arrive a little early.

Café La Gaffe is located near the University of Toronto on Baldwin Street. Baldwin features a neat strip of varied restaurants, ranging from vegetarian to sushi, and small grocery shops. The café itself has an eclectic feel to it with its purple and black furniture complete with worn edges.

Their lunch menu has a small selection of items, but still gives the customer a variety of choices. Their appetizers range from about $5 to $11, and they offer items such as beef carpaccio ($8.95) to seafood items such as mussels ($10.50). For main lunch items the prices average around $10 with a maximum price of $15. They offer a nice selection of salads and pizzas along with pasta, omelettes, risotto, fish and chicken dishes. My dining companion and I decided to start our lunch with a half litre of a Chilean red wine - Tocornal Cabernet Merlot ($19.00).

A nice basket of fresh crusty white bread, with butter, was delivered to the table along with our wine order. I tried to resist demolishing it all as I normally tend to when faced with good bread and fresh butter. Just as my resolve was reaching a breaking point our lunch orders arrived. I had ordered a sandwich, described as “Avocado sandwich, scallions, lime, tomato, garlic, cilantro and brie with market salad ($10.50)”. My friend had decided on the grilled chicken breast marinated in marmalade, apricot, chambord glaze, served with pesto and market salad ($11.95).

Both dishes looked very appetizing, but my taste buds and my eyes were at odds. My sandwich was served open faced on a small baguette and was accompanied by a bland salad that appeared to be out of a bag, complete with some browning romaine lettuce.

The only good addition to the salad was the fresh cucumber and peppers that were added to it after the bag had been opened. I hoped my sandwich would be a little better, but as I bit into it I realized it wasn’t. The sandwich, though being decently covered in Brie cheese, was overpowered by the taste of bland shelf-ripened tomatoes and roughly chopped onions. Even the pesto that appeared in random locations underneath the toppings did little to offset the blandness. I had expected a zesty flavourful sandwich, and was instead left with disappointment accompanied by the aftertaste of onions. My dining companion was much more fortunate, and raved about his meal. The chicken breast was not only massive in size, but also flavoured well and tender. His linguine side dish was cooked al dente and had a light olive oil and garlic dressing that complimented the chicken well. All I could do was stare enviously at his lunch choice. At least we both enjoyed the wine.

Perhaps when the tomatoes come fresh off the vine I’ll order the avocado sandwich again, but until then I’ll be copying whatever my dining companion decides on. As the saying goes, don’t let the avocado sandwich get you down. Well, maybe that’s not a saying, but you shouldn’t let one sandwich prevent you from checking out Café La Gaffe!