We dressed in what we each perceived as “business casual” which included everything from a sweater and dark jeans, to a tux coat with tails. Our table was tastefully adorned with nice, full coffee mugs, “real” silverware, shiny carafes and the tiniest condiments we’ve ever seen. Seriously, the wee glass jars of ketchup, jam, peanut butter and honey were adorable.

The Fairmont’s version of the breakfast special includes the standard choice of meats and breads, only with some fancy alternates. The choice is there for multigrain, rye, brown or white bread, or you can choose a muffin or a bagel instead. The meat choices are, again the standard plus some. The usually inimitable hog-based-meats (ham, bacon or sausage) were easily overshadowed by the option of Elk salami. I, of course, had to have the Elk. It was terrific.

My two eggs were reassuringly similar to even the greasiest spoon, making me feel more at home. My toast was thick and buttered perfectly. Everything was excellent, except for one road block: the potatoes. On paper they work really well: grated, grilled and with cheese mixed in. With all this build-up, they arrived at the table dry and chewy. I was able to salvage them a bit by mixing one of my eggs into it (something I’m accustomed to doing anyways), but it was mostly irretrievable. Good thing absolutely everything else made up for it.

All this exotic/expensive breakfast food was preceded by a shot glass full of ‘memory smoothie’ (“Are you saying we’re stupid?”). Following the fruit blend came more cups of coffee and juice (choice of apple or fresh-squeezed orange) than I could care to count. I nearly sipped the dish of the Frank’s hot sauce (yes, the dish) in my rabid consumption of liquid comestibles. 

Our waiter was fast, reliable and super friendly. He made sure we never saw the bottom of our cups, took our picture using my camera (citing that it was practically part of his job description) and treated us to a nice smile the whole time. We were seated in a nice nook in the corner with plenty of space to accommodate the nine of us.

Overhead were hanging chandeliers and on the walls, candelabra-like lights (lighterabra?). The gorgeous wood on the walls made the atmosphere feel warm and welcoming. Small, subtle paintings were placed at specific increments to complete the tranquil, unobtrusive décor.

To go with the New Year, I am trying out a new ratings system. Instead of having a few specific elements rated out of 5, I’m going to concentrate on the experience as a whole and measure it out of 10.

If a ten was perfect, then the Velvet Glove was almost perfect. Nine point five.

The atmosphere is rich, the service excellent and food delectable with the sole exception of the hash browns. Always the tricky part of breakfast, it seems that even money can’t provide the answer to the potato question (which is, of course “how do you keep potatoes fresh and ready quickly for your customers?” not “how many eyes does a potato need before it can see that it’s not cooked properly?”).

Cute mini ketchup and mustard.

photo by Kurt Brownridge

Elk sausage!

January 6 2008

The Velvet Glove

in the Fairmont Hotel

2 Lombard Place

Hours of operation:

Mon - Fri   6:30 AM - 11 PM

Sat - Sun  7 AM - 11 PM

“The Fairmont” $18.95 + tax. Bottomless juice, coffee.

 Resplendent. Effulgent, refulgent and resplendent. Never in a review have I felt so out of place as I did in The Velvet Glove (or The VG for short). Not that I can’t pass for the type of person who regularly eats at The VG, but the fact remains that usually, I can’t.

Until now. 

For our first review of 2008 we delighted in veering from our usual fare. The Fairmont is a nice distance from the usual fare of The Nook in both culinary and geographic terms (no offense to The Nook).