I’ve never gone into a brunch place and immediately said “Holy shit” before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything, and my first time was at Chartier, in Beaumont. And that was before I saw the giant cinnamon bun.
Technically, what I saw first were doughnuts, but I think they should coin a new name for the artistic pastry sandwiches that seemed too pretty to be real (and take 48 hours to create). As I snapped a photo for posterity, the host smiled like I wasn’t the first to use salty language when looking at Chartier’s sweets. Then I saw the cinnamon bun, and seriously considered just splitting it with my friend, brunch be damned. But I had a job to do. So, showing unbelievable restraint, we took our seats.
I was tempted by Chartier’s poutine options, but went with the Sugar Shack Eggs Benny. I had the potatoes and carefully cut the Irving’s Farm house-made back bacon around the egg until the last few bites, which I ate on Hollandaise-soaked sourdough, with residual sugar-shack maple molasses.
But we couldn’t stop thinking about the cinnamon bun, so we ordered it and split it at home anyway. I regret nothing. – Cory Schachtel
#102, 5012 50 ST., BEAUMONT, 780-737-3633, DineChartier.com
Pip is an all-service restaurant, and arguably best known for its brunch. In fact, it won our Best Brunch in 2020 and Best New in 2019. You’ll probably have to wait in line for a seat, but the smell of fresh cracked eggs and French toast is worth the wait. Order something sweet like the Sweet French Toast Bake, which comes with maple cream cheese and strawberry rhubarb jam. Or, go with a classic dish like Traditional Eggs Benedict on sourdough. – Katrina Turchin
10403 83 AVE. NW, 780-760-4747, PipYEG.com
Rosewood Foods appears a lot on our Best Restaurants lists, this time for its Saturday brunch menu. Radish cakes are influenced by one of our favourite weekend rituals — dim sum. Verde rice incorporates flavours from the Middle East. Grilled cheese (with chèvre) and pancakes (lemon buttermilk) are amped up. Stop it, Rosewood, let other restaurants have the plaques. – Steven Sandor
#101, 10150 100 ST. NW, 780-757-8030, RosewoodFoods.com
This article appears in the March 2022 issue of Edify
