Running + Brunch at Forage

On Running

Today marked my second Sun Run training clinic. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous because my back had been bothering me an amazing amount this week; it wasn’t due to running but rather “cycle” issues. At times the pain became so bad that I considered leaving work early to go lie down on the ground while I propped my legs up at a 90 degree angle on the couch. Instead, I opted for two massages. They were life savers and helped me to get through the week with as little discomfort as possible.

Still, I didn’t know how my back would take to the 38 minute clinic training run. Pushing all trepidation aside, I left the confines of my cozy bed and took the Skytrain to meet up with the rest of the group.

Well the run went fabulously!!!!! I didn’t even feel a little bit of pain, my legs felt good, and the longer we went the happier I got!!! I can honestly say that I’m absolutely LOVING these Sunday run clinics. This is my first time training for a race with a group, and I totally get it now. For the first time ever, I’m not listening to music while I run, and still the time is just flying by!

I know this might sound like I’ve drank the Koolaid but the positive atmosphere is infectious!

And on a final running note for this week, thank-you so very much for all of your support! Knowing that I have you guys pulling for me makes this journey all the more fun!

On Brunch at Forage

There’s something about sharing breakfast with friends that I just love.

I think it’s because meals out with others usually come in the form of dinner or lunch. But breakfast is so much more intimate. It speaks to lazy weekend mornings, never ending cups of warm beverages, and comfort food.

Recently a small group of us decided to head out for Sunday brunch together. After some thought we decided to hit up (the relatively new) Forage.

Forage opened up a few short months ago in a space formerly occupied by an Irish pub. The interior of the locale has been completely re-done and it’s now home to a restaurant that is at once comfy and trendy.

The restaurant specializes in farm to table cuisine that is locally sourced; a much welcome addition to an area of the city over-populated with Korean and Japanese restaurants.

The brunch menu is extensive and features everything from the traditional (eggs, toast, etc . . . ) to the slightly more unusual.

One of my friends decided to go with the unusual, and have the double fried pork cutlet. Why you ask? Well because according to him anything that is fried twice has to be amazing!

The dish looked delicious and although I wouldn’t usually have pork cutlet for breakfast, I was intrigued.

My usual brunch go-to choice is a plate of French toast, mainly because it’s something I never make for myself at home. Unfortunately, my vanilla bean allergy means that French toast at Forage were not an option. So instead I chose the next best traditional item, buttermilk pancakes with Valley blueberries, honey butter, and maple syrup.

When my plate arrived, it looked like this . . .

The pancakes were everything that a good pancake should be – fluffy, moist, and just dense enough. The portion is big enough that you could easily share it between two people but then again it’s also delicious enough to have on your own.

My one critique of the pancake would be the uneven amount of blueberries contained inside. Given that it’s not blueberry season, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be chocked full of berry goodness but in that case, I think it would be preferable to make a nice topping out of the available blueberries rather than sparsely include them as part of the batter. The latter approach, makes for uneven distribution (one of my friends had two pancakes that were brimming with blueberries), and makes the berries seem like an afterthought.

All in all it was still a great brunch experience and I will definitely return to Forage for brunch soon.

Question: Are you the type of person that likes to eat breakfast out? I have to admit that most of the time, I eat breakfast at home, but once in a while I treat myself to a nice brunch!

Tagged as: A Brutally Honest Review, Restaurant Reviews, Running, Training