Wildflower Grill

To celebrate Easter and my awesome mother-in-law's birthday, we headed to the newly-opened Wildflower Grill, located at the former Inn on 7th, now renovated and renamed the Matrix Hotel for brunch. I really had to use the bathroom when I got there, so I quickly chatted with the host, found out where our party would be seated (did I mention we were the first to arrive?!? It's an Easter miracle.), and dashed to use the bathroom.

I was impressed; you learn a lot about a place based on its bathroom. Dark stained woods, 2 stalls, a touchless tap and paper towel dispenser (too bad the dispenser wasn't working properly), and a funky trough-style sink gave me the impression that this place cared about impressions.

I wasn't wrong. Our host, a Tim Gunn-lookalike fellow with a very friendly and professional table-side manner, cracked a few tasteful jokes with our party as people trickled in. Our server was diligent and prompt, and neither intrusive nor invisible.

The decor of the restaurant was upscale understated chic; lots of dark stained wood, whites and neutrals accented by bright splashy paintings of wildflowers. Our tables were set with mesh-link mats (that weren't obviously mesh, but a far softer material) and a hand-blown, fiery-coloured bowl containing an orchid bloom. When I ordered a coffee to start, I was served a French-press urn - my personal pot of java! Our meal began with freshly-baked cornmeal gouda muffins and whipped butter - a tasty, moist opener to our meal.

Hubbs had the seafood frittata, which came with a bowl of fresh fruit and homemade yogurt. Every part of his meal was served on a smaller square plate placed within the larger plate; the presentation was fabulous. The taste, so Hubbs tells me, was also fantastic; he had no complaints whatsoever with his meal. Other members of our party had eggs benedict, steak and eggs, or fresh fruit crepes, all of which (so I hear) were phenomenally tasty. My meal of Alberta "prime" roast beef (served in a Yorkshire pudding bowl) was accompanied by some "dirty fries" served with a delicious aioli dip; the fries were delicious (but as a low-carbbing fiend I couldn't really indulge myself much), and the roast beef was tender and tasty. I'm not a Yorkshire pudding girl but I thought the presentation (again, on separate little square plates fitted onto a larger square plate) looked great.

At the end of the meal, we were so impressed with both the food and the service that we asked to look at the dinner menu - not to eat again but to plan our return to the restaurant sometime in the near future.

It is rare to find a nice, upscale, quiet restaurant that offers brunch entrees costing less than $20/plate. It is even more rare to find one that isn't snooty, and knows what it means to offer first-class service. The Wildflower Grill is all of these things, and made such a positive and lasting impression on our entire table that we are determined to return again very very soon.

Rating: 10 / 10