Baked enchantment
Colleen Johnson
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Make brunch magic: Vanilla scones with apricot jam, scrambled eggs and mustard-baked ham
photo: Ben Welland
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Something wicked this way comes: The Scone Witch brings seductive scones and a brunch menu to a second location
The Scone Witch have been serving gorgeous scones out of their Albert St. location for many years now. More recently, they opened a second location on Beechwood Ave., where Jaz'Oo Café used to be.I headed to the New Edinburgh location to check out their weekend brunch menu. The interior of the restaurant has been completely made over. Jazz'Oo's dark-yet-garish colours have been replaced with pale neutrals that reflect the light, making the space seem much more open and airy. Big braided ficus trees line a wall of large windows facing the street. High ceilings, exposed ductwork and solo-bulb pendant lighting complete the contemporary look.
The scones here are clearly the star of the menu, and with good reason: They are the best in the city. You can choose from sweet scones such as oatmeal, vanilla or ginger-currant, but savoury scones deserve great attention too, flavoured with feta, cheddar, herbs and onion and more. You really can't go wrong. While the price of $21 a dozen may seem extravagant to some, these scones are most certainly worth every penny.
The Scone Witch's weekend brunch plate happily features one of their fresh scones, your choice of either lemon curd or a Moss Berry Farm jam, fresh fruit, greens and scrambled eggs topped with a number of choices, including mustard-baked ham or smoked salmon. I opted for the vanilla scone with the apricot jam and chose the sliced ham to go over the eggs. The eggs came garnished with fresh dill and were beautifully soft-scrambled. The greens
were coated in a tangy dressing that had been perfectly emulsified. The fruit on the side offered plenty of variety: blueberries, grapefruit supremes, pineapple, strawberries and kiwi. The scone itself was divine, still warm, light and flaky in texture, topped with raw sugar and deeply flavoured with good vanilla.My companion ordered a chicken and white-wine-sauce scone sandwich. Served with more of the same greens, it arrived with the filling spilling over the side. I found it to be near faultless with its luxurious creamy gravy, thickly sliced carrots and zucchini. The sandwich's herb and onion scone is delicious enough to order all on its own, with loads of fresh herbs and diced red onion throughout.
When the brunch is this good, there is no doubt I'll return again soon.
The Scone Witch
35 Beechwood Ave.; (613) 741-4141
Breakfast and lunch: $1.90-$10.50
| A diamond in the rough on Albert |
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WOW....and to think I waited this long to even try a scone!!! What a wonderful find. Absolutely delicious. Vanilla scone with clotted cream and blueberry preserves!!! MMM, the best way to start a day.
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Gina Camel-Toueg
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Does The Scone Witch have a website?
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Cheryl Innes
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I love the scone witch on the weekend. A freshly baked vanilla scone with blueberry-raspberry jam and coffee...life is good. I've found the service occassionally surly, but once you've paid, bliss awaits.
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Lisa Bitto
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Heather Matthews is one of the finest chefs in Ottawa. She hails from one of the original Domus crew! She told me the (little) sconewitch was filling. Thank heavens I took her at her word and ordered only one. That night nobody even ate dinner. And so welcoming on every visit. Soups are top notch, nicely spiced, fresh and flavoful. The staff is always smiling and welcoming. Kudos to the Sconewitch. Windows are always clean and decor is simple and pleasing.
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Lola Crumpet
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