The Two Fat Guys visit Cora's Breakfast and Lunch

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The Two Fat Guys visited Cora's Breakfast and Lunch located at 730 Main St. this week, though another location can be found at 1040 Champlain St., Dieppe. This 21-year-old Montreal chain is open from Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cora's can be reached at 382-2672 (Main St.) and 382-3030 (Champlain St.) for more information.

The Fat Guy's verdict:

I met the Fatter Guy for an early brunch (on a work day no less) so the line that normally curves toward the door at Cora's was not to be seen, which was nice. I was immediately seated because I was incredibly ravenous. I didn't even peruse the menu.

I decided before I even walked in the door, that I was going to have my Eggs Benny. Or in accordance with the Cora's menu -- Les Oeufs Ben et Dictine ($10.95) - which had Fatty and I asking - who are Ben and Dictine?

This signature dish is composed of two poached eggs, however you like them and in this case that was medium, served on toasted English muffins and smothered in hollandaise sauce. Next, a massive collection of fruits, and when it comes to massive, Cora's brings it to new levels. I had some pineapple, chopped apple, strawberry, kiwi, and a slice of melon. And of course, roasted potatoes. But I chose to mix things up a bit and ordered some sliced up tomatoes, which FYI despite the Fatter Guy's expression, were an incredibly good addition to the meal.

I love the eggs Benny on offer at Cora's. To be honest, I feel, and I do not say this lightly, that it's the best I've ever had. This includes gastro-adventures in far off places like Montreal and Paris -- where they take their bennying of eggs very seriously. Cora's version is absolutely delicious and entices me on a regular basis.

The only problem I have at Cora's is that the service is incredibly slow. It seems no matter how many staff are working, even if the number of customers is low, that you could be the only person eating, and you'll still have a really long wait for that first coffee. As the Fatter Guy will later note, we had at least three waitresses delivering our food, and when it came to getting the bill, we stewed for a while.

So, no matter how incredible the food, I still have to give Cora's an 8 out of 10.

Fatter Guy's verdict:

"I am a MACHINE" I yelled, fist pumping the air as I looked at my near-empty plate.

I know, I know, I should be used to over-eating by now, but seriously Cora's 1990's harvest breakfast ($10.25) plus side of toast ($1.45) is one heckuva lot of food.

In case you aren't versed with Cora Tsouflidou's chain of breakfast restaurants -- though I highly doubt it as readers galore voted the restaurant as the best breakfast in the city -- most meals come with an abundance of fruit.

My 1990's harvest breakfast was no exception. It included two cinnamon raisin brioches dipped in French toast butter with egg (over easy) on top of it and bacon on top of that egg. Next to that and covering the other brioche (which in case you're wondering is much like a cinnamon roll/French toast) is a "mountain of fruit". That's what the menu calls it and that's what it is.

The mountain of fruit included fresh melon, cantaloupe, strawberry, pineapple, kiwi, and grapes. A few of the strawberries weren't as ripe as they could have been, but other than that, the fruit was truly fresh.

Oh wait I forgot bananas in that list above.

I also got some English cream to dip the fruit into ($1.95).

You may wonder why I added an order of toast to all this food. I wasn't looking forward to eating my egg over-easy without having some toast to dip into the ooey goodness of the over-easy egg.

So the food at Cora's is obviously delicious and pricier than most breakfast joints in Metro Moncton.

That's a given.

It's food I could certainly not make (or really afford all that fruit) to make for myself at home so breakfast here is always a treat.

But how does the resto measure up elsewhere...Here's where I get less enthusiastic.

It's a popular spot, which means lots of customers, which means a wait for seating and food usually. I've waited a ridiculous amount of time here before for food. But today, there was no one there on our mid-morning, mid-week work breakfast stop. I was seated right away by lady number one and was asked if I wanted something to drink.

A few minutes later, still without drink, I was asked again by someone else (lady number two), I said I'd already been asked.

Then Fatty shows up and gets offered something from lady number 2; it's noted I still don't have my drink. So she gets it for me.

We then order from lady number two and I ask for extra toast; it doesn't come with my meal.

We ask for bills when the meal comes and another new face brings them to us. She asks if everything is OK, I say I didn't get my toast but see it there on my bill. She goes on her way.

Then lady number two returns to ask if everything is OK, and well I can't very well say she forgot my toast when the other gal is getting it.

Then the toast is delivered by the same girl I had asked (lady number three).

Confused? We were.

All in all there were three different people serving us. Maybe they were just bored as it was a slow time for the usually busy restaurant.

So despite the fact that I don't head to Cora's unless I have a good hour and a half to spare, I give Cora's Breakfast and Lunch 9/10. Regardless of the whacky service, the food to me is, indeed, that good.

E-mail the Two Fat Guys at thetwofatguys@gmail.com