Birthday Lunch at Apricot Tree Cafe, Mississauga

We didn't have to travel far from our home in Mississauga for today's trip -- just a few kilometers down Erin Mills Parkway to Dundas Street, then a block east to Sherwood Forrest (sic) Plaza to the Apricot Tree Cafe. 

It had seemed a tad pretentious to call ahead for a reservation for a table for four, but with no time to hang about or look elsewhere should this busy cafe be overfilled on this, a Saturday afternoon, we did. Good thing, too, as tables were indeed at a premium.

Adding to the usual Saturday busy-ness is the popularity of the Apricot Tree's Crepe Festival (Feb. 22- March 10) when a dozen or more luscious dessert crepes are a special added offering. 

 The menu has enough items to make choosing difficult: Sandwiches, mains, salads, pastas, seafoods. I kept to the crepe theme, and after starting with a bowl of curried lentil and chickpea soup, I had the Chicken Tarragon Crepe. Dee-lish-us!

We four shared two crepes for dessert. The Romanoff (strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, caramel, bananas, and a hint of vodka -- a very tiny hint -- and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the Crepe Souffle (chocolate crepe filled with chocolate souffle, baked, then served with toffee ice cream.

Both styles (there may be others) need a half-hour preparation, so let your server know in advance of your intentions. If the kitchen is to busy, they may elect not to make them.

I mention the ice cream served with each style, as it is homemade on the premises. The Apricot Tree is an 'open-kitchen' restaurant, so you can, should you wish, watch the food being prepared.

Sandwiches and salads, too, were very tasty, with good hot pots of White Tea -- proper tea leaves and cups, too. Prices are reasonable: Lunch for four, including an assortment of cappuccinos and teas, taxes and tip (just under 20 percent) rounded out to $100 (CAD). Add wine (there's a good list of reds and whites) and specialty coffees, and your bill will run a bit higher.

Better still, you can check the menu for yourself at Apricot Tree Cafe.

And some of my more detailed Mississauga restaurant writings are posted at snapshotjourneys.com/mississauga-ontario-restaurants, or use the search feature to search archived blog posts for other restaurants in Mississauga.

As for the birthday, it was a belated (by one week) celebration for our matriarch. No candles were harmed in this event.

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Update May 9, 2009
Just got back from a very delicious lunch at the Apricot Tree, an early Mother's Day celebration. I had the special -- Split Yellow Pea Soup, Baked Tilapia with lots of very good veg, and Cappuccino Mousse ($12.95) -- while the others had a Seafood Salad (shellfish on mixed greens, with Asian style dressing, Potato-Leek soup, Chicken, Mushroom and Tarragon Crepe, Three Cheese Quesadillas with mixed greens, and another crepe (can't recall last one as too busy eating).

Had a very good double espresso, while others had tea, cappuccino or latte. All in all, we all enjoyed our lunch. The Apricot Tree was packed, as it tends to be on weekends. A friend comes here during the week and says it's not as busy then. Noticed a small patio outside but passing downpour kept us snug indoors. 

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Update October 2010

LOL as I see from re-reading this post that I again had the Chicken Tarragon crepe on October 1, another BD but this time mine, and for dinner. It was great. Good vegetarian options, too. BUT this time, I did take two pictures of the desserts:

 Birthday Cake Compliments Apricot Tree Mississauga ON

Tasted as good as it looked - actually, free cake has a great taste all its own!

 Dessert Pie Apricot Tree Cafe - Mississauga ON

And for good measure, we ordered another dessert - this nut and fruit pie with whipped cream medallions and raspberry coulis - and shared both among the 6 of us. A great finish to a great dinner!