Ben B.
Yelp
Today was my first visit to Annie's Place after getting up at an ungodly hour, leading to an awkard wait for businesses in the Spring Garden area to unlock their doors. It's now located in a new spot (as opposed to the old location shown in the photos) where it has lost a bit of the exterior charm, but popping in for breakfast turned out to be 100% worth it.
The space feels sort of like a little tea café from a small town, transplanted directly into the heart of Halifax - the best of both worlds in my books. Annie herself was gearing up behind the counter at 7am and we both commiserated with morning grumbles as I looked over the menu.
The selection is small but mighty - eggs, toast, ham, bacon, pancakes, french toast, organic coffees, a full espresso menu - pretty much anything you could want. Plus, as some of the regulars showed off, I learned that you can go off-menu to a certain extent as long as it's a combination of the main components. I had a delicious veggie omelet that came with four thick slices of toasted homemade bread that was so good I want to go back and punch Dr. Atkin's in the face. $7 plus tax. BOOM.
While I stuck around, Annie knew most of her customers by name, thanked every single one for popping in, telling the 'coffee to-go' customers that she wishes they could stay so she could make them a proper breakfast, and even joined one of her regulars for her own breakfast. It was a lovely touch that she even extended to this newcomer, making sure to ask my name and chat a bit as I settled up.
It was calm and quiet between 7-8am, a perfect spot to regroup before a busy day.
*Might be cash-only...I forgot to ask but didn't see any credit/debit machinery.
*Celiac-friendly: Annie told me she makes gluten-free bread (available by the loaf) and has a separate toaster. She's also tried more elaborate gluten-free meals but also admits knowing when not to risk it for those with heightened sensitivities.