The House of Common is a quaint local spot that focuses on breakfast and brunch, as well as light lunches, drinks and snacks. They strive to use local farmers and in-house processes for ingredients.

Chef Jonathan LeBlanc previously ran LeBlanc + Cuisine catering in Sudbury. A master of fresh salads and soups, The House of Common may be politically named (making it difficult to Google), but the food here is anything but ordinary or stuffy.

Most places in the Junction battle odd angles and slants due to the weird way Dundas West curves, but they’ve used it to their advantage here. Two six-seater communal tables are placed diagonally within the rustic space, with other smaller tables scattered throughout.

An open kitchen allows for a full view of LeBlanc feverishly preparing a passionate brunch service, bringing through a quality of transparency that translates to the lovingly treated ingredients.

A Common Breakfast ($12) comes with two eggs as well as roasted potato and leek, and nearly every plate comes with a little house pickled veg, which for me was a mix of asparagus and jardiniere. Any breakfast meats always come from Tanjo Family Farm in Millbank, Ontario.

Pick up a jar of jardiniere ($6) or pickled asparagus ($6), beets or cauliflower ($6.50) to take home if you fall in love with the pickles.

House of Common pancakes are a steal for $9, especially with a presentation of lovely spiced berries topped with a dollop of airy whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar.

A frittata ($15) is packed with veg, including mushroom, sweet tomato, spinach and onion, all bound together by gruyere. It can be enjoyed hot or cold but is probably a little better warm, and you can grab a side of greens with that or go for a soup instead.

The HOC soup ($4.50/$6) changes up regularly, and when I arrived it was a robust roasted tomato and pepper lentil topped with crispy onions for a hit of texture. When asked about his knack for soups, LeBlanc simply explains, “I get them, they get me.”

Order a simple refreshing iced coffee ($2) or luscious cappuccino ($4) or step it up with a glass of sparkling rosé ($9) or a rosé mimosa ($11).

Spicy benedict on rosti ($16) is a winner, blanketed in a slightly spicy Tabasco hollandaise. Tasty hot salami sits between poached eggs and crispy potato pancake, served with a blend of summer greens that’s surprisingly spicy and flavourful in itself: baby kale, watercress, spinach and green oak lettuce.

They also sell quick to-go items like baked goods such as lemon coffee cake or brownies and pre-made salads, and you’re welcome to order ahead and take out from this unpretentious, airy place.