Brunch buffet disappointment

We loves us some good breakfast places. OK fine, we loves us some good restaurants - period - but the topic today is brunch buffets. In Calgary, there are very few breakfast buffets worth mentioning (that we know of).

Thompson's (at the Hyatt downtown) - fan-freaking-tastic. Expensive.

Luciano's - not bad while it lasted - now a different restaurant and gone for good.

The Castle Restaurant - the best value - now closed and gone for good.

Kilkenny Pub - used to be good. We went there today after not trying it for a long time. Darlene went for food first and returned with stuff she said was already cold. Not a good sign. Server running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Not a good sign. I ran to the omelet bar to place my order seeing nobody in the line-up. Turns out the reason there's no line-up is because you can't order an omelet at the omelet bar - you have to get an order form and place the order with your server, who then brings it to the omelet bar, where it gets made and waits for your server to bring it to your table. Good luck with that. I told my server I'd save her the trouble and get my own omelet. Once I see that my omelet is almost ready, I mosey over to the omelet bar and pick it up. Then I head to the buffet tables. Great sausages - just how I like 'em. No baked beans. They used to have baked beans. I like baked beans. No potatoes. That's a show stopper. I wait. A kitchen dude shows up. I tell him there are no potatoes. He leaves. I wait. And wait. Omelet getting cold. 5 minutes. Still no potatoes. The universe is trying to tell me something. No potatoes for me today. I skip the potatoes. Total bill for an omelet and some sausages and some sweets and a coffee (plus the few nibbles Darlene had): $32.

I don't see Thompson's as being so expensive anymore. $50 (for 2) gets you an omelet made to order (no forms to fill out); hot ooey-gooey fresh cinnamon buns dripping with icing; lots of home fried potatoes; fruit; oatmeal; baked goods; sausages and bacon; pancakes and/or waffles and/or french toast; a roast beef or bison; quiche; cheeses and so much more. Unlimited coffee and juice. Oh yeah - and enough staff to wait on you hand and foot. It's well worth the extra money. Once in a while.