Text by Alison LaMantia. Images courtesy of Donna Dooher.

Wherever Donna Dooher travels, you’ll find her at brunch. The Canadian culinary legend has always had a love for the midday meal. Her restaurant, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen (originally Mildred Pierce), has been a Toronto hot spot for pancakes for over 30 years. And now, Dooher has released Mildred’s Pantry, a shoppable line of customer favourites for brunching at home. Here, she dishes about foodie favourites and finding downtime alongside the business she loves.

Is there an aspect of the food business that you’re excited about right now? Right now, brunch is having its moment. This is where people choose to come together, gather and have a community. I’m excited that it’s happening now and I’m part of that.

Is there a brunch spot that stands out besides your own? I’ve just come back from Victoria, B.C., where I had brunch at a wonderful place called Jam Cafe. They [had customers] lined up at 8:30 in the morning, as we do, and the energy in the place was wonderful.

What’s your go-to pancake topping? It’s still a wild-blueberry compote. To me, it’s always been the crowning glory of our pancakes.

Home-cooked meal or eating out? I love going into somebody’s home who has prepared a home-cooked meal. It can be a hot dog, a hamburger, a bowl of pasta or, you know, beef Wellington — it doesn’t matter.

Where else have you eaten lately? My grandnephew is studying to be a chef at Algonquin College in Ottawa, which is my alma mater. He came to visit Toronto and we did a culinary tour. We started at Shake Shack and ended up at Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace and a bunch of places in between.

What do you like to do outside of running your business? Sleep!

What’s your best-ever winter day? I do think an ideal winter day is spent in the snow somewhere. I am truly a Canadian, you know, through and through. I skied a lot, especially as a child. Being in the Laurentians in front of a big stone fireplace, with the snow falling outside and the wood burning in the fireplace, is probably ideal.