All posts filed under: food

Toronto Cafes you Need to Check Out

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There’s nothing like sipping a steamy latte on a lazy Sunday afternoon as you casually people watch or read your favorite book.  This is starting to become a weekend tradition of mine so I’m sharing some of my favorite spots 🙂 Colette A beautiful Parisian inspired cafe right next to the Thompson Hotel on King and Portland. Colette boasts a bakery, bar, and lounge all cleverly divided with different atmospheres and decor. Aside form grabbing a cup of coffee served in a delicate porcelain white cup, you’ll want to try their brunch menu which includes classics like Eggs Benedict on a croissant or their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. NEO Coffee Bar If you enjoy Japanese desserts, you will LOVE this place. NEO makes their desserts and coffees in house. You can watch the pastry chef decorate freshly baked green tea swiss rolls as you sip on your matcha latte. The design of the cafe is also very Japan-esque – clean cut and simple. Field Trip Cafe Just west of Ossington is a a humble little cafe …

7 Fun Things to do in February [Toronto]

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DJ Skate Nights Injecting your ice skating experience with some live music! Jam out to your favorite tunes on ice. Jan 2 – Feb 20 at the Harbourfront Skating Rink Admission – Free Check out who’s playing Dragon Ball Celebrate Chinese New Year at the Yee Hong fundraising Gala. Feb 6 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Reserve your table Try something new for Valentine’s Day! Tired of the same old roses and fancy dinner with your significant other? Does Feb 14 make you cringe? Regardless if you are single or in a relatonship, take the opportunity to do something unique this year. Keep an eye out for my Valentine’s Day post coming up! Winterlicious Between Jan 29 – Feb 11, enjoy a 3 course meal for a fixed price. This is a great chance to try out the plethora of dining options in Toronto. Check out my personal favorites on my previous post here. La Poutine Week A poutine lover’s dream. Not that you need an excuse to get a Poutine… but now you really need …

2016 Winterlicious Top Picks

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Between Jan 29 – Feb 11, enjoy a 3 course meal for a fixed price. This is a great chance to try out the plethora of dining options in Toronto. Also a great opportunity to hit up your coveted list of fancy restaurants that you would normally need to sacrifice a paycheck to entertain your tastebuds.  Here are my personal favorites based on past experience. Canoe – Contemporary Canadian.  $28 Lunch // $45 Dinner One of the most highly requested restaurants for Winterlicious/Summerlious, Canoe sits on top of the TD building on the 54th floor. Soak in the bird’s eye view of Toronto as you dine, or better yet, come during sunset for a extra special touch to your meal. The service is excellent and each dish is carefully crafted together like a work of art. Be prepared to experience a variety of unusual textures and tastes that Canoe aims to incorporate in all its seasonal dishes. Where: 66 King Street West, 54th Floor (TD Tower) Estiatorio Volos – Modern Greek.  $23 Lunch // $35 Dinner This is …

Paradise Island, Maui

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Maui is the all encompassing definition of island life – pristine beaches, tropical palm trees and glorious sunsets. Although K & I planned a good handful of fun activities like surfing and snorkeling, we were determined to slip right into the chill lifestyle of Mauians for the duration of our one week excape.  Maui is known for a few must-eat food items: Macadamia nuts, tropical fruits, and Kona coffee.  On our first day, we had a delicious hearty breakfast made with local ingredients at Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop.  I had their Banana Pancakes which was like eating the best banana bread in breakfast form.  K had their house Frittata and a side of Coconut French Toast drizzled in condensed milk.  Two thumbs up for this place! After breakfast we set off to explore the island by driving along the highway that hugs that parameter of Maui. Almost every strip of the drive was filled with views of the dazzling ocean and mighty mountains in the background. There are plenty of spots for scenic views. …

Gifts for the Foodie

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Last installment of the “Last Minute Holiday Gift” series.  Everyone knows a few foodies, here are some great ideas on presents that will impress their palette. McEwans For: The gourmet food lover who appreciates beautiful packaging Where: Shops on Don Mills, 66 Wellington (The Path) McEwan’s is like a Whole Foods but arguably even nicer with a fine selection of food packaged up so beautiful you may not want to even open it. They carry products like Sullivan & Bleeker Squish Candy For: The one with the massive sweet tooth Where: 176 Yonge St. (Inside The Bay, concourse level) With its whimsical packaging and wide selection of candied treats, it’s like walking into an upscale Willy Wonka store. You’ll probably find some excellent stocking stuffers and gifts that practically don’t even need wrapping thanks to their adorable packaging. Green Beanery For: The caffeine addict Where: This huge coffee store boats an impressive selection of all things coffee including responsibly sourced beans, grinders, French presses and more! The gadgets you can find in this store will probably impress …

5 days in San Francisco

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This is my second time visiting California in 2015. If you recall from some of my previous posts, I swung by Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in March with my girlfriends. Aside from the fact that I am in love with the weather, this time around I had a very different agenda. The main purpose of my trip was to go camping into Yosemite National Park with my boyfriend which I will talk about in much more detail in the post right after this one. Today I wanted to highlight some of the fun things I did in San Francisco  🙂 The weather in San Fran was perfect as usual – a hot dry breezy mid 20’s.  We walked around Union Square and Market Street – a great shopping area with an generous mix of luxury and mid priced retail stores.  You can buy your Givenchy, Chanel and Valentino, walk a few blocks and find Victoria’s Secret, Converse and Urban Outfitters. One of my favorite things about this city is the neighborhoods.  It’s simply …

Quebec City – Canada’s own Paris

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As I was preparing to recap my recent weekend trip to Quebec City, I stumbled upon Huffington Post’s recent article entitled “Quebec City: A Closer Pick Than Paris.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Although not nearly not the same scale as the capital of France, Quebec City has its own unique charm and is much cleaner than it’s European counterpart.  It offers some spectacular views of the St.Lawrence river and a taste of it’s French roots in Old Quebec. I literally felt like I wasn’t in Canada anymore.  We were welcomed with stunning views after a short walk up from the Plains of Abraham where Britain won its battle over France.   The European style architecture adds such character to the city, especially the iconic Chateau Frontenac which was previously the residence of British Colonial Governors and now converted into a grand Fairmont Hotel and currently a National Historical site in Canada. You can take a scenic ferry ride across the St. Lawrence river to capture the beautiful skyline with the Frontenac for just a few …

Boston: Exploring Harvard and finding the best lobster roll

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We started the day off with a nice jog around Jamaica Pond which was very close to the neighborhood we were staying in – Jamaica Plains.  I would describe JP as divided into two parts – The Ghetto and the Hipster hood.  The Ghetto is pretty run down and sketchy while the other side is lined with cute little shops and home to quite a wealthy looking group of folks.  I just remember seeing huge mansion size houses near Jamaica Pond when we were jogging.  By the way, its not really a ‘pond’ one lap around the body of water is about 2.5km.  After getting a good sweat we stopped by one of the indie cafes in the neighborhood called 7 Pond Coffee Bar to grab a well deserved Americano and croissant. The cafe was actually one of the most clever and well thought out spaced I’ve seen.  The scafe is tiny, but the way it was designed maximized every square foot.  The photo here doesn’t do it justice… the quality of the interior design was …

Toronto Summerlicious – Sassafraz Review

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Toronto hosts two very popular culinary events annually – Summerlicous & Winterlicuous.  Restaurants across the GTA participate by offering a 3-course prix fix meal to encourage diners to try out new cuisines and get a taste of the culinary talent in the T.O. Usually I’d end up going to about 3 restaurants on average but because I’m spending this summer in Ottawa, I was lucky enough to sneak in one meal.  I dined at Sassafraz with my family for lunch – an upscale French inspired restaurant in the heart of Yorkville.  Click here to see their $28 lunch and $45 menu. The service in Sassafraz is very good.  The waitors are attentive and are there when you need them, and out of sight when you don’t.  They provide fresh, warm bread and generously re-fill throughout the meal. For the Appetizer, I had the Bay Scallops with new potato, chorizo, and sumac roasted cauliflower.  I was a little disappointed at the size of the scallops, I’m not a fan of these tiny ones at all.  The chorizo …

Ottawa Photo Diary 2

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Summer in Ottawa is a great time to just roam around discover new neighborhoods and good eats.  Ottawa also does a very good job of keeping their public gardens and trees very well groomed.  I love jogging the canal and just taking in the scenic views. Fraser Cafe – A neat little cafe featuring fresh produce.  I had their Cobb Salad and it was actually so good!  They added small twists of flavor from pickled radishes and crispy chips on top and a light dressing which complimented the crumbles of blue cheese very well.  Great place for a light, healthy meal. I’m quite a fan of LavAzza coffee, their beans produce a really good strong brew and I love using it for making espresso.  They have a cute little cafe on Lansdowne which also serves gelato and some prepared foods.  Iced Americano is my go-to summer caffinated drink and LavAzza makes a really one – none of that watered down crap. Took a stroll down to Victoria Island to check out the views there.  Nothing special …