NEW: Little Nicky's Coffee

Location:

375 Queen St. W. Toronto

Open only 4 weeks now, Little Nicky's already seems to have a cult following of donut lovers.

Mini donuts, that is.

Made on a cute little mini assembly line.

Old-fashioned, little, powdery-sugar-and-cinnamon-covered deep fried goodness. 

We love the retro, dinery vibe, and with Ray Charles playing in the background, "A.Mat" said it reminded her of The Cosby episode where the family performs Ray Charles' "Night Time is the Right Time". See video here.

One thing they might want to add to their menu however, is Earl Grey tea. Orange Pekoe (from Tealish) just won't cut it, even if IS loose-leaf and IS quite delish!

Still, with lovely iced lattes and happy little donuts Little Nicky's is already becoming a definite favourite at work this hot summer.

Boston: Francesca's Cafe

Location:

564 Tremont St, Boston, MA

Everyone talks about the South End, so we made it there this past Sunday - it was cold you guys, and everything was closed! Why do they do that? Made it to Francesca's Cafe in a frozen state and thawed out nicely with a hot chocolate, tea and a tuna melt (apty named for this occasion). Oh, a pretty cupcake made the cut, too.

Provincetown, MA: Fudge Factory

Location:

210 Commercial St # 1  Provincetown, MA

Go for the fudge, don't stay for the service. 

I guess you have to stay for the service in order to get the fudge, though. 

As it was the only fudge store open in Provincetown over the MLK weekend, and as we didn't know any better, we went into the Fudge Factory.  Contrary to Yelp reviews, you're not able to try the fudge anymore and also contrary to Yelp reviews, our server was quite rude. Perhaps it was an off day for him, or it was someone new, but it left us with a bad taste in our mouths, which we quickly sweetened up with their yummy fudge. 

Provincetown, MA: Fanizzi's

Location:
539 Commercial Street  Provincetown, MA 

For the MLK long weekend, we decided to check out Cape Cod for the day. Yes, it was freezing, and yes, everything, save for a few shops, was closed. However, we were recommended Fanizzi's by the water and decided to grab dinner there before heading back. 

We scored the best seat of the house, overlooking the water and the sunset.

The service was lovely and the place filled up quickly as the sun began to set. 

We chose a dish of sea scallops n' pasta in marinara sauce and fish n' chips, both downed with beers. The coleslaw that came with the fish n' chips was to die for. It must have had some green apple or something, as it was both sweet and perfectly coleslaw-y. The bread basket arrived piping hot which is always welcome. We also had coffees and the molten lava chocolate cake, which took me well over my sugar quota for the day, but was totally worth it.

I can't recommend this place, enough. We'll be back this summer!

Amsterdam: Hilton Hotel: Half Moon Lounge

It was raining pretty hard as soon as we arrived in Amsterdam, and it remained fairly wet and quite chilly throughout the trip. As soon as we got to The Amsterdam Hilton, made famous for John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Bed-In-For-Peace", all we wanted to do was have a quick bite to eat and some tea.  So, while we waited for our room (not the John Lennon/Yoko Ono presidential suite, alas), we dined at one of the hotel's resturants, the Half Moon Lounge. We ordered some teas and a falafel sandwich with a side of fries.  How amazing was this sandwich?  And the service was wonderful and unintrusive while we relaxed by the huge canal side windows. Highly recommend this hotel, which has beautiful rooms and bathrooms with gorgeous canal views and a spectacular breakfast buffet, which may make an appearance on Foodhogger, later.

Boston: Border Cafe

Location:

32 Church St., Cambridge, MA

Appearing as though it's the red light district of Harvard Square, this Border Cafe in Cambridge is loud, crowded and welcoming.  

The margaritas were STRONG, the nachos crispy and the Cajun/Mexican mains absolutely delicious.  Each of us in our party of five enjoyed our round-table meal.

I even spilled a drink on my brother in law.

If you can't have a good time here, there is no hope for thou. 

Boston: Tea at The Courtyard

Location:

700 Boylston Street, Boston

My sister, niece and I went to The Boston Public Library's The Courtyard for Tea after the the Fall Fashion presentation by Roopal Patel at Neiman Marcus.  

The Courtyard restaurant is set within the gorgeous Boston Library courtyard, which is one of the most beautiful places to have lunch - quiet and serene, as if transported to another era.

It was before 2pm and tea hadn't officially started (Wed-Fri from 2-4pm) but they seated us graciously and even made vegetarian accomodations for my sister who is vegetarian (and I also don't eat chicken, but my niece does).  They were able to switch out the smoked salmon canapes for more cucumber/cheese ones.

Our server was really sweet.

The teas were excellent - ranging from Earl Grey (who else?), Ceylon Indian and Raspberry Herbal.

Although the sandwiches were tasty, we were surprised at the quantity, which was very little.  We each perhaps got 2.5 sandwiches (that's in the quarter size that it's cut into) and 2-3 tiny pastries each.

For $22.50 per person, we were expecting a bit more.  Even the scones were small.  My sister who has had afternoon tea all over Boston (and Toronto) and I, who's had it all over Ontario were not satisfied with the portions.

Might have worked well for someone like my niece and her friends and their doll-size proportions of high tea.

Seems like their lunch portions are much larger, but for a high tea experience, this is probably not the best place in Boston for it.  

Boston: Temazcal Cantina

Location:

250 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA
www.temazcalcantina.com

We went to Temazcal to celebrate my BIL's birthday.
It was one of those early Fall September days, so the rain was coming down, and it was a Friday so we did get caught in rush-hour traffic.

On top of this, a few things to note:

Temazcal doesn't take reservations.

They have valet parking which is $20 (!) but you get it validated by the restaurant so it's actually $16 (!). (There will be much usage of exclamation points in this post).

We had to wait at the bar for our table, which was to be about a 45 minute wait. (!)

We had a round of cocktails - the mojitos were served in these giant glasses, with the thick rim, you know the kind, when the rim of the glass fills your whole mouth as though you won't be able to get a sip to drink? And the entire drink had far too much ice for enjoyment.

Then we were seated and given iPAD menus!

My BIL mentioned how unhygienic something like that would be to use - but then again, so are paper/laminated menus as well.  They say menus are the filthiest of all.

But I digress.

The light emanating from the iPads were incredible - all of our faces were highlighted in a blue glow, but as soon as we'd all ordered and the iPads were taken away, it was as if someone had turned off a light.  We were left to make conversation with ourselves, without the entertainment of swiping through the menu.

The view from the restaurant is quite lovely, and I must say the interior is really nice.  Watch out for the slippery floors though - not a friend of a lady and her heels!

Beside us, a table was served with an ENTIRE PIG (LECHON ASADO)!  Gross to the vegetarians of the table (and although I don't eat chicken anymore, but do eat bacon - don't ask - I was also not happy to catch the visual).

For the table we ordered the "GUACOMOLE DE LA MIXETA" which doesn't come with chips by the by.  Is this not weird to anyone?  We then had to order a couple of chip plates.

The guac was AMAH-ZING.  And very filling.

I ordered the HUACHINANGO A LA VERACRUZANA (red snapper with plantain mash).  It was incredible; the portion was huge and the entire thing was absolutely delicious.

My Mom got the POLLA A LA PERILLA MEXICANA which she loved (surprising, as she's very hard to please)!

Unfortunately those were the only dishes at the table that were good.

This is also largely due to the fact that 98% of the menu is non-veg, and although on the phone they said they'd be able to make any dish veg, our server didn't think so.  Thus, the only real veg option was the ENCHILADAS VERDES, which was not a huge hit; the BIL especially did not like it.

The QUESADILLA BOLILlOS (chicken) were average.  

The MOLE PABLANO (chicken mole) was served alone without any side of rice or anything.  Hard to eat that much mexican chocolate without any carbs, you know what I mean?

Our server, however, was good, and tried his best to accommodate our dietary restrictions as much as he could.

Still, most of the group, aside from me and my happy red snapper, felt like their meals were a huge rip-off in the end.  Fancy Mexican is apparently not for this family.  Maybe we're just happy with our version of Mexican dinners, with our Uncle Bens Spanish rice and refried beans.

OLE!

Boston: Thinking Cup

Location:

165 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

Honestly, this place should be called thinking crap.

Hands down, the worst Earl Grey I've ever tasted...and I've tasted plenty.  And besides, the chocolate croissant was nothing to write home about.  Boo.  Very disappointing.  Someone quickly direct me to a good bakery/coffee shop.  I miss Le Gourmand.

Product Review: Ruchi Pickle

What's wrong with this photo?


Despite this quite humorous typo, the TID bits are very good!

TRAVEL: Montreal: Nil Bleu

Location:

3706 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

http://www.nilbleu.ca/

Hands down the best Ethiopian restaurant I've been to thus far.  But don't ask me, ask my Mom and Mom-in-Law who couldn't stop raving about it.  And they know how to cook, if you know what I mean.

The dishes we ordered were:

YETIMATIM SALAD $4.95 (tomatoes, onions, green peppers seasoned with lemon and olive oil dressing)





the VEGETARIAN PLATTER FOR TWO $27.00 (potatoes/cabbage/carrots, lentils, spinach)

and YEASSA TIBBS $14.95 (sole cooked with green peppers ginger).  

One thing to note is that the fish came on the same platter as the veggie platter, which may not be good for those who are strictly vegetarian so be sure to make this request when you order!

We also ordered the house wine, which was a Spanish red and quite good.

They gave out damp napkins to wipe our hands with but didn't take them away like one would with hot towels, so we realized we had to keep them, and it made sense later as we ate that it was easier to wipe our fingers with.  Be warned that you will leave with turmeric stained fingers nails (even after washing) after dining here, but let me assure you, it's well worth it! 

Everything was delicious...and the injera kept coming until we were completely and utterly stuffed.



The exotic decor, which is what I want my home to look like (think animal prints, African sculptures, white leather couches) is beautiful and seems very new. 



My hubby who'd eaten at Nil Bleu perhaps 12 years ago didn't remember it looking like this!  The fancy bathrooms round up the upgraded look.  



The service was a tad slow, but since we weren't in a hurry, it didn't bother us and overall the service was sweet and attentive.  Thank you to Chakib & Rahel for making our Moms very happy :)



Great place for dates or groups and has outdoor seating.  I've already recommended Nil Bleu to my family and friends who are visiting Montreal next month!

Recipe: Summer Skewers

Here's an easy BBQ recipe for Summer Skewers.

Cut into cubes, desired veggies (like zucchini,eggplant, onions and mushrooms), fruits (like pineapples and/or watermelons).  Optional:  tofu and/or shrimp (marinated in soy sauce, chilli sauce, black bean sauce)

Skew the cubes onto skewers and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and BBQ.



Enjoy with a nice cold beer (such as  London Pride) on a hot summers day.

Recipe: Cardamom Cake

This is one of my favourite cake recipes handed down to me from my Mother. 

It's the Elachi (Cardamom) cake...a spongy cake that's great for tea parties or rainy days.

Ingredients:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Cardamom crushed
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg crushed
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter (softened)
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Milk

Directions:

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

I like to use fresh nutmeg and cardamom pods and crush them instead of powders which I don't find as aromatic.  Remove the shells of the nutmeg and cardamom and crush into a powder.

Combine the softened butter and sugar together in a big bowl. Add eggs and blend together.

Combine the flour with the crushed cardamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder together in separate bowl.

Pour the milk and flour into the butter/sugar mixture and blend until smooth.

Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan and pour the batter (should be smooth and creamy).

Bake for 1 hour at 350F

Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar if desired.

Serve with piping hot chai (tea)!

Hero Burger

Location:

1480 Major Mackenzie Drive East
Richmond Hill, ON

www.heroburgers.com

I like to jokingly think it's me saying "hello" to the burger.  "Herroo Burger!"

Having eaten at Hero Burger once before at the Queen Street location, I wasn't blown out of the water.  It was almost good bye burger. 

But seeing it again in Richmond Hill while quite hungry, all was forgotten and we exchanged pleasantries once more.

I got the beef burger with bacon, hold the cheese, while my husband got the turkey burger with all the fixin's.



Verdict?





While there was nothing bad or wrong with it, it's not the best I've had and failed to impress a second time. 

However, the service was great; friendly and quick, and better than the Queen St. location.

So, it may not my hero, but then, I already have one.

NEW: L'eat

Location:

410 Adelaide St W

www.leatcatering.com/home.htm

In the cursed location where Zimbel's Cafe and before that,  Mosaic used to be, L'eat Express is the newest addition to the building beside Toronto School of Art.  Herbal Infusions is faring quite well so far, so maybe there is hope for L'eat (such a difficult name to wrap my head around.  Sometimes I think "teat", wrongly, of course).

I hear the brownies are amazing, but I walked by earlier today and the door was locked!  Will try again in a bit and keep you posted.

** So went back with some co-workers but they were still closed.  Someone did inform us that they were open this morning for a training session which included free pastries and plan to open again later this afternoon for another training session.  We were told they'll be open again tomorrow, so fingers crossed!

*** Went back on Friday and they were OPEN!  Found out a few things. 

Most importantly it's pronounced "ELITE", literally pronounce the letter "L" and the word "EAT".  I feel so much better, now. 



Owned by Tony Loschiavo with hand-crafted  goodies and gourmet meals made by Chefs Christopher Palik and Eric Walker, L'eat Express looks promising, especially with their original full service catering business (started 1983) in full swing at their Bathurt location.  I DID try the brownie, and it did not disappoint.  Shared with several co-workers, it was a huge hit! 



The complimentary bran muffin and double chocolate fudge cookie I scored was equally as satisfying, although I have to admit the cookie can't compare to Le Gourmand's chocolate chip walnut cookie which still reigns supreme. 





The teas on hand are from Language of the Leaf, which I love and which Neeta Khanna had sent me a package of teas to review in 2009.  I've also heard great things  about Paese, the sister restaurant to L'eat on King St W.

 

 

I really hope L'eat Express does well in this district, it's such a beautiful space and after speaking to Christopher, Tony and Rahim about their vision for this location, it looks like it's got all the ingredients to being as successful as the original.

Open Monday - Saturday (7:30am - 7pm)