You scream, I scream, we all scream for gelato!?
Hooray for gelato!
I've never been one to jump at the chance for ice-cream. Sure, I'll admit I've stood in line with everyone else half my height at the ice-cream truck, shelling out $2 for my scoop of vanilla dipped in chocolate or whatever that stuff is. And I do like the occasional McDonald's sundae! And sure, Cold-Stone in San Francisco was amazing, although I've not given it a second thought or chance here.
Gelato, too, I have tried on various occasions, and although it may have held my interest longer than ice-cream, I never got to the point where I'd be scouting locations to get the frozen stuff.
Until now.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
OMG you guys!!
The Rocky Rocher is to DIE for.
The Sicillian Pistachio is----sorry i just drooled all over my keyboard.....----amazing!!
And the banana/chocolate is, well, it's very banana-y (if you like that sort of thing) but it's no Rockey Rocher.
And never mind the creepy-We-Believe-in-Sick-Kids (a slogan all of us agreed wasn't very well thought out) duck-like-creature riding a bicycle outside, the gelato is heavenly.
We Believe in Creepy Duck-Like Creatures
They had sooo many amazing flavours! So if you're one who likes TANGY gelato, this place is for you (Dean). :)
Flavours
Galore!
If I hadn't been so stuffed with Amaya Express goodness, I would have cleaned up that cup! I still ate way more than my digestive system could manage, but it was totally worth it and I'd do it again in a second!
TRAVEL: India: Delhi: Haldirams
Location:
somewhere in Delhi
www.haldiram.com
Anyone who has ever visited an Indian family's home or is Indian is familiar with the Haldiram's symbol. See below (image from Google)
No Indian tea-time is complete without Haldiram's.
A bag of bhel puri or chiwda will always be kicking around the cupboard of an Indian home.
So think of the impact of going to a Haldiram's RESTAURANT. I was amazed, astounded, in awe of the industry that is Haldiram's.
Look at the number of servers behind this counter as you walk in:
now that's service !
There were three people asking me what I'd like.
And then there's the sweets. My God, the sweets! Imagine the biggest Indian Mithai (sweet) shop you've been to in Toronto, then triple that! Row after row of delectable goodness...all so fresh, too!
sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeets
Then there's the "restaurant" part of it, more like fast food, where you pre-order then wait in line and bring back your goods to round tables that you stand at to eat. It was lunch time when we went and incredibly packed so at least they've figured out that putting chairs into the equation would be a waste of time.
The chinese food was delish!!! Made specifically for taste buds that can appreciate spice. I don't know why fries are a chinese dish in India, but we saw it a lot. Spicy fries. Can't complain though, I'd never be able to get spicy fries in the Western world unless I made it myself.
the chinese food (with fries)
The channa batura was....well, see for yourself.
channa batura!
HUGE!
You even have to go through a security check/terminal to enter Haldirams.
Now, that's hard-core!
MoRoCo
Location:
99 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto
www.morocochocolat.com
Our friend whose baby shower we threw treated us to a fabulous evening at Morocco, er, sorry MoRoCo, not like the North African country.
A very lush and lavish, sumptuous, velvety, romantic place.
Interior
Interior
Menu
We had tea and more tea. The selections were highly unusual and came in little test tubes.
Teas
Tea pot & cups
Chocolates
The mac n' cheese according to my friends (I'm lactose-intolerant) was better than any other they'd ever tasted, and I'm assuming they weren't comparing it to Kraft.
Mac n cheese
The different creme brulees!
Chocolate fondue
The food is indulgent and makes you feel like a queen.
Also, the bathrooms are gorgeous little rooms in pretty black and white.
The service could have been better and more attentive but we were too busy being girly, to really care.
Yeah, this is a wonderful place to go with your girlfriends or on a romantic date.
Sloan's, Florida
Location:
112 Clematis St West Palm Beach FL
www.sloansonline.com
One of the prettiest candy stores I've ever been to has got to be Sloan's in West Palm Beach, Florida.
It's PINK! And has fancy lamps and a painted ceiling and they have chocolates and delicious ice-creams!!
We had a caramel-and-nut-filled chocolate which got wrapped up all prettily!
I'm sad to say I missed out on the bathroom which is apparently incredible!! Check out the review on Crappers Quarterly (yep, I'm just as surprised as you that this site exists!)
Fascinating!
Worth going there for that, alone!
Cows, Banff
Location:
134 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
www.cows.ca
There's no better place to pick up an ice-cream cone than from one named Cows, don't you think?
Cows, Banff, Alberta
Chocolate Fudge
They have a giant cow in the entrance and lots of souvenirs/t-shirts to buy (fairly pricey, though!)
COW! There was no line-up when we were there!
Although the ice-cream didn't blow me away, I have to say even being someone lactose-intolerant, I would go again, 'cause in scenic Banff, it's totally worth it.
They're also open all year round. Moooooooooo!
Juliet et Chocolat
Location:
1615 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal
Juliet et Chocolat
One of the places we stopped in at for a few pralines. I can't remember now how much they were; I have the receipt somewhere, but I do remember them being quite pricey.
They looked like the ones I'd once bought from Costco a while ago...this one pictured below is a little beaten having been the sole survivor to make it on film.
The last praline from Juliet et Chocolat....
If you like fancy chocolates like I do, it's a good place to try out. These pralines weren't too exciting, but I'd go back and try something else there.
Pizza Libretto & Golden Turtle
Location:
PL 221 Ossington Ave,. Toronto
GT 125 Ossington Ave., Toronto
It all started with an image of Chocolate Affogato on A's FB page which then sent us on a taste-test-excursion to Pizza Libretto as they are one of the (maybe few?) restos in TO who serve it.
Excitedly, I arrived at said location, looking for my friend, only to be stopped by the hostess who demanded I tell her what I was doing. Surprised, I quickly told her I was looking for a friend who may already be seated somewhere in the depths of the crowded (and loud!) restaurant. She looked at me incredulously and stated that there was no way anyone could be waiting for me since her waiting list was 2 pages long (!) (and they don't take reservations - another !). Now it was my turn to be confused, so I gave her my friend's name to which she confirmed with much finality that A was not on the list.
Shrugging I decided to wait for A, who within minutes bounded up to me with as much enthusiasm as I had had a few seconds ago myself . Together we tackled Hostess and put our names on the 2 page long list. Hostess told us we could enjoy a drink and then she'd call us. We thought she meant hang out at the bar and then she'd call upon us, but she literally meant go out and have a drink somewhere else and then she'd call my cell phone. In 40 minutes. 40 minutes!!!
Hungry and deflated, was I, not to say annoyed with the abruptness of the Hostess. A, still in good spirits suggested Golden Turtle just down the street. We decided to check out their menu and then decide whether we wanted to eat there or wait the 40 minutes. The menu was not posted outside, so we had to go inside and ask. By doing so, we were waved to have a seat, to which we lamely protested that we simply wanted to see the menu. Too late. We'd just been seated and handed menus. And we were rather liking this kinder hospitality.
So be it. We'd wait for PL to call and then go back for dessert, which was what we had originally scouted it out for.
Golden Turtle is one of those brightly lit, bustling, no-nonsense Vietnamese joints where the pho keeps pho'ing and the well, you get the drift.
A was reminded why she loves a good photo to go with the menu options, as we couldn't tell what a damn thing was on there. Finally, we opted for the beef cold rolls, the chicken vermicelli with shrimp on a bamboo stick, and beef vermicelli.
Beef Vermicelli
The cold beef rolls were hearty and refreshing, and we both agreed, a perfect start to the meal.
Cold Rolls
My shrimp on a bamboo stick (highly recommended by A and looking mighty tasty on all the dishes being served around me) looked amazing in my bowl...until I turned it over with my chopsticks. *Cue the waah waah's*
A solid strand of hair was coiled around it in the worst way.
Definitely, not a good start to the meal.
We showed it to our waitress who simply said, 'Okay' and brought me another bowl of my order.
I have to admit, once I'd gotten over the image of the hair out of my head, I fully enjoyed that bamboo shrimp stick. Gnawing on that that stick until the rest of my dish went cold.
Chicken Vermicelli
Besides the hair, we did have a nice meal. During our meal, my phone shrilled twice; PL calling with our "reservations" (why don't they just take reservations in the first place?). We took our time finishing up at GT and sauntered over to PL for our dessert.
So a little more than 40 minutes later we were back at PL where the Hostess, as much as she wasn't pleased with us for not answering her calls, was more concerned with her waiting list and adding more helpless patrons to it. I must admit, at that point, it was nice to be instantly whisked away to our reserved seats.
Our declaration to our server about us only being there for dessert and not dinner didn't go over well, at all. Neither did our request for two hot waters. We did look over at the tables beside us and salivated at what we saw everyone tucking into. Also, it turned out, my yoga instructor and her friend were sitting beside us; they'd endured the 40 minute wait and it seemed it had been worth it. A and I looked at each other, semi-kicking ourselves for not waiting and vowing to come back soon and try the pies. The pies and maybe the tiramisu again, but certainly not the affogato which was disappointing and nothing like the image burned onto my brain. (See first image below, borrowed from this site) and then see the chocolate affogato at Pizza Libretto.
That was the image I had in mind. Cold Rolls
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="332" caption="Chocolate Affogato"]
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This is what we got:
Pizza Libretto
Pizza Libretto
The tiramisu looked a bit better, and A loved it (and for someone who doesn't like tiramisu, that said a lot). I thought it didn't taste like tiramisu, which, perhaps, also says a lot.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="384" caption="Tiramisu"]
[/caption]
A few hours later, with sore throats from having screamed over the din of the restaurant, and after many cutting glances from our server, we called it a night. They seemed to want our table to seat the staff for their dinner. How long did they have to wait for it, I wonder?
Before all you PL fanatics jump on this review with your rants on how it serves us right and that we should have waited yada yada, note that we are right this moment, planning our return to PL.
Will keep you posted.
Over Easy & The Coffee Mill
Locations:
Over Easy 208 Bloor Street West, Toronto
www.overeasyrestaurants.com
Coffee Mill 99 Yorkville Ave, Toronto
www.coffeemillrestaurant.com
Our girlie gatherings usually revolve around food; specifically, brunch! What better way to start the day.
This time, our choice brunch location was Over Easy since the plan was to check out the latest addition to the ROM (mainly, The Lee-Chin Crystal addition) after brunch.
I think it's quite safe to say that brunch is easily unscrew-up-able. Am I right?
And while nothing was screwed per se, there was certainly nothing memorable about eating there (except for the company).
I do have one gripe, however.
My tea was lukewarm.
I truly dislike a lukewarm tea which brings to mind A Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams where he describesa perfect proper cup of tea.
I've noticed lukewarm tea all over the city - ya know, that "hot" water from that hot water machine just doesn't cut it.
Anyway, here's some of what was eaten.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Eggs and chicken sausage $6.99"]
[/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Spanish Omelette $9.99"]
[/caption]
I must say, the pots that the hot drinks came in were loads of fun!
After a blustery walk from the ROM, all we wanted was a warm hideout and a hot drink to warm up our hands.
Starbucks was full, and the next best idea was the Lettieri but before we made it there, we found The Coffee Mill!
Interior of The Coffee Mill
Nestled within the shops at 99 Yorkville is the quaint old (est. 1963!) hideaway for just these types of gatherings. The pastry selection got us all salivating, so a chocolate cake and an apple (or was it rhubarb ?) strudel, it was.
Chocolate Cake
Strudel
Interior
As far as copy coffee shops go, this one has the cosy part down pat.
TRAVEL: Montreal : Les Glaceurs
Location:
453 Rue Saint-Sulpice
Montreal, QC
www.lesglaceurs.ca/
We just happened upon this cute pink cafe on our walk through Old Montreal and boy were we happy we did! Our friends C&K hadn't been to this ice-cream/cupcake place before either, so it was a real treat for all of us.
There were many gorgeous cupcakes; it was so hard to decide!
So, much like the Seinfeldian black and white cookie, we went with the vanilla cupcake and the brownie cupcake.
Iz..how you say...pretty, non?
And damn, that frosting was kickass!
Stoney's
Location:
323 Kerr Street, Oakville
Cost: Sunday Brunch approx $9 per entree
After all the hoopla and hype over Stoney's; we finally made it for brunch on Sunday and I have to tell you...I am a little bit disappointed.
Okay, so you stand in line, make your order, get a number, pick up your own drinks, seat yourself and your food is brought to you. I get it guys, I get it. But I have to ask why.
Why must you make your own tea/coffee and gingerly navigate your way to a table through the throngs of seated patrons? Perhaps even spilling some hot tea on the way to the outdoor patio? I feel that if I have to make my own tea standing at the milk/sugar counter in a restaurant on a Sunday morning, I might as well have stayed at home and done the same. Likewise, having to clear dirty utensils from the table shouldn't be on my morning list of things to do...at a restaurant. And if you're already getting the food brought to your table; why don't they just take orders at the table?
Also, running out of soy milk/lactose free-milk is not really acceptable when you're only open from 9am to 3pm on Sunday.
Our meals took a very long time to arrive (and we came after the breakfast crowd) that by the time they did arrive our hot drinks were cold and there were no offers made for refills. And while the service is friendly, we still had to call out for clean utensils to our server as she walked away after plunking our plates down (without even a glance) and also requested salt and pepper which was forgotten until we asked a second time. We also had to return to the front counter to remind them about the forgotten banana bread we'd ordered (more on the taste of the banana bread later).
So, before you get your underpants in a knot, let me just say that I don't consider myself a brunch snob although I am somewhat of a French toast connoisseur having cooked variations of it myself since I was, maybe twelve, and with it usually being my sole order at breakfast/brunch places all over, I can confidently say this:
The French Toast at Stoney's is just...okay.
On the positive (or maybe for some, negative) side, it is massive. The presentation is nice and the price is good for that much French toast. The plate was literally stacked with three huge slabs of bread. I say bread because it was literally too thick for the eggy-ness to fully penetrate the bready centre.
I dislike cutting into French toast only to find dry bread staring back at me. Admittedly the coating of brown sugar and cinnamon was tasty, but it wasn't enough coating and the too few fruits (although I did like the surprise of star fruit) on top of the mountainous "slabic" toast and teeny cup of maple syrup on the side was simply unjustly proportioned to the bread. However, I will happily admit that the side of bacon I got was perfection, although it's hard to screw up strips of fried pork.
The frittata was good...I'm hugely into artichokes so that part was great. Ordering egg whites didn't make it any less greasy...(this coming from someone who ordered bacon on the side, I know) and the mixed greens salad might have been better with the dressing on the side, but I suppose we should have ordered it that way.
Lastly, having to brush away the wasps and flies at our table (even before the food came, likely because the table hadn't been cleaned before we sat down) we had to eat quickly when our food finally did arrive. Argh, certainly not very relaxing the way a Sunday brunch should be.
And that home-made banana bread ($2.50) I told you about earlier? Don't do it. Absolutely no banana taste and oily to the core. No nuts even! Possibly the worst banana bread ever (best banana bread is still the one from the road-side stall in Maui).
There you have it guys...Foodhogger's Stoney's experience.
Undoubtedly some people's favourite joint to brunch, but overall, I'm not a fan of the system they have there...too much work involved for a lazy Sunday morning. Perhaps I'd go again for a sandwich or pizza at lunch where their cafeteria system would work. It's a good thing it's in the 'burbs...a place like Stoney's wouldn't survive in the city on that sort of system. Fusaro's in Toronto also has a cafeteria style system, but it's during the week and for lunch...they know better for brunch on the weekend...it's full table service; just how people want to eat on a Sunday, otherwise what's different than cooking up some french toast at home?
Frugal Fare #2: Mini Bar
Location:
116 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Cost: $1-6
Mini Bar is #2 in Foodhogger's Frugal Fare in the city!
It may be mini, (literally a hole in the wall on Spadina, south of Camden on the West side) but Rachel & Susan (pictured) are doing a splendid job serving fresh sandwiches ($3), sushi ($5.75), edamame ($1.50), miso soup ($0.95), tea, coffee, juice, bagels, fruits, candy and more from the depths of this tiny shoppe.
The two ladies are wonderfully warm and friendly and speedy!
Their straight-forward menu:
My tuna sandwich for $3.50; delicious & home-made tasting:
Mini Bar's fantastic, but don't go, 'cause it's a hidden gem in the city and we want it all to ourselves! ;)
Peter Pan Bistro
Location:
373 Queen Street West, Toronto
Cost: $10 per entree
www.peterpanbistro.com
A landmark on Queen St. West since 1921 (read the history here), Peter Pan Bistro has always been a prime lunch time spot, perhaps for it's ambiance (spectacular tin ceiling) or delicious lunch dishes for under $10.
Whatever the case, how befitting it was to have a baby-shower gathering at a venue named Peter Pan.
I was more interested in the dessert menu than anything else that day.
Mmm.....Death by chocolate sounded like the way to go!
Very rich, very deadly. (I think I passed out about 1/2 an hour after eating this. :))
Everyone else's dishes looked fantastic (and from what I heard, tasted just as good!)
You can see the expectant Mom's beautiful polka-dotted belly in the background of this shot, nicely contrasted by the pretty almond cheesecake and wildberry tea. Here's a close-up of the almond cheesecake.
Lemon tart.
Warm beet salad, honey roasted pears, walnuts, goat cheese on mixed greens $9 - photo credit: Jen D.
Daily special - Omlette - photo credit: Jen D.
"Bistro Salad", olive oil & rosemary cake, arugula, proscuitto & tomato, finished w/ a two minute egg, truffle oil and shaved parmagiano $10 - photo credit: Jen D.
With new condos springing up everywhere, Peter Pan Bistro, now in it's 88th year at the corner of Peter and Queen, is practically a historic site, so go now! Go and enjoy it.
Future Bakery & Cafe
Location:
483 Bloor St. W., Toronto
Cost: $10-15
Speaking of cake...
Future Bakery's Kahlua Truffle Cake is to die for....or to share with friends.
Great little cafe in the Annex, to hang out with the people you love until the wee hours of the morning...or until 2am, when they close :)
Xmas Cookies!
We had a cookie-exchange at work right before the Christmas break, and I made these cookies because they're tried, tested and true.
Just Us! Cafe
Update: The Just Us! Cafe in Halifax has just become a penny-free zone! Read more.
Original post: July 27, 2007
Whatever happened to the original Tequila Bookworm locale? Well, it's been replaced with Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op - Canada's first Fair Trade coffee roaster believing in "people and the planet before profits". Justly, the cafe only sells products (Coffees, Teas, Sugar and Chocolates) which are 100% certified Fair Trade and Organic. When you walk in, you are reminded of Tequila Bookworm's old layout, only now everything is shiny, brand new and more airy. The square tables in the front are filled with patrons enjoying some java after work, the music is new age, and the staff behind the counter are young, hip...and novice. 
After learning that their chocolates are created (handcrafted) in their own chocolate factory in the town of Hantsport, in Nova Scotia, I knew I had to give one a try. 
The Midnight Mint, is a 42g, $2.99 organic, dark, smooth, melt-on-your-fingers slab of chocolately goodness with a hint of peppermint. In other words, 'twas rather delectable. 
Not only do they have chocolate, coffee, tea and sugar, Just Us! serves salads, sandwiches, soups, martinis and other specialty drinks, not to mention baked goods created in their own bakery. Naturally, I had to try the brownie. The vegan brownie came highly acclaimed over the regular brownie by the girl behind the counter. Oh, were we ever disappointed! Lovely as it was to look at, its spongey texture was more akin to cake than brownie and the taste more suited to those who prefer their desserts on the low end of sweetness (and to those who like ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda). 
Word on the street is that Just Us! serves the best espresso in town. I, unfortunately, cannot attest to this, for when it comes to coffee, I am most certainly a lightweight, and won't even bother to deny it. I will have to return to Just Us! with my seasoned-espresso-drinker friend to find out how great the coffee really is. 
Teas, on the other hand, I can appreciate. The lemon honey tea was absolutely delicious...it had a wonderful scent to go with the soft, sweet flavour. The 'chai' was very good...not like some other teas where it's mostly all strong spice. They don't carry lactose-free milk, but they do carry Harmony Organic milks in whole, skim and half & half, with soy behind the counter. I was suprised to see that they serve dairy-free cappuccinos as well (made with soy milk). What's lacking in Just Us! for now is that personality that the aged, lived-in coffee houses have, but I think in a few years it'll be a great joint for those who really do care where their java comes from.