Gluttony on the go: Toronto, part II

After an afternoon of browsing through the shops of Kensington Market and eating empanadas outside in the sun, we headed over to the ever-affordable Java House Café for some fruity, girly, alcoholic winding-down time. 

JAVA HOUSE CAFE

Address: 537 Queen Street West 

Phone: (416) 504-3025

Style: an eclectic mix of sandwiches, Asian and pub fare

Hours: I quite honestly have no idea, though I have heard that they open early enough for people to get their morning coffee, and they close at least after 11pm on a Saturday

First off, this is not a place to go if you're looking for a fantastic food experience. Judging by that one evening that we spent there, I'd say that drinks---not food, is this place's forte. Well that, and location (right at the corner of Queen W. and Spadina) and its ridiculously well-priced menu. A sandwich will barely set you back 4$, whereas their generously-sized cocktails start at just over 6$. All in all, my group of three paid a bit over 100$ for 5 pints of the local Steam Whistle brew, 8 cocktails, a pad thai, a BLT sandwich and a plate of nachos. So in other words, it's a great place to hang out with your friends and knock back a few on a breezy  evening. 

Things started out well enough with a delicious piña colada. Sweet, with nice whiff of rum and just enough pineapple flavour---just the way I like it. 

Then came this disappointingly bland pad thai. I could see the colouring, but couldn't taste any of that beloved sweet-tangy flavour. Even the chicken was bland. *sigh*

But a nice lychee martini (sans lychee fruit though) and a very good gin&tonic later, I was ready to try another one of their plates. A BLT was ordered and...well, it tasted like a BLT. Bacon, lettuce and tomato doused in mayo and slapped in between two slices of white bread. Had I tried to make this at home one rushed morning, it would have probably ended up tasting the same. 

They slightly redeemed themselves with the nacho plate. It was appropriately greasy and unhealthy, and they didn't skim on the toppings. (I was however to be once again disappointed when I was informed that they had no desserts that day.) 

So bottom line: go there for drinks, ambiance and the terrace, but not for food. Should you get peckish though, go with failproof dishes that won't set you back too many dollars, in any case. (Oh, and I also hear that they make pretty good coffee in the mornings. That I'd be willing to try!)

Gluttony on the go: Toronto, part I

Hi all!
I recently had the pleasure of spending five days in Toronto visiting a friend and taking in the sights. As I am wont to do on all trips, I ate and ate and overate. *sigh* But hey, at least I remembered to take pictures this time!

Day 1: browsing and eating at Kensington Market

JUMBO EMPAÑADAS
Address: 245 Augusta Avenue
Phone: (416) 977-0056 
Style: Latin cuisine, empañadas
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am to 7pm; Sun 11am to 6pm


Smack in the middle of Kensington Market is this little gem. Affordable prices, fresh and delicious food, and a patio deck to bask in the springtime sunshine. Absolutely delightful. I can´t wait to go back again and try their famed corn pie, which has layers of meats, olives, onions, eggs and raisins baked in sweet corn---oh yum!

The place is called "JUMBO empañadas", but we chose to go with the mini ones instead. By all accounts, they are equally delicious and affordable, at only 1$ per piece! (The jumbo ones go for 3.99$ each.) Picture are two beef and two chicken mini ones, with a side of dipping salsa. 

This is the beef one. Absolutely delicious. 

The chicken one. Not as good as the ground beef, but still quite delicious. 

Crisp, fresh and simple Chilean salad. Lettuce, tomato, avocado and onions in a lemon juice/olive oil/coriander vinaigrette. A perfect warm weather side dish. 

And to wash it all down: Mango nectar! (I am absolutely besotted with all things mango and all things nectar, so this is pretty much beverage-nirvana for me...) 

Coming up next: a cheap place for good drinks and mediocre food, TO's infamous street-vendor hot dogs, a so-called specialty burger house and more! 

Churros!

I've been yearning for churros for some time now. Warm, crispy and sugary--who doesn't love churros? Imagine biting into one straight out from the oven, licking off the cinnammon topping and getting to the sweet caramel filling inside... Hmmm....

My friend finally put me out of my misery by bring me to Churros Montreal. We went a little overhead with the ordering and ended up with DOZENS of food. Oopsies.

Churros Montreal
Address: 7497, rue St-Hubert (a few blocks North of metro Jean-Talon)
Phone: (514) 271-6006
Style: hispanic fare (milanesa, empanada, etc.), churreria
Hours: they change from time to time, so be sure to always call first!

(Going overboard, who us?)

(Oh sweet sugary goodness...)

The place also makes some mean empanadas, so be sure to order a few (or, as in our case, a dozen) to taste. They have an assortment of fillings, going from chicken to beef to cheese. My favorite is cheese and ham. The cheese is melted and slightly pungent, the ham is pink and chewy, and the crust is just greasy enough. Overall a deeply satisfying and cozy bite.

(Another boxful of delights!)

(Cheese and ham...yummy and homey!)

Prices are very reasonable and the location is easily walkable from the metro. With Plaza St-Hubert so close by, what girl wouldn't love a full day of shopping punctuated by churro-eating on those on-so-convenient benches? I know that I did!

Springtime!

Lo and behold, for spring has finally made its way to Montreal!

And what better way to ring in the warm(er) weather than with a quick 'n fresh Lebanese takeout and yummy ice cream?

A plate of shish taouk from my favorite Basha outlet, the one in Carrefour Industrielle Alliance (downstairs of Paramount/Scotia Bank and Simon's).

"Double fraise" ice cream from Laura Secord.

(Psst, if you dislike the bland wafer cone but don't want to shell out for the pricey waffle one, ask for a sugar cone. It's relatively inexpensive but makes much a difference!)

It's funny how promptly the shish taouk craving came back. During summer, Lebanese was practically a weekly staple. But ever since the colder weather set in, I haven't felt the urge for anything "shish-ed". However, now that it's nice and sunny again: shish taouk, shish shwarma and mixed combo plates, here I come!

I'm back! And I've got poutine!

Huge-ass long hiatus. I know. Life...and stuff...happened.
But now? I'M BACK!

Much has happened since the last time I posted. RL aside, I've discovered the joy of BBQ ribs, the cozy warmth of pupuserias and the stout tastiness of pierogi.

Also, I finally visited this landmark Montreal cafe:

Brûlerie St-Denis

I always knew that they had great coffee and desserts, but I was surprised at how good their food is too!

So far I've had a roast beef panini (very filling, but a little on the dry side), cauliflower cream soup (I love creamy soups, period) and a light, fluffy chocolate cheesecake. I also hear that they serve a mean breakfast.

My favorite dish though, has to be this:


Philly steak poutine! Fries, cheese, philly steak, grilled onions and mushrooms all topped with gravy sauce....mmmm. Incredibly fattening, but also incredibly delicious!

Brûlerie St-Denis has got over a dozen locations all over Montreal, but my suggestion would be to stay clear of the ones inside malls and keep to the bigger shops that have terrasses. The original ones actually on St-Denis street (near the Mont-Royal and Berri-UQAM metros respectively) and the one on Côte-des-Neiges are my faves.

Okay, time to go! I know that I have at least another post to do about Paris and oh, about every new eatery that I've discovered since. So until next time and...bon appétit!

Ode to a Bagel (or Two)

'Tis true:

Montreal bagels are the best in the whole friggin' world.

As a Montrealer, I'd dare anyone to prove me wrong. Where else on Earth can you find such chewy, fresh and savoury deliciousness? Nowhere, that's where. Even astronauts agree that our bagels are out of this world.

It all starts with natural ingredients and an old-fashioned wooden oven. Throw in lots of skillz (have you ever seen bakers make bagels? They've got mad hands yo!), much love and dedication, sprinkle with downright deliciousness (usually sesame or poppy) and ta-daa! You are now about to taste the most delicious bagel of your life. And none of that perfect roundedness,s'il-vous-plaît!

(Picture snagged from Wikipedia. Poppy seeds (top) and sesame (bottom) toppings. I think these are from Fairmount?)
The eternal bagel-related debate in Montreal is not "Poppy or sesame?", but rather Fairmount vs St-Viateur. Fairmount's bagels are prettier, St-Viateur supposedly has better flavours. I say supposedly, because I have yet to taste both bagels side-by-side (something I hope to remedy very, very soon). If you want an interesting article comparing and contrasting both, I recommend this article on the ever-awesome Midnight Poutine. Be sure to read the comments, they are always the most insightful part!

Personally, I find that both bakeries producing some pretty amazing bagels, so to me, it's all good. The raisin-cinnamon one I had today (courtesy of my boss and her husband) was a warm, chewy, fragant and oh-so-delicious. I ate the whole thing in a few bites and relished its mix of sweet, sour and spicy. Fairmount or St-Viateur? Who cares, it's YUMMY!

Fairmount Bakery
74 avenue Fairmount Ouest
(514) 272-0667

St-Viateur Bagel
263 avenue St-Viateur Ouest
(514) 276-8044

OPENING HOURS: What opening hours? Both places serve up fresh bagels 24/7!

Oh gelato!

My very first review, yay!

Fusion Montréal Crèmerie artisanale

Address: 1000, de la Gauchetière West (RC-28)
Phone: (514) 759-0608
Website: http://www.fusionmontreal.ca
Style: gourmet ice cream parlour, frozen desserts eatery
Hours: Mon - Fri 7 AM to 7 PM
Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM
Sundays closed

Fusion is my new favorite hang-out spot. It's practical (just a stone's throw away from the South Shore bus terminal at Bonaventure), delish and air-conditioned. Air conditioning is crucial for me in summer---I cannot properly enjoy my eating experience if I'm sweating and wiping my face every two seconds!



(Sorry for the crappy pictures---these were taken with my webcam before I got my camera!)

The menu here is gourmet dessert eatery. Emphasis is being put on local products, good old-fashioned homemade foods and overall yumminess. The star is by far the freshly-spun gelato, but the store also sells crêpes, gourmet cupcakes, chocolates by local artisan Marie Pommette and a slew of other fair-trade products (coffee, jams, etc.) Perfect for gift-baskets or a late-afternoon snack stop! Customers can also mix and match various fresh fruits, candies and toppings to a gelato base in order to create a one-of-a-kind, personalized "fusion" frozen treat (hence the name of the store).




Owners Hazem and Mona (picture above) are super-nice and always willing to let give you a sample, whether it's taste of their latest gelato infusion (like baked apple pie, mmmm) or a shot of their old-fashioned hot chocolate. In fact, they're so nice that they even let me: a) write my English class watering hole review on them, b) interview and take photos of them, and c) plaster them all over Internet. Really, customer service doesn't get much better than this.



(Hmm...so many flavours, so little time!)

Prices are a little steeper than at your average shopping-mall ice-cream stand, but it's worth it for the extra flavour and love put into the gelato. A one-scoop construction nicknamed "J'aime" ("I love") sells for 4.25$ taxes included, whereas the two-scoop "J'adore" ("I adore") is 6.00$ and the three-scoop "J'en ai de besoin" ("I need it")is 7.74$. A real treat for the tired soul is a mango-truffle-daquiri "J'ai en de besoin" in a waffle bowl drizzled with hot chocolate. Mmmmmm. And since gelato, especially homemade ones like Fusion's, contains skimmed milk and less air than regular ice-cream, it's healthier (not to mention yummier) too! A win-win situation for waistlines AND taste buds everywhere.

Another favorite frozen treat of mine is their absolutely sensational milkshakes. Made with two scoops of gelato and milk, it's yumminess on the go for 6.00$. Pistachio, coffee and neige (white chocolate, coconut and truffle) are all amazing.

In fact, they're so amazing that I'll think I'll go grab one tomorrow, hmm....

In a nutshell:
If you live in or around Montreal, be sure to check out Fusion! Get a scoop of gelato to take outdoors on a hot summer day, or go enjoy their old-fashioned hot chocolate after a turn at the Atrium indoors skating rink. It'll be a ~gelatastic~ experience that you won't regret!