five doors north

i have driven by five doors north about five thousand times, always meaning to 'give it a try sometime'. i have totally been missing out. located in the yonge-eglinton-davisville corridor, this restaurant, with 5 multi-coloured doors hanging outside, is a quirky hotspot for locals. casual but cool, five doors north is a spot to return to again and again.

a small group of us went for dinner, and were all more-than-pleased with the atmosphere and delicious food. it is a great place to go with a group, as there are lots of plates worth sharing. the hand-written menu is complete with interesting choices, while the chalkboard boasts their succulent specials. can't go wrong here!

bear with me, as i try to remember what we all ate!!

2088 yonge street
midtown toronto

i had the lovely roasted beet salad
with scallion aioli and lotus chips
meant to share. did not happen.

rk enjoyed the grilled calamari with
tomato chili jam and pesto (off the secondi menu)

ay ate the BBQ baby back ribs with crispy matchstick potatoes 

their gorgonzola gnocchi is a infamous dish! rich and savoury, you can't go wrong!
ms ordered it as an app and i had it as my main

jd ordered the sardines

 grilled lamb chops with roasted garlic and caramalized onion juice

spicy seafood stew with mussels, calamari, shrimp and stripe bass

rk ordered one of the daily pastas

great atmosphere. upside down lamps all around, funky feel.

i definitely plan on returning to five doors north. strongly recommend this wonderful place!

vi pei, oh my

no question about it, this girl loves brunch. and discovering a delicious brunch spot within walking distance from home is quite the finding! the whole (quite critical) group was in agreement: we will definitely return to vi pei bistro (formerly vi vetha)

EC, BC, JW, CS, RK and i went to vi pei in the yonge and lawrence area, on a beautiful sunny march day (a tease by mother nature). there was lots of cousin-chatter and smiles all around. the service was great and the food was fantastic. the menu offered creative options for typical brunch food, plus some interesting specials. the menu was extensive, making it difficult to choose what to eat. all in all, everything was plentiful! the restaurant itself has a plain decor, but what vi pei lacks in atmosphere, they more than make up for with lick-your-plate brunch.  

brunch:

eggs nova 
poached eggs on english muffin over smoked salmon with hollandaise.
served with salad & home fries

salmon omelet
fruit smoked salmon, capers & green onion
with salad & home fries  

3 cheese omeletprepared with asiago, cheddar & mozzarella cheeses
with salad & home fries

eggs benny special
two poached eggs, smoked salmon, brie and hollendaise
served with side salad and homefries

french toast special
brie-stuffed french toast with caramelized
peaches, strawberries and bananas (WOW)
bacon and sausage

note: get there early... the place was buzzing and full by 11.
looking forward to next time!

gusto 101

happy sunday! another weekend, another toronto restaurant review.

last sunday night we finally made our way to gusto 101 down at king and portland. it is not to be missed! having just celebrated their one-year anniversary in a town that spits out new restaurants by the dozen, we knew we had to give it a go. after waiting a half hour in the crowded bar area, we were  debating whether or not we should leave. there are only so many times you can be elbowed in the ribs before giving up. luckily, we were seated before we made the decision to look elsewhere.
we sat at a great table by the open kitchen. the industrial, abandoned auto body shop that was once 101 portland is now a trendy, food-focused destination. the chef, Daniel Mezzolo, is right on point and fun to watch, even chatting with us briefly about what he was cooking up.

check it out for yourself.

they sold these cute little sacs the bread was served in

appetizers

RK and i shared the mozzarella di bufala. i would argue it is toronto's best.
roasted tomatoes, basil oil, parmigiano crisp, smoked paprika, arugula

AY and MS shared the bruschetta ai funghi
wild mushrooms, truffle oil, manchego

mains 

AY ordered the rigatoni heritage pork sausage
rapini, peperoncino, ricotta salata

MS ordered the rigatoni lucani, and was impressed by the amount of meat:
shredded braised lamb shank, tomato, fresh herbs, shaved pecorino

i loved the roasted pumpkin agnolitti
sage brown butter, marmigiano, poppy seeds
i'm still thinking about it...

RK enjoyed the recommended spinaci pizza
spinach, buffalo mozzarella, pecorina, fresh ricotta and sliced garlic

dessert

two for the table
a divine dessert, budino al cioccolato
we should have ordered 4 this was so scrumptious

overall, great vibe, great food, great service! a definite recommendation!

before we left, our amazing waiter took us up to the second story to show us the new renos. come summer 2013, good luck getting in to gusto 101

music and a meal

over a month ago (that's embarrassing and highlights my tardiness), AF and i had a much-anticipated after-work date. we were so excited and had been planning it for quite some time.
we met on the danforth around 6pm, as we were seeing joshua radin's concert at the beautiful danforth music hall later on. we headed straight to the highly acclaimed allen's, a staple for anyone who lives remotely close to the danforth. it did not disappoint, see below.

INFAMOUS

SALAD NICOISE
GRILLED FRESH TUNA, FRENCH BEANS, HARD-COOKED EGG
 STEAMED NEW POTATO WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

MAXWELL'S ALL IRELAND CHAMPION BAKED POTATO FRENCH FRIES

BEST EVER BURGER
MEATS ARE NATURALLY RAISED, HORMONE AND ADDITIVE FREE

THE MAGICAL DANFORTH MUSIC HALL

MR JOSHUA RADIN
SINGING HIS BABY-MAKING TUNES

we had a wonderful evening, with satisfied stomachs and happy hearts. joshua radin makes us swoon every time.

dinner party!

had some fabulous friends over saturday night for a low-key, cozy catch-up kind of evening.
i really enjoy spending time prepping a meal. music blaring, wine-flowing, i had a great time setting up...and that was before the girls even arrived!
due to dietary restrictions, the meal was gluten and dairy free. it can be done!
as always, i snapped a few shots of the deliciousness.
enjoy!
some sunny flowers, courtesy of mel!

appetizers: we started out eating my homemade dips (hummus, guacamole and bruschetta topping) with carrots, celery and mary's gluten-free crackers (they really are the best on the market--give them a try!)

not too shabby!

on the menu: linguine with pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese (for those of us who cannot cut dairy out of our diets!)

roasted tomatoes: cooked on a medium heat with some olive oil and pesto.
keep the lid on and cook until they pop!

yum! i love fresh asparagus

the finished product!

i used two types of pasta: fresh linguine for the gluten-indulgent, and rizopia for the gluten-free option
*as someone who has tried and tested all of the gluten-free pasta's on the market, i find rizopia to have the best consistency!

finally: dessert!
one pinterest-inspired item...and gluten-nut-dairy-free cupcakes!

green apples and caramel. the perfect sweet and sour combo!

yummy cupcakes from bakersville
a speciality bakery in the
streetsville area of mississauga

lexi was sad she didn't have a seat at the table.

thanks to the ladies for making the trek over for dinner!
come back soon!

before passover ends!

it took me too long to post this!
this past week we have been celebrating passover. while most complain about the restriction of eating any and all things leavened, i for one, enjoy passover!
here are a few shots of our family seder last week.

the passover seder plate

beautiful, bright center pieces

it's matzo time!

the hagaddah

egg in saltwater...yummy!

amazing view....the moon was full!

come back tomorrow for pics on how i end passover!

nothing quite like the saturday market

i headed down to toronto's incredible st. lawrence market saturday morning. it is a definite "must see" on any visit to toronto.
the whole market was pulsing with an amazing energy-early risers of all ages and backgrounds, coming to enjoy the market vibe.
i loved all the fresh fruits, veggies, breads, cheeses and meat, in addition to the vendors selling a variety of unique items,
check it out!

freshly ground coffee was perfection (and needed at such an early hour!)

lots of cheese, many samples

wide variety of fresh, ontario-grown and exotic fruit

just think of how much tomato sauce you could make!

which way to the beach?

olive you

make your way over to the market. you won't be disappointed!