TRAVEL: Boston: Tory Row

Location:

3 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA

www.toryrow.us

YOU GUYS, I'VE FOUND MY FAVOURITE FRENCH TOAST!

It's at Tory Row, in Cambridge, Massachussettes!

At first I was a little dismayed by it's small portion size, making sharing all the more difficult.

But with the blueberry jam and the New England maple syrup, and for only $7, with a side of applewood smoked bacon,

I was in love.





And to think I almost went with the english muffin egg sandwich. Wtf.

(If you know me, or have been reading this blog) I always get french toast for brunch).  Always.

N gave me a look when I said, "Maybe I won't get french toast, this time." hahahaha! Who was I kidding? SO glad I did.  It was perfect...not soggy in the middle or eggy smelling, which I hate, but crispy and moist and just cinnamon-y enough..and with that blueberry jam and NE maple, I want to go back.

Besides that, the "hashbrowns", which are really cut up potatoes were incredible!  Especially with the pico de gallo (salsa) it came with.





One thing they could definitely improve upon is to serve hotter coffee!  As it was, when served, it was luke-warm at best and then our server took longer still to bring the as-is cold milk, which further cooled down the coffees.  We asked to get our cups warmed, but then received new coffees, which were still not hot enough.  And, no Earl Grey tea?!Fo' shame.  I did enjoy my OJ, though and the Spiced Apple Cider was lovely.





The flatbreads are served on wooden boards, looking very rustic and also easy to cut into if needed. The jalepeño chicken sausage, black bean, egg flatbread ($9) was good, but the pico de gallo would have been better as the sauce spread atop the flatbread instead of the black bean.



The vegetable frittata arrived in an iron skillet.  The only problem with this is that the egg overcooks sitting in its heat, and is too hot to eat before it overcooks because its sitting in it's heat - see where I'm going with that?



The greek yogurt filled with berries and bananas and granola (from Nashoba Brook Bakery) is a steal at $5 and a great light breakfast.



Next time, would love to try the parmesan prosciutto black pepper scone ($3) from the Nashoba Brook Bakery and something from the lunch menu - those burgers were massive!

The decor is simple and modern.



Perched on the high stools at long commune tables, the place was mainly filled with Harvard students, with their friends or parents.  There are Shepard Fairey pieces on the back wall.  That's the artist who did the famous Obama "Hope" poster.



As an aside:  those coffee shop white mugs with the wide-as-your-lips-rims, have gotta go.  Come on, people; drinking from them makes you feel as though the coffee's going to dribble over the side of your mouth.

That said, Tory Row is a keeper.  Kept!

NEW: O&B Canteen

Location:

330 King St W, Toronto

Another one of Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini's babies, O&B is part cafeteria, part full-service restaurant, with all the wood, glass and metal (and gorgeous pops of orange Le Creuset dishes) that entails opening up a restaurant these days, it's also in the new Bell Lightbox building.

In the company of several foodies, including Hobography, his family, AC, and AL who is our resident food and drink expert and founder of Foodies Toronto, our verdict is?

Well, O&B Canteen is no great shakes.

Here's what we ate:

I started with a Soltice Mojito (it's listed on the menu as such, but makes me wonder if they meant Solstice?)  with loads of raspberries - a juicy, refreshing drink with a hint of mint, I slurped every last sip, and not only because it was $10.



They have only two beers on tap:  Mill St. Tankhouse (sm $5, lg$7)  and Stella Artois ( sm $6 and large $8) and the sizes arrive in tiny glasses.  The wine was served in a slightly more reasonable portion.  The rest of the beers (more Mills St., Keith's, Bud, Guinness, Leffe etc.) are bottled.

The Steak Frites ($21) was the best dish on the table, but discussions were had on how it was cooked.



The "Chef's Daily Creation" was a hand-made pappardelle with some type of sausage and mushrooms, which took forever to arrive and once it did looked like an appetizer in size.



It didn't fare well in flavour either; I'd like to quote Hobo here on how it was:

"It was overcooked, bland and flavourless."

The Gallo Mussels ($18) arrived in a hot pot looking quite beautiful, as did the french onion soup; I can't vouch for the taste.

The Basket of O&B Artisan breads (with spread and olives $8), I wish had more craft to them...as they were, they didn't excite.



Hobo ordered the Chicken Liver Parfait (cumberland sauce, pickle, baquette $8) and ended up having to request several refills of "baquette" as there was decidedly more parfait than "baquette" and I think we'd have preferred the entire "baquette" instead of only slices of it.  Interestingly, you can find Michael Bonacini's Chicken Liver Parfait recipe, here.



The refills were also greatly needed since Hobo's fresh pasta didn't arrive for 45 minutes.

My All Day Breakfast ($14)  was decent - the sausages and bacon absolutely delicious but the potatoes were luke warm and the bread, kind of boring.  It didn't help that the butter and jams had to be requested several times before making an appearance and the hot sauce didn't make it to the table for a while.



The house-made "Canteen Catsup", spiced with cinnamon, coriander and celery seed, wasn't very good.  I think it's best not to mess with what Heinz has perfected.

The desserts, however, managed to impress.

The Lemon Posset w/ chantilly, berries ($6),  Soma Brownie w/vanilla ice cream ($7), Fresh Fruit w/ mint, lemongrass syrup and sorbet ($8), Espresso Affogato w/ almond biscuit ($5) Gateau Basque w/ vanilla ice cream ($7), were all divine;  each carrying a distinct flavour.  Muah!











Overall, I think everyone felt a disappointed.  While they've got the signiture O&B style down, the service definitely needs work.  It was waaaaaaaaay too slow for the type of idea they're selling.  If you're calling it a canteen, it should operate as one.

I'll give the service a few months and go back to try the breakfast and those butties...perhaps with Lurgs?

TRAVEL: Paris: Boulangerie Patisserie Coudrier Geffroy

Location:

77 avenue Kléber, Paris (16th Arr)

This was my First Taste of Paris:



I think I did well.

We stopped by this bakery on our way to our hotel...and they line-up was huge!  Am not surprised at all.  We wanted to go back again, but got distracted by some sort of tower in the area. ;)

NEW: Jimmy’s Coffee

Went to Jimmy's Coffee and got some Earl Grey (Mighty Leaf brand) and a banana caramel cake/bread - which was tasty but greasy.

Banana caramel cake

My tea has a funny aftertaste, which I can't pin-point, tastes like the cup?
Still, I like this place - it's cosy and they have a lovely sunny patio out back. Reminds me a bit of Moon Bean in Kensington although it's a lot newer and also trendier.
Love the photographs of all the Jimmy's on the walls.

And considering our old fave Le G is now shut down due to rent evasion, we'll be back!

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.

Chocolate Festival

October 19 - 25

It's the 4th year of Toronto's Chocolate Festival!  And it's happening right now in the city!

Print your coupons here and sample some of the tastiest desserts in town!

You're welcome ;)

Spice Safar

Location:

270 Adelaide St W, Toronto

www.spicesafar.com

In the heart of downtown Toronto you'd be hard pressed to find a sexy lounge with a decent menu to offer. And let's be honest, a menu is one thing, an actual edible tasty meal is another. Fear not, I've found the place that has it all. It's called Spice Safar. It's a lounge, restaurant, cafe, bakery and high-end boutique. And it not only promises a luxurious experience, it delivers.



Nevermind that it was by invitation that we "journeyed" to the new Spice Safar location at Adelaide and John. We were ready to shell out for the night out, but thanks to executive chef Matthew Sullivan and the friendly crew running the place that evening, we were treated to a couple of couture mixology drinks and a full out taste of everything on their menu!

At $15.95 for a fancy mixology drink, you may think that the price tag is quite hefty but the unique concoction with modified molecular ingredients is surely a million light years away from your standard cosmo or lychee martini.

So it was incredibly hard to choose from the drinks menu with all the ingredients being so different and intriguing. We finally decided upon the Lavender Sour (vodka, lavender tea, cane juice, ginger, egg white) and the Blue Hemingway (rum, fresh cane sour, mint, hose bitters & flaming absinthe).

Their absinthe is made in-house and just watching our drinks being made was enough entertainment for the night (not to mention the fire show we got later on!)



The Lavender Sour and Blue Hemingway was served on a wooden trays along with a glass of sparkling water and grapefruit mousse to cleanse the palate. The mousse was so light and airy; I'd be happy just having my palate cleansed. Forever.



Miguel Aranda, Spice Safar's mixologist who fares from the Big Apple was away that evening but his apprentice Florian expertly concocted our drinks; making my Lavender Sour sans the egg white (something they're still working on perfecting and I have to admit I was a little bit relieved). The Lavender Sour was lovely - bringing to mind all things Hawaiian; distinctly tropical and refreshing.

The Blue Hemingway was crisp. My sharp yet, I suppose, inferior mixology-taste buds detected it to be a cross between mojito and absinthe. It was a lot easier to drink and more enjoyable than the Absinthe House Frappe we had at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans.

Next were the dishes, mainly tapas style fare, starting with the special of the day, the executive chef's version of bruschetta: polenta topped with cheese and garnished with pea sprouts and grated endive and sprinkled with a Spanish olive oil (imported weekly).



Next was the Chicken Satay, marinated in Malaysian chili lemongrass sauce and grilled. Finished with a soy chili coconut glaze. $8.95



So you're thinking, how hard is it to mess up chicken skewers, right? Well, to compare let me remind you of the half-cooked meat sticks at Elephant & Castle. At Spice Safar? Great presentation and tasty to boot!

Mini Burgers - 3 Dry aged ground top sirloin patties, served on in house made poppy seed buns, with a cherry tomato relish, smoked gouda cheese and a fresh thyme and truffle aioli. $11.95



I could have eaten just the buns alone; they were so good! Add in the Kobe beef and the relish...these mini sliders were little bundles of joy (I say little out of context for the portions were quite generous).

Next up: the dumplings, chicken with fresh ginger $8.95 - pan seared and finished with yuzu juice and soy sauce. Filled with market vegetables, sweet and Yukon gold potatoes and sesame seeds.



Just looking at the photograph now, I'm reminded of the succulency and texture of this dish. Loved it...wanted want more!

Tagine - braised lamb shank, market vegetables, sultana raisins, Safar-inspired Moroccan spices. Served with peach chutney and grilled flatbread $9.95



I am admittedly not a lamb eater, however after the first bite (and then subsequent irresistable bites) ascertain they did something right; not only was the meat tender, the gravy was savory. You lamb-fans will love this dish; it's undoubtedly fresh - this I know because it reminded me (I know, I'm constanty reminiscing of past meals) of the organic lamb I ate growing up in Africa.

At this point we were already stuffed, and then to finish off Matt & Jaclyn brought out a lovely cheese platter!

Cheese charcuterie plate (for 2) - local artisanal cheese, served with a roasted almond and pistachio paste, seasonal fresh fruit, dried figs, in house made sour dough bread and marinated vegetables $19.95



If memory serves me well, there was a blue cheese from Guelph, and pasturized cows milk from North Bay and BC topped with pears, blueberries, kiwis and figs. So, you know how blue cheese stinks? This blue cheese was something else - no offending smell and such a mild taste (I even forgot my lactose-intolerancy for a while).

The pistachio paste and olive tapanade were both amazing! There were three degrees of Spanish olive oils, beginning with mild to a more peppery blend. Soooo good. And that bread! MMM.

Later we were impressed by Flo's amazing fireshow and absinthe shots. Smooth...both the show and the shot.



We'd like to thank (l-r) executive chef Matt, Jaclyn, Florian and Riyad for showing us a great time and letting us take photographs to remember the experience!



Here's a little excerpt on Matt Sullivan from their Facebook page:

The executive chef responsible to introduce the SpiceSafar food experience to Toronto has recently returned from a culinary journey on the Old Continent. Matthew not only worked at high-end gastro-pubs in Glasgow, Scotland, but he had the privilege to work with the most influential chef in UK’s history, Heston Blumenthal in his 3-star Michelin landmark restaurant. The Fat Duck has been voted by most critics as one of the two best restaurants in the world and is on the leading edge of molecular gastronomy. This extraordinary experience alone has fully prepared Matthew for the task of leading the team introducing the SAFAR couture comfort food to our Toronto audience. His creative flair, first rated skills in food sciences and his great wine knowledge all make him the perfect guide to take us all on truly flavorful epicurean discoveries.



Spice Safar is an innovative, elegant and aesthetically pleasing space with a concept unique to Toronto's restaurant scene. Can't wait to go back!

Rude Service @ Whole Foods (Whole Hearth), Yorkville

Location:

87 Avenue Road, Toronto

Cost: Hot chocolate $2.99 (mint shot $.50), cooked sushi combo 6.49, avocado roll $5.99

To clarify; this review is not about the Whole Foods Market in Yorkville....which I actually like very much and can't complain about. Instead, this post is in regards to the absolutely disgraceful service we received at the Whole Foods cafe, Whole Hearth (located on the street level of Avenue Rd.) one afternoon after a day at the spa.

It's very surprising that such a location as this in Yorkville (or anywhere, for that matter) would have staff like this employed.

Imagine this, if you will. Three perfectly relaxed women, sauntering into the cafe for a mid-day snack after a leisurely few hours at the Nova Spa across the street. Each picking a sushi snack tray from the freezer section and standing at the cashier ready to pay.

At once we notice how our server is incredibly short with us...ringing in my friend's sushi while impatiently gesturing for mine as well. I tell him we want to order a hot chocolate which he doesn't even acknowledge, still waving for my sushi tray. I try to tell him that my sister and I will be sharing our hot chocolate (my friend had also ordered a hot chocolate) but it goes unacknowledged (although appears on the receipt).

We take our sushi to the table (sans hot chocolate) and begin to eat, all the while looking to see if our hot chocolates are being made. Instead he seems to be occupying himself with other tasks and then begins moving around from one end of the cafe to the other.

At one point, my sister stops him mid-walk and asks about our hot chocolates to which he snaps, "In a minute, I'm not going in that direction..", meaning he was heading away from the coffee counter. Seriously?

Finally..and I mean by this time, my friend has already finished her sushi, he plops down her hot chocolate whereas ours is nowhere to be seen. So again, my sister begins to ask for an extra cup for the hot chocolate (assuming he plans to bring it) to which he rudely retorts, "In a minute, after these customers". So now they are other customers waiting, but weren't we also waiting?

Eventually we receive our drink (and the second cup) but are not happy with it (besides the manner in which it was produced, it didn't taste all that good either).



Later he returns with some 'leftover samples' from the bakery - some pizza which he shoves in front of our faces without explanation so I ask what kind of pizza it is, veggie or meat (my sister is vegetarian). His response? A classy, "chicken!" and then whips it away from me offering it to my friend who helps herself.

Wow.

As we get up to leave, we're barely out of our seats and gathering up our things when he comes over and starts moving the tables apart. I was practically still sitting in the chair. Yikes!!

My sister and I were appalled and even my usually zen-like friend was amazed at his actions.

Forget Whole Hearth, we sure got a WHOLE lotta attitude! What a horrible person to keep employed. Shame on you Whole Hearth.

Truscott Italian Bakery and Deli

Location:

2425 Truscott Dr, Mississauga ON

I'm sure you will agree, there's nothing quite like freshly baked bread; the smell, the taste, the warmth, it's all so very good! 

I definitely heart bakeries. When I was growing up there was a lovely little bakery called Hot n' Crusty where the breads were baked fresh every morning; it was always such a treat to go there.

Recently we discovered Truscott Italian Bakery & Deli - a quaint little bakery right in the middle of a parking lot on the border of Oakville/Mississauga. It's been there only eight years yet it appears as though the parking lot was built around it.



I imagine though, that the past eight years have been enormously successful judging from the steady stream of customers at 8 in the morning! 



The cappuccino on the patio sounded like a great idea!



The breads! Rows of crusty, floured, multigrained loaves.  I wanted to try them all...and in due time I will, but to begin....we got some fresh buns, croissants, and this:



Spacatelli....which I've never had before, but which was undeniably fresh (and still warm!!!).

The trays of muffins, pies, cookies and pastries were astounding!

 



I've yet to try their hot-table items, but I got their mini cakes/tarts for a tea party recently and they not only looked pretty they were pretty delectable, too.



Then there's their deli meat counter which boasts a variety of European meats, the huge selection of pastas (I recently purchased some corn pasta [gluten free] and added to it the all natural Mediterranean Garden's "fiery hot arrabiata" pasta sauce, which was fantastic), fancy imported drinks (lemonades and juices), farmed fresh eggs, and of course a massive collection of olives and olive oils!  Heaven!

With our morning breakfast made complete with the addition of a divine "elephant ear" - stuffed full of chocolate - we were ready to start the weekend!



I'm sure many start their weekends this way and I for one can't wait to do it again!

New Timmy's!

Blue Mountain Bistro has shut-down and a shiny new Timmy's HAS OPENED TODAY in its place!

It's got a great corner; north-east of Spadina/Adelaide.

BRB, gotta go get me some timbits.

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 :)