Moxie’s, Yorkdale Mall

Location:
Yorkdale Mall, 1 Yorkdale Road, Toronto

Moxie's has the lowest lighting possible, which is really no excuse for bad photos, and these really are the worst pics ever, so I'll just leave you to them whilst I turn away.

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.

TRAVEL: Palm Beach, Charley’s Crab

Location:

456 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL

www.muer.com

Our first place to dine in PB was Charley's Crab...a highly recommended restaurant along the beach.





Apart from the Guinness that was poured out of a bottle (egh)...



the sandwiches we ordered were amazing and I'm not a huge sandwich person! (We quickly realized that most of the lunch fare in PB was sandwiches and/or burgers.)

Our server suggested the Bistro Chicken Sandwich with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, field greens & balsamic vinaigrette, which looked like this:



and tasted great although it was a bit heavy on the goat cheese (for me, but then I don't do cheeses well). The second sandwich, the Chili Dusted Ahi Sandwich - chargrilled with bacon & pepperjack cheese, and honey mustard aioli, served with French Fries and coleslaw was kick-ass!



Juicy and very filling!



We got it with green beans instead of fries, and I could have done without the slaw entirely. Still a very satisfying lunch for a day at the beach.

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!

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! ;)

Zoe's Bakery Cafe

Location:

548 King Street West, Toronto

Cost: $8.50 average

www.zoesbakerycafe.ca

A great girls get-together should revolve around (I think) good food and drink....if those two components aren't there, it's almost as if one of your girlfriends is washing her hair.

Our plan was to meet at Zoe's for lunch and despite the TTC strike everyone was able to make it out (mostly thanks to my considerate friend and her fancy new wheels).

Zoe's is on King street near Brant; it's hard to miss the giant black signage on the front and side of the cafe.



During the summer climate bright red umbrellas line the sidewalk in front of the cafe, under which enthusiastic patrons munch on enormous gourmet sandwiches and hearty salads.



Being slightly lower than ground level, the interior of Zoe's is dimly lit although there is enough light streaming in through the many windows to make you feel warm and cosy. For a quick bite during the week there are round tables and high chairs in the front room and for longer, leisurely lunches there is additional seating to the right of the counter. Further down the hallway is a giant conference room (not pictured) for lunch meetings as well.



If you're not one to break out in goosebumps at the slight bite of something cold, you'll enjoy biting into the sandwiches at Zoe's. I, for one, prefer my sandwiches toasted. I like toasty bread slices, melting cheese, warm grilled chicken----you get my drift.

Alas, I failed to reveal this to our server when we placed out order, so what I ended up with was a cold Cajun chicken sandwich.

CAJUN CHICKEN sandwich
house-made mango chutney, pea sprouts, citrus aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain



Don't get me wrong, it was quite tasty. The mango chutney was an especially great addition to the sandwich. If only it were hot. But, why didn't you just ask to get it toasted, you ask? Great question! Thanks for asking. I think my problem wasn't just the bread not being toasted...everything was cold. It would have had to have been microwaved (mmm....microwaved bread....) and that didn't seem much more appealing. At least we had warm chicken quesadillas!

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
filled with Cajun chicken, julienne bell peppers, red onions & cheddar



This was a hit with all of us. I think mainly because it was served hot and the cheddar had melted into a gooey mass over the chicken, pepper and onions.

AVOCADO sandwich
tomatoes, shaved granny smith apples, pesto aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain



There were no complaints from my friend who ordered this although I wouldn't be likely to order it next time as it's very close to what I made myself for lunch yesterday (but toasted, thank you very much).

CHICKEN WRAP
Cajun chicken, roasted peppers, cheddar, pesto aioli, shaved fresh apple & mixed greens



I preferred this over the cuban chicken sandwich...somehow wraps are easier to eat cold than giant sandwiches. Or maybe that's just me?

GRILLED PORTABELLO MUSHROOM sandwich
julienne roasted peppers, herbed chèvre, tomato pesto & mixed greens on 10-grain



My vegetarian friend seemed to enjoy this immensely....and 'roasted' makes me think it was warmer than my sandwich...



Zoe's has Illy coffees, a variety of teas and fresh juices (Good ol' OJ pictured here...in a bottle....which turned out to be great, actually).

For a Saturday, I expected there to be more of a lunch crowd, however the few patrons who trickled in for a sit down lunch had fully emptied out by 3pm. Our server also proved to be quite absent-minded leaving me to trek back and forth with requests for cutlery, water and finally, after she'd disappeared altogether, the bill.

Bijan Bakery and Cafe, San Jose, CA

Location:

170 S. Market St. Suite 110,
San Jose, CA

Cost: ranges from $1.50 +

www.bijanbakery.com

After a much needed breakfast at Il Fornaio, we remembered (from having passed by it the night before), that Bijan Bakery had a magnificent array of desserts and pastries and both agreed we had only enough room to share a small treat.



I don't think I have ever seen so many pastries in my life! We got there when there was hardly a line-up but we took so long to decide what we wanted (read: overwhelmed with choices) that by the time we were ready to order a line had grown.



There were chocolate chip, almond, raisin, and various other cookies, baklava, marzipan, cinnamon buns, twists, strudels, biscotti, cookies with fruit centres, mousse pastries in a variety of flavours, cream puffs, fruits tarts, cheesecakes, eclairs, chocolate covered strawberries, napoleans, tiramisu, black forest...and....so much more!



We decided upon an apple tart (boring, I know, given all the selection! But anything else would have gone to waste since we were short on time and had already over-eaten at breakfast!)



Warmed, the apple tart wasn't bad, but it didn't blow my socks off. I should have tried their specialty Princess Cake (alas, if I had been plugged to trusty ol' Chowhound I would have known to do so!) They also serve soups, salads and sandwiches!



Bijan Bakery and Cafe certainly leaves MUCH to be desired....

Blue Front Cafe, San Francisco, CA

Location:

1430 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA

Cost: avg $8



www.bluefrontcafe.com

I've declared this the worst food day during our whole San Francisco journey.

Our breakfast consisted of toasted bagels with (albeit pretty good) Trader Joe's strawberry jam and tea made from the last remaining tea bag in our relative's cupboard. Our Japanese Tea Garden venture was all of one bowl of shared snacks and again, tea, this time, Oolong. You can figure that even before lunch we were dying to try something incredible in the city's famous Haight-Ashbury (or "Hashbury") district.

A very colourful, 'hip' place to be. We only had a limited amount of time to spend there but wanted to eat something memorable, so we asked the lady behind the counter of the Tabacco store where we could find some good fare. Her props were for the Blue Front Cafe where, according to her, we would get great Meditteranean food. Perfect!



And there it was!



Huge-ass menus AND lineup! This place must be amazing! The beefy men behind the counter were needless to say, busy and had a real no-nonsense attitude to them. We were almost afraid to order.

As we waited for our chicken gyros we noticed the accolades decorating the wall....it seemed like this was the place to visit in Hashbury! Awesome. Unfortunately, our gyros took, what seemed like decades, and we had to run to catch the bus back so that we could then catch another bus to Japantown to meet our friend who was giving us a ride to San Jose for the premiere of his film at the festival. Gah!

So, we took the wrap to go, resisting the urge to devour it in the bus in anticipation of sitting down properly with it when we got back to the house.

Finally (and I really do mean, finally) we sat down and unwrapped the gyro. It came with this cream sauce on the side which I greedily doused onto the wrap and took a bite. Then another bite, just to give it another chance.

But no.

The sauce had no kick. And the chicken was GREY!! Or GRAY...whichever you prefer. Or maybe BLUE for Blue Front Cafe. Diiiissguuuuusting. I was heartbroken knowing that we had another long trek ahead of us and all I saw was a half-eaten mess on the plate in front of me.



If you'd like to know what we ate for dinner...let me just say, we didn't have time to eat before the film started and I never knew a Cliff bar could taste so good. That was all we ate before we headed to the film's reception at the San Jose Museum of Art where the line up for whatever it was they were serving snaked into the other room!



So we took in some of the jazz...



And decided to check out Goya and Picasso and then the rest of the Museum upstairs where...



....we settled our teeth into the lovely cupcakes, cake-on-sticks, eclairs and donuts. Yes!



When the pass-arounds came...er...around, I "gorged" on a lettuce leaf, a little cup of asparagus cream soup and later, some veggie mexican mish-mash served in the VIP area. You'd be right in guessing that the reason there are no photographs of these so-called meals is because I was eating with both hands!

El Penco

On the shady side of the sidewalk, near the corner of King & Portland sits a Mom and Pop place called El Penco Cafe.

Having worked in the area for a couple of years, I've always known it to be "the" place to get a sandwich. The lineups at noon often extend to the worn wooden doorstep so you have to get there early. The menu is very simple. Turkey on rye. Chicken Kaiser on a Bun. Pea Soup. My favourite used be the small Chimichanga for $2; tiny enough for a snack with an order of two or more creating a whole lunch, but you may not be satisfied. Which is probably why they're no longer on the menu. What's still on the menu? Their Sante Fe Chicken, Raging Bull, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Grilled Ham n' Cheese sandwiches and their Spinach Torta and Chicken Empanadas. Vegetarians are not to be left out however; they also have Veggie empanadas and three types of home-made pasqualina and apple-pie! Everything is under $6 which makes for a great quick lunch!







*****UPDATE***** Sadly, El Penco has closed down. Craft Burger has taken its place.

Le Gourmand Grocer Cafe

Address: Two locations:
152 Spadina Ave., Toronto
20 Bloor St. East Unit R1-2, Toronto
Cost: $3+

www.legourmand.com

As I sit here writing this, I can hear thunder rolling in the distance and can feel a cool breeze on my skin. Perfect weather for some tea and cake, I think to myself. Although, anytime is 'perfect time' for tea and cake for me. Which is why, almost every week for the last two years, I've ended up at Le Gourmand Grocer Caf? sometime after 3 pm for my tea (and by tea, I mostly mean cake) break.



It must be the banana bread pudding which always brings me back, either for it's generous proportions or combination of flavours. One thing is certain, it's definitely best eaten fresh as I've learned after receiving the slightly hardened corner slices mid-afternoon. Still, when it's good, it's delicious; the bread soft with mashed banana and a crust thick with chocolate chips and icing sugar.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

It's a tie for 'second place with the mini nocci cookie and the chocolate 'bomb'. While the nocci may be small, it's a crumbly mouthful of glorious chocolate, suitable for one.

The chocolate 'bomb', on the other hand, is suitable for two. Covered in a dusting of icing sugar, it appears robust on the outside but is in fact a delicate explosion of dark chocolate mousse on the inside. Still, it leaves you wanting something more. It needs an extra punch of something - Cardamom? Mint? Raspberry? Orange? Hazelnut? Chilli? Something.

Next on my list is most definitely the chocolate chip walnut cookie. It's quite simply, the best cookie in the world. Yes, that's what I said. After all this, there's still much to be had at Le Gourmand. The croissants are good although not great. The raisin croissant is decent; flaky but a little on the eggy side for taste.

The blueberry scone is delicious, but ask to have it warmed and buttered to really make it worthwhile.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

The lemon poppy seed muffin is not terrible, but perhaps better when fresh out of the oven in the morning. I must say, it was a nice compliment to the "Taylors of Harrogate Lemon & Orange Tea"; a wonderfully invigorating tea.

I was unlucky with my chocolate raspberry tart I ordered one afternoon, which melted by the time I got home (it was a really hot day), but I'm glad to say it still tasted good. Although I am a fan of the occasional Turkish Delight of the rosewater kind, the mastic Turkish Delight was not to my taste. I found the flavour to be sickeningly sweet with an overwhelming aroma that wouldn't go away afterwards. During the summer season, they serve a selection of gelatos which, according to owner, Milton Nu?es, is brought in from La Paloma Gelateria & Caf? in Toronto. However, I have to say apart from the hazelnut chocolate, the gelatos are quite disappointing. The raspberry flavoured gelato tasted like a "maybe it's Maybelline's", while the mango had a very tart after-taste.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

If you have time, you can sit in a cane chair under the high-ceiling with fans circulating lazily above you while you sip your tea and gaze up at the giant wall of goodies on one side of the cafe. They have a wide selection of chocolate bars, teas & coffees (Illy, Dean & Deluca); olive oils, pastas, sauces, vinegars and other products, which can be made into gift baskets if you so desired.

Le Gourmand's prices are a little on the high side, but the atmosphere is nice and the service is pleasing when you get an experienced staff member. The separate queues for ordering food versus drinks can be confusing if you've never been there before but because everyone is so friendly you'll find you aren't annoyed when you leave with your brown bag full of goodies.

Read my BlogTO review here.

Bonjour Brioche

Location:

812 Queen Street East, Toronto

Hours: Tues to Fri: 8 -5
Sat: 8-4
Sun: 8 - 3

Cost: an average dish is about $8 (and it's CASH only)

This is the view you're guaranteed to get when you're lined up outside Bonjour Brioche on a busy Saturday or Sunday morning for breakfast/brunch. Yes. It gets that packed. Somehow that and the curt service doesn't seem to put off patrons who show up every weekend for a bit of breakfast or a quick take-away baguette or tart. I know I haven't been put off. In fact, if you're lucky enough to score a seat in this crowded establishment and shrug off the no-nonsense behaviour of the wait-staff, you'll find yourself eating (and eating well) in one of the best breakfast nooks in the city.



Croque Madame: toasted brioche layered with ham and gruyère and topped with a fried egg



Croissants: chocolate, almond and custard....all were very good and not overly buttery or eggy tasting.



Freshly squeezed orange juice, a nicoise salad, a sandwich of some form (I don't remember which kind my friend ordered) and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (topped with chives, creamy horseradish and caviar).



Cheesy quiche with a mixed greens salad and a toasted and buttered baguette.

Next time I'll have to try the french toast which seemed to be on most people's plates! It's hard not to notice when their meal could practically be mine when seated so close!

So, if you don't mind being tightly packed into the small (and warm) space, Bonjour Brioche is well worth a visit. Speaking of which, It seems the last two times I've been has been in April of '06 and '07....I'd say it's about time for another visit.