Jack Shmack....

Cookie Sundae.. Sugary, sliding goodness.. yum, period.

So I sold out tonight and ate at Jack Astor's in my old 'hood (Progress Ave. in front of Scarborough Town Centre's The Bay) and expected to be bamboozled by extroardinarily orbitant prices of the usually uninspired offerings of pizza, a burger and every other deep-fried meat imaginable.... however, I was wrong (insert shame here). Amongst the backdrop of a lovely birthday (insert teenage-esque shout-outs to Ge Diza here) I was greeted with a perky server who came with my caesar pronto... yes, I drink caesars, lots of them... and was refreshed by a spiced pickle/bean/pepper/onion spear and the stalk of celery, lobster cheese dip with warm pita triangles and homemade tortilla chips (12.95). Upon first glance at my buffalo tenders saturated in medium, buttery goodness (12.95) I thought they had forgotten the rest of my tenders, however upon searching underneath the golden carb fry-fest were the rest of these "fingers". However, that wasn't the only the only surprise, Hot Tamale had the Seafood Papardelle (17.95) and I must say, was well worth every penny. And of course, let's hear it for the dessert, a white chocolate chip macadamia nut (Hawaii's nut export business should be untouched by this recession) cookie sundae that oddly resembles a beige cow patty... with 5 berries bizarrely pressed into the vanilla ice cream. At 5.95, compared to the dessert bonanzas at Cafe Mirage (another Scarborough offering), the price can't be beat. Just focus on breaking up that cookie and not missing your mouth.

Celebrating at The Bedford Academy!

After a grueling, well, that's too dramatic.... full-fledged schedule for the last 3 months due to taking a course twice a week and working full-time, the sweet taste of liberation (or was it the Stella?) was a welcome night out at The Bedford Academy. A staple on the U of T pub crawl circuit in a beautifully restored Victorian mansion on Prince Arthur, this institution offers a wide range of drink, food and not to mention a gorgeous patio. Our fine company, including an expert ex-server, was quick to point out that alas, although we were in a large group and quite forgiving, our servings of simple sweet potato fries, nachos and a tuna melt, took an eternity to arrive at our table. The cheese was not as lightly golden as they had described in the menu and I was a tad disappointed that they had a haunting resemblance to Kraft Singles. Was it me or did the english muffin that was described in the menu transform into foccacia by the time it came? It remains a mystery... Still, definitely worth the visit nonetheless! Check them out at: http://www.thebedfordacademy.com/

Inspired by Madame Child...

Un gros merci to my beautiful sister who, to celebrate my 28th birthday, amongst my self-imposed lamenting on the 730 days until my 30th where I introspectively self-pitify my lack of gumption, lacklustre initiative and highlight the misadventures of my 20s I receive my cookbook collection's greatest possession: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. A re-inspiration of sorts as I press on to discover my personal joy: cooking and eating! Bon Appetit!

So mushy, it's my one allowance on an otherwise sassy look at eating.... ha!

Fun times with Julia and Letterman circa 1987... there's a throwback to the classic Akroyd skit from SNL... look for it!