managing mid-life... by revisiting reviews!

 Ugh, I'm out of practice!  I was reminded of my gallivanting and good eats blog by a dear friend from yesteryear and thought it best to tackle my midlife melancholy by resurrecting it from the dead! Here we are, little Miss M is now 6... (ohmergad...) with little brother Ees in the mix at 3 (ohmerGAD)... with a hiatus of FIVE years.. (ohmergad, OHMERGAD!!!) as I try to reconnect with my youth, my ramblings and my silly purpose of eating, whining, dining and now feeding my family as we travel around the GTA and its environs sharing this circus of laughter and tears and everything in-between now in my 40s!  

Truth be told... I love this almost 15 year old profile pic.... I will gladly leave it up there in the bio because god damn, the lack of white hair, impeccable make-up and fine-pored skin is just plain incredible as compared to the massacre of the wisdom of the years that shines through my face now!  Nothing a little food, a little reminiscing and some new creating will inevitably heal, I'm sure.  So, allons-y! Here's to another chapter in this, my little neck of the interwebs as we curiously comment on the obvious, the mundane and the delicious. Bon Appétit!

Latest food critics added to the family...

Fast food... not what you think at SOCO

Oh the attempts to go out with a baby... bravo to us, parents everywhere for trying to have some semblance of their past pre-baby lives!  While visiting my friend, H, and her 2 month old... we ventured outside for a small jaunt around downtown to SOCO kitchen and bar for a quick attempt at lunch while her sweet bundle was trying to nap.  Prominently standing across the street with straight, sleek lines promising contemporary cuisine, we walk into the baby-friendly restaurant that is nestled in the Delta downtown.  We walk past a celebration, complete with a little toddler and I'm impressed that the swanky vibe is so warm and accepting of our littles.  Our server comes by and as we peruse our menu, my lactose intolerant self eyes the macaroni and cheese which has won not one, but THREE awards in a row, friends! Naive as we are, the sweet babe started to fuss and we asked the server to speedily do take out as we swooped in and out of the resto and back up the condo to soothe the babe and settle into eating our fast food.  Over giggles and chats of dreams, loves, and hope for domestic chore equity, my afternoon flew by quickly and my hunger satisfied from the rich cream of the macaroni and the crunch of the panko breadcrumbs on top.  Conscious-stricken over a lack of greens, we shared the SOCO urban salad and guiltily left a few leaves untouched as H's husband gladly pointed out as he got home to spy on my whereabouts (our mutual husbands are good friends)... ha!  As I got home, I offered the mac 'n cheese to my hungry H and put an end to this failed espionage mission.  Food is H's achilles' heel!  Isn't it everyone's?

See menu here for lunch: SOCO lunch menu  Nyom, nyom, nyom! 
Looking forward to many more fast food missions to come!

Stop telling me I'm not enough, society! And how I combat that with food... (yes, that statement is loaded and will unpack that another day, chill y'all)

Mind blown.  A heart-felt chat tonight with my good friend S has led to a discussion about the insurmountable pressure that women and now, as mothers, we feel to be perfect.  So here's my work that I need to do in this lifetime, and I'm not talking, "Hey, this is what I do for a living" but work that I have to put in to undo bad lessons on how to attain, keep and let go of love.  Here's my story in a nutshell: first generation born here to hard-working immigrant parents.  Luck of the lot to be the eldest of an entire gaggle of first-gen born whose motivation to succeed was sparked by not feeling "enough".. i.e. not white enough, not rich enough, not smart enough, not travelled enough, not liked enough, not interesting enough, not knowledgeable enough, not pretty enough, not mothering enough, not....ugh.. ENOUGH ALREADY!  Due to not feeling enough ended up in a thoroughly abusive relationship, a perverse sense of self, shitloads of debt and the belief that I'm the victim and martyr in most things.  All good things are not of my own merit but have been bestowed upon me in some law of karma.

What. the. fuck.

Thankfully through on-going therapy, self-imposed leave and borrowed time, I'm reaffirming that we are enough, and human enough to be loved.  And who better to love ourselves than us?  So, a lot of my goals have been to figure out... what the fuck do I really like to do that is not used as a tool to impress others to show that.. well... I'm a deserving and whole human being.  Heavy shit, right?

The one consistent thing that has always helped me self-soothe and has always served as a homecoming of identity so to speak has been food: eating it, cooking it, talking about it, reading about it, arguing about it, creating it and using it as a means to gather.  So, even blogging about food, which I guess this post is kind of about... has truth been told.... healing.  With H nursing a sore throat on the eve of the summer solstice and Miss M basically just being a picky toddler, I will share my go-to chicken ginger soup recipe that I had to dole out yesterday impromptu to heal those around me and frankly to heal myself.

Je Suis Gutom's easy Chicken Ginger Soup (which is inspired by my mother-in-law's version, got to give credit where credit is due!)

Ingredients:
-4 cups of water
-chicken backs or bones (I used the leftovers from the Chicken Afritada I made earlier this week and froze the rest in the freezer.  Any bone-in chicken pieces will do).
-2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut into medallions (I take the back of a spoon to scrape the peel off which I learned from another blog... works like a charm!)
-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
-any vegetables on hand, I threw in baby spinach and some leftover mushrooms but onions, carrots and celery work just as well
-a splash of fish sauce (salt works just fine)
-1/2 tsp of ground pepper (but adjust to taste)

Demarche:
1. Place chicken back, ginger, garlic and water in large saucepan and set to boil on medium.
2. Once boiled, set to simmer and leave for thirty minutes covered
3. Add vegetables and cook just until tender.
4. Serve hot and with a smile

That's it!  Mic drop.  Take that yucky feelings and bacteria! It's just enough to soothe your soul (or to make a quick dinner... really, ha!)

The Invisible work....including Monday's chicken afritada

I had the most delightfully deep conversation today with my good friend J who I met moons a go while taking the same course.  We caught up over a long absence and we came to chatting about the invisible work that women do in the domestic field.  Both J and I have full-time employment in a crazy profession that leaves you breathless at the end of the day.  At home, we deliver top-notch service in both the cleaning and cooking and basically Alpha-female stereotypical department of empathy, listening skills, patience and understanding in our surprisingly traditional gender roles in our marriages for two long-standing feminists. (As an aside, my fab sis sent me this hilarious podcast that you should all check out called, "The Guilty Feminist" episode 90 left me crying in laughter at certain moments).

As much as we complain and tried to wrap our heads around how our husbands are wired so differently than us, we came to the subject of cooking.  I have won the lottery with my husband's cooking skills... the only challenge is that it comes out like a Sasquatch sighting... there is spotted proof of it existing but it's too effusive to count on as ground-breaking evidence that it does exist.  As I spent most of Monday watching the hours dissipate as I laboured two weeks worth of laundry, organized Miss M's room, paid bills, was harangued by family to plan events (last-minute whims, of course) I came to the task of groceries and dinner.  I have to say, this dinner was accomplished a lot faster than I had anticipated... (yay!) and came out surprisingly good and tasted even better on Day 2 (ahem, today) and hopefully tomorrow (ahem, not cooking again until Thursday).  It checks off easy, is a tomato-based sauce for H, and can go well with easy rice to make.  Oh!  And it's Filipino, so you know it's tasty!  Invisibly made by the magic of the alpha-female in the house, here is the recipe for Chicken Afritada. P.S. I omitted the green peas, hot dogs, and sugar and truth be told didn't have tomato sauce so I used half a can of diced tomatoes and three huge squirts of ketchup (he he he).  I also unsafely left it on simmer as I literally browned the chicken pieces and then dumped the rest in the pot... and ran to pick up Miss M from daycare...hey man, no judgments... it's invisible work, but it's work!  Enjoy!

A word on why I refuse to change my profile photo....

Because I want to look like that again.... ok? I admit it, there in cyberspace...

Here is M's birth story in a nutshell: I gave birth to little Miss M at home, and no, mad respect to the women who plan natural births and want their babies at home, I did not choose to be one of these women!  I had a fabulous birth plan that included drugs, DRUGS, my friend, NOT the ONE REGULAR TYLENOL that I ended up having as my labour went from zero to a hundred.  Needless to say, she was born on our already stripped mattress (because my water broke LIKE THE MOVIES on it at 7 am, she was born at 5:25 pm... motherfucker).  After listening to some bizarre hypno-birth chakra shit on H's phone, I went from 2 cm at 1:30 pm when my midwife came to FULLY TRANSITIONED AND EFFACED by 3:30 pm at which point we called the midwife back and at 4 was basically like... "You are going to have the baby in the car or in an ambulance" at which point I calmly said, "We are not fucking moving and we are having the baby here"... where I then learned after the fact that H went into our living room swearing like a mofo and perhaps crying as he was texting our good friend I in Ottawa who basically said, "Omg, of course she is having it at home.  What a hippie!"... thanks supportive partner and best friend... hmph, imagine pushing a watermelon out of your you know what.. oh you can't.. because you both have penises!

Anyway... there are other fun facts that went along with this that I will save for another day but as my husband has implored today for me to "go back to the gym, you'll feel better" after complaining about my mood swings being a mama to a toddler... I look fondly on that photo and want to lie to you all out there that I still look like that rather than the haggard, mom-cutted, a la naturelle face that is framed with black and white stringy hair sitting on the couch close to 1 am with a glass of water and something a little extra mixed in to help me sleep.... you know what I mean?!

By the way, I really wish I had a TWIX right now.... doesn't that count as an energy-filled health snack?  Refined cocoa is totally in....

Oh my God, I ate pasta at Il Fornello....

....and it was good.  Oh, and by the way... with a CRAZY, MOFO TODDLER!  I think this was the first time in MONTHS that we ate at a sit-down restaurant and had drinks, apps, and a main.  No dessert... are you crazy?  We have a toddler...  Equipped with this fantastic Rubbermaid high chair on wheels, we were able to contain crazy Miss M who decided to nap three hours later than usual... (FML!)

We had the fried calamari, a glass of red sangria and white sangria... H had the sausage pizza and I had the seafood linguine.  Little Miss M had tidbits of the kids menu penne and meatballs in pomodoro sauce which she gobbled because the only things she eats these days are penne pasta, and well, penne pasta.... (insert disgruntled sigh here).

Both H and I walked Little Miss M once each around the resto while we took turns enjoying our meal and this was after Little Miss M was dancing on the table, literally with one shoe on, before the bread and apps were served to the delight of our gracious server.

Food was good but not heart-stopping, but it was a fantastic first night out, which was capped off with Baskin Robbins World Class Chocolate (really? I dunno) and my fave Jamocha Almond Fudge indulgences as we took Little Miss M to Withrow Park for some squirrel chasing, swings and the slide.

We spent $89 with tax and tip... Baskin Robbins was extra as well as Little Miss M's requests for "more" every time we gave her a wee taste of our ice cream :)

Honourable mention goes out to our server who chased me down out of the restaurant and gave me M's rubber plate/table (which is amazing and has served us on multiple occasions, find it here: ez mini mat, we got ours at Baby on the Hip) that we forgot on the table! Yay! Because I have mom brain, dammit.

Check out Il Fornello here: https://ilfornello.com/danforth/

Lady Marmalade, you are the SHIT!

Miss M is now 16 months and wakes up at an ungodly 5:30 am most weekends.  What is a young family to do to fill in the void of no longer being able to go out to restaurants?  Why, stake out every single breakfast diner that is open the earlier the better, of course!

Lady Marmalade is that brunch spot that is on most T.O.'s top 10 blogs of places to brunch in our dear city and also where one can never get into because of the long queue.. the secret my friends, is to get there a wee bit earlier to wait in line for the opening rush at 8 am and then quickly grab a seat and a high chair!

We opt for our usual: Americano, Pulled Pork Benny for H - Latte, Huevas Migas for myself and Miss M gets a side order of scrambled eggs (which I try to emulate at home), half an order of toast and a fruit cup.  As she gets older, she is able to eat more and more of this breakfast as the months wear on.  It is equipped with high chairs, a booster chair, chalk for the chalkboard wall for the kiddos in line and a bin of toys, duplo, and colouring books for the littles at the table.  We don't bring a stroller but definitely if need be to haul it inside the restaurant, there is a little nook where you can fold and store your Uppababy (or in our case, our CityMini GT on a crazy boxing sale from Sungglebugz online... shit man, strollers are expensive... I digress).

Loads to choose from for the brunch set, the typical organic, local fare that is consistently yummy.  Trust us, we've been there at 7:55 am bleary-eyed almost every weekend since our little bubba was 10 months.

Truth be told, I did venture in with a wonderful mommy friend and her little on a Thursday morning and there was still a line at 8 am!  The staff are understanding of the messes babes and toddlers can make and its welcome vintage vibe is cozy and comfortable.

Brunch for two and toddler with tip: $55

See website here: http://ladymarmalade.ca/

Eating with the munchkin... adventures in Pho!

So, fast forward a year and a bit and... TA-DA! We have a BABY!  Needless to say that adventuring into the food world has now proven very challenging... (more posts on travel, postpartum depression/anxiety) to come...

After a challenging week post-stress with a baby (and basically being in your partner's face 24/7 due to paternity leave)... what better way to relax and lull your babe to sleep than a trip to Scarberia's land of diverse food!

We found ourselves at Pho Vietnam, you can yelp/google all you want with links below.  What is fantastic is this place is still cheap and cheerful after all these years.  With a sleeping baby in tow, the banquettes are a perfect place for her carseat while we slurped our two Pho no. 1's and spoiled ourselves with two orders of spring rolls: the fried and the fresh.  All for under $30, you can't go wrong!  On previous occasions pre-bebe, the chicken wings are an honourable mention.

The baby is STILL sleeping as I post this... SO worth the trip.  Calm and soothing, just like the Pho. Hopefully, I'll still be calm at her 2 am feeding!  Check it out here:

Pho Vietnam
1280 Kennedy Road (Kennedy and Lawrence Avenue East)


Google map direction to Pho Vietnam
Yelp Review of Pho Vietnam

A new spin on an old love...

Okay, OKAY!  When I first started blogging, many, MANY moons a go, I had disposable income and happily just started my single living life... fast forward a couple years and I find myself in a very different predicament... saving for a wedding and possible family down the road and further along that path, a down payment to an excruciatingly expensive mortgage if we decide to stay in our beloved T-dot... one thing remains the same... the love and adventure of finding great hidden gems in the city... this time.. with a budget in mind!  Cheap, quality eats are always on the horizon... so armed with my gaggle of friends who are more or less in the same boat as me, a new chapter of, "Je Suis Gutom" begins!

The amount is PARAMOUNT...

Famished from a day of fantastic finds a la cheap, Hamburglar and I wanderlust over to Paramount Fine Foods (Halal) across from the Eaton Centre on Yonge, in search of a feast for those whose wallets are on famine. Greeted by lovely Jannat, and seated quickly in the back of the two floor establishment, we start with Manakeesh (pizza-like dough seasoned with diced chicken, spices and melted accawi cheese), Chicken and Cheese (4.99), beautiful puffed bread and garlic dip (50 cents?!) and followed quickly by our meals of Shish Tawouk (Chicken kebab, choice of mild, red, or spicy... of course we get the spicy!) and Beef BBQ (each 13.99 and 15.99) respectively grilled from behind the long counter adjacent us.

Best 50 cents spent for this amazing garlic dip... (The bread is complimentary)

Oozing Accawi Cheese and Diced Chicken... 4.99 Delicious

Perfectly seasoned, succulent Chicken Shish Tawouk... 13.99

BBQ Beef... 15.99

Each plate came with a choice of rice or french fries, the meat sizzled and served on half a pita, hummus, salad and pickles. Although the beef was a touch tough, (too well-done for my liking), it was flavourful and well-marinated. Entertained by laughter, some people watching, and a recounting of our clearance-friendly shopping finds, we ride the red rocket home well satisfied.

Many different loccations to serve foodies across the GTA, and a comprehensive website with catering options, here: http://www.paramountfinefoods.com/home .

Total meal: $46 including tax and tip for two with a ginger ale (and a very satisfied Hamburglar).

El Sol... looking bright!

The amount of sunlight emanating from the ceramic suns inside El Sol was enough to light up any cloudy day as I met Amy for a "senior citizen" (4:30 pm!!!) dinner hour catch-up.  With Evy, her beautiful infant daughter at the hip, we were lambasted with a gallery of hand-crafted pieces for sale as we entered the cavernous restaurant.  Bossa Nova was playing in the background as we were greeted with a warm, "Hola", from our server.  We started with an El Sol, (of course) and a virgin concoction of Pineapple and Orange Juices with Grenadine and a touch of Sprite.  We chose the El Sol, platter for two (34.95) that came with, drumroll please, 2 tacos dorado (chicken and potato), 2 tostadas nortenas (machaca), 2 tacos aguilenos (chicken marinated on achiote and potatoes), 2 taco sonorenses (chorizo). What a feast!  Although the service was slow, it allowed ourselves to reminisce over past loves, and current conundrums... the tacos were a pleasant treat, as the ceramic sunlight lit up our conversation and shone on future projects.  Note: no dessert served that evening, sorry sweet tooths!

Check out El Sol here:

http://elsol.ca/

RED LOBSTER CHEESE BISCUITS!!!!!!

Okay, so the warm, fuzzy feelings of my childhood have been piqued by these RED LOBSTER CHEESE BISCUITS... these are synonymous with happiness... no joke, folks.. this wonderfulness is serious.. so much so that I've asked for multiple bags for take-out numerous times, (no shame, here!)

Here is a recipe for this cheddary goodness.  I'm going to try it this weekend.. look out!

CHEESE BISCUIT RECIPE.. CLICK HERE!!!!

CHEE-CAH-GO!

I took up an invitation to visit my gal pal Shirley in the windy city for a week of girly catch-up, vodka cran, and classic Chicagoan eats on the cheap!

Here is part one of many findings:

Hyde Park: South Chicago neighbourhood housing students from the nearby U Chicago and a diverse and gentrifying strip of shops... Starbucks has moved in!  Craving something sweet, we hit up Clarke's diner that is open 24/7.  The diner welcomes you with its yellow warmth and friendly staff.  Its booths are a rest haven for Chicago's finest on the beat.  Among classic diner fare, Northshore potatoes is a specialty; a creamy, hash-brown mix specific to Chicago.  We settled on a slice of monstrous red velvet cake and decaf coffee.  5 dollars.. cha-ching!

Check it out here: Clarke's Diner

Dining under the stars... Mon amour - The Plan

Here's a fun song from The Plan that talks of dining under the stars... I laugh when he starts screaming, "Merde! Merde!"  Something we all say when in love and when burning your dish while cooking...  

The Plan - Mon Amour lyrics and youtube video

Brunch without the cash punch? DIY sweet potato hash and spinach omelette!

Okay, okay... so truth be told I'm watching my cash flow as I am leaving in two weeks to sail the ocean.  So!  What better way to squash a brunch outing impulse than to make your own? (I know, I'd rather go out too, but my credit cards are crying out for a rest).

Sweet potato hash and spinach omelette for two!

Sweet potato hash:

les ingredients:
-one large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
-one onion, roughly chopped
-one tsp dried rosemary leaves
-one tsp dried parsley
-salt and pepper to taste
-any oil for frying (EVOO or otherwise, in my case, leftover frying oil from egg rolls yesterday... mmmm)

le demarche:
In a pan, heat oil on medium and add all together the potato, onion, and some salt and pepper.  Sautee for 10 minutes or until tender.  Add  the spices and mix, sautee again until sweet potato is crisp and slightly charred.  Divide into two plates.. enjoy!


Spinach omelette:

les ingredients:
-2 eggs
-one tbsp water
-salt and pepper
-spinach, 1/2 cup cut into chiffonade (fancy term for rolling up your spinach before chopping it so it comes out in thin ribbons)

le demarche:
-beat eggs with a fork in the bowl, add one tbsp water (will make your eggs fluffy, you can also use milk), salt and pepper
-heat frying pan and lightly oil (using whatever oil you have on hand)
-proceed pouring the eggs into the pan, making sure to cover the entire pan
-after  15 seconds where the border of the egg omelette is cooked, place the spinach on one half of the egg
-fold the half of the egg that is spinach free onto the half that has the spinach, you now have a half-moon looking egg
-wait 10 seconds then flip the half-moon to cook the other side
-ta-da!  cut in half and place on to two plates (preferably the ones with the sweet potato hash :)  )

I also ate left over roasted pork with the above, if you don't have roasted pork from the wonderful people at KaKaLucky BBQ at Broadview and Gerrard, add bacon, sausage, leftover turkey if you still have any, or any other wonderful protein you can add to the mix.

Bon appetit!

Holy Falafel I'm back!

After a very lengthy pause.... during which I have resorted to a healthier lifestyle while still feasting and imibing... I look to my 30s to be gluttonous and more frugal than ever!

Grocery shopping always becomes so much more expensive with the added bounty of meat. Toodles my carnivous ways on my newly adopted "Meatless Mondays"! A can of chickpeas stands in for protein as I veggie my way to Falafels and Red Cabbage Salad with Tahini sauce.

Falafels (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

Drain and let dry: 1 can of chickpeas 19 0z

Stir together: 1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup water
 2 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of Salt and set aside... this is your sauce to be drizzled on the just-fried falafels...mmmmm

Back to the chickpeas!
Place in food processor and finely chop. Add:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup packed parsley (I used 4 tsp of dried parsley)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (Who has this but Gwyneth? I used black)
1/2 tsp turmeric

Process until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Remove to a bowl. (I have STILL not taken out my birthday gift food processor from my lovely family so I immersion blended the chickpea mixture... I will definitely use a food processor next time!)

Stir in: 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

With wet hands, form the chickpea mixture into 12 balls. Let stand for 15 min

Heat in a deep skillet until hot: 1/2 inch vegetable oil. Fry the balls in batches, turning often until golden, 6-8 min. Serve with tahini sauce drizzled on top with this awesome salad!

Red Cabbage Salad
Chop up 1/4 of a small red cabbage.
Cut into match sticks, 2 carrots (this was the worst part of the entire recipe, this should be a form of torture.... just saying)

Place in bowl, add: 2 green onions (or scallions, you shmancy people)
chopped 1/2 cup of almonds (you can cut these up if you like)
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 - 1 cup cooked couscous
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, add more if you so desire
3 tbsp olive oil, or more or less, again depending on your preference salt and pepper to taste Mix well together, I like using barbecue tongs.. And ta-da! Both of these should yield about 4 servings. I would make the Red Cabbage Salad first and chill it before tackling the falafels. Cheap and cheerful lunch, dinner or even brekkie! Nyom, nyom, nyom....

Dinner in a hurry?

A great website to use to get recipes in a hurry: The Dinner Tool
Loads of recipes, search engines and fun eats - Enjoy!

Nibbles and Nails at Hot Tamale's

The sanctity of Girls Night - sassy ladies, crazy cackles, empty glasses of vino around a table at Hot Tamale's that unites us all - nibbly appetizers from wedges of brie, Balderson white cheddar, McEwan crostini (thanks Gourmette Tang!), frozen PC finds of sausage rolls, mini spanikopita and the piece de resistance: the heaping Nacho Platter!  Without men, we seem to let it all spill out - raunchy stories, funny tidbits and cultural queries abounded all while snacking and laughing and eventually doing our nails in the latest fall colours.  Here's a recipe for the nachos we feasted on - a hit at any old party and super easy even Hot Tamale handled it with cool:




Hot Tamale's Easy Nacho Platter (appropriated and "interpreted" from the back of the Tostitos bag):

The goods:
1 bag of Tostitos (Hot Tamale preferred the small round, fits in your mouth in one gulp variety)
1 small jar of salsa
2 green onions chopped
1/2 tomatoes chopped
1bag of Kraft Tex Mex pre-shredded cheese

The demarche:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put the broiler on

Place one layerof Tostitos on a foil-lined baking pan

Add one layer(two handfuls)of cheese

Add one layer of salsa

Add a sprinkling of green onions

Repeat with multiple layers until Tostitos are finished, leave a handful of green onions to garnish

Place in oven for 10 minutes

When cheese is melted, take out of the oven and top with green onions and tomatoes

Serve with sour cream and guacomole (if you're lucky, the home-made variety)

Enjoy Ladies!

Le Select... la seule choix pour brunch



Inside the front section of Le Select



After a failed non-attempt at homemade brunch, upon Big Red's suggestion we turned our attention to a French gourmet bistro to see how it should be done.  What a fantastic way to start a misty rain-filled weekend!  Nestled on Rue Wellington just west of Spadina Avenue is Le Select Bistro: the closest Parisian-inspired haunt this side of the Atlantic, as quoted on their website. Fresh croissants are served and kind unpretentious servers are at the ready to serve and even explain the menu, its locavore philosophy and of course to refil your cup of joe.  Munching on a Croque Madame (French toast ham and cheese sandwich with extra cheese and fried egg) served with veritable frites and Eggs Benedict with Asparagus Spears inspired the travel-inflected conversation.  Hmmmmm.... don't forget to book a reservation, walk-ins are most welcome however to avoid the wait, telephonez s'il vous plait!  Open for lunch, dinner and even a drink later on (this bistro was once the ending scene of an interesting date once upon a time by yours truly.....)  Enjoy their offerings here: http://www.leselect.com/  I promise, it's parfait!



Croque Madame with frites!!



Got the Menchies? Guuuuud eats awaits you....

So what's the deal with this Guu business?  Hustled into a nondescript restaurant front, there are no windows to peer into what goes on behind the wall.  A gastro hideout of sorts where only those "in the know" venture in to experience the Japanese tapas craze hitting the city.  Chic, modern and surprisingly simple the restaurant is divided into two parts:  a traditional Japanese sitting arrangement in your socks on gleaming light wood or sitting cafeteria-style a la Salad King on various wooden block benches lit by dangling industrial lightbulbs.  The kitchen is open and the servers greet you as you come in, ALL the servers with a hardy welcome.  We downed pints of Sapporo as we tried various and adventurous dishes from wasabi octopus grains spooned on nori, carbonara and kimchi udon, salmon zushi (cream cheese and chive dolopped salmon sushi) and its cousin: ceviched mackerel on the same bed of rice.  Ebi mayo; deep-fried shrimps can be savoured or why not try the tuna tatake, available only on the separate daily specials hand-calligraphied.  To try:: deep-fried brie cheese on a mango reduction... yes, deep-fried BRIE. (Insert sigh here).  Tapas plates are all under $10.  Peppered with rousing birthdays and equally loud cackles amongst new friends.. this is not a place for a calm and quiet dinner.  Adventure foodies welcome to a neat haunt, new drinks to be had: Ramune anyone?  As you leave a raucous good-bye sends you through the door....   Check them out here: http://guu-izakaya.com/


Only to be found at Menchie's a couple doors down!  Weighed yogurt... and all its fixings.  An L.A. based frozen yogurt establishment where you can be part of elite company from Taylor Swift and Lautner to Justin Timberlake.  Feeling like the store has channeled Hello Kitty like colours and vibe... there are many flavours to choose from, some even twirled together ranging from Red Velvet Cupcake, to various fruit sorbets to Cake Batter, Cookie Dough and the traditional Chocolate and Vanilla.  Now here's where the fun begins, add your toppings: a complete fruit bar with tapioca bursting balls of flavour to maple granola, sour keys, dark chocolate chips, coconut (sweetened and toasted) and so much more.  Entranced, I opted to become a card-carrying member to earn smiles for discounts on future yogurt.  Prices range depending on weight, mine was $4.91 of pure frozen goodness.  Check out Menchies here: http://www.menchies.com/about.php