playdate

Feeling Naughty at Coquine

Well once again, it's taken me forever to get around to writing a post about a new restaurant.

It's not that we don't eat out anymore- though admittedly far less frequently than in the past.

I find myself going back to the same ol' same ol'- not wanting to risk a bad meal on a precious date night dinner.

Plus sometimes it's just easier to go where you know.

So that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

But that's not to say that we haven't hit up a few new spots in the past few months.

Coquine on Yonge st. being one of the newest hot uptown restaurants.

So strange telling the babysitter that we will be at Coquine- which is pronounced like the white stuff that makes your gums go numb.

Not that I would know.

packin on the pounds

 ack- where did February go?

Well let me tell you how I spent it.

Eating a whole lotta crap.

Very unlike me I know, but for some reason I was in primitive-must-pack-on-the-extra-winter-weight-in-order-to-survive-mode.

Not sure why, when like most people in the northern hemisphere I spend my winters in my warm and cozy house with indoor heating.

And last time I checked, I haven't had the need to "survive" the winter other than maybe the ridiculous amount of colds and viruses that we can't seem to shake since school started back in September.

soooo I'm not sure what my real excuse is for eating the way I have other than well, why not?

sometimes it's just fun to drink beer and eat chicken wings.

Especially when you can just hide that extra roll under a bulky woolen sweater.

So that's exactly what I felt like when on date night a few weeks ago when I found my self with a major craving for some artery hardening pub grub.

We ended up at Brazen Head pub in Liberty Village.

cheap eats

January...for me it's a time of year when the last thing I really feel like doing is eating out.

I'm usually trying to detox after all the rich foods eaten over the holidays.

All I really feel like doing is spending as much time at home as humanly possible after the exhausting rounds of "lets meet up for some holiday cheer".

Well, that and how many cookies could one person possibly consume in a 31 day period?

Sick really.

Table 17

Gosh it's been far too long since I posted about a new restaurant.

I do have an excuse though...honest.

First of all I was on a pretty strict elimination diet to figure out the root of all my tummy troubles.

Which completely sucks when you are as into eating out as I am.

Restaurants can be tricky when you have no control of what goes into your food.

Thankfully I feel %1000 better and am enjoying life once again and am not freaked out when dining out.

I just tend to do it less than before.

Torito Tapas Time

It's always a bit daunting when you are invited to a big group gathering for dinner.
Who knows what kind of restaurant it is or how bad the food might be?
After-all, someone's idea of what a good restaurant is can be completely different from another's.
especially me- as picky & particular that I am.

So when we found out that we would be meeting at Torito In Kensington Market I was excited.
I love tapas, especially in a group situation and I hadn't been to this particular restaurant yet.

Quince

Quince is one of those restaurants that I've passed by dozens of times and never really thought about checking out.
Not sure why, it looks appealing enough with a nice clean and simple exterior and warm and inviting interior- yet I never felt the mojo.
That is until last fall.
I was in the area (Yonge & Eglinton) and couldn't figure out any where else to eat so we decided to give it a go.
We were pleasantly surprised.
Eight months later I can still recall a rabbit terrine that was so delicious.

nice sausage

I love eating out, but sometimes it's nice to just pick up a few extra special items and crack a good bottle of wine at home.
Yeah, I know this is supposed to be all about restaurant reviews, but sometimes it's nice to just stay home or even better, picnic and patio season are almost here and to me, there really isn't anything better than eating outside.
One of my favorite things to bring on a picnic, is a good smoked sausage.
Smoked anything for that matter.
I just love the taste of earthy smoked meat.
Specifically, venison salami.
Love it.
Hickory, cherry or mesquite smoked....yum.

Globe trotting

Think Global- Act Local.

This is the mantra for Globe bistro located on Toronto's Danforth Avenue. Formally Cafe Brussel, Globe is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. My first visit to Globe was last fall, and I had an excellent dining experience. So we decided to try again to see if it was as good the second time around. The space is lovely with a chic wine bar up front, an open concept kitchen in the center of the restaurant and an elegant, yet not uptight dining room in the back of the house.

in the nyood

If someone would have told me 10 years ago that Queen and Dovercourt would be the home of a new chic high end restaurant I would have had a hard time believing it.
I lived in the area for years and I remember a time when the only food options in the neighborhood were Addis Ababa and Bacchus roti shop.
Both of which are still around, and are still worth a visit.
But things have certainly changed since the days when I would have to psyche myself up to go and rent a movie at 7 p.m.

Lil'Baci

I know I know...I tend to go on about Terroni, but how can I help it? It's always good and who doesn't love a good thin crust southern style pizza?

So when I noticed that Lil' Baci opened in the Leslieville neighborhood I couldn't be happier.
Somewhere different to go for our weekly pizza fix.
Situated right next to Kubo Radio (same owner- Leslie Ng) the minute I walked in the front door I felt at home.