Cheia de Vida’s Toronto Food Haul: Summer 2016

toronto-foodie-haul-summer-2016

As many of you have read in my last post, my husband and I decided to take a summer vacation to Toronto.  A big part of our vacation planning involved finding places to eat, binge, and enjoy.  Afterall, we are required to have 3 meals a day. Since there are  many options to choose from in a big city, it’s important to have a plan well in advance. In the midst of our planning, we also stumbled across some new gems as we wandered around the city. Our top finds have been divided into these sections.

The Staples

the-staples

On just about any grocery list, you’ll have some staple items. For us, those staples tend to be milk, bread, and fruit. Just because we were on vacation, didn’t mean our situation would change. Our Airbnb accommodations allowed us to keep it that way. So here’s what we got.

  • Milk: Mylko pistachio and rosewater flavoured almond milk. I was between this flavour and matcha flavour but I invited room for variety.
  • Bread: This beauty of a loaf contained ricotta, green plums, espresso, and ChocoSol chocolate. It was such a delight. I can’t remember which vendor made this one as I was too busy living in the moment – blogger fail, I know.
  • Fruit: Peaches from Bizjak Farms (we first discovered this vendor in Vineland. The quality of the produce and their presentation made us an instant fan!)

All three of these finds were discovered at the Sorauren Park Farmer’s Market, a vibrant market which cultivates a culture of sustainability and community.

The Saves

the-saves

  • Café Polonez: If you’re looking for some great Polish comfort food, then this is where you need to go. Our Airbnb host recommended this place to us and we loved every bite!
  • African Palace:  I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they have delicious dinner platters for two at the humble price of $21.99. The warm and earthy flavours were a treat for the soul and the wallet.
  • The Dirty Bird Chicken + Waffles : If you want to have chicken and waffles, you need to check this place out. Their menu has a variety of options and clever names. I ordered The ODB mainly because it was called The ODB. It brings me back to my day of listening to Mariah Carey’s song “Fantasy” with ODB. Me and that song go back like babies on pacifiers.
  • Urban Herbivore:  I found this place at the outdoor foodcourt outside of Union Station. I had the Chilli “Chicken” Burger . This was my first time trying seitan. While it can be pronounced as satan, I’d have to say it was heavenly good (insert eyeroll). I didn’t miss the meat one bit.

The Splurges

the-splurges

 

  • Kitten and the Bear: A quaint and lovely little tea room showcasing the very best of their products: their jam. We were offered 4 different types of homemade jam served alongside their freshly baked scones and some clotted cream.
  • Pasha: A feast for the eyes and the stomach. Pasha is a gorgeous restaurant located on Overlea Boulvard.  The prices were by no means over the top but this was a place that we would certainly consider for dinner rather than lunch.

The Snacks

the-snacks

  • Toronto Popcorn Company: An ingenious concept for popcorn. This isn’t your typical bag of Orville Redenbacher popcorn. You have the chance to sample almost every flavour before you consume them. After a tough job of having to decide among so many flavours we chose the Jalapeno and Vanilla Sponge Cake flavours. They became great snacks for work and our Netflix binge watching sessions. I’d have to say, they didn’t last long.
  • Green Tea Flavoured Kit Kats  and Green Tea with Adzuki Red Bean Paste Filled Cookies: Two amazing finds from a quick trip to the Ding Dong Grocery store in the Pacific Mall. It’s quite an experience coming to this shop and these finds satisfied my matcha fix. Until of course I found the next matcha treat…

The Sweets

the-sweets

  • Millie Creperie : Clearly I can never have enough matcha. This cake with layers upon layers of crepes with matcha buttercream was heaven on a plate.
  • Eva’s Original Chimneys (also known as OG Chimneys): You can’t just call this an ice cream cone. It’s a chimney of deliciousness.
  • Wanda’s Pie in the Sky: Situated in the Kensington Market area of downtown Toronto, this bakery is a true delight. There are so many pies to choose from and the best part is that their crusts are not made with lard, a true rarity in the world of fresh baked pies. We opted for a cool slice of coconut cream pie, the perfect treat for a humid day.

The Sips

the-sips

  • Pilot Coffee Roasters : I’m not a coffee drinker but I’ll occasionally drink it  for the taste. When it’s done right, I love it.  I support my husband’s passion for it as well.He had a taste testing at this amazing cafe  while I had little sips. I collected a few positive commentaries on each one he tried.  By his third tasting, I ended up ordering my own coffee cocktail. This experience deserves a blog in itself. So stay tuned.
  • Ethiopian Coffee (African Palace): Did I mention I’m not a coffee drinker? Oh yeah, I did. Well, like I said, when it’s done right, I will have it. Better yet, if there’s a ceremony that involves popcorn associated with it, how can I say no? It may seem like an odd combination, but the two pair so well together. Think of it as a cooked bean and corn salad.

As you can probably tell, we ate a lot during this trip to Toronto. If you’ve tried any of these places, I’d love to hear about your experience. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you do.  Now  that my haul is over, it’s time for me to haul myself over the gym to burn off every worthy calorie… or at least some of them.

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2 Comments

  1. never been to Toronto but sounds like you had a wonderful time!!!!

  2. Aysha Tayab-Ratsep

    I did. Hopefully you’ll get to come down to Toronto sometime soon. It’s a fun city to visit!

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