When I found out that Nadége Patisserie was organizing a Croissunday, I immediately put it into my calendar. I even blogged about it before the event….that’s how excited I was about this special day.
I thought I would make it to Nadége, first thing in the morning on Sunday. But my morning got pretty busy: i.e – watched the hockey game and had company for breakfast! This meant that I didn’t arrive at their Rosedale location till around noon. Sadly I found out that they were sold out. To be exact, they were sold out by 10:30 am!! But the staff were truly lovely and I left with a smile on my face and didn’t seem to mind driving another 20 minutes to get to their Queen St. location.
I was determined. Err… I was on a mission!!
Croissunday was indeed popular. The bakery was packed!
I think I counted 12 servers. They were clearly prepared!!
No wonder!!! There were 13 flavours in total and this was the first year that Nadége put on this event. Flavours like – Pistachio/Raspberry, Lemon, Apple Strudel, Beer, Black Squid, Cassis, Olive oil, Rosemary, Apricot and more!!
Here’s what my croissants looked like before I tasted them.
Here’s what the croissants looked like when you split them amongst 5 people.
I like sharing!!
Here’s what the plate looked liked AFTER they were inhaled.
Congratulations to Nadége for a tremendously successful Croissunday!! I hope this will become an annual event. Hint.
For more information:
Nadége – Rosedale Location :1099 Yonge St, Toronto, 416.968.2011
Nadége – Queen W. Location: 780 Queen St. West, Toronto, 416.368.2009
Twitter: @nadegetoronto
apple streudel, Beer, black squid, croissants, croissunday, even, flavours, Lemon, Nadege, Queen W, raspberry pistachio
A few weeks ago, I was invited to check out Kanga Meat Pies at Sanagan’s Meat Locker. I honestly thought I was going to try Kangaroo Meat but I was oh so wrong!!
Infact I was introduced to four different Aussie meat pies! Kanga Meat Pies are best described as: an individually portioned, handheld, buttery pie filled with loads of meat, veg and gravy. Their pies are intended to be eaten with one hand only (the other is strictly reserved for the beverage of your choice)!
The two young woman behind Kanga had travelled to Australia and fell in love with the meat pie scene “down under”. So they came back to Toronto and started to recreate them. Kanga Meat Pies were first introduced at TUM (Toronto Underground Market) but now you can buy them at Sanagans too!!
I did not grow up with meat pies but something tells me there are two components to the “perfect” meat pie: the crust and the filling. Guess what? Kanga Pies nailed it! My friend also pointed out to me that there are no PEAS in these meat pies, so if you are allergic to peas or don’t like peas – then these pies are for you!!
Not only are they pretty….
But they are delicious too.
I was surrounded by foodie friends at this event, and was thankful that we could split each pie into quarters so I could get a chance to try all four varieties. Two flavours stood out as my favourites: the Steak and Bacon and the Butter Chicken.
Hope you get a chance to try Kanga Meat Pies soon. You won’t be disappointed.
For further information:
Kanga Meat Pies are now sold at:
Sanagan’s Meat Locker, 176 Baldwin St. In Kensington Market.
Hot Oven Bakery, 177 Roncesvalle, Toronto
Twitter: @eatkanga
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatkanga
Australia, Beer, Butter Chicken, Filling, Kanga, Kensington, Meat Pies, Pastry, Sanagans, Steak and Bacon
On a recent day trip to Niagara On the Lake, I decided to quickly to jump over to Buffalo seeing I was SO close. When the border guy asked me “what’s the purpose of the trip”. The answer is always the same…”to go grocery shopping and to go to Target”.
Here’s what I bought at Tops (ps Im now a proud card member of Tops AND Wegmans). I must admit Tops has an advantage as it’s right next to Target on Niagara Falls Blvd.
1. Jell-O Party Molds. It was free when you buy 6 small packets of Jell-O. How could I resist?
2. Jell-O so I could make the Cocktail Bites and use the mold. #staytuned. Can’t wait to serve these and find out which flavour is the best.
3. Heinz Ketchup with Balsamic. I’m all about flavour and curious to see how this tastes.
4. Snacks….can’t find these flavours here (I think. LOL). Actually I’m pretty sure I can’t find these here!
At Target I bought this flight of beer ($3 for the board, $1 for each glass). I’m going to sample 4 different bottles of Innis & Gunn STAT using this new server. I’ve been a long time fan of Innis & Gunn not to mention I love ordering flights of beer in restaurants. Now I can sample different beers in the comfort of my own apartment. #score.
Fall shoes had also arrived at Target and I scooped up two pairs (of course). But will save that for another blog post about Fall Fashion!!
By the way, getting home was not pretty at each bridge. Oh well…it was still worth it.
Happy Shopping.
Beer, cocktail bites, Innis & Gunn, Jell-O, Jello, Niagara on the Lake, snacks, Target, Tops, Wegmans
Food, TravelJune 30th, 2013
Let’s just say that there is no shortage of amazing food in Israel. Here’s a sample of what I’ve been enjoying.
1. Shakshuka (Full House, 198 Ahuza St, Ra’anana, Israel). This dish is made with tomatoes, eggs, onions, red peppers and a special blend of spices. I asked around for the best Shakshuka in Ra’anana and this restaurant came highly recommended. See the green vegetable in the bowl? I thought it was a green pepper. WRONG. It was jalepeno. Lesson learned.
2. Hummus. Sadly we just can’t get hummus like this in Toronto. This is the real deal. Again – it’s from Full House.
3. Beer!! I discovered that a microbrewery does exist in Israel and it’s called Jem’s. The founder of this bar/restaurant had a dream and made it happen. Congratulations Jeremy!
4. Root Salad. My cousin took me for a beautiful lunch in Herzilaya at a restaurant that overlooked the beach. We certainly did enjoy the atmosphere and the salald!!
6. Fatoush Salad: I ordered this salad from Bread Story, (86 Dizengoff, Tel Aviv). Again, many thanks to my cousin for the recommendation! Loved everything about this salad.
7. Cheese: Discovered an amazing gourmet food store in Ra’anana called Basher Fromagerie (89 Ahuza). Naturally I gravitated towards the cheese that was not only colorful but flavorful too!
Can you tell that I’m having a great time in Israel? I only have a few days left before I continue my travels to Barcelona where I will continue my food adventures!! #happydance
Ahuza, Barcelona, Basher Fromagerie, Beer, Bread Story, Fatoush Salad, Full House, Herziliya, Israel, Jem's, Ra'anana, Tel Aviv
When I saw a tweet that the Loose Moose had the largest draught beer selection in Downtown Toronto – then I knew I had to go! I’m not sure I had ever been to the Loose Moose before, but having a large beer selection was a sure way to get me to visit. (#lovebeer)
My friend and I sat at the bar so we could watch a hockey game (ok two hockey games). The Loose Moose is certainly a great place to go to watch a sports event!
Our friendly bartender was the type of bartender that every bar should have: friendly, professional and helpful. He guided us thru both the beer and food menu so we could make the right choice. Please say hi to @_ScottWilson.
Based on his recommendation, we each ordered the Woody which is described as a hamburger with American cheese, really special sauce, caramelized onion, and bacon,on foccacia. I had mine with a really tasty Caesar salad and was a happy camper. Due to the fact that I’m on a no-carb diet, I took off the bun. (sad but true)
My Caesar Salad was equally as good. It was so delicious that I wasn’t even thinking about french fries!
I paired my burger with a handful of 2 oz samples. (sadly I don’t have any photos but trust me – I had a few beers!!)
The Loose Moose has it all: the friendliest professional bartenders, great food, lots of TV’s and a well designed space…not to mention the largest draught beer selection in downtown Toronto.
For more information:
The Loose Moose 146 Front St. W. Toronto (416) 977-8840
Disclosure: I was given a $50 gift card to compensate for my meal, however all opinions are my own.
bartender, Beer, Caesar Salad, downtown, Draught, hamburger, hockey, Loose Moose, Scott Wilson, Toronto, twitter
I can finally scratch Bar Volo off my bucket list for 2013!! Hooray for me. I seriously don’t know what took me so long seeing as this family owned bar has been around since 1985!!
I went on Thursday night at 630 pm and the place was slammed. Was not expecting to see so many beer fans but clearly craft beer is popular these days. Since December 2012, they now have 26 beers on tap (one for each letter of the alphabet). Plus they are well known for serving cask ales!
I explained to my waiter that even though I love (love) beer – beer doesn’t love me. So he poured me 5 – 2 oz samples. Total cost $2.83. I felt bad – so I ordered another
5 samples and to my amazement, I finished all of them. I feel so grown up!!
Big spender eh?
My new twitter friend (@cfilion) ordered a charcuterie board that was MOST impressive. Sadly I couldn’t share it with her as I was too full from the beer (sniff). However I did manage to sample a few things and it was dee-lish.
I will need to return in the summer to enjoy their beautiful patio and another 10 – 2 oz samples of beer!!
For further information:
Bar Volo 587 Yonge St, Toronto (416) 928-0008 Open Monday to Sunday from 4 pm to 2 am. Kitchen Open from Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 12 pm. Cash and Visa only.
ps sign up for their newsletter so you can find out about special events, new beers, etc.
Bar Volo, Beer, bucket list, Cask, Charcuterie, Toronto
I’ve just returned from a trip to Hartford Connecticut. I had the chance to hang out my amazing cousins at a bar mitzva AND I had a chance to visit Trader Joe’s. The last time I went to a Trader Joe’s was in March 2012 while visiting Detroit. Go figger that this is how I like to spend my spare time while visiting a city I have never been to!
Here’s a sample of my purchases:
–Shelf Stable Whipping Cream ($1.29) – Never know when I might need Whipping Cream last minute, right? Can’t wait to do a taste test and compare this product to refrigerated whipped cream. Stay tuned.
–Trader Joe’s Guacamole Kit: I coudn’t buy this kit due to restrictions about bringing in veggies over the border. But, don’t you think this is a brilliant idea? This contains all the ingredients you would need to make fresh guacamole. LOVE IT.
–Trader Joe’s Chile Spiced Mango: ($1.99) I have no idea what I want to do with it but I know that I haven’t seen this type of dried fruit in Toronto. Right?
–Trader Joe’s Savoury Popcorn. ($1.99) This totally appealed to me as I’m all about flavour. Can’t wait to try it.
More items that I bought included: Beer $1.50 a bottle, a super amazing kitchen towel ($3.99), Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce $1.99, Crunchy Curls ($2.69), Chocolate bars (99 cents), Cheese and More. My bill was $81.44 to be exact. …so trust me, I did OK.
After my visit to Trader Joe’s, I sat at the pool at the Ramada to enjoy some sunshine. Also wanted to share with you that I purchased my hotel night using Hotwire and selected the Secret Hotel Optionl. I’ve done this only once before and had such a great experience that I did it again. Did I score? You Bet. I scored a 3.5 star hotel in DOWNTOWN Hartford with a $63 a night room rate. #happiness
Next weekend: I’m off to Ottawa to:
a) Celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom
b) See the Tulip Festival
c) Hang out at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market on Sunday.
Can’t wait. So much to see – so little time!
Beer, chocolate, Connecticut, Detroit, Guacamole, Hartford, Hotwir, Ottawa, popcorn, Ramada, Trader Joes, whipping cream
Thanks to the internet (errr…twitter), I spent last Sunday having a ton on fun. I know I should have been home cooking soup or cleaning a bathtub but …..I have my priorities. It’s called “ENJOY TORONTO”. Which is exactly what I did.
My day looked like this:
11:00 – noon: Met a friend at La Bamboche (1712 Avenue Road) to try their green tea croissant. I had been reading updates on this croissant on twitter and facebook and knew I wanted to try it. PS. While I’m mentioning La Bamboche, can you please mark off March 20th in your calendar for Macaron Day!! I will be blogging about this special day in a few weeks. Promise.
Love the concept of a green tea croissant. Just had to try it!!
12:30-1:30 pm – Dropped by the Junction Flea Market. For close to two hours I strolled by 3 floors of unique exhibitors. I was so impressed by this impressive event which is held the second Sunday of every month. I didn’t buy anything but boy was I tempted!
Special mention to these vendors: These Woods, Rune, @crownflora,
2:00 – 3:30 p.m – Went to The Rhino (1249 Queen W) to enjoy their Winter Beer Fest. I had NO idea that there would be 300 other craft beer fans there!! As Rob said (from Beaus All Natural). “Clearly there is a demand for more Craft Beer events”. I had a blast sampling a variety of beers and can’t wait to return for their next Beer Fest.
Beers ..that I sampled!
NO shortage of beers to try!!
People ask me all the time “How do I found out about all these events”. The answer is: “I find out about these events on Twitter”. Seriously.
Wonder what I will be doing this Sunday? Stay tuned!!
Beaus All Natural, Beer, Junction Flea Market, LaBamboche, Macaron Day, Rune, The Rhino, These Woods
Thanks to
Costco, I always seem to have salmon or tilapia in my freezer. I probably make fish once a week, which means I’m always looking for new recipes for either types of fish. Last week, I was searching for tilapia recipes on the computer and came across this amazing recipe from
The Rookie Chef. It fits my criteria for a perfect recipe: easy, fast, and the results were outstanding. Here’s the recipe:
BEER BATTERED TILAPIA
- Tilapia filets
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of beer (I used Molson 67, of course)
- Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
step 1
- In another bowl blend the egg and beer together
step 2
then quickly stir into the flour mixture.
- Don’t worry if the batter is a little lumpy (seriously…it’s lumpy)
Lumpy Batter (but it’s all good)
- Heat oil (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a skillet) in a frying pan until extremely hot
- Now lightly dust your tilapia filets and dunk into your beer batter mix
- Fry until golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels
The fish was moist moist moist and no one had any fish left on their plates after the meal. Definitely a good sign!!
FINAL PRODUCT:
PS. Costco had haddock on sale this week. Anyone have a good recipe to share?
Beer, Costco, fish, molson 67, Recipe, salmon, the rookie chef, tilapia
Despite the rains and the clouds on Thursday afternooon, I headed down to Bandshell Park (at Exhibition Place) so I could enjoy Toronto’s Festival of Beer. I’m not a fan of crowds so I always go on the first day. It was a great move! Me. Smart.
What did I discover this year?
BEER: Seeing as I am on week #6 of a no carb diet…the beer festival was the last place I should have been. Not to mention, I really really like beer. HOWEVER there is good news. I discovered Michelob Ultra. I only had 2 beer tickets and I used both tickets on this beer. I was thrilled that there was a beer that I could drink during the Festival. If you look closely in the photo you can see my GLASS souvenir beer mug. I love this new mug…so much better than the plastic that they use to give out.
See how happy I am?
I bumped into old friends, like Great Lakes Brewery and made new friends, like The Beer Academy!!
FOOD: Beer and Food go hand in hand. Don’t you think? I was delighted to discover some new vendors this year: Fidel Gastro, Belly Busters, K-song Taco and the nicest guys called Snoballandsons raising money for Prostrate Cancer. There was also quite a few food trucks as well.
Fidel Gastro
I had a snoball with SUGAR FREE syrup and I was in heaven. Not to mention it felt good to support this booth and help them raise some $$.
MUSIC: I never stay long enough to sit down and enjoy the music and stay till 11 pm. But as I walked around, I certainly did enjoy the music and made a mental note to myself to make sure that I could stay longer next year. I hear that the line up on Sunday is awesome. #justsayin’.
The Festival is sold out on Saturday but if you hurry and visit their website you can buy tickets for Sunday. Not to mention, that the weather is going to be perfect on Sunday. Go for it. You can thank me later.
Toronto Beer Festival, July 27-29, Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place
Beer, Beer Academy, Exhibition Park, Fidel Gastro, Great Lakes Brewery, Ksong Taco, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Snowballandsons, Toronto Festival of Beer
