I adore a quick getaway. This past weekend, I had the chance to getaway to Kitchener Waterloo. My itinerary included: a visit to St. Jacobs Market, Tubing at Chicopee Tube Park and a visit to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. Of course I had to squeeze in a visit to an independent coffee shop as well.

Here’s exactly how we spent 24 hours in Kitchen Waterloo.

Friday March 7th:

6:30 pm Arrived at the Four Points by Sheraton Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel & Suites and was immediately impressed with their contemporary decor. Bonus points for the box of ear phones in the Fitness Room for guests who forget to bring a pair! Wow…talk about paying attention to detail. Everyone loved the clean pool and bubbling jacuzzi as well. I would stay at this property again in a heart beat.

Saturday March 8th:

9:00 am Quick coffee at DVLB. We loved the coffee and the cool space that this coffee shop offered. I’m sure it’s a hit with customers both in the morning and in the evening too!!

10:00 – 11:00 Visit to St. Jacobs  Farmers’ Market. This was my first time at this market and it will not be my last time!!

12:00 pm – Another visit to the pool at Four Points by Sheraton and then checked out.

1:00 – 2:00 pm – Dropped by the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory  and totally was in love this space.  Three words come to mind: peaceful, beautiful, and tranquility.

2:30 – 4:30 pm.- A visit to Chicopee Tube Park. Disclosure: I did not participate  (um…tried it a few years ago and it’s not for me!!) but my boyfriend (who had never been tubing before), was a happy camper.

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Travel back to Toronto (sniff).

This getaway provided us with an opportunity to getaway, explore Ontario, and visit some attractions that appealed to us. It would be a great destination for the upcoming Family Day Weekend as well.

Many thanks to Waterloo Regional Tourism  Marketing Corporation for reaching out to me and for making this trip happen!!

For more information:

Four Points by Sheraton Waterloo-Kitchener Hotel & Suites, 547 King St. N, Waterloo, ON 519 -884-0100 Twitter: @4PointsWaterloo

Chicopee Tube Park: 1600 River Road E, Kitchener, ON 519-895 2322 Twitter: @chicopeepark

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory: 250 Kossuth Road, Cambridge, ON 519 653-1234 Twitter; @

St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market Twitter: @stjacobsmarket

Waterloo Regional Tourism – Twitter: @ExploreWR

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I’m not so comfortable writing this blog post as it’s not going to be the upbeat type of blog post you are use to. But I feel, I must share with you my thoughts on how much I spent recently for a butter tart and a coffee….in Bracebridge Ontario. That’s right…Bracebridge. This is not about an over priced restaurant in Yorkville or on Bloor St!!

The restaurant that I went to is well known for their butter tarts. I must admit I’ve  been going every year for the last 4 years. Therefore, I shouldn’t be in shock when the cash register says I owe this amount for a normal cup of coffee and one butter tart!! BUT I AM. I CAN”T SEEM TO GET OVER THIS.

Now that I’ve disclosed how much it costs to have a butter tart and a coffee…let’s talk about their perfect butter tart. There are no words to accurately describe this butter tart.  So I’m not going to even try.

Even though this butter tart and the coffee is OVER PRICED…they run out. So please get there early if you too feel like spending $7.35 on a coffee and a butter tart!! (you have been warned)

By the way this cafe is so famous that there’s no phone number on their website!! That’s how much business he does.

Here’s the info you need to know:

Marty’s World Famous Cafe, 5 Manitoba St, Bracebridge, ON

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About 6 years ago, my parents went to Barcelona. When they got home my mom showed me pictures of the Boqueria Market (or Mercat de la Boqueria) and I knew that I had to go there one day. Finally I made it happen! On my  back from Israel to Toronto, I made sure to book a few days in Barcelona.

Clearly visiting the Boqueria Market was high on my list of “things I wanted to do”. I hope the Picasso Museum forgives me!. I wandered up and down the aisles of this spectacular market – snapping photos with my iPhone 5. I also ate. (what else is new?)

I had several friends tell me that I must( must) go to El Quim  and I was thrilled that was I able to find it amongst the hustle and bustle!! My neighbor at the bar was an American who now lives in Barcelona and visits El Quim every Saturday morning with his kids. He’s a “regular” and was all to happy to introduce me to the Chef.

I ordered squid with eggs thanks to a few email exchanges with @DeliciousDishTO who told me it was the best …and she was RIGHT!!

As you can see, I just couldn’t stop taking photos. Aren’t these gorgeous bundles of Bouquet Garni?
These zucchini blossoms are pretty gorgeous too.

The Boqueria market is so spectacular that I’m going to return on my last day for one more visit to make sure that I saw EVERYTHING. I’m sure I will be taking more photos and enjoying some more food as well.

ps the coffee is from La Virreina and I’m definitely going back there for another cappuccino!!

For more information about Barcelona please visit their website.

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For 20 years, I lived at Bathurst/Sheppard. Therefore, the Milestones at Empress Walk was my “go-to” restaurant for a drink. Never ate there though….till last week when I was
invited to a six course tasting menu.

This menu featured culinary creations showcasing twists off Milestones’ upcoming Summer Chef’s Menu, paired with a selection of Constellation Brands finest wines. I have to say, I felt pretty honoured to be invited to this event. It was not only a “tasty” event but educational too as Executive Chef Jason Rosso and the Milestones Management Team were also present and spoke to us about the new initiatives at Milestones.

I have no doubt that these items will be a hit with customers this summer!

1. Crispy Quinoa Shrimp in a chimmi churri ailoi served with a vegetable slaw: This dish was my favorite. It had everything going for it and I KNOW I will be ordering this on my next visit

2. Panko Blue Crab Cakes with Fennel and Arugula Slaw and Chipotle Aiola. Again, another great dish!

3. Spicy Thai Basil Stir Fry – rice noodles, shrimp and coconut milk. Something tells me that this is going to be a popular dish.

4. Surf and Turf: A duo of grilled flat iron steak and lobster fricassee

When coffee was served at the end of the meal, I turned to the Director of Operations for Eastern Canada, Todd  Attridge, who was sitting next to me and said: “Wow – this is really good coffee” and he replied “We just partnered with Starbucks!”. I think this is great fit for both brands and delighted to have  my coffee of choice (Starbucks)  after a fantastic meal.

Milestones has it all – cocktails, wine, great food, and great coffee too!

Congratulations to the whole team at Milestones for such an amazing evening.

PS Loved the fact that the COO @FindlayMark was tweeting throughout the meal. #impressed.

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As you know, I keep visiting Ottawa on a regular basis to visit my parents. On my last visit to Ottawa over the holidays, I asked my twitter friends “what’s new in Ottawa” and with their help I was able to check out two new restaurants: Illume Espresso bar and Union 613. Plus I went to visit Golden Palace , which has been a staple in Ottawa for over 40 years.

My mom and I went for dinner at Union 613 the night that  I arrived….., but only after I read every blog post possible on Urbanspoon.  Reading these blog posts certainly helped me figure out what to order. (Does anyone else do this – or just me?).

We shared the following items:

• Fried Green Tomatoes, Boston Bibb, pimento cheese, pickled onions, bacon and black pepper ranch dressing

Yummy chunks of perfectly fried green tomatoes

• Eggplant and Tomato Casserole, herbed clarmell chevre, garlic crumbs
• Cheddar & Roasted Garlic Hominy Grits
• Cornbread & Bourbon Brown Butter
• Dessert: Pretzel Beignet, lime glaze, dark chocolate, acorn creek chili

Absolutely DA best egg rolls

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Day two of our trip to Detroit was as successful as Day 1. We scored…. as we discovered some really cool “local” places that were definitly off the beaten track.

For example:

We went to a restaurant that served “Soul Food” called Connie and Barbara’s (13101 W. Mcnichols Road) Here’s proof that we were off the “beaten track”. You certainly don’t see signs like this in Toronto.

But let’s talk about the food!!. We were in heaven. Our lovely waitress Donna was even from Toronto and understood our needs to “sample” a little bit of everything and to try items that we couldn’t find in Toronto. We started off our meal with a Caribbean Kool Aid.

Gorgeous. A Bit Sweet...But Gorgeous

Then we ordered items like grits, cornbread, collards and pinto beans.

Goodness!!

It was truly an experience and I would certainly return.

Then we went to Dutch Girl Donuts (19000 Woodward Avenue) as I had read that this was an Detroit Institution. We sampled hot donuts that were SO fresh and SO perfect. I now understand why this place is a Detroit Institution. i.e it’s been around for 63 years.

Our next stop we discovered because of our fast friendship with our blogger friend, @JoeFoodie (who we had met at Trader Joe’s on Day 1).  He told us to drop by MOCAD for a pop up restaurant called Anthology Coffee. We would have never heard of this, if we hadn’t met Joe! We dropped by to check out the coffee and we weren’t disappointed.

For some reason, we also stumbled across Elmwood Market and even though it was a weekday, we still took a stroll around.

Then we went to the Heidelberg Project – which was NOT a food event. SHOCK. I know!! This was one cool public display of art and we absolutely loved every exhibit.

But then it was back to FOOD. LOL.

En route to Target, I noticed this DRIVE IN  called Sonic and HAD to stop. It was a blast from my past complete with waiters who brought your  food to your car on roller skates. Just look at my smile …I felt like I was 5 all-over-again.

Our last meal of the day was Traffic, Jam and Snug which is a 22,000 sqf restaurant that brews their own beer, makes their own ice cream and makes their own cheese. Talk about an achievement!! We invited @JoeFoodie to join us and he invited the owner to join us as well. What a treat!! We were given the royal treatment complete with a tour, a gazillion appetizers, beer samples, mains and desserts PLUS a gift bag to take home full of baked goodies. We were overwhelmed but at the same time, totally grateful for the hospitality we received. Here are three highlights.

I also fell in love with this most unique salad that featured “hot sauce jelly beans” which made a normal salad something very special.

A special salad!

However it was this dessert that really blew us away. It’s called Carlotta Chocolatta Ice Cream Cheesecake described in the menu as:  Double Chocolate Cheesecake wrapped in a coffee  ice cream, coated with bittersweet hot fudge and sprinkled with ground espresso.

Enough said – look at this photo (thanks to @JoeFoodie)

Life.Is.Good

Once again, we returned to the Hilton Garden Inn located in downtown Detroit, totally full and totally happy!!

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This is my first blog post in 2012 and I thought it would only be appropriate to start off the New Year with a “challenge”.

Most challenges are about fitness and some are about food. I even read a blog post many years ago about a challenge to try a different beer for 365 days but this challenge is about SPENDING HABITS and COFFEE.

Like many of you, I drink coffee on a regular basis. But…I only drink it in a coffee shop. I never make it at home. NEVER. I haven’t owned a coffee maker since 1990. However all this has changed, when Tassimo sent me a coffee maker to try. When it arrived, I opened the box eagerly, read the manual (which is so unlike me) and started to make coffee. I even invited friends over for coffee and when I hosted a wine/cheese party, we all gathered round the Tassimo to watch the machine in action.

Needless to say: I am thrilled with my Tassimo. I am so happy that I am going to challenge myself to only drink coffee at home for the month of January. I am determined to save $$ (at least 50 dollars) and I’m determined to embrace my Tassimo.

Enjoying a coffee AT HOME!!

What do you think? Even better…who wants to join me on this challenge?

Disclosure: I received the Tassimo, but was under no pressure to blog about it. The opinions in this blog entry are my own.

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Look at my Starbucks Gold card!!

I met some cousins at  Starbucks in the summer  and as she paid for the coffee, I noticed she had a STARBUCKS GOLD CARD. I immediately asked  “whats that?” She replied “I received it last year in the mail”. Then I fired away some questions: what does she receive for owning a gold card?  how was she selected? can I take a photo of her with her card? etc etc.

She answered that she has been buying Starbucks cards for along time and that “someone” must be tracking her loyalty and how much money she is spending.

I really thought the GOLD CARD was cool. I mean, seriously…. how many people have you met with a Starbucks Gold Card.

I should mention, that my dear cousin lives part time in Florida and that this program does not exist in Canada yet. Last time I spoke to the publicists for Starbucks in Canada they told me that there was  a small pilot-test being held out West.

Let’s cross our fingers that GOLD CARDS will make their way to major cities throughout Canada.

Me-likey-gold-cards.

The last time I had a GOLD CARD was in 1980 for  a club called Tobascos in Hull. For those who are reading this in Ottawa, I am POSITIVE that this is bringing back memories!!

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I blogged about coffee this week, so I thought it would only be fair to talk about tea as well. Naturally I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out!!

This year, I received a dinner gift that I totally fell in love with. It’s a tea tumbler called “Liquid Solutions Tea-Zer”. I started to grate fresh ginger, placed it in the removable strainer, I added boiling water and bingo: beautiful fragrant ginger tea.

freshly grated ginger and my tea tumbler (that I love)

My uncle told me try chopped  lemongrass and I tried it but returned back to the fresh ginger.

I even experimented between normal ginger and organic ginger. The organic ginger won by a long shot.

Once in a while, I will stop at DAVIDsTea. I think they have done a great job with their store concept, their packaging, merchandising etc.

(can you tell I once owned a store?).

I am a sucker for tea thats called “read my lips”!!

The store is so fresh looking and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. There is nothing not to like.

a great looking store..

Their winter line up of teas include: baked apple, organic electric lemon, organic cloud nine and choloclate chili chai.

YUM.

Raise you hand if you are a tea drinker or even an occasional tea drinker like me!!

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Can Anyone Relate to This Photo?

I have a coffee every day? Do you? I have a coffee card for Tim Hortons, Second Cup and Starbucks and I use them regularly. I love independent coffee shops too. Some of my favortites include: Manic, Sam James, Ezras Pound, Jimmys and Dark Horse Espresso Bar.

Coffee is my chance:

-sit down for a minute and read a book or a newspaper

-to meet a friend and catch up

Unlike the photo to the left…I just have a normal black coffee!! No special lattes.

I seriously think about what it would be like NOT to have a coffee every day. Not sure I could do it. Could you? Lately I have been grating ginger into boiling water and I am completely enjoying it. However I still have this NEED to have a coffee.

I’m known sometimes as the “friend who delivers coffee” as I often drop off coffee to friends who cant get out of the house cause they are sick, or their kids are sick, or they are in mourning over a loss, or just had a baby etc.  It’s a small act of kindness but  I love knowing this small gesture makes a difference in their day.

So as I write this..I’m wondering when Tim Hortons is starting their Roll up and Win campaign. I’m already looking forward to it.  Wonder if this year, I might win a bit more often. Wishful thinking. I know.

If you ever want to do a “coffee crawl”…here’s the information for those independent coffee shops listed above:

Manic Coffee…426 College

Sam James Coffee Bar...297 Harbord St.

Dark Horse Espresso…215 Spadina or 682 Queen East (thanks @climbguy)

Ezras Pound…238 Dupont St. or 913 Dundas St. West

Jimmy’s Coffee…107 Portland St.

Aroma...500 Bloor West, Promenade Shopping Centre, Yonge/Eglinton and more…

Tell me about your coffee habits. Are you loyal to one chain? do you have a coffee a day? do you only make coffee at home? do you ever go to independent coffee stores?

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