A few weeks ago I had a lousy day which started off at 8:10 am when I dropped my car keys down the elevator shaft.

Don’t ask. Not my best moment.

Luckily I’m a CAA member. Therefore a CAA tow truck whisked my car to a Nissan dealership that was luckily only a kilometre away. I then discovered that it would take 1.5 hours to program a key for my beloved Versa – at a total cost of $232. It was still half the cost of an elevator technician so I wasn’t complaining.

During the 1.5 hours I had to kill, I ventured out out to walk along Avenue Road. I did some prospecting (as always) and then realized it was time for lunch and  decided to grab a burger at South St. Burger. This restaurant has always been a favourite of mine. Not to mention that this sign made me laugh. Oh how I love clever marketing.

I had a burger that I believe is the “Better Choice”.  The fact that it contained a fresh 6 oz beef patty made from 100% Angus beef, raised without antibiotics, hormones and prepared without any preservatives or additives certainly appealed to me.  Definitely the “Better Choice.”

What I also love about this restaurant is that you can customize your burger (or hot dog, or chicken burger) with over 30 traditional and gourmet condiments. There’s everything from dill pickles to dijon horseradish, guacamole and mango chutney at no extra charge. Premium toppings include a selection of five real cheeses, grilled ginger glazed pineapple, Applewood smoked bacon, and sautéed mushrooms.#YUM

I always seem to select: mango chutney, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and dill pickles. Time in and time out!! There’s something about this combination that makes me feel like I’m getting spoiled.

South St. Burger is the “better” choice – hands down!!

This time, I didn’t order the french fries or the onion rings (even though they looked really good). I also was tempted to try their milkshakes as they are made with 2 scoops of real ice cream. #next time

I must admit that South St. Burger cheered me up on a pretty lousy day.

Other fun facts about South St. Burger.

• It is 100% independently Canadian owned and operated
• There are more than 35 locations across Canada from coast to coast and two in Dubai.
• They also offer Gluten Free Buns

Hope you get a chance to visit a South St. Burger one day soon as well (minus the hassle of losing your keys). LOL. With South St. Burger, dinner just got better.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all my opinions are my own.

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Recently I learned about a franchise that is the best kept secret. Believe it or not, I’m still in shock that I’ve never heard of this franchise.

It’s called Queseda and they have over 60 locations throughout Canada!! Yes – 60. I’m still shaking my head that I had never heard of this franchise before!

The restaurant is bright and welcoming. Still shaking my head that I had never head of Quesada before. Don’t worry by the end of the blog post I will get-over-it. (I think)

Also, what really sets Quesada apart is its approach to food. It’s always fresh and tasty with most items made from scratch. I absolutely adore restaurants who have this commitment. They make their salsas and sauces fresh daily. The Pulled Pork Carnitas is another example of their approach to food. It’s a slowcooked menu item that is made from scratch.

Last week, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Steve Gill who started this business.

Recipe for Pulled Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients, except for the pork shoulder, in a slow cooker. Add pork shoulder and ladle some of the spice mixture over pork to cover.
Place lid on slow cooker, set on low and cook for 8 hours.
Once cooked, remove pork onto a rimmed baking sheet, and shred with 2 forks. Add some of the slow cooker liquid back into the shredded meat, if desired.

Diner that evening was delicious and I will certainly be returning to Quesada. Plus I look forward to watching this franchise grow too.

For more information:

Website: http://www.quesada.ca

Twitter and Instagram: @QuesadaBurritos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuesadaBurritos

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own

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This week I had the opportunity  (and time) to visit two new restaurants and naturally I would like to share them with you.

Restaurant #1: The newly opened Caplansky’s at 156 Cumberland. Yes, The Deli King,….Zane Caplansky, has brought deli to Yorkville and this particular location is the launch of their first franchise!

The space is bright and colourful and has some fun features like a pickle on the front doors and pickle wall paper too.

As for the food: I sampled the Turkey Reuben (exclusive to this location),  BBQ Beef Brisket and a Smoked Meat Reubensque. Of course, I liked all of them! I wish I could tell you I liked one more than the other, but I can’t.

The media event that I attended, also had some fun swag that was brilliant…Pickle Socks in a Mason Jar.

Restaurant #2: It’s called Toast and it’s a pop up restaurant that will be open every weekend throughout the month of May (9 am to 3 pm) in the Distillery District (45 Mill St).

You pick the type of bread and then pick either savour or sweet toppings. Easy Peasy and DELICIOUS

Sweet options include: Nutella Cheesecake Mousse, Birthday Cake Batter, Carrot Cake Whipped Ricotta, Salted Caramel Milk Jam, Ball Park Peanut Butter.

Savoury options include: Green Goddess Goat Cheese, Huevos Diablos, Pudina Cream Cheese, Hummus 2.0, Grilled Corn Mash.

One bread with one topping is $6 and well worth it. I couldn’t decide between the sweet or savoury so I decided to go half and half (Huevos Diablos and the Salted Caramel Milk Jam).

Then you can sit down and enjoy your Toast!

The three woman behind this concept use to work for The Steve and Chris Show (Joanne Lustead, Amrita Singh and Lindsay Agnew) and while travelling to San Francisco saw a similar concept. Oh how I love these types of stories.

Congratulations to both restaurants. Hope to see you again soon!!

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A few weeks ago, I read about Archery District on BlogTO. I said to myself “hmm…that sounds like SO much fun”. (um, like 6,000 sqf of fun) So I picked up the phone and went to visit this unique space a few days later.

I found out that Archery District is a franchise that can be found in the States, but four friends from high school got together and brought the first franchise to Toronto.

When I arrived, I was given goggles and then headed over to a practice area for a few minutes of training.  Once my training was over, I was eager to see if I could hit the target. I actually hit it once and then that was the end of my “luck”. LOL

Even though Archery District just opened up a few weeks ago, they are already popular and groups were actively playing Archery dodgeball when i arrived.

Grab a bunch of friends and go. I have no doubt that everyone will have a blast.

For more information:

Website: www.archerydistrict.com 

Address: 770 Birchmount Rd, Unit 22

Phone:  647 955 3111

Hours: Mon-Thur: By booking only, Fri: 4pm-1am, Sat: 10am-1am,  Sun: 10am-10pm

This place is really worth checking out if you are looking for something fun to do!

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Panago is a pizza franchise that originated in Western Canada. Many years ago (about 6?), I discovered one of their first franchises in Toronto (on Gerrard St). I was impressed six years ago and I’m still impressed.

These are the reasons why I  am super impressed with this pizza franchise:

a) Each location is spotless. Take a look at these counters….I mean seriously, this is impressive non?

b) The Pizza: I ordered the Veggie Korma (Indian Korma Sauce, Roasted Garlic, Baby Spinach Leaves, Green Peppers, Pineapple, Hot Banana Peppers, Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese). Despite the fact that I’m lactose intolerant and carb free since June 2012, I DEMOLISHED THE ENTIRE PIZZA. I couldn’t help myself.  I tried to only have one piece but it didn’t work.

Is this not one gorgeous looking pizza?

3) They get Social Media and use it in a big way. You see, I scored the above Pizza due to a Four Square Promotion that was taking place at their Liberty Village location. It wasn’t a free slice, it was an ENTIRE small pizza. I had an amazing chat with the manager (Manny) who also told me about other promotions (ie www.libertyvillagereviews.com). Oh how I love social media (and good pizza).

4) They offer gluten free pizza too. This was launched just recently and I’m sure there’s a lot people out there who are happy to hear this!

Have you checked out Panago before? You really should. #justsayin’.

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