Boom Breakfast & Co

Coming to Boom Breakfast & Co is a great way to start the day. I came here a few weeks ago and really enjoyed my breakfast. This restaurant has a couple different locations around the city. They offer your typical breakfasts staples, from eggs, to pancakes, to smoothies and more.  

We started with the Good Morning smoothie. It has blueberries, mango, banana, orange juice and honey. It was descent. Not overly sweet.

Moonstruck Omelete. This has fior di latte cheese, prosciutto, fresh basil and roasted tomatoes. 

Classic breakfast with scrambled eggs, rye toast, home fries and sausage. This was delish. The home fries were my favourite thing on the plate.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Boom Breakfast & Co. The service was friendly, the place was packed with people (always a good sign) and the food tasted fresh and hit the spot. I would definitely come back for breakfast again. 

Happy Eating!

Frankie's Restaurant

Frankie's is a smaller restaurant located on Queen St West. I stumbled in a while ago craving a sandwich. I was delighted when I saw they have a reuben sandwich on their menu.

When the sandwich came to my table, I thought it looked delicious. However after my first bite, it was clear that the meat was SO chewy. To the point where I had to use a knife and fork to get through it. It was really disappointing. Aside from the food, the service was very nice and the interior of the restaurant was welcoming. I haven't tried anything else on their menu.

So just to warn ya, if you come to Frankie's ...do not order the reuben sandwich. 

Happy Eating!

Enoteca Sociale

I have been eager to dine at Enoteca Sociale for quite some time now, and am so happy to share the experience with you! This restaurant has a great ambiance and is casual, warm and inviting. We started our meal off with a bottle of delicious white wine called Oris. We were informed this was their last bottle in stock and it cannot be found in any LCBO. We were lucky to get our hands on it because it was seriously delicious.

Complimentary Bread basket. This came with focaccia bread, a crusty sourdough type bread and olive oil. I honestly couldn't get enough of this bread. The focaccia tasted just like my grandma's. It was heavenly.

We shared Beef Tongue. It was thinly cut slices of beef, topped with pear, capers, jalapeño and salsa verde. It was spicy, sweet and tangy all at once. The beef had so much flavour. Everything on this plate worked perfectly together.

 We also tried the Salumi Board. This came with a variety of 'Crown Salumi' and pickled garnishes. 

We shared two pastas for our mains. The first was the Gnocchi with tomato,'nudja, stracciatella and basil. The gnocchi literally melted in my mouth. The tomato sauce had a nice kick of spice which paired well with the light cheese on top.

The second pasta dish was the Autumn squash anolini with pickled chanterelles, parsley and hazelnut. This had a little sweetness to it. It felt like I was eating a perfect dish for the fall season. I really enjoyed it.

Overall, I really really really enjoyed my dinner at Enoteca Sociale. It has been a while since I have had good Italian food in the city. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. I am eager to go back and try more dishes they have to offer!

Happy Eating!

Greg's Ice Cream

The Pumpkin Spiced Ice Cream from Greg's Ice Cream is fantastic!! The perfect Fall treat :)

Greg's also has many other interesting flavours you can't find at most ice-creameries. 

http://gregsicecream.com

Happy Eating!

Homemade Panzerotti's

My friend and I made homemade Panzerotti’s last week. They turned out to be absolutely DELICIOUS!  So ….. obviously  I wanna share this simple yet tasty recipe! 

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

1 tbsp dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of sugar

For Filling:
Crushed Tomatoes
Spices (chili flakes, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper)
Mozzarella Cheese

Kalamata Olives

Pepperoni 

In a bowl add yeast, warm water and sugar (to activate the yeast). Mix this together. Then add flour, salt and olive oil to the bowl and mix. This should become thicker and hold together. Flour countertop and put dough on countertop. Knead it for a couple minutes.

Transfer the dough to a bowl (put olive oil in this bowl so dough doesn’t stick). Cover with towel/cloth for about 30 minutes. After the 30 mins, knead it for a couple more minutes. And it should be ready to go at this point.

Cut Cheese into cubes

Add the spices to the crushed tomatoes. 

Take the pits out of the olives (or use already pitted ones)

Poke the dough with a fork to create a couple holes. Bake in the oven for 30-38 minutes.

VOILA! homemade panzerottis that taste amazing! 

Happy Eating!

The Abbott

I discovered a hidden gem in my hood! The Abbott is a cozy coffee shop tucked away on Spencer street (near king and Dufferin). I came here for the first time last week, and can officially say: this is my new 'go to' place for coffee, reading, work and sweets. 

The interior is homey and immediately makes you feel welcome. While I was here, I loved the ambiance. It is clear that the owners/workers get to know their customer; everyone was greeted with a warm smile and conversation. 

I had an americano with almond milk. It was perfect. The chocolate chip cookie was also very nice. If you are in this area, you should definitely stop by The Abbott :)

Happy Eating!

An Interesting Treat

I stumbled upon these asian delights at Loblaw's a little while ago and thought I'd tell you about it. 

These Mochi make for an interesting treat. Interesting in that I have never tried anything quite like it. It has a soft, almost marshmallowy texture, and they are not overly sweet. I enjoyed them. They are bite size and not too filling. 

Happy Eating!

Stampede Bison Grill

Stampede Bison Grill is a small restaurant at Queen and Brock. The menu is simple and straight to the point. When you arrive, you fill out a small piece of paper with the food options you want. They serve delicious hamburgers and delicious sides. 

I came recently and enjoyed the experience. I ordered:

Onion Rings. These were very crunchy and surprisingly not greasy.

I had the beef burger with goat cheese, caramelized onions, tomato and lettuce. It had good flavour. The goat cheese was tangy, and the caramelized onions were sweet. It was a nice balance.

My friend had a beef burger as well. She topped it with cheddar cheese, bacon, caramelized onions and ketchup. I tried a bite. Although it was tasty, I enjoyed mine more.

Overall, the prices are very inexpensive for the amount of food you get. The atmosphere is laid back and welcoming. I would come back again for a burger.

Happy Eating! 

Noka

Noka is a relatively new restaurant located in the Annex. Serving up Contemporary Japanese food, Noka seems to be a popular place in this hood. My friend and I were in the area, noticed the new restaurant, and decided to give it a try. 

The complimentary taro was light and crispy. A nice way to start the meal.

Green Salad. This was a pretty standard 'sushi restaurant' green salad.

Vegetable gyoza. These dumplings were very tasty. I found the dipping sauce to be a little too peppery and overpowering. The flavour of the gyoza was lost when dipped. However, standing alone, the gyoza had a nice flavour.

The Stuffed Tuna (Tuna, scallop, spicy sauce, rice and avocado) This was fabulous. It was delicate and well balanced in flavour.

Spicy Crab Roll. I enjoyed this roll.

BBQ eel and Avocado Roll. This roll was just O.K in my books.

Spicy Tuna Roll. This was a big miss for me. I didn't enjoy the flavours in this roll at all.

Overall, Noka had some hits and some misses. I would like to come back to try different dishes and hopefully experience the food at a higher potential. The service was very friendly and attentive. The decor and ambiance were nice. We'll see what Noka round 2 has to offer. 

Happy Eating!