Pizzeria Libretto

For our 3rd anniversary, Scott got me tickets to see Strictly Ballroom at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. The show was great, I love a good musical! Before the show, we had to have lunch nearby at Pizzeria Libretto. We have been casually stalking this place on Instagram, so we were pretty excited. We knew we had to try to Ricotta Gnocchi Fritti, and it did not disappoint. These little potato pillows were so delicate and wonderful. The tomato sauce was really, really impressive. Every single bite was so tasty, my mouth is watering remembering it.

Ricotta Gnocchi Fritti - San Marzano Tomato, Nduja Sausage, Stracciatella

I ordered off the Pizza Bianca menu, opting for the House-made Sausage pizza. It was sweet and spicy, but the crust is the really impressive part. It was amazingly thin and light, but not crisp.

House-Made Sausage Pizza Bianca - Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Chili Oil

Scott decided on the Diavola from the Pizza Rossa menu. It was really tasty when you managed to wrangle a bite, but it was the greasiest thing I've eaten in a while. The crust wasn't really interested in doing it's job, so we decided it was really a fork & knife pizza.

Diavola Pizza Rossa - Tomato, Spicy Salami, Mozzarella Di Bufala, Chili, Onion, Kalamata Olives

While we waited, we had some of the best focaccia I have ever tasted. It was with tasting oils, and definitely got us excited for our little gnocchis to come. Our service was great, but we were one of the only tables there for lunch on a Sunday. The gnocchi was great, the pizzas were good. There are so many places in Toronto I want to try and haven't this just wasn't all that impressive.

Likes: Focaccia & Gnocchi
Dislikes: Greasy pizza paired with a cloth napkin
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Probably not, this area is filled with great looking food!

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

On Monday morning, Canadian Thanksgiving, we had to travel back to London from having visited my parents. Of course, that means we could stop for brunch in Toronto! I had seen Mildred's Temple Kitchen on Instagram many times, so I was pretty pleased to see it was open on the holiday. I ordered the Big Brunch Skillet, and as you can see, we shared a side of chorizo sausage. First, I must say that the coffee was the absolute best coffee I've had in a restaurant, so shout out to Reunion Island Coffee. The skillet was very satisfying, but not mind blowing. Lots of spicy, tasty bites that went well with the eggs. I think I would have preferred poached eggs, since I really just don't like the jelly uncooked top of sunny-side up eggs, something I should have remembered. A nice rye toast would have been welcome too, it felt like it needed a toast.

Big Brunch Skillet - spicy pulled pork, roasted onions, black bean and potato hash with sunny eggs and piri piri salsa

Scott went his usual route - pancakes! These pancakes should be winning all the awards, they were so thick, light and fluffy. The Buttermilk was really doing good work, and that blueberry compote was delicious. I am a little jealous I didn't have a plate for myself. In the menu, it mentions that they are cooked low and slow, so I imagine the batter must be crazy thick to get them as high as they are.

Mrs. Biederhof's Legendary Light & Fluffy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes - served with Lanark County maple syrup & whipped cream.

Many things about this place were absolute wins. Like everywhere else in Toronto for brunch, it was really busy, and they don't take reservations. They do take your phone number, and text you when your table is ready, which is genius. There are so many little shops and things around Liberty Village to look at to entertain yourselves for 45 minutes, that the wait really didn't seem like an inconvenience at all. We actually bought a nice cast iron lasagna pan at a store nearby that we hope to use this week (this one). The dining area is so spacious and light, with enough charm to make it cozy. The kitchen line is completely exposed, so I could see every skillet and stack of pancakes prepared before ours. The music was great, kitchen staff clearly agreed - one chef stirred both a pot of something and his hips to Salt-N-Pepa's Push It. Unfortunately, our actual service wasn't impressive. Our server seemed completely exhausted. We quickly ran out of water and coffee, and were left for way too long with nothing to drink. All of our interactions with him felt really awkward, I didn't like it.

Likes: The atmosphere and pancakes were great!
Dislikes: I loved the coffee, and would have loved more of it - service was not ideal.
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. I do want those pancakes, but there's plenty more to try in the area. After such a long wait, I want to be more impressed.

Sunny Morning Breakfast & Lunch

I can't believe how busy it has been this week! I almost forgot to tell you about my delightful Sunday breakfast, the morning after watching two amazing people get married the night before. For a small moment we considered the complimentary hotel breakfast in the morning, but it looked so sad. Instead, we went to Sunny Morning Breakfast & Lunch in Etobicoke. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Omelette. This was perfect, I had cream cheese to spread on my marble rye toast for each bite of smokey salmon and egg. I opted for the side of fruit instead of home fries, since I just felt like I needed some fruit in my life. Three of us enjoyed the fruits, it was huge! The capers and red onion made for just the right flavour combination that is always a success.

Smoked Salmon Omelette - Smoked salmon, capers, red onion, with fruit, marble rye & cream cheese.

Scott ordered a sweet pile of tasty goodness, called Freddy's Caramel Waffle. It was delightful, with sweet caramel in every hole of the waffle. It was amazing to see, he didn't even use syrup. He loves syrup! I would call this a dessert long before accepting it as a breakfast, but there you have it.

Freddy's Caramel Waffle - golden waffle topped with pecans, banana slices, sweet milk caramel and whipped cream.

This place was really busy when we got there, and really busy when we left. We waited about 15 minutes, and service was quick. They were really on top of keeping our coffees full and the food came much sooner than we expected. It didn't seem like the quality suffered at all from the pace, I assume they are used to being busy on a Sunday morning.

Likes: The service was great, food was delicious
Dislikes: Tables were a little small
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: I would if I happened to be right in the area. I maintain that there are so many places to try in Toronto that I can't waste valuable stomach space on a second visit anywhere. I would recommend it though if you are looking for a great breakfast spot.

The Good Fork

On Sunday, we eat brunch. On Sunday in Toronto it is really hard to decide where to go since brunch has become so hot. A good guide is to stay local since there are so many great neighborhood spots. Airbnb means I am no longer restricted to the downtown core, and now get to explore and eat more like a local when I visit (yes, that's another Airbnb recommendation - you should really try it). We decided to try out The Good Fork, a really busy place that had a huge wait. Luckily, they offer to text when your table is ready, so we were able to go a couple doors down to a Timothy's for tea and coffee while we waited for our table. If you are in a rush, this is not the place for you, but then again, maybe Sunday Brunch isn't for you. I ordered the Fork Scram, which was perfect. I was in love with every single bite with the creamy creme fraiche and dill, and of course smoked salmon! The puff pastry was cooked to perfection, and the scrambled eggs made it feel like a great start to the day. The home fries were a huge disappointment. two of us ordered them as sides and were not thrilled. There was very little seasoning or character involved. Covered in ketchup, they were fine, but better home fries would have made this breakfast exceptional.

Fork Scram - puff pastry, two scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, whipped chive creme fraiche, fresh dill, and home fries

Once we had a table, service was pretty good. I just can't believe it was over an hour for a table. We definitely went at peak brunch time. If you are in the area, I really do recommend this dish. It was so refreshing and tasty. The pastry wasn't too heavy, and the dill was just right.

Likes: Every bite was heavenly.
Dislikes: Except the home fries - so boring.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Would I go again?: Probably not. It was good, but not wait-for-over-an-hour good. There are plenty more brunches to try.

The Pie Commission

On Saturday I headed to Toronto to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of my best friends. But first - meat pie! I am so glad savory pies are making a comeback, they are so satisfying.After noticing The Pie Commission on Instagram, I had been meaning to visit at some point and Saturday lunch I made it happen. The pies come in a little box, and I was somehow convinced I would need a side, so I also ordered fries. I ordered the Braised Beef Rib Pie, which comes with beef braised in veal stock, sweet potato, and mushrooms. The pie filling was so good, I would love to eat this pie on a cold day, but it was just as good on one of the hottest days of the year. The pastry was flaky and delicious, and the pie was so filling. I should have really tried to eat the pie by hand, like it was meant to be, but instead I tried with the little plastic fork and knife. It was a bit of a mess, and real cutlery might have been an improvement. Really though, it is a hand pie, what was I thinking? I didn't have much room for fries, and proceeded to forget them in the car.

Likes: Flaky pastry, savory goodness inside.
Dislikes: The fries reminded me of Swiss Chalet, maybe that's a good thing for you.
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Yes, I really want to try some of their other pie flavours.

Casa Manila

In February, I bought three-day passes to Ottawa Bluesfest for July 15-17th. I was so proud of myself - Scott's birthday is July 15th AND the Red Hot Chili Peppers were playing that day. I told pretty much anyone that would listen (except Scott), and tried really hard not to spoil the surprise. Somewhere along the way, I let it slip we were headed to Ottawa, no big deal, he still didn't know what we would be doing! Then the new album dropped, and as a fan, Scott asked his friend what he thought of the new songs. Unfortunately for me, said friend also loves the Chili Peppers, and said he wanted to go see them in Ottawa on the 15th of July. Entirely excited, Scott had a pretty solid guess what I had planned for his birthday. At least I didn't let it slip myself this time!

In our cute little Accent hatchback rental car, we set out for Ottawa on July 14th, but first - Summerlicious in Toronto! If you haven't done it, Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) are special times of the year when lots of Toronto restaurants serve three-course prix fixe menus. Places book up pretty fast, but you still have time - it ends July 24th this summer. On our way through Toronto, I chose a couple cheap ($18 each) lunch options that were near the highway, then Scott and I settled on Casa Manila. We had never had Filipino food, so we were both pretty excited. The highlight: Crispy Pork Belly Adobo. The pork belly was crispy on the outside, but melted in your mouth on the inside. The sauce was delicious, and mixed well with the perfectly cooked garlic rice. I am not entirely sure what veggies were involved in the fritter, but it was really tasty. Our server recommended vinegar, and it was a nice addition.

Crispy Pork Belly Adobo - tangy garlic, laurel & soy sauce with crispy pork belly, served with garlic rice & okoy vegetable fritter

We also ordered Kare Kare, an Oxtail stew. The peanut sauce on this dish was unbelievably rich and creamy. The oxtail was the most tender meat I have had in a while, it was falling apart when I tried to pick it up. The secret highlight of this dish is lurking in the back under the vegetable fritter - the fermented shrimp paste. It reminded me of anchovies mixed with a strong olive tapenade. It wasn't something I imagined I would like, but it mixed well with the rice and the peanut sauce.

Kare Kare - ground peanuts, delicate spices, combination of oxtail, beef and tropical vegetables, served with our fermented shrimp paste, jasmine steamed rice & okoy vegetable fritter

I started with the mains, because they were amazing. The starters were a little underwhelming. I picked the Chicken Chicharon Medley. The chicken skin was very crispy, but not very flavourful. The pickled papaya slaw that was on both mains was pretty tasty and not too heavy in vinegar.

Chicken Chicharon Medley - Chicken skin crackling harmonized with adobo seasoning, pickled papaya slaw, garlic aioli & seasoned vinegar

Scott chose the Embutido Terrine. It was two slices of a sausage meatloaf that reminded me so much of a pate. While it looks pretty similar to the other appetizer, they tasted completely different. Scott seemed to really prefer this one, but I was more into the chicken skin. Both were a little boring.

Embutido Terrine - A Filipino festive meatloaf with boiled egg, sausage, pickles, raisins & carrots, topped with garlic aioli, served with pickled papaya slaw & olives stuffed with garlic

Finally, the desserts! We both barely had any room after the mains, both were really filling. We ordered the Leche Flan Creme Caramel (left) and the Cassava Cake (Right). They looked and tasted so similar. There was only really a difference in texture. The Creme Caramel was a perfectly creamy custard that was the winner here. The Cassava Cake was a great soaked cake, I just love custard.

Leche Flan Creme Caramel (left) & Cassava Cake with custard topping (right)

This place seemed really authentic, from the servers to the patrons, we were some of the only white, non-Filipino looking people in the restaurant. Of course, I could be completely wrong, as this was my first experience with Filipino food, and we are usually the minority in a lot of great restaurants in Toronto. It felt like we were being let in on the secret of amazing Filipino cuisine. The service was pretty good, although it kind of seemed like we were forgotten about as we neared the end of our meal and the server took to busing tables around us while we just sat and looked at each other. We weren't in a rush, and it wasn't that long before she checked in on us again.

Likes: The pork belly. The oxtail. The peanut sauce. The custard. Overall, the food here was a hit!

Dislikes: The appetizers were not impressively presented or orchestrated and didn't make us too excited for the rest of the meal, a shame since it was all uphill from there.

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Hopefully. There are so many places to try, but this was a great experience and I would love to try out their regular menu beyond Summerlicious.

Eva's Original Chimneys

For our 2 year anniversary, Scott bought tickets to see Kinky Boots in their final performance in Toronto. Of course that means we needed to find food first! We decided to visit Evergreen Brick Works in the hopes of food trucks and a nice stroll. Although we were a little disappointed to see only two food trucks and another truck selling Harem Pants, there was one we were excited to try. For a couple weeks, Eva's Original Chimneys was mainly located at Brick Works, catching a lot of attention on social media. When we arrived, the sky was pretty overcast and the park wasn't too busy. We were able to walk directly up to the truck without a line and order the Sweet Apple Pie:

It's an ice cream cone made of a Hungarian pastry, known as a chimney cake. If you have never had one, its a lot like a doughnut, covered in sugar and cinnamon. The cone was filled with vanilla soft-serve with some apple pie filling. It was a pretty good sweet treat, but there was a secret surprise at the end...at the bottom of the cone there was a chocolate truffle. This little chocolate nugget was unexpected, and not all that welcome, it was really kind of strange to have. The pastry itself was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, tasty but not too sweet.

Likes: perfect vanilla soft serve, nice soft pastry

Dislikes: the chocolate truffle was unwelcome
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Maybe, but there are so many other food trucks and desserts to try that it doesn't really need to be revisited