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Posts in the Restaurants category

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The Brownstone

I’m so guilty of wanting to go to any restaurant that has appeared on the food network. So when I first saw the Brownstone on Restaurant Takeover, I knew I had to go! Unfortunately, I must have ordered all the wrong dishes the first time because my visit a few months ago was just ok. The space was beautiful with it’s exposed brick wall, uncovered overhead piping, and raw wood style flooring and tables, but the food wasn’t great enough for me to return. However, Yashy, from Dishcrawl toronto convinced me to go back and try their brunch. Let’s just say, I’ve returned 5 times within a 2 month period.  



Brunch entrees will run you between 10 and 15 dollars. Fairly competitive for the quality and location. I had the grilled chicken and portobello topped with a poached egg. The side salad with nice and light and the chicken was lightly seasoned with just enough flavour. The whole meal was very satisfying and left me feeling ready to tackle the day.


We’ve also tried the salmone affunicato con frittele which is crispy potato topped with smoked salmon, mascarpone cheese, red onions and capers. The presentation of all their dishes was fantastic and since I’m living only a stone’s throw away, they will definitely see my smiling face on many more Sundays to come.

If you’re working in the area, you should definitely pop by in the summer during happy hour (4pm-6pm) to enjoy some half price appetizers on their great patio.

 

The Brownstone Bistro and Bar

603 Yonge St.,
Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z5.

Telephone: 416-920-6288

FABARNAK

umbrellas at fabarnak

FABARNAK menu

FABARNAK restaurant located in the Church and Wellesley Village is a 519 Church Street Community Centre initiative that not only serves delicious food, but is focused on doing social good. They strive to help people with employment barriers through their training and employment program. They offer people who have faced some kind of employment barrier the opportunity to receive training and job experience that will help them gain future employment or help them transition to school. Some of their participants have included trans youth undergoing a gender transition, newcomers to Canada with limited Canadian work experience and young people in recovery from addiction.
Their menu items are creative and unique and over 60% of their ingredients are sourced locally. Though the menu was small, every single item had personality and sounded delicious. We started with some Crispy Ricotta Gnocchi which was a perfect sharing dish.

Crispy Ricotta Gnocchi by FABARNAK

Next up with some crispy KFQuail. Nice and crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside dipped in some spicy ketchup. Delicious!
KFQuail from FABARNAK

We also had the Lambchetta which if you’re on a diet, the amount of fat on this dish may not be your cup of tea. It was tender and full of flavour but not a dish I could complete on my own. I’d definitely recommend ordering one for the table so everyone can try a small piece.
Lambchetta from FABARNAK

Overall, the experience was wonderful. Great service and amazing food means I will definitely be returning!

FABARNAK

519 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2C9

Monday to Saturday 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Daily take-out and cafe service | Weekday Lunch (11:00AM-3:30PM)
Friday Dinner (5:30PM-9:00PM) | Saturday Brunch (9:00AM-4:30PM)

For more information about the Employment and Training Program, contact:

Matthew Cutler, Director of Development and Community Engagement
416-355-6798 | MCutler@The519.org

 

Bannock

Roast Duck Poutine Pizza. There really are no words I could possibly say that these photos don’t already tell you. It’s glorious, and horrifying.  Your stomach’s best friend, and perhaps your arteries’ worst enemy. But oh so worth it. 

Bannock

401 Bay st
Toronto, M5H 2Y4
Tel: 416.861.6996

La Petit Bar

My week isn’t quite complete without a visit to Le Petite Bar on Water st in Peterborough. Although it’s only 7 months old, this cozy little restaurant has made quite an impression with its made in-house charcuteries, cheeses from the neighbouring shop (Chasing the Cheese),  and home made mustards and desserts. It’s a very intimate setting with only 7 tables and a few bar stools, so be prepared to stand if you pop by on a Friday or Saturday night.

le petit bar front window

I’ve started coming here every Thursday after work with colleagues and have been slowly making my way through their meat and cheese options. With a frequently changing list of options, I’ve rarely had the same thing twice.
Meat and Cheese at le petit bar

Along with your chosen cheeses and meats, you also have dills, olives, apples, dashes of their amazing house mustards, arugula, and sometimes chutneys or honey.

I’ve had so many of their meats and cheese and I’ve never once been disappointed by my choice. Their servers are happy to help you pick out pairings that go well together. I personally have a soft spot for their creamy rich pates and flavourful blue cheeses.

I had the pleasure of speaking with many of their staff and it was quickly evident how passionate they all are and how much they all genuinely love being a part of Le petit bar. Jamie, the mastermind behind the food is given creative license and from my experience, he’s been hitting it right on target. Billy and Sarie are my usual servers and they’re both knowledgeable about the food and attentive without being over bearing.

Meat and Cheese at le petit bar
Mad Tom IPA at le petit bar peterborough
Their beer list is somewhat limited, though I do like the fact that they only carry microbrews. I usually grab a bottle of the Mad Tom IPA which is flavourful and fragrant and pairs well with most of their meats. They have one tap and it pours Kings Pilsner. It’s fairly hoppy with a bitter finish. Not my favourite beer until one of the servers (Billy) introduced me to what he calls the “Billy Torpedo”. The simple mixture of the King’s with a splash of ruby red grape fruit juice completely changes how the beer finishes. If you’re hoping for a larger variaty of beer, their neighbour, St Veronus might be more up your ally. But I’ll write about them in a later post. My colleague Catherine is a major fan of their creative cocktails. Their crisp and refreshing Thyme for Collins is a crowd pleaser. But for these cold winter days, Catherine always starts her meal off with some Apple Cinnamon Hot Toddy. YUM! This image below is their “Real Housewife”.

cocktail at le petit bar peterborough
Though I always opt for cheese and meats over sweets, we decided to splurge one day and also get their dessert board. I was so excited about it that I completely forgot to take a picture! It had candied oranges dipped in chocolate, chocolate meringue on top of whipped cream, lavender shortbread cookies, decadent mini brownies, and a little bowl of berries and pomegranate. Everything came in a pair so it was perfect for two of us to share. I’m not partial to sweets but I do find myself day dreaming of that dessert board.
Their delicious meats, cozy atmosphere, and steller service keeps me coming back! If you ever find yourself in downtown Peterborough, make sure you make a pit stop here!

 

Le Petit Bar

399 Water Street

Peterborough, Ontario

 

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