EATS: CNE 2019

Hello everyone! This post is LONG overdue but the end of summer was spent preparing for the new school year. The HF enjoyed another annual visit to the CNE and indulged in some pretty amazing eats. We went on the Saturday of Food Truck Frenzy weekend and were treated to some beautiful weather.

EATS: Hamilton Fare Way at the RBC Canadian Open

Hello everyone! This weekend, the Hamilton Golf and Country Club is hosting the annual RBC Canadian Open and the HF and I will be attending on the Saturday with a couple of our friends. I was recently invited to the media preview of the new food initiative that will be open during the tournament between the 17th and 18th holes: the Hamilton Fare Way.

Several great Hamilton restaurants will be there serving up some delicious eats ranging from $10-$20 and there is something for everyone. There will also be live music and art installations set up to showcase the awesomeness that is #HamOnt. 

EATS: Rony’s Rotisserie

Hello everyone! If you follow me on IG (and if you don’t – @staygorgeousLC follow now!) you’ll know that nearly every Friday, the HF and I go to Rony’s Rotisserie for dinner. I honestly can’t even believe that I hadn’t written up a post yet so better late than never. Rony’s is a super casual restaurant with dine-in and takeout options and EVERYTHING on the menu is delicious. Housemade yogurt is used for the chicken marinade as well as all of the sauces and it is cooked directly over charcoal. GUYS. I seriously will crave Rony’s during the week and am so sad that it’s so far away from Brampton. The chicken is THE BEST I’ve ever had. BUT WAIT, MY VEGETARIAN FRIENDS! They also have super delicious falafel which is fried to order and never dry. Crispy outer shell and fluffy inner filling that is PERFECTLY seasoned. Seriously, everything Rony makes is perfection.

NEW COFFEE SHOP: Phin Coffee Bar

Hello everyone! I was checking out TasteHamOnt’s list of what was open and closed on Family Day and came across a new name in Hamilton. I immediately took to Instagram to lurk and discovered Phin Coffee was having their soft opening weekend and that Monday was only the 2nd day. So the HF (who is a mega coffee geek and got me into vanilla lattes bc he would make them for me at his place) and I headed out to Westdale to check out this new shop.

There’s no signage outside as of yet so it’s easy to miss if you’re driving. They’re in a white brick building next to a crossfit gym and when you enter, it’s immediately cozy and calming. 

EATS: Yasu

Hello everyone! One of my foodie dreams recently came true when the HF took me out for omakase at Yasu. Omakase translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” so it’s basically chef’s choice. At Yasu they serve the most amazing sushi with ingredients from all over the world, shipped daily so it’s super fresh. I had first heard about this place through my friend Laura who is half Japanese and lived in Japan for a few years, and when she said she almost cried at how delicious the tuna was, I knew it had to be added on my ultimate must dine list. WARNING: this post is VERY FOOD PICTURE HEAVY so you’ve been warned lol. 

OOAK Winter 2018

Hello everyone! The One of a Kind Show and Sale is back at the Enercare Centre for the Winter installment, and if you’re more conscious about shopping local and supporting Canadian made goods, then this is the place to be. I’ve rounded up some new vendors along with my returning favourites for this post – and I’ll be doing my shopping at the Late Night Shopping event on Thursday, Nov 29 (when OOAK stays open until 11pm!)

A Tale of 2 Cities: Coffee

Hello everyone! Most people who know me know that although I live in Brampton, the majority of my time is spent either in Toronto or Hamilton. Over the last 2 years, I finally became a little bit of a coffee drinker (in the sense that I now drink vanilla lattes with either almond or oat milk.) I’ve also enjoyed trying out small coffee shops because the HF is all into the indie Canadian coffee roasters and I have some definite favourites.

In Toronto, my favourite coffee shop is Strange Love Coffee (101 Spadina Ave.) Their original location is located near King and Spadina, however they now have 2 other shops (near Summerhill as well as Queen West.) I love their “Lover’s Latte” which is made with tonka bean syrup so flavour wise it’s kind of like vanilla, however I find it slightly more floral/aromatic in a great way. The name is because tonka beans are allegedly an aphrodisiac  LOL. They regularly carry Phil and Seb beans and usually also have a monthly feature roaster and they most beautiful pastries.

My other favourite shop in Toronto is located right in Union Station and is probably the most popular local roaster. Pilot Coffee is a must for me if I ever take the train into Union; their coffee is delicious, their baristas are consistent in making great lattes, and the service is very fast. My usual order is an oat milk vanilla latte (used to get almond milk but now they have Oatly which is delish!)

In Hamilton, my most frequently visited coffee shop is Emerald Coffee Co. Located at 340 Barton Street E (right at Barton and Emerald), this shop just recently partnered with Pilot Coffee however still carries beans from Fernwood Coffee (from BC) as well. They also have a great selection of treats including weekly Donut Monster offerings as well as Eric’s Crafted Butter Tarts. AND as if that wasn’t enough – they sell house designed Hamilton swag and carry awesome retail goods made by local artisans. Main order: almond vanilla latte, however their seasonal Hazelnut Latte has been my main order lately.

Finally, my other go-to in Hamilton is Redchurch Cafe + Gallery. Parking is a bit of a challenge near 68 King Street E which one of the major deterrents for me, however I am always ecstatic when I manage to find a spot. Almond vanilla lattes are consistently great and if you manage to get there when their chocolate chip cookies are cooling, GET (at least) ONE. They have the BEST chocolate chip cookies in Hamilton. They serve and carry beans from De Mello Palheta (another fantastic Toronto roaster) and they also serve actual food (though I have yet to pop in for lunch!)

What are your favourite coffee shops in the 6 or HamOnt? Let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

EATS: NYC

Hello everyone! I recently went back to NYC (if you recall – I went 2 years ago!) and of course, I had to eat ALL OF THE THINGS. This time was even more food fueled because I went with my favourite dining partner (the HF, obviously) and 2 of our friends. This post is very photo heavy so if you’re hungry, as per usual, grab a snack or you’ll be regretting it by the end.

We arrived in the late afternoon and after checking in to our hotel, we decided to hop on the subway to Bleecker Street. We walked up toward Greenwich Village and our first stop was Favela Cubana for happy hour. 

EATS: CNE 2018

Hello everyone! The end of summer is near and of course that means a trip to the CNE. While the trend of wild and excess is still hot, the HF and I are not trend-chasers when it comes to food. Now I’m no stranger to doing it for the ‘gram, but really – just because it looks wacky and contains a plethora of ingredients doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to be good, and at this point in my life, I don’t want to waste money on something that is likely going to be mediocre at best. ANYWAY. I knew as soon as I saw Shook Noodle on social media that I needed to give it a try. From the people who brought you Yatai (home of the ramen burger in the food buiding), they’re offering the perfect portable bowl of ramen. It occurred to me after I had begun eating that I should’ve taken a pic without the lid…oops! You choose your protein, broth/sauce, and toppings and have the option of adding an onsen tamago (sous-vide super soft barely-poached egg!) I went for chashu pork, shoyu broth, and every topping except bean sprouts…there was bamboo, mushrooms, cilantro, corn….and a few others I can’t recall. The only tip I have for this is that while you may be inclined to use chopsticks because it’s ramen, I actually suggest using a fork because the chopsticks are a little too long and hit the sides of the container a lot which makes it a bit of a challenge to eat efficiently. OH – and yes, you’re supposed to shake the container before eating. Would absolutely recommend, especially if you don’t go out for ramen a lot (or even if you do!)

EATS: Montreal

Hello everyone! I hadn’t really been to Montreal before (1 hour lunch break on the way back from Quebec City with colleagues doesn’t count!) and the HF hadn’t been since he was in high school so we were excited to plan a trip (albeit short) to this amazing city. Our focus obviously was food and Montreal did not disappoint. This post is food pic heavy so if you’re hungry – grab a snack first because I am starving while writing this LOL.
On our first night, we had dinner at Tacos Frida. According to our friend who lives there, this is the most authentic taco spot around. It was only a 10-15 minute walk from our Airbnb (my first time booking one of those too!) and it was awesome. The main reason we were interested was because we had read their tacos were not only delicious, but extremely affordable ranging from $2.75 – $3.50.