Monthly Archives: May 2003

Cafe Demetre

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 400 Danforth Av
(416) 778-6654

188 Eglinton Ave East
(416) 485-4610 

3280 Dufferin Street
(416) 789-CAFE (2233)

2962 Bloor Street West
(416) 234-CAFE (2233)

If you are looking for a trendy hotspot for desserts (cakes, pies), home made ice cream, sundaes, granitas, gourmet coffee, ice cream floats, come to Cafe Demetre. This place is a chain and it located in many neighbourhoods in Toronto and outside the GTA. Expect to see people who dress up for dessert. Prices are not cheap but portions are huge and made for the gluten in you. There are few healthy selections.

I usually order the yogourt in a tall glass with seasonal fruit and granola or the fruit grannitas which are pureed fruit,and crushed ice. Service is kind of slow (it’s very busy) but staff are friendly and accomodating.  The decor is bright and colourful and filled with Disney paraphernalia.

It has an almost child-like quality to the decor, fun, colourful, funky chairs, almost 1950’s diner style dessert hangout. Many cake varieties with huge “take home” portions that leave people full. A great place to take someone on a date but the place can get noisy and rowdy on a Saturday night. Expect lineups on the weekend, even during the winter.

By The Way Cafe

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400 Bloor St. W.
(416) 967-4295

Located right at the corner of Bloor and Brunswick, right spack dab in the Annex, this quaint little cafe is quiet, dimly lit, intimate, and serves vegetarian friendly fare.

It also has a beautiful wall mural and has the ambiance of a romantic cafe. There is an identical lunch and dinner menu (prices are slightly higher for dinner) and there are daily dinner specials. Dinner specials range from $12-$16.

The place is small and the prices are a bit high for me, but there’s something special about this cafe. SIMPLICITY!

There is a large summer terrace (patio) that is available all year around (it’s heated during the winter.) They also have a marketing technique where you can join a mailing list and you get a coupon for a free entre on your birthday. Offer is only available the month of your birthday from Sunday through Wednesday.

Soft drink prices are retarded ($3.00 for a small) and the menu is mostly Mediterranean. I usually have the Mediterranean combination platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and Israeli salads. The platter comes with pita and it $9.00.

The last time I went, I had the honey carrot ginger soup (all soups are vegetarian, unless specified) and the veggie burger. The veggie burger ($10.00) came with fries but I substituted it for grilled zucchini and peppers for an additional $3.00.

I also had the option to order the veggie burger with a bun or pita (I chose pita.) Wendy had the chicken breast stuffed with chevre, and pesto. The dish was served with aromatic rice. Wendy also ordered the African lentil soup and when I tasted I thought it was one of the best soups I’ve had in a long time. Wendy’s chicken dish was $16 and our soups were $4.

Presentation is beautiful at By The Way Cafe.

By The Way Cafe also serves weekend brunch with a variety of dishes including eggs, omeletes, waffles, sandwiches, soups, and French toast. Unofrtunately they charge extra for egg white omeletes (+$1.50) and substituting salads for their standard fries and toast (which comes with every egg dish) (+$2.50). Nonetheless, the food is outstanding and service is stellar, BUT it’s TOO expensive. Accepts all cards and Interac. Beautiful heated outdoor terrace open most of the year.

Pappas Grill

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440 Danforth Ave,
469-9595
 

Web site: http://www.pappasgrill.com

Located right in the heart of the Danforth, Pappas Grill serves fresh traditional Greek fare and Italian cuisine as well. Call it Gree-talian or Euro Fusion. Located on two “half” levels, plus a semi-basement dining hall, this spacious restaurant has that “open concept,” “airy.” feel. Those two terms are overused but the space really gives the illusion that Pappas’s Grill is a large place, when in fact, it’s not that big.

The menu is super large with many items. Unfortunately, there are very few vegetarian items. I love the exposed brick surrounding the restaurant, the many plants, art, olive oil decorative bottles, and the high ceilings and windows.

On my first visit I ordered a whole pizza called Hearts and Sole with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. It was yummy but did not have enough tomato sauce for my liking. Pappas Grill also has an extensive wine list and many desserts. There is a wine list but not dessert menu. Each night there are about 5-6 cakes and pies to choose from. Some include chocolate mousse and various cheesecakes.

On my next visit, I decided to avoid pizza since it was not really Greek. I ordered two appetizers; an order of Spanakotiropita- a pie consisting of spinach, leek, feta, and egg wrapped in thin sheet pastry ( known as filo dough). Most places call it Spanokopita. It was super delicious and not too greasy. I also ordered the Eggplant Patriota, which was simply two slices of grilled eggplant with a brushchetta topping, talk about Greek fusion (Greek + Italian).

There are not many vegetarian options as the Vine Leaves (Dolmades or Dolmodakia) are sadly not vegetarian. As well, the Mousaka only comes in the meat version. However, there is an Italian flavour to this Greek establishment as they have a Grilled Vegetable sandwich and a large assortment of pasta dishes.

My cousin ordered a Pork souvlaki that came with salad, rice and roast potatoes. His partner ordered the grilled Atlantic salmon topped with sautéed spinach, served with rice and steamed vegetables and she said it was fabulous.

There is a nice bar on the upper dining level and it overlooks the main floor. The restaurant is very “open concept” High windows make the place very bright and cheerful. The food is very good (according to my cousins) and the overall ambiance is really nice. Prices are between $10.95-$15.95 for most meals. There is an extensive brunch menu for the weekend (Sat/Sun 11am-3pm) and their large lunch menu is only valid Mon-Fri from 11am-3pm.

Sunset Grill

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2006 Queen E
(416) 690-9985

2313 Yonge Street
(416) 482-4229‎

1422 Dundas Street West
(416) 532-1571‎

1602 Danforth Avenue (near Coxwell)
(416) 466-0648‎

1 Richmond Street West
(416) 861-0514‎

2200 Bloor St W
(416) 763-1444‎

I went to this diner with my friends on an early Sunday morning. Be warned, go early because the lineups start after 11:00am. They serve breakfast all day long but breakfast specials end at 11:00am. The place is non-pretentious, noisy, has that “greasy spoon” feel and has a large menu of classic breakfast food. The only problem is that there is very little selection for the vegetarian person. The only vegetarian breakfast items are fruit salad and yogourt and cereal, all served a la carte. I ordered the fruit salad with an order of yogourt. The portions were decent and I was satisifed. The second time I visitid Sunset Grill, I had the frittata, a yummy egg white omelete with mushroom, onion, and green pepper. It was not greasy, and light and fluffy and very fresh.

My friends had typical breakfast fare: eggs, bacon, and toast with coffee. The tables are close together and the place is very noisy. The place is bright and seats many tables. There are no bells and whistles, no super cheery waitresses, just good, honest, fast, reliable service. The prices are cheap (<$10) and the food is flavourful. I would not go back because I could not eat very much but it is definitely a hit with my carnivore friends. They only accept cash. 😦

Mocha Mocha

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Mocha Mocha
489 Danforth Ave.
(416) 778-7896

I went here with my parents one lazy Saturday morning and enjoyed a fresh fruit crepe with some coffee. The place is small and trendy, tables are close together, and food is colourful, trendy presentation, and kind of expensive.

I usually order the fresh fruit crepe with yogourt ($6.99). The crepe was thin and non-greasy and had some nice fruit and strawberry syrup. I ordered some table syrup but was given a tiny portion, only by request. (They do not give out syrup unless you ask- yes, they’re stingy).

Mocha Mocha serves up light meals, mostly fancy designer salads and sandwiches and some hot meals. Some salads include the wamr brown rice salad with a variety of beans and grains and veggies ($7.35), salad nicoise, Mediterranean salad, avocado salad plate, chicken, tuna, or smoked salmon salad, and a regular house mixed salad. All salads are from $6.95-$8.90

Hot meals include a vegetable strudelt , vegetarian lasagna, chicken enchilladas, bean burrito platter, and the East African cicken stew. Hot meals are all $7.95-$9.95. Sandwiches include the typical and trendy house club, vegetarian club (both $6.99), BLT traditional and BLT with avocado ($5.99 and $6.75), mixed veggies in a pita ($6.50). Other sandwiches include the chicken salad ($5.50), tuna salad ($5.50), egg salad ($4.35), and black forest ham and swiss cheese sandwich ($5.75). Bagels and cream cheese are also served ($2.50). Add lox to it for $6.99.

When I visit Mocha Mocha I always order the spicy chick pea guacamole pita sandwich ($6.50) -a deliciously spicy purree of chick peas and guacamole with mixed vegetables, in a thin pita wrap. I have also ordered the vegetable mozzarella crepe ($8.95) a pizza-like crepe with cheese, tomatoc sauce, eggplant, green and red pepper, zucchini, and green onions, wrapped up in a thin crepe. YUMMY. They also have a variety of fruit crepes (topped with ice cream , frozen yogourt, or whipped cream) , and a ham and cheese and avocado crepe ($6.99-$8.95).

Some of my friends have ordered the vegetarian lasagna ($8.50) which they say is excellent and finish to the last little bits of cheese. The vegetarian bean burrito platter is excellent and filling. ($9.95) as well as the vegetable strudel with salad ($6.99). Mocha Mocha also serves a variety of specialty coffees, desserts, pies, cakes, squares, cookies, brownies, and fruit plates.

All day breakfast is served. Most breakfast items include scrambled eggs and organic toast ($4.75) add bacon ($5.99), add sausage ($6.50), scrambled eggs and lox ($8.99), vegetable omelete ($6.50), Belgian waffle with fruit and frozen yogourt ($6.50), fruit bowl ($3.75), lastly toast or bagle ($1.75).

The setup is as follows: patrons order their food in this cafeteria style cafe and wait for their meals to be served. The food is light, very colourful, fresh, and salads are colourful, funky and trendy. Let me repeat myself: portions are small. Vegetables are cut in funky shapes and most of the food is colourful, healthy, and delicious. My parents ordered the traditional eggs and bacon (for breakfast) and they enjoyed their food, but complained of the small portions. The large plates deceived them, they say. [small portions alert]

The service was quick and the staff were generally friendly. According to Wendy, staff traditionally do not deal well with customer complaints. There is a nice terrace for people watching in the summer. The only drawback is the tables are places closed together so this is not a place for a first date. If you want light food, creative salads and sandwiches and a touch of trend, then Mocha Mocha is for you. Always packed. Accepts all cards.