Tag Archives: Bistro / Cafe / Light Food / Bakery

Ten Feet Tall

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1381 Danforth Avenue
416-778-7333

Web site: www.tenfeettall.ca

-Monday-Friday 5 pm to 11 pm

-Saturday & Sunday Brunch from 10 am

Ten Feet Tall is the epitome of what I look for in a great brunch spot. It’s eclectic; it’s casual, it’s cool, they play great music and most importantly, they have over 8 eggless options for brunch!

I first went to this place a few months ago and loved both the atmosphere and the food. It’s a bit of a cross between a bar and a restaurant and is kind of funky. I can’t for the life of me figure out why I haven’t been back more often. I resolve to become more of a regular now.

I walk in and The Byrds are playing. I love this place already! A bit of celebrity action happens as well – the guy from the Canadian Tire commercial ate brunch there at the same time as me. There are a number of vintage tables with a variety of chair styles. I love the bar with the giant ornately framed mirror. Vintage lamps are hung around the bar area. A relief mural of a landscape scene greets diners, and the red walls promote a warm atmosphere. The one beige wall is covered with plastic insects, flowers & butterflies – my sister would love this wall. I love the fact that there are real curtains and beaded curtains.

The brunch menu at Ten Feet is filled with a fair amount of traditional breakfast/brunch options, with many of them having interesting names like Eggs Mormor, The Kitchen Sink, Ten Foot Breakfast, etc. The first time I ate at Ten Feet Tall, I had “Welcome to the Club”. Essentially this is a chicken blt, with cheddar and pancetta instead of regular bacon. On the side, I had both a green salad and yam fries which are to die for, You can order just the yam fries if you want and they have a multitude of mayo options to choose from – yum!

This time, with Blue Suede Shoes playing in the background, I ordered The Elvis – a waffle covered in peanut butter, bacon & maple syrup. Normally a chopped up banana is part of this dish, but as a non-banana eater, I had that item omitted. This is such a decadent meal, completely delicious, if not a little artery hardening. Quite the culinary experience!

I looked over the dinner menu, and now I definitely want to go back for supper! First off, they have a decent beer selection that includes St. Ambroise beers – essential for a Montrealer! Also, this menu is decidedly better than any other bar combo that I’ve seen. No all deep fried menu here! The dinner menu, which comes encased in old record albums boasts steaks, catfish, salads, pastas, pizzas, salads & a variety of lighter fare. There are also weekly specials, – this week’s special include seafood pasta, spanakopizza, and a blue plate special – bangers, mashed potato, gravy & salad, all specials ranging between $9-$12. Not bad!

The service was fast, friendly and efficient. This combined with the casual comfort of the whole experience made this one I’m planning on repeating many times over.

By The Way Cafe – Wendy

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400 Bloor Street West (at Brunswick)
416-967-4295

I’ve been to BTWC a number of times over the years, and have always had pleasant dining experiences there, this time being no exception.

I went to celebrate my birthday. I have made my way onto their email blast list, where they send out details of special offers. This particular offer was for a free entr饠anytime between a Sunday & Wednesday evening during the month of your birthday. This has become a bit of a birthday tradition of mine, and I enjoy it every year.

My friend Mark accompanied me for this dining experience. He started his meal with a vegetarian split pea soup that was to die for it was so good! They also brought out a plate of artisan breads and red pepper butter for us to munch on while waiting for the mains. Nice butter!

Our friendly server “Big Don” was very attentive and ready to answer any of our questions. (Mark generally has a question). I ordered the butternut squash lasagna, which was a great recommendation from Big Don. The thick layer of squash was sweet and subsequent layers were filled with spinach and mushrooms. I didn?t find any cheese, but that just helped to make it feel all the more healthy and provided an evening of guilt-free decadent dining. The accompanying salad provided just the right amount of twang! Everything was really tasty. Mark really liked his tofu salad as well.

I would loved to have had room left in my tummy for dessert, but my nutritious & delicious meal was so filling I had no more room left. Oh well, it provides a good excuse for a repeat visit.

Cafe California

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 538 Church
Toronto, ON M4Y2E1
Phone: (416) 960-6161

Located right at Church and Wellesley, this small cafe sits about 15-20 tables tightly and has an ambiance of cosy, homey, and casual. With a Mediterranean decor (blues, greens, and deep reds as the backdrop), Cafe California stands out as a being a casual dining spot in the village. With a gorgeous mural of buildings and a skyline in colours of blues, light green, and greys, with gorgeous wood tables, wrought iron accents, nice flower arrangements, and large pieces of fabric draped along the ceilings, Cafe California is pleasing to the eye. With subdued Mediterranean colours, the cafe is not campy (like its next door neighbour Zelda’s) but very homey and cosy.

I went last Sunday morning for brunch with Paulo and I was happy to see that there was a separate brunch, dinner, and lunch menu. For our brunch we saw many items worth mentioning. Cafe California offers some vegetarian selections, a variety of healthy salads, and other light dishes. As well, their brunch menu offers a variety of sandwiches, beef or chicken fajitas, grilled chicken sandwiches, stir fries, and pastas. For brunch, I ordered a French crepe ($8.95) with poached pears, with a side of cream cheese, sprinkled with powder sugar with a side of apple butter and manjar sauce (i.e. caramel sauce). The crepe was light and not greasy and I was very happy with the portion size. Paulo ordered the Italian Frittata, an open-faced omelette with prosciutto ham, white asparagus, diced tomatoes, spring onions and potatoes topped with Monterrey Jack cheese that came with a side order of garden salad. Portion size was very generous. Service was fast and friendly. Waiter made an extra effort to go the extra distance, to be helpful, friendly, and informative.

Other brunch items worth mentioning include the Eggs Benedict/Eggs Pacifica – 2 poached eggs and spinach on a toasted English muffin w/ peameal bacon or smoked salmon, topped with Hollandaise sauce and served with a potato latke, Huevos Completos – 2 eggs any style w/ sausage, peameal or strip bacon, pancakes, toast and potato pancakes, the Italian Frittata, Omelette – Choice of Western or Spanish, soups, bruschetta, Spinach Salad w/ roasted pecans, mushrooms, orange segments and goat cheese in a honey mustard vinaigrette. Cafe California also serves an assortment of salads, including Caesar Salad, Greek Salad, and their signature dish “Chicken Santa Barbara”- a large garden salad with roasted pine nuts, rasins, with grilled marinated chicken breast and a sundried tomato and pesto vinaigrette, spinach fettuccini with cajun chicken, mushrooms, sweet peppers and onions in a creole sauce, grilled Atlantic Salmon in a raspberry white sauce w/ rice and vegetables. They also serve one “healthy” pizza- a thin crust pizza w/ chorizo sausage, mushrooms, sweet peppers and Bermuda onions. In addition, some sandwiches include the Mediterranean Club Sandwich w/ grilled chicken breast, bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato on Italian panini w/ salad or fries, the Vegetarian Plate w/ grilled vegetables, goat cheese, and focaccia bread, a Hamburger Served with mixed greens or home-cut fries, and finally a Veggie burger w/ mixed greens or home fries.

Beverages include a variety of coffees, espresso beverages (lattes, capuccino, etc), liquor based coffees, brunch cocktails, Sangria, Mimosa, and a variety of wines and spirits.

Cafe California also offers an extensive and creative variety of martinis. Offers a great selection of desserts, including unique cheesecakes. Great front and side summer terrace. Many vegetarian and healthy options. Accepts all cards.

Cafe Next Door [brunch]

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 790 Broadview
416 469 1971

Located right on Broadview right across from Broadway subway station, just a few steps north of Danforth, this funky cafe shares a patio with its sister company “The Magic Oven”. They serve quick, healthy, and light meals and weekend brunch and operates as a full service cafe. They offer a light healthy meals, salads, as well as energy bars, cakes, squares, muffins, and delicious fruit smoothies. They have a full brunch menu with traditional items like eggs, pancakes, cereal, fruit and granola, omeletes, and sandwiches and salads.

Wendy ordered the mushroom melt with asiago cheese and portobello mushrooms served with California fruit salad caught ($8.95). I ordered the bowl of oatmeal with fruit salad for $8.95. The portion size was not enough as this place emphasizes light meals (meaning tiny portions) so i also ordered the energy bar for $1.69. Most energy and protein bars are in the range of $1.50-$2.59. I was fortunate to taste Wendy’s dish and it was spicy and zesty and although sligghtly oily, i did detect the delicious Olive oil taste. YUMM!

Customers order at the counter and they serve the food to you. Staff are accomodating and friendly. However, on this particular occasion, we had a “newbie”–clearly this was her first day. She forgot to bring out Wendy’s fruit salad and she served me first but completely forgot about Wendy. I know Wendy was not happy. I think we both enjoyed the food but we felt neglected in terms of service. The “newbie” did not know anything regarding pricing and food products. The dessert menu is large. They make vegan soy shakes and bake cheesecakes, mousse cakes, creme brulee, ice creams, and snacks like spelt samosa rolls, kettle chips, healthy wheat free bars and desserts, flax bars, spelt and molasses muffins, energy bars, low carb meal replacement bars, sesame bars, and granola bars. They have a small summer terrace that sits about 3 tables. Inside the place is quite small with about 5-7 tables in one open dining room. Coffee creamers and sugar are all “help yourself” so it feels like Williams Coffee Pub since you order your food, but they do bring it out to you. Prices are between $7-$10. Accepts VISA and Interac.

Juliette et Chocolate

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Yumma! When my sister asked me if I wanted to go to the chocolate place I had no idea what was in store for me. I had about an hour & a half before my train back to Toronto, & this was definitely the best way to spend that time, relaxing with my sister & our friend Nancy, eating & drinking heaven from a cognac glass. The exposed stone walls & back patio, combined with the charming decor contributed to the joy of the experience.

Although chocolate is the star attraction, there are also other items to choose from; salads, crepes, fondue, ice cream, smoothies and more. The top price I noticed in the menu (they had English ones too!) was about $10.95. The place is licensed as well, so good times are abound at this warm & inviting cafe

As soon as we walked in we were greeted with complete friendliness from the staff, & smartly, they brought us all ice water to start.

For my hot chocolate I chose something called Manjari ? it was a dark chocolate 64% cocoa, and was composed of a combination of Criolla & Trinitario cocoa beans from Madagascar. Chantico this aint! This was the real thing, a thick liquid explosion of goodness. All that & I got a home made chocolate on the side. The drink was so big, it took me forever to finish.

I was also mighty hungry & uninterested in the prospect of eating train food, so I went for a buckwheat crepe with ham, cheese & asparagus. My sister had the spinach crepe & Nancy had a fruit crepe covered in chocolate & icing sugar. All of our crepes scored high on presentation as well as taste. Nancy?s was like a work of art. The portion sizes were decent as well.

It?s real easy to spend a $25 here; I had my crepe, my drink & I bought 2 pieces of chocolate containing cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon & honey that was beyond fantastic. With my taxes & tip I spent just shy of $25 but it was worth it for a treat for sure. They also serve as an internet cafe …Good to know.

If I was in Montreal more, I would be there more. This was a completely fabulous experience worth repeating.

 

Over Easy

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208 Bloor Street W.
416-922-2345
Hours: M-F 6-4;
Weekends 7-4

 

Located on busy Bloor street, right in the heart of the U. of T. campus, across from Philosopher’s Walk, Over Easy is a great place that specializes in all day breakfast and brunch dishes. In a butter yellow and light blue colour scheme, walking into the spacious restaurant, I found Over Easy to be brightly lit, airy, relaxing, and comfortable. With colourful art on the walls, this place really feels inviting and comfortable. Justine and I were greeted by friendly staff and we were seated to our booth immediately.

The restaurant is divided into 3 sections, a front end with 3-5 tables, a middle region with about 3 booths, and the back area with about 10 tables. We were seated in the middle region but we immediately moved because we were behind the entrance to the kitchen where we could hear the sounds of smashing dishes, and other disturbing kitchen sounds. We were also behind the cash so we heard the constant noise of wait staff and bills being printed, etc.

Justine and I then changed places to the back of the restaurant to a nice spacious table. The menu is quite large and most items are different type of egg dishes. All prices are reasonable ($6.95-$9.95) but drinks (juice, soda) are expensive (freshly squeezed juice are $3.50 and fresh smoothies are $5.00 and beyond and come in 3 exciting flavours). Justine ordered her typical coffee and was served it in a funky coloured coffee carafe in baby blue (other coffee carafes colours include orange, and cream colour).

I opted for an egg white omelete with asiago cheese, sauteed mushrooms, sundried tomato, and basil. YUM!!! The menu tells you upfront in their “rules of the roast” section that egg white omeletes are an extra $1.00, and any sidedish is an extra $3.00 or $3.50. I was not able to make a substituion but my egg white omelete came with toasted, home fries or salad (I chose salad) and i asked to remove the toast. The only pathetic part was my salad portion was too small and they did not give me MORE salad since i had asked for NO toast. Most places do substitute but Over Easy does not. They are upfront with charging extra for “additions”, though. Justine ordered 4 buttermilk pancakes, light, fluffy, big, and not greasy. They came with maple syrup.

Our food was served fast and service was excellent. Our waitress was warm and super friendly and she tried to be as accomodating as possible. Justine was happy to report that lemon was served with the water and she did find peanut butter for her pancakes. Does not accept Interac, only cash. I was not impressed. I will definitely go back as my food was excellent.

Over Easy also serves a variety of pancakes, waffles, omeletes, eggs benny, eggs florentine, scrambles, cereals, and other breakfast staples. Some light breakfast items include homemade granola and fruit, deluxe granola, cereal, fresh fruit salad. Lunch fare includes fancy sandwiches, fruit salad, hearty MEAL salads ($10.75), crepes, quiches, and a number of homestyle “comfort foods like Macaroni and cheese. They also make freshly squeezed juices and prepare home made fruit smoothies with yogourt right before your eyes. Seats are very comfortable and all wait staff are very friendly. Waiting time was normal and we will definitely go back! Prices around the $6.95-$9.95 range. Takeout available, just call ahead of time.

Morning Glory

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457 King East
416 703 4728

www.morningglory.ca

 

Morning Glory is a hidden little gem located in Corktown, a downtown neighbourhood on King Street E. near Cherry St. With a bright orange sign it stands apart as one of the only restaurants along the King east strip between Parliament and Cherry St. is a cute little neighbourhood has huge potential but is in dire need of a makeover. Morning Glory is a 3 person

href=”http://www.corktown.ca”>Corktown

operation in one small room about the size of your living room on King Street East near Cherry street. With a small menu focusing on breakfast items and

baked good, this place is not really veggie friendly but prices are really good and portions are large. With only 3 veggie items for breakfast, (granola and

fruit with yogourt), Pancakes (changes daily: Apple, Banana, etc.), French toast with syrup, and Rosti, a shredded potato and onion mixture. With a hip and

cool crowd and an “organic” “grass roots” decor, I was disappointed with the lack of veggie items.

Morning Glory is opened 6 days per week 8a-3pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and brunch is served Sat/Sun 9am-3pm. Baked muffins are available during the week and baked cakes/squares are

available on the weekend. For my meal, i ordered the granola, fruit, and yogourt, which claimed to be “hearty” but was not. It had diced apples, mango, and

granola, with yogourt, and a tiny cup of maple syrup on the side. My brunch companion ordered the omelete in a roasted red pepper and goat cheese sauce with

a side order of rosti, which was replaced by a side order of greens. You can substitute salad for rosti but they will not make egg white omeletes because

they do not have the resources/equipment and they are simply too busy.

Breakfast includes BLT with homemade aoili & ketchup – $5.00, the dubstyle (cream cheese, crispy bacon and tomato on a baguette) – $5.00
omelette of the day – $8.00, eggs, toast and rosti – $5.50, eggs, cottage cheese and greens – $6.50, french toast and fruit – $7.50, and granola with yogurt

and fruit – $6.00

Sandwiches include the morning glory tuna salad, mennonite ham & cheese, and 3 cheese grilled cheese. All sandwiches are $7.50 and come with a cup of soup

or side salad. Soups change daily and come in cup ($2.50) or bowl varieties ($4.00) and are served with fresh baked bread. All soups are vegan and they

change daily. Some soups include spring veggie, tomato and corn, and potato and leek, and Lentil. They have a full service espresso bar ($1.50-$2.75).

There are daily specials like curries or stews and the omeletes change every few days. Some omeletes include arugula and brie omelette, sauteed leek and

havarti, roasted red pepper and goat cheese, pear and brie omelete.

The decor is simple with plain white walls, one long church bench spanning the entire length of the restaurant and holds about 7 small tables. Along the

other side, there are about 3 more tables. The minimalist design, funky artwork on the walls, and several old antique mirrors give the overall appearance of

the place “homey”, “quaint”, and “cosy”. They have a daily blog on their web site that is up to date with daily menu specials and commentary. Service is

friendly and fast. Bathrooms are downstairs and are satisfactory and clean. Accepts cash only. Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 8am-3pm, Sat/Sun brunch 9am-3pm. Closed Wed.

Kubo Radio

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Kubo
894 Queen St E
416-406-KUBO (5826)

web site: www.kubo.com
Kubo has existed in a few different locations since inception in 1999, and have recently settled in at Queen & Logan. This place is extremely hip and cool, would not be out of place along the College Street West strip of Little Italy.

Kubo has an ultra-modern minimalist environment, clean lines, Asian inspired. The tables are fairly small, so it is good for intimate or solo dining, but I went with a crowd of 18 people, which they accommodated by bringing many tables close together. If only ordering had been that easy.

As the concept of the place is Asian-inspired, they have over 11 Asian beers to choose from, sake martinis, and of course the food is all Asian as well.

I was the first to arrive. It’s a little daunting to sit alone at a table of 18, and though most of the waiters greeted me, not one of them brought me water, or asked me what I’d like to drink. Finally, when others arrive to join me, they begin to take drink orders. I ordered a Thai beer called Singha, based on my waiter’s recommendation. It was a very good choice, crisp & light tasting. I do wish I had been offered a drink menu, because then I would have known about the sake martinis that I only found out about after my beer arrived. I thought it best not to mix.

There was much drama with the process of ordering. I can completely understand that it would be frustrating & difficult to manage a table of our size, but I don’t think you should let the customers see your frustrations. They prefer to do “family style” meals for groups over 8, where you would get something like 2 types of appetizers & two types of mains on large platters for sharing, and those meals start at $25. The drama begins because 5 from our group do not want to partake in the communal meal, preferring to select whatever they want, as is their right. This did not sit well with our waiter, you could see the agitation grow, and after consultation with management, we were told to all order a la carte. I’m sure this didn’t please Kubo, however, shouldn’t the customer always be right?

I ordered the Kubo Vegetable Salad, $6.95 which was a generous portion of shredded carrots, cabbage, sprouts and stuff in a lemongrass soy dressing. It was very fresh & crunchy, tasted very healthful, but was a little underdressed. This salad definitely benefited from my addition of soy and garlic oil, some of the condiments on the table.

One thing that I found odd was that most people’s hot foods, (in fact the person next to me had 2 hot appetizers) served to them before my salad arrived. I know there’s something called timing that can be difficult to juggle, but still, I’m surprised that my raw food took longer.

My main dish was from the special’s board, the Kubo Noodle – chicken, tofu, broccoli, red pepper, onions, peanuts, herbs, garlic, lime, ginger & shanghai noodles. There were eggs in it originally, but as I do not eat eggs, so they omitted them from my meal.

My friend Shaista and I both had this dish and found it to be a little on the bland side. It only rated a 4/10 on the Shaistameter. Other people seemed to really enjoy whatever they ordered, so it must just have been this dish that was mediocre. My judgement was not as harsh as Shaista’s, but then I did add extra soy and garlic oil to make it taste better. The portion size was more than sufficient, I was full.

I wish I had ordered a dessert like Shaista did. She got the Kubo Flakey Filo Pastry, which has marscapone, whipped cream, passion fruit & icing sugar. Ok, so it came with raspberries instead of the passion fruit, but this dessert was so fantastic we didn’t care! She thought it was the best thing in the restaurant, rating 9.7/10 on the Shaistameter!

In the end, our waiter relaxed, got friendlier, and became more jovial. After dinner, this place turns into a bar, much like those on College West and remained filled until I left. I would probably go back, maybe in a smaller group, to compare and contrast the service level. I had visited Kubo in a previous location under the Merchandise building, and had very positive experiences there. I definitely want to have a sake martini and dessert next time.

Cultures [chain]

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 416-626-6868
<br />The West Mall,
<br />M9C 1B8
<br />416-860-9313
120 Adelaide Street West,
M5H 1T1
416-204-1592
505 University Avenue
M5G 1X3

416-364-1215
Toronto Dominion Centre
416-486-5312
43 Eglinton Avenue East,
M4P 1A2

416-863-0647
Standard Life Centre,
M5H 3T9

416-865-0535
Royal Bank Plaza,
M5G 2J6
416-921-5732
175 Bloor E,
M4W 3R8
416-927-1544
2 Bloor Street West
M4W 3E2
416-495-1511
416-593-9647
317 Dundas Street West,
M5T 1G4
200 King Street West,

Cultures is similar to Quebec’s Fontaine Sante, a casual, affordable healthy alternative to fast food. Conveniently located in most food courts in downtown Toronto Cultures offers quick and healthy salads, sandwiches, wraps, quiches, smoothies, and fruit salads for business people who are on the go but want something healthier for lunch than just burgers and fries.

I went with a friend to the location at King and University, conveniently located on the ground level of the building. Sometimes located on its own on the first floor of most office towers, away from food courts, Cultures caters to business folk who are counting their calories and who want food that is not fried but fresh and contains green leafy vegetables. Cultures also offers freshly squeezed juices, healthy soups, wraps, pitas, quiche, frozen yogourt fruit smoothies, and healthy sandwiches.

The place is set up like a type food court restaurant: cafeteria style. Usually containing about 10-15 tables, most Cultures are clean, spacious, and have comfortable seating. For lunch that day, I ordered three choices of salad for $4.99 [good price!]-consisting of chick peas and corn in an Italian viniagrette, brocoli and celery in a sweet paprika dressing, and marinated vegetables. Other salad options included a fresh medley of vegetables as well as pasta salad

Other meals include chicken and fish sandwiches on a variety of breads, wraps, frozen yogourt in a cup, frozen yogourt smoothie. Complete meals with drink under $7.00

Crepes A GoGo

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I happened to be around St. George & Bloor looking for lunch. I could see many standard spots like Tim Horton’s, Harvey’s Swiss Chalet, etc, & then it caught my eye Crepes A GoGo – I knew I had to go. This restaurant is on Bedford, just a few steps south of Bloor on the East side of the street. The French music played outside lures you in and sets the tone of your upcoming adventure in food.

This same music is played inside & which contributes to the décor & the warm, friendly & inviting French café atmosphere, complete with postcards & photographs of Paris adorning the walls. Patrons are greeted by Véronique, the owner of the establishment who also helps the indecisive like myself place their order. Most people ordered in French! Ha! This place is a true oasis of French culture in the heart of Toronto.

There are both sweet desert crepes and savory meal crepes, both in set combinations or you can customize your order. 98% of the menu is vegetarian, they do offer tuna or lox on a couple of the crepes. The crepe prices range from $3.75-$5.95, and they also serve sandwiches on French bread for $4.95. There was no need for plates, as the crepes are served in a paper bag, ideal for take out. It works fine too if you want to eat in. The beverage selection includes coffee, cappuccino, limonata, orangina, V8, etc. This is not a licensed establishment.

Talk about "fast food" – my crepe was ready before I sat down! I ordered La Popeye baby spinach, mozzarella, & your choice of egg or mushrooms  I took mushrooms. It arrived piping hot & delicious. It was quite filling at a reasonable $5.95. I chose the very best bevvie on the menu – apple cider from Normandy. This was $2.75/ glass or $8.50/bottle (the size of a wine bottle!) This was sooooooo delicious; I could easily sit there & drink it all day! This drink had no sugar or preservatives & just apples & it tasted very fresh & bubbly, well worth the visit on its own!

The restaurant is currently fairly small, 4 tables, but evidently they will be expanding due to its increasing popularity – and for good reason. The food was excellent; the service was speedy, warm & inviting, friendly which somehow is reflected in the patrons who frequent the establishment. People were relaxed & comfortable chatting with other patrons, one even offered to help someone pay for their bill when they were a few cents short & definitely not your everyday café.

My trip to Crepes A GoGo left me feeling refreshed & relaxed, as if I had been transported on a mini-break to Europe. This place is well worth frequent repeated trips! Definitely check it out.