new

Christmas 2014 has come and gone and our bellies have finally had time to rest so we can reflect on our holidays this year! With a combination of work parties, friends gathering and the traditional Christmas day family dinner, we can safely say we need a rest from prepping food for a large group of people. Thankfully, we had some help this year from Real Food Toronto and Toronto Don Valley Hotel !  Two of the biggest struggles for us every Christmas is braving the supermarkets close to Christmas time when it's almost like playing sardines and prepping a turkey dinner for a big group... It's always a mission to figure out when to put the food in to make sure everything is still piping hot when your guests arrive, not to mention the turkey itself needs a good 4-6 hours of TLC in your not so industrial size oven! Luckily for us, both of our problems were made a slightly easier. If you've never been on RealFoodToronto 's website,  you are missing out. The are an online org...

Blowfish Restaurant & Sake Bar on King West has extended their space to launch BarFish , their new cocktail bar & lounge.  With tasty drink creations by resident award-winning mixologist Nishan Nepulangoda and BlowFish menu favourites, we can see this new addition quickly become a hot spot in the King West neighbourhood.   The modern and sexy space with music by DJ's would be perfect for after-work cocktails or pre party drinks and bites. Although it's not a huge space, the bar is extended along one side with barstools as well as ample space for people to mingle against the exposed brick wall. What I really enjoyed at the opening party were innovative Japanese-inspired drinks & bites: Jalapeno Hamachi Roll Avocado, tempura bits, cilantro, golden tobiko and sriracha kewpie Brown Eyed Peas  Brown rice, snowpeas, asparagus, sesame seeds & spicy kewpie Spicy Tuna with Rock Shrimp Apicy tuna, black sesame seed, hot garlic kewpie tossed in rock shrimp tempura Sp...

In the spirit of the holiday season, we've partnered with our friends at Elephant & Castle once more to giveaway a $50 gift card! It's the perfect opportunity to get a bite of their new Winter menu, featuring 5 delicious items to warm you up in this cold, cold, city. Because we expect nothing less of a polar vortex in true Canadian winter style, we're loving the new winter offerings at Elephant & Castle! From a festive turkey & cranberry burger to a bacon & tomato soup, the five new dishes look warm and hearty. Take a look at the rest of the menu items below and enter our contest for a chance to win the $50 gift card! Turkey Burger  (pictured above) with a house-made lean turkey patty and cranberry compote. How appropriately festive is this burger? Also served with a side of your choice. Miso Ramen Bowl with thinly sliced BBQ pork, scallions & togarashi spice Red Ale Braised Lamb Shank served with mashed potatoes & seasonal veggies Scotch Eggs ser...

If vodka, Biergarten or Eastern European food means anything to you then Schnitzel Hub is the place you want to be. The diversity of cuisines has expanded in the St. Clair and Yonge area with Schnitzel Hub's second location.  Unlike the Schnitzel Hub's first location in Vaughan, this new spot offers a full bar, many more seatings for groups as well as a private dining area.   For vodka lovers, you'll be surprised to see some artisan house-infused vodkas at Schnitzel Hub with crazy flavours like lemon & ginger, candy, smoked bacon and even honey & chili pepper! I suggest you sip these infused vodkas to really taste the flavours.  Personally, I enjoyed the lemon & ginger but many others were raving about the horseradish! Now, onto the food offerings. This restaurant prides itself on creating homemade, authentic meals from Eastern an Central Europe with a focus on schnitzels.  I must say the portions here are very generous so it's a great spot to go for din...

Ovest Cucina e Vineria , a cantina inspired Italian Kitchen has recently set roots in the ever growing King West District. With its wide pane windows, it definitely sparks interest to anyone walking by to take a peek inside to find out whats going on. Oh, and we forgot to mention, it's also a wine bar, meaning this might be the next go to place for anyone that wants to grab a drink during happy hour or on the weekend.  While we think of most Italian restaurants as more rustic and homey, Ovest Cucina e Vineria gives a slight modern twist to Italian dining. The interior of the restaurant accentuates clean lines and polished furnishings but incorporates that signature Italian home cooked feeling with a brick open kitchen concept. As a wine bar, Ovest features their wide selection throughout the entire space whether it's a makeshift wall between dining areas or filling the floor to ceiling space with wine racks. It's definitely a great way to showcase their wine menu. If you ne...