Munching on Toronto - La Merceria | Le Gourmand | North

I introduced La Merceria in my blog 'A Stroll Down Queen Street' last month and showcased a few photos of the inside of the cafe and the area where they sell merchandise. The other day, I decided to get out of the office and read. Initially I was thinking about going to the park to read but all the benches in the shaded area were taken. It was way too hot to sit in the sun, so I decided to go to La Merceria. They have a little table outside on the sidewalk but I decided I needed some air conditioning (yeah, I don't really enjoy the heat that much).

I ordered a Yerba Mate Lemonade and two mini Alfajores. The lemonade tasted a lot like iced tea and it was very refreshing. I decided to do a little research on Yerba Mate and found out that it is a herb that was introduced by 'Guarani Indians of Paraguay and Argentina'. It is used to "boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, reduce stress, and eliminate insomnia". (taken from Yerba Mate: the Ancient Drink for Health and Friendship) Very interesting. If you like ice tea, you would like this refreshing lemonade.


Le Gourmand. (their site isn't working, I guess that's not a great sign?) Not sure what happened but they seemed to have closed down :( Well, the one and only time I was there, I enjoyed a really good salmon salad and my friend had a yummy squash soup (can't remember what he got exactly anymore).

Salmon Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Looks like pumpkin tomato soup..can't be sure though.

Anyhow, not sure if they will revive and open their doors again. If they do, try them out. They are on west side of Spadina north of Richmond (I hope that's right, my memory is a little wonky).

North Restaurant is a Persian Restaurant located on Steeles west of Yonge. I can't seem to locate a website for them, if you know, please post.The food was actually pretty good but unfortunately I can't remember the names of the dishes we ordered but do enjoy the one picture I took of our meal. Again, we ordered way too much "eyes too wide, stomach too narrow" (its a Chinese saying - straight translation). I remember we also had a jug of yogurt drink and it was very different than anything I've had before.

I recommend all three places in this post as they represent very different cultures, countries and tastes.

Lending a Helping Hand

This past weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer at a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. My friend's church helps out once in a while at The Scott Mission and he had promised to take our friend there and asked if  I would be interested in volunteering too. Absolutely!
I have never volunteered at a soup kitchen before. I have volunteered to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity and volunteered as a childcare assistant community programs for little kids in Waterloo but this was definitely a first time and was looking forward to every moment of it.
We arrived just before 9:00am and put on our plastic aprons after signing in. We were asked to help set up the tables. Everything was very organized and in its correct spot. While my friend and I set the tables, there was another group of volunteers cutting slices of pie to place at each spot at the tables. My other friend had disappeared into the freezer room.

Dining Hall

When everything was set and ready to go, Raoul, one of the workers there briefed us on how everything would flow.
10:30am: first round to come in
10:40am: start serving the main meal
11:00am: start cleaning up
11:30am: second round to come in
11:40am: start serving the main meal
12:00pm: clean up

Me cleaning away...what I do best haha :)

Simple enough. I was one of the servers. We all lined up in the kitchen and carried a tray of 6 plates out to the table we were directed to. The two people sitting at the end of the table would take the plates and pass them down the table. There wasn't much talking amongst the individuals and some of them were very polite. During the meals, there was a police officer standing on duty at the back of the dining hall.
When the first round was up, we started cleaning up and all the volutneers worked as a team to clean, wipe down the tables, wash the cutlery and dishes and reset the tables to get ready for the second round.
According to Raoul, there weren't as many people coming for meals this time because the government had just sent out HST cheques. Once the money ran out, then the soup kitchen would be full again.

Main Meal Dish

Kitchen with 2 huge soup pots

I watched as some of the individuals would go around and collect food from other plates left behind, some pouring the remainder of the soup into plastic containers, and putting the bread into plastic bags. This would most likely be their meal for later.

It is always good to lend a helping hand and to help others that are in need.

Munching on Toronto - Bier Markt | Free Times Cafe | Fynn's of Temple Bar

I heard a lot about the Bier Markt before and in my mind, I pictured an actual market with a lot of beer. I managed to get part of that imagination right. They had a whole binder of beer for you to choose from, and each item on the menu provided you with suggestions on which beer(s) would go best with the meal.
I ended up going on two separate occasions, once sitting on the patio and once sitting inside (it was pouring buckets outside and unless I wanted a free shower, I wasn't feeling the outside vibe).
During my first visit, we ordered a salad, the fish and chips and two Leffe's.

Belgian Cobb Salad with Flat Iron Steak

Bier Markt Fish & Frites

I think this is one of my fav beers now :)

I really enjoyed the fish and frites but I found the cobb salad to be a little too bitter for my liking. All in all, I was satisfied. On my second occasion to there, we kind of over ordered (I tend to do that when I'm super duper hungry - and end up having to doggy bag half of it).

Wurst Sampler for 1

Schnitzel Sliders

Mediterranean salad with Flat Iron Steak

Yes we got the Flat Iron steak for both salads because the steak was just...very very delicious.

Free Times Cafe. Nothing too special about it, it was a place my friends and I decided to just eat at because it was close to their home and we were just absolutely pooped from all the walking we did earlier and well of course hungry.

Combo Plate 3 Plus 3 Falafel

The food was mediocre, nothing out of the ordinary. My friends each got a burger, and they were pretty big in size.

I've already talked about Fynn's of Temple Bar in my Hunt for my favourite French Onion Soup but I wanted to make a comment on the Warm Goat Cheese Salad and their, what I believe is called, the 'Baconator'.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Smokehouse Caesar (aka Baconator?)

The salad was actually really good. The goat cheese was simply delicious and the salad was nice and light and complimented the cheese very well. I would definitely go back to have it again. I didn't have this Caesar but my friend did and a few other ordered it as well because its 1. huge and 2. it comes with a pepperette stick.
Let me know if you have been to any of these places before and if you have a favourite item that you absolutely love or hate.

Downtown Fun with the Parents

My parents came to visit me a couple of weeks ago and I decided to plan a one day trip to downtown.

Serious Golfer :)

My dad is an avid golfer and since I'm not, it would be no fun to 1. book a onesome tee time for him, or 2. go with him and fail miserably on the green. So, the golfing range was the compromise. I heard from a few friends of mine that they enjoyed going to the driving range at Polsen Pier and since my dad hadn't played there before, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring him there.
It was fun I must say. I'm sure my dad had a great time. As we left, we enjoyed the view of downtown Toronto.

Golf balls that look like little tangerines

Polsen Pier is a place with lots of fun outdoor activities like beach volleyball, rock climbing, inflated obstacle courses, pool, go-carting, driving range, etc. The last time I was there, it was for a company event and it was a lot of fun.

Cloudy and windy that day but still a nice view of the city.

Our next stop was the Distillery District. The many years my parents lived in Toronto, they never ventured down to the Distillery and this was their first time.We enjoyed a light meal at the Mill Street Brewery and took a stroll around the Distillery after eating.

Sliders were yummy.

Really good sweet potato fries

Some barrels in the area.

My parents walking.

Our last stop of the day was the Windsor Arms Hotel (just off of Bloor Street) to have Hi-Tea. I must say, the presentation of the pastries and finger sandwiches was great and the tea we each ordered were spectacular. The only thing I have to say is that the service and attitude of our server was not the best. At some levels, I expect the service to be somewhat better and above average for the price I'm paying.

Tea pots each person gets.

Pretty tasty finger sandwiches

Pastries were good.

Nice decor.

Overall the day went well and my parents and I got to spend some quality time with each other. There are a lot of things to discover in downtown Toronto, more to come!

Munching on Toronto - On the Hunt for my Favourite Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee

I've always loved French Onion Soup ever since I was a child. I think it was mainly because of my love for cheese and in this case, melted cheese. I mean, what other soup out there has melted blobs of cheese in it?

So, I've made it a mission of mine, to try as many french onion soups I can where ever I go when eating out. So far, from what I can recall, I have tried it at five different places:

1. Jack Astor's (like 4 years ago? They don't have it anymore)
No picture here but if I'm not going crazy about saying how great it is right now, it probably wasn't and I would have remembered.

2. Jake's on Main Street Unionville
It didn't cross my mind to take a picture then, but it wouldn't have turned out nice anyways as I remember I ordered the French Onion Soup with a beer...at night. Also can't say much about this one.

3. Turtle Jacks in Richmond Hill

I can't really remember if this was good or not. I know that if it was delicious, then I would remember it like Fynn's or if it was bad I would remember it like Boston Pizza's but I can't so I'm going say that the French Onion Soup at Turtle Jack's was mediocre, not good, not bad.





4. Fynn's of Temple Bar on King Street, Toronto

Fynn's Temple Bar is a pub on King Street west of Spadina. I never expected them to have French Onion Soup on their menu, but when I saw it, I knew I had to get it. I also ordered a salad as well, and it was really good I must say (will post in another blog). I found that there was enough cheese and onions and the soup base was not too salty. The only downfall about it was that it had a bit too much bread. Other than that, I enjoyed it.


5. Boston Pizza in Richmond Hill

This French Onion Soup was lacking a few things in my opinion. There was not enough cheese and onion and the soup base was rather bland. It didn't look  as appetizing as the other French Onion Soups I have tried so far. I doubt I will get this again when I go back. Other items on their menu are actually not bad, but this one, unfortunately, doesn't make that list.


I am by no means an expert at making French Onion Soup, or knowing which one is the best. I just want to find my favourite place, and after 5 places, I must say I am not able to settle on one yet. So my hunt continues.
Do you have a place in mind that you know has amazing French Onion Soup? If so, let me know! I'll definitely go try it out!

WoofStock Spring 2010

Can I just say how much fun Woofstock was? Seeing it was my first time going and taking Abby with me, we didn't really know what to expect - would there be tons of people? tons of dogs? tons of goodies for the dogs? Well, definitely yes to all of the above! Front Street was blocked off from Wellington to Jarvis this past weekend to allow owners and their dogs to enjoy the company of other dogs and to allow booths and booths of goodies, services and merchandise to be sold and samples to be handed out. 

Woofstock runs 2 days in the Spring (June 12 -13) and will be happening again in November (this time it will be indoors at the Direct Energy Center - we question if they will allow owners to bring their dogs in).

I was amazed at how many dogs I saw in one area! You would look to your right, and there would be a group of Bernese sniffing each other. Then you look to your left, and there was a group of Pugs. And groups of Huskies, and Great Danes, and Chow Chows and the list goes on. It was pretty neat to see all types of breeds and sizes and all of them getting along just fine! 

Beauitful and huge Husky

Chow Chow with LV bandana.

Abby was super thirsty all the time but thanks to all the random water bowls everywhere, she was well hydrated and ready to taste lots of treats and greet other dogs. 

A very happy Abby about to enjoy your icecone!

I think what the dogs really enjoyed aside from the goodies was that there was a water fountain for them to freely jump into and cool off. Look at how happy Abby's friends (Nikki and Koji) are in the water. Abby on the other hand, was too scared to jump in. Seriously not sure if she's really a Golden Retriever :)

Nikki closest, Koji looking somewhere else.

Won't go in.

Glad the weather held up that day and it didn't rain. All in all, a great festival to attend if you own or want to have a dog! This definitely will not be the last time we go :)

Didn't realize they were real until I looked closely.

The Fountain

Gourmet Dog Treats for sale