Ginny Weasley & French Fry Pad Thai

Now, just a little heads up, but this isn't really a proper 'review' - more simply a few pictures of our sips and nibbles at Lisa Marie. 

We obviously started with tumblers of water. 

The writing on the wall pretty much sums it up.

P always orders an Old Fashioned. I ordered the cocktail of the day - a Ginny Weasley.

Hails went for a dirty martini - and she didn't even have to ask for extra olives. They just knew. Bonus points!

P was happy with his cocktail (he is quite particular about his Old Fashioneds) and I had no complaints either. Anything somewhat refreshing and named after a Hogwarts character is going to make me a happy customer!

We had to go for the Pad Thai fries - a Fidel Gastro classic. We were not disappointed. These things are effing good!

Crispy, golden fries coated in a spicy and slightly sweet (but in a good way) Pad Thai sauce. These were finished alarmingly fast.

We also shared a fish dish (and I'm a bad blogger - I've forgotten the kind of fish and the name of the dish) but it was served with sauteed kale, cabbage slaw and shoestring fries. Oh and the most delicious fresh bread (that I believe they get from a bakery in Montreal...)

Beautifully presented.

The slaw was amazing. The kale was salty and pretty good for kale. The fish wasn't amazing and I'm sorry to say I came across more than a few bones but when all put together on one fork (sans bones) it was quite a nice bite.

I'd definitely come back for cocktails and French fry Pad Thai!

Overall we were happy campers!

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Sister Saturday

My sister lives in the great white North most of the year so when she is home in the 'south' I try and see her as often as I can.

Most of the time we both head back to the cottage for quality time on the dock but one weekend she was craving a city fix. She picked a dandy weekend to spend in Toronto too - sunny and perfect for strolling through Kensington Market....

....or sitting on a patio in Kensington with ice-cold beer and guac!

After our fill of Mexican treats we strolled through Trinity-Bellwoods where we came across some love.

A hot, sunny day filled isn't complete without ice-cream! We hit up Bang Bang Ice Cream on Ossington for their cool, minty offerings.

While delicious on a summer day, the heat did not work in our favour. Ice-cream rivers ran down Hailey's cone and down her arms...

My ice cream sandwich was soon just two cookies in a sea of minty green and Hails had ice cream everywhere. We walked slowly down to Queen St laughing 'til we cried and licking our fingers and hands and arms trying to remove the melted evidence.

Upon arriving at home we decided to rest our legs and quench our thirst with some homemade sangria. Bubbles and rose with plenty of fresh summer fruit!

Next on the itinerary was dinner. (I swear all we did was walk and eat!)

We ventured back to Ossington to dine at Fish Bar. Starting with delicious salmon tartar served with golden, crisp onion rings.

This dish was a real winner for both of us.

We tried the FishBar taco with mahi mahi and shrimp ceviche. 

I wasn't sure what to expect but this dish was really really tasty. Light and bright filling with a crunchy taco that didn't fall apart as you ate it.

PEI oysters and dirty martinis.

This is when we went a little overboard. Eyes WAY too big for our stomachs, we went and ordered the lobster mac n' cheese with smoked cheddar, gruyere and truffle oil. Good chunks of lobster but very, very salty.

Of course, I can never leave a table without a little sweet something. We opted for classic vanilla creme brulee.

I don't think there is anything better than sharing a meal (or a day's worth of delicious food) with a loved one!

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A good food weekend

Nothing gets me more excited than the thought of a weekend full of delicious food (other than maybe a trip full of delicious food & exotic sights!)

It started on Saturday. Working an event on a Saturday morning may not seem appealing to everyone but there are perks - like food tickets for some of Toronto's best food trucks!

No no, this is not all for me! I shared my bounty with my colleague. We selected to hit up The Good Food Dudes truck and we chose wisely.

Starting with their fish taco. I almost always love a fish taco and this one was good... but not amazing.

Fried mac n' cheese balls. Delicious looking on the outside (pretty much anything crunchy, golden and fried looks good) but lacking a whack of flavour. 

This was the winner by my taste buds. A classic reuben on rye. Melted cheese, tangy sauce, and tender smoked meat. With a dill pickle on the side. YUM.

I arrived home, grabbed P and we went out for a walk about the city. Our walks often end with us strolling down Queen St. W, getting dangerously close to our usual dining haunts. I put my foot down, saying no to P's beloved Burgers Priest, Banh Mi Boys and McDonalds. I pulled him into Rock Lobster and headed to their patio.

Considering my relatively unhealthy lunch (I did do an Insanity workout as part of the event I was working so technically I deserved all that friend goodness!) I didn't want too much for dinner. I stuck with the classic lobster roll and chips. The roll was good - a buttery bun holding delicate chunks of fresh lobster in a relatively light aoli. I love a good kettle chip but these were served without ketchup and a little bland for my tastes so most remained on the plate.

I did enjoy the shandy (hence the Instagram photo!) That is a piece of candied ginger as a garnish that I wish I had dropped into my glass while there was still booze in it. The drink was strong (tequila) mixed with Sam Adam's Boston Lager. Refreshing and nice way to kick start Saturday night.

P's fries. He also had a lobster taco but he scarfed it down before I could snap a photo!

The highlight of our little meal was a single oyster. It was a last minute decision & I just wanted one taste of the sea. I can't remember where this little guy came from but he was delicious. I instantly regretted not ordering a full meal of them.

Sunday morning started off with a tasty morsel from Nu Bugel in Kensington Market. P and I make it a habit of getting our fresh fruits and veggies from Kensington but I also love going there for all the different eateries. P had experience Nu Bugel's bagels a few weekends prior and knew I'd love it. We shared a simple everything bagel, toasted with herb and garlic cream cheese and it was lovely. I am dying to go back and try their smoked salmon cream cheese - it has chunks of real smoked salmon!  

It's hard for me to leave Kensington without drooling as I walk by Seven Lives Tacos. In need of a little pick me up I picked up two - baha fish and pork carnita with a bottle of Fanta to wash it all down. I'm a big fan of the baha fish and I do like the carnita but there is just a little too much pork for my tastes. I want to try their grilled octopus taco next.

A weekend of delicious food is wonderful but I was feeling quite guilty Monday morning. I've been eating nothing but protein and veggies for lunch all week... or trying to anyways!

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Grand Lunch

This Saturday P and I went for a walk. I had only one thing on my mind : tacos. 

I fell in love with Grand Electric a few months ago. It was a friend's birthday and the wait was two hours. Two hours! If it was any old Mexican place we'd be hoofin' it to the next joint. But for Grand Electric two hours is worth it. A friend put our group on the wait list and we enjoyed cocktails and snacks at a friend's place nearby while we waited. 

At night it's dark (my other name is captain obvious), loud, cramped, and fun! $9 margaritas are delicious and slightly more friendly in price than other Toronto spots. The spicy calamari is so good I'm drooling as I type. It's a great spot for a small gathering of friends. 

My other experience with Grand is delivery. Delivered right to your door by Hurrier makes taco night at home slightly more lazy but slightly more delicious. I enjoyed my three bite tacos at home but P found them to be a little on the cold side. I blame the fact that when we ordered delivery it was early spring (cooler weather = cold food) and when he lived in CityPlace. A bit too far for quick delivery. 

But lunch on Saturday was delightful!

Their house lager was the perfect pairing with the tangy and spicy taco selection. 

P stuck to his faves - chicken and baja fish. I had the fish, pork belly, scrapple, and beef cheek. I love them all but I ended lunch with the scrapple and beef and I think those were my top tacos of the day! But I will say the pork belly with its pickled pineapple was pretty tasty too. 

I'll say you can't go wrong with Grand Electric (unless, of course, you're so hungry for dinner you can't wait two hours).

Lunch!

Pork belly on the left, chicken on the right.

P diving in.

Close up.

Love the back of the bar.

Skull & bourbon.

The bar.

YUM.

Scrapple

Beef cheek

Tip: Don't go for tacos on a first date.

Nothing but a few drops of hot sauce on my plate.

P leaves a little more behind.

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