Author jen

Nibbles 'n' Notes Around Town

The weather is already cooling off as we near the end of August, and many of the small in-city farmers’ markets are coming to a close. It’s a great time to get out and take a walk around. Also, walking its a great opportunity to check out all the new restaurants opening, as well as sampling what they might have to offer. Here are some eating notes I’ve collected in the last little while during my travels around the city.

Four Burgers

Burgers are a hot-topic no matter where I look. However, I tend to gloss over the plethora of places that offer this sandwich because the burger isn’t usually my meal of choice. Apparently though, it’s burger-time for me, with four notable ones in the last little while. If you’re a true burger-lover, turn thine eyes away! I did not do an exhaustive search. I did not compare like-burgers. I just thought these were just remarkably tasty.

Böhmer

Late at night, Böhmer is quiet with a muted buzz from the still busy bar. We get seated by one of the large windows at the entrance and check out the menu of seasonal and local ingredients. While we didn’t order very many dishes, I was quite impressed with the plating.

Downtown Core Markets

Though we’re mid-way through summer, I thought I’d do a quick round-up of markets in the downtown Toronto core. There are several in a (roughly) 1km radius of City Hall, which makes it easy to pick up fresh local fruits and produce before work, during the lunch hour, or on a weekend. I’ve enjoyed ridiculously fragrant peaches, sweet cherries, and intensely flavoured wild blueberries during my numerous excursions to the various surrounding markets. I’ve also gotten duds too, so when you go, look out for those offering samples – and use your nose.

Chicago, June 2010

Escaping the brouhaha that was the G20 in Toronto, I ran off with Endy to Chicago for an extended weekend. Though our hotel was located just off the shopping Mecca that is the Magnificent Mile, we, of course, hadn’t chosen Chicago for its shopping, but rather for its food. After some extensive research, the itinerary was set up and like all my trips, sight-seeing was optional and merely a good way to kill time between meals. I had short-listed 7 restaurants, 3 markets, and a pig butchering demo during our stay, with several optional places (mostly of the drinking variety) to hit if we had time.

Golden Times At The Violet Hour

Despite the many recommendations to hit The Violet Hour when I was researching places to go in Chicago, it was only due to serendipity that a visit occurred. However, this elegant space with an old-world flair charmed me the moment I stepped through its heavy velvet curtains.

Two-Bite Post: Big Star

Unable to make the Maxwell Street Market that morning, I sub-in a quick bite at Big Star instead. I had heard that there were long lines, to be aware that there was an alternate take-out line, that the patio was always packed, etc. Well apparently, noon on a Sunday is a good time to go – the minute it took to be carded was the most trouble we had getting into the place.

All The Bits At Mado

On a whim, we changed our plans and decided to have dinner at Mado on our last night in Chicago. Having enjoyed the talk and time spent during a pig butchering demo (more in a later post!) earlier in the afternoon at the restaurant, we thought it would be nice to check the actual dinner service out.

Fascinating moto

In a nutshell, molecular gastronomy is the application of science principles to food preparation and presentation. We see this in full-effect at moto in Chicago, where food and science meet in a playful frolic across your plate. We went all-out and opted for the GTM (Grand Tour Moto), a 20-course, 5-hour extravaganza. At times, it was a phenomenal mix of fantastic food and showmanship, sometimes less-so. But it definitely resulted in an interesting meal at the end of the night.

TRU’s Tasty Dessert Tasting

I have a sweet-tooth. I know it. So when I heard there was this dessert tasting-menu at TRU in Chicago, I got all excited. Then I read the dress code: gentlemen must wear a jacket in the dining room. We… Continue Reading →

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 foodpr0n — Powered by WordPress

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑