Last weekend, we set out to see Niagara Falls. And see the falls we did. They were magnificent! Everyone should go! Why did I wait so long? And not only did we see the falls, but along the way, we ate some amazing food. Toronto is truly a delicious place.
My favorite stop in any new city is the food market. Even a grocery store will do. And when I saw that Toronto has "The No. 1 Food Market in the World," according to this sign, I was of course thrilled. Inside we found bacon sandwiches, lobster rolls, freshly smoked salmon, fruit salad (fruit salad is very important to this family), fiddleleaf ferns, and hot pink rhubarb. The only thing we wanted but couldn't get were pierogis - sold out.
Our dining choices were guided by Food and Wine Magazine's Toronto recommendations, and they did not steer us wrong. For dinner the first night, we chose Jamie Kennedy's Gilead. Bakery and cafe by day, wine bar by night, we shared small plates and enjoyed people watching in the neighboring condos. That sounds creepy but our table-neighbors were totally doing it too!
The food was amazing - we shared a colorful spring salad, hot smoked wild salmon with potato salad, roast sirloin with marrow and croquettes, poutine with braised beef and aged cheddar, halibut with mashed potatoes, and a cheese plate (some of which is pictured above). We didn't know what poutine was, and I think inquiring about it outed us as tourists. The manager and our server then teamed up to write out recommendations for what we should see and do over the weekend - so nice!
Dinner our second night was at Terroni on Adelaide. They have three locations in Toronto and one in Los Angeles, and I would be delighted to visit them all. The atmosphere was a bit intense with a DJ and a pretty young crowd, but we were quickly won over by the friendly service, our charming tablemates, and a reunion with our table-neighbors from Gilead with whom we had been people watching. They must have read the same issue of Food and Wine Magazine that we did.
We ate pizza, pizza, pizza, and more pizza, and a bowl of homemade pasta. Each pizza was distinct and delicious in its very own special way. I wish I had some right now.
For our final night, we dined at Chantecler, a hipster spot in Parkdale, a "bad neighborhood," according to our local friends at Terroni, who then told us they lived around the corner. Because of the size of our party (8), we were committed to a tasting menu, and it was a true taste adventure. I'm a pretty adventurous eater, and even I was pushed outside my comfort zone. But I tried it all, raw meat and everything, and I am pleased to report that every bite was delicious. Standouts for me were the beef tartare with egg yolk and shrimp chips, the torched scallops, and the lettuce meal wraps with braised beef and slow smoked pork shoulder.
On the way out of town, we circled back for one more go of Poutine at Poutini's House of Poutine, featuring extra squeaky curds on traditional, pulled pork, bacon, and "the works" poutine. We tried them all, stopped for beers, and then passed out into food comas on the flights home. Thank you, Toronto! Hope to see you again soon!
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