Ossington gained a pizza joint a few weeks ago, Pizzeria Libretto. Seems like everyone already knows, since the line-up is insane.
I did get manage to get my hands on some pizza though. It was quite yummy. So it should be, with the chef from Silver Spoon behind the wheel of a fancy-pants oven imported from Italy, and recipes in keeping with Italian pizza traditions.
Pizzeria Libretto seems to have picked up where Terroni left off… good pizza, nice decor and lines when you don’t expect them…

The latest project from Castor Design : OddFellows has just opened up on the corner of Shaw & Queen St. W. This “modern lodge” is now serving dinner from 6pm onward with drinks late into the evening. The place is well worth checking out for it’s design alone — not to mention the tasty fare Matt has created.
They are open from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner and Sundays for brunch.

Technorati Tags: Design, dinner, Queen St. W, Toronto, Trinity Bellwoods

One of the many fantastic things about this city is the abundance of restaurants making every cuisine imaginable. I have really taken to Ethiopian food lately. It consists of a number of flavourful dishes served on a big sourdough-like pancake. You then pinch the food with the pancake – no need to get any utensils dirty. Just use those fingers that your momma gave you.
Lalibela is a fine place to sample Ethiopian dishes – located on Bloor Street just east of Ossington on the south side of the street.
Try it… you might like it!

Technorati Tags: bloor street, dinner, ethiopian food, Toronto

Cool Hand of a Girl is a great little cafe in the Junction on Dundas West, just 1 street east of Keele. Among other tasty bites, they serve up delicious sandwiches. My personal favourite is the tarragon chicken salad sandwich… mmm… good stuff. Perhaps the secret is that the chicken breast is from a Mennonite farm, or perhaps it’s the tarragon. They have many organic options and host art on the walls from local artists. Brunch on weekends is a good call, although they can get quite busy so don’t show up too hungry, for you may end up — as my friend Chris might say –”hangry”.

Technorati Tags: brunch, Cafe, Dundas Street , espresso, family business, homemade, latte

In Corktown, just up from the Distillery District, a Jamie Kennedy Cafe hides in an unsuspecting alley. 4 Gilead is bright and beautifully designed and serves up delicious cafe fare from 8-6 on M-F, 8-4 S&S. As one might expect, nearly everything is excellent. Why not try it and see if you can find an item that is sub par? Could be a fun game. Cookies, danishes, breads, salads, sandwiches… the menu is not large but it’s worth a drop in for a snack. Between 11am – 3pm there are additional options to choose from on the ever changing a la cart menu.

Technorati Tags: Artisan, Cafe, coffee, Corktown, pastries, pastries, sandwich, breads, Toronto

If you haven’t been to this mysterious place… you should. Delux at 92 Ossington is a great place to procure an excellent dinner.
A celebration, perhaps? A reward? Any reason will do, just make sure you have a reservation, as a lot of people have already figured out the truth about this special place on Ossington.

Things are really buzzing in the West end. Buzzing with caffeine, that is. The Junction now has Crema Coffee Company. In my humble opinion, this is one of the best coffee shops in the city. Or perhaps it is the best – you decide. The design is fantastic, with clean and simple lines. It rivals Manic and houses a Clover machine.

mmmm…. delicious.

Technorati Tags: cozy, Dundas Street , espresso, latte, coffee

Me: Hey Junction, what’s going on? What’s with all the commotion?

Junction: Well, let’s see. A beautiful organic grocery store has opened on Dundas Street West. It’s called the Sweet Potato. Not only does it have a fantastic selection of foods, it has a couch! Yeah, you heard me, a couch and some snacks at a cafe in case you need a little pick me up before diving into grocery shopping.

Me: I’m impressed. It’s not super cheap. But it’s everything else that a great little neighbourhood grocery store would be. Junction, you’re shaping up to be one hot neighbourhood!

Technorati Tags: fresh fruit, local business, organic, the junction

It’s been a while since I’ve seen new restaurants open on Harbord Street, but suddenly there has been a jolt of change on this restaurant strip. I checked out the Harbord Room that has been open for 3 weeks just west of Spadina. I had the most delicious soup I may have ever had (don’t tell my mum). It was tomato gremolata and lamb with chevre. I ordered it intending to share, but as my date was a little late I opted to eat the whole thing (sucka). The house wine was lovely. The decor managed to be both elegant and cozy. The entrees were rich in flavor yet not overwhelming.
The Chef, Cory Vitiello, previously the Drake’s sous chef has gone out on his own to show the world what he’s made of. Kudos to him.

The place only has about 25 seats, plus a bar… so if you want to try it you’d better get there before Toronto Life reviews it. I will definitely be back.
Cheers.

Technorati Tags:
Toronto, Delicious, Restaurant, Date, elegant, Annex, Bar

It’s fun to see a few more organic places open up. Options are good. I’ve noticed a few more organic shops and restaurants lately but haven’t tried all of them. One that I have experienced is Cafe Vert in Leslieville. They have been offering organic and healthy food for the past 2 years. It’s a cute little neighbourhood place that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a wine bar on the upper level that opens when the restaurant closes on the weekends. It’s a cozy little neighbourhood place that is open for three meals a day Wednesday to Sunday. Their coffee presentation is one of the prettiest I’ve seen. Definitely a great brunch option when there isn’t a line out the door.

Technorati Tags:
Leslieville, local, organic, Restaurant, brunch