The best spot in Toronto for vegan comfort food

…That I’ve had so far. I won’t get carried away and call it the best in the entire city when I haven’t tasted ALL of the vegan comfort food here but, my gawd, it is good. For the tastebuds and the soul.

The Hogtown Vegan is located on Bloor St. W. and Havelock St. It’s a hip little spot with turquoise painted walls, interesting art adorning those bright walls and a big bar taking up most of the floor space.  Booths and tables are spread out throughout and on the tables are little signs explaining the vegan substitutions. Handy for those who aren’t well acquainted with vegan takes on classic animal-based dishes and wouldn’t know what tempeh or cashew cheeze are.

Like I said earlier, it’s a small spot so I imagine seating is limited when it gets to more popular dining hours. As it was, my friends and I were meeting for dinner there at 5:30 p.m. on a Monday so there was plenty of seating available. We were able to snag a booth in the corner next to the bar. By the time we left at around 6:30 p.m. almost all the tables were filled.

I was really excited to be eating dinner there because I’d heard great things about its mac ‘n’ “cheese” and have yet to have a decent mac ‘n’ cheese dish that is entirely vegan. Also, I adore comfort food (who doesn’t?!) so I couldn’t wait to try it out for myself.

I’ve eaten there before but it was for brunch and wasn’t a dining experience that was particularly noteworthy. I had the BLT with a side of homefries and everything was decent. Good but not great.

But dinner is a whole other ball game. And it was one I’d heard Hogtown Vegan knew how to execute on so I was amped to give it a shot.

The restaurant bills itself on its comfort food and so the menu is rife with southern-inspired dishes: mac ‘n’ “cheese”, pulled “pork” sandwich, “chicken” and waffles… Right away I knew I had to get a dish that honoured the inspiration and would best represent the restaurant.

Although the unchicken & waffles is noted on the menu as Hogtown Vegan’s signature dish, I wasn’t really in the mood for waffles. Instead I went with the Southern combo: breaded soy “chicken” strips, mac ‘n’ “cheese” and sautéed garlic collard greens with a side of BBQ sauce.

Look at that beauty. It is 100% as good as it looks. Actually, better. Because that mac ‘n’ “cheese” is some of the best I’ve ever had in my life – including my pre-vegan days. It doesn’t even taste like fake cheese. I actually wondered if this “100% plant-based menu” thing was all a trick and they used real cheese in it because it was that authentic tasting.

My friend got the pulled “pork” sandwich with a side of fries and her meal was really good too. I would order that sandwich for sure. And the fries were great – perfectly crispy, not overly salty and generally made just the way fries should be. My other friend got the Southern combo too.

The dessert menu was compelling but we were short on time. We were headed to a Raptors game and, with a 7:30 p.m. start, wanted to get there with ample time to buy beverages before tip-off. Priorities, you know. But I think on my next visit I will make sure to sample it because that fried apple pie with soy ice cream was just calling my name.

When it was all said and done my bill came to $25. I’d indulged and got a (large) glass of the red wine sangria. I’d like to take a moment on that:

In my experience sangria is rarely done well, or properly for that matter. Most restaurants and home bartenders usually half-ass it and it ends up tasting overly sweet or like a glass of wine mixed with ginger ale and cut up fruit. I would like to say that Hogtown Vegan does not do that. Its sangria was fantastic. You can tell effort goes into making it and honouring what the drink is supposed to be. Thumbs up to the bartender!

Anyway, almost a week later and my friends and I are still talking about the mac ‘n’ “cheese” so I think another dinner at Hogtown Vegan is in our (near) future… Maybe it’s in yours too?

Note: Hogtown Vegan offers a gluten-free menu (which includes the mac ‘n’ “cheese”… just sayin’) and accepts payment in the form debit and credit, along with cash. Just wanted to point those things out because a friend who’d been there awhile ago said neither of those were true when she went so they must be new additions.

Sweet Easter treats à la Bunners

Happy Easter! In honour of this sweet-laden holiday, I picked up some vegan gluten-free treats this weekend. For blog purposes, of course*…

I saw that Bunners vegan and gluten-free bake shop was doing a vegan GF version of the Cadbury Creme Egg so I thought it the perfect spot to get my Easter treats from this year.

I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve never been a fan of the Creme Egg (I find it waaay too sweet*) but a vegan version of anything appeals to me so off I went to the Bunners bakery located in the Junction.

Creme eggs are here!! We’ll be making them from now until April 5th 🌷🌷🌷 pic.twitter.com/0fFCRIUpgX

— Bunner (@BunnersBakeShop) March 20, 2015

And of course once I got there I couldn’t get just one thing. I ended up walking out of the bakery with the egg, a piece of raspberry crumb cake and a mini cinnamon bun. It’s Easter! Treat yo self!

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Here are my thoughts on each of the delightful treats I picked up:

Raspberry crumb cake  This one was my favourite and I think it’s because it was the least sweet of the three. It has a hint of lemon, which, combined with the tart raspberry flavour, offsets the sweetness of the crumble on top nicely. The only thing I didn’t like so much about it was the grainy texture and taste the cake has. But that’s a taste/texture I’ve noticed in almost all gluten-free flour products I’ve had so I can’t hold it against Bunners. Plus the cake was super moist and the crumble was perfect.

Overall: 4/5 Easter eggs

Bunners creme egg

The star of the show and my second favourite. Bunners did a great job in mimicking the original Creme Egg. The chocolate is similar to that of those mini tinfoil wrapped eggs the Easter bunny would hide around the house and the inside is a very sweet filling. Not as viscous as the original but just as sweet! It has the consistency and slight flavour of cookie dough, which I loved. Who doesn’t love the taste of cookie dough?!

3.5/5 Easter eggs

Mini bun

I grabbed the mini bun because I’d heard a lot about Bunners cinnamon rolls. It has a sweet, sweet icing on top and a caramel glaze on the bottom. The bun itself isn’t very sweet though so it has a nice balance. This may be a result of it being gluten-free but again I find the taste and texture of the bun to be a little too grainy and, unlike the crumb cake, a bit too dry. But, to end on a positive note, it has the perfect amount of cinnamon incorporated into it.

3/5 Easter eggs

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Bunners also offers a selection of savoury items. At last year’s Toronto Veg Food Fest I attended a Bunners cooking demonstration starring the owner, Ashley. One of the items she made was pot pie pockets. There were samples to taste afterwards and it was ridiculously good. The gravy and mixture of flavours in the pot pie were amazing. I would definitely buy one. Everyone in the audience received print-outs of the recipe but the (GF) pie crust looked a little too out of my league so I haven’t yet tried to make it on my own. Maybe one day…

There’s also a location in Kensington Market, if that part of the city is more your style.
A lil story: last summer while browsing the display near closing time one of the employees gave me and my friend a free cinnamon bun. So that was awesome.

All in all, I’m a fan of this bakery. In fact, it’s my favourite vegan bakery in the city. If you’re not afraid to go a little GF I highly recommend you try it.

*I ate most of it and ended up feeling sick anyway. This food blogger can’t handle her sweets! But actually. Sugar + Erika = regret 

Best falafel I’ve ever had

I know I’ve been quite… exuberant, let’s call it… about a lot of the places I’ve reviewed on this blog. Everything I eat seems to be the best ever or so fantastic I would go do outlandish things to have it again.

But, readers, if you are going to take any of these posts seriously, please make it this one. Because I truly mean it when I say Me-Va-Me Kitchen Express served the best falafel shawarma I have ever had in my life.

Let’s take it back a bit…

After raving to a family member about the wonderfulness of Banh Mi Boys he countered with his own rave review about a new restaurant that had opened near his work on Queen Street West.

Me-Va-Me served “really, really good” shawarma on fresh made, in-house prepared laffa bread that was “so good.” He highly recommended it. A recommendation I tucked away in my brain and silently vowed to test out next time I was in the area.

As it so happened, I ended up having coffee with him a couple weeks later to catch up. On Queen Street near his work. Perfect.

After it ended, I did some quick shopping and then hit Me-Va-Me on my way to subway.

Once inside the clean, spacious express kitchen restaurant I had to decide if I wanted the falafel laffa wrap or grilled vegetable laffa wrap (the two vegan options).

Because I was definitely getting the laffa, no question about that.

Feeling in the mood for something with more substance, I went with falafel. At the cash they also ask you to pick your toppings so I chose lettuce, red cabbage, tomatoes, hot peppers, pickles, hummus, tahini, garlic sauce and hot sauce (there’s a list of all the toppings posted next to the register).

She handed me a numbered card and invited me to take seat while they prepared my wrap. Since the laffa is indeed made-to-order I had no qualms about waiting. It also allowed me to scope out the restaurant.

Walking into the restaurant it appears to be a take-out only joint but if you look towards the back, beyond the counter, it opens up to a large dining area with tables and booths for those who prefer the true in-house experience.

Trying surreptitiously to take a picture of the dining area on my iPhone… I didn’t do so well.

Since I was eating at an odd time (3 p.m.) it was fairly empty and there were only a couple other patrons in the restaurant with me. Luckily this meant I didn’t have to wait too long for my falafel.

My shawarma getting its finishing touches: the falafel balls!

A few minutes later my shawarma was wrapped and ready to go.

I brought it home and, guys, it was really, really good. The rave review I’d heard was totally on-point.

The falafel was well cooked and an interesting combination of flavours. Sometimes I find falafel to be a little too bland or a little too greasy but this one was neither.

And that laffa bread.

That bread is what classic love songs are inspired by, probably.  So soft and fresh and warm and… perfect. Just perfect.

So consider this my rave review. Go to Me-Va-Me and experience it for yourself. Get the laffa bread (definitely get the laffa bread). The one I went to is located at 240 Queen St. W. The staff there are friendly, quick and clean. My falafel shawarma came to a total of $7.85 and was big enough that I could have split it into two meals if I wanted (I didn’t).

Me-Va-Me is good. Really, really good.

Snakes & Lattes

Snakes & Lattes: come for the board games, stay for the food. Seriously.

Last weekend I finally got to check off “go to Snakes & Lattes” on my Toronto to do list and I’m very happy I was wise enough to have put it on there because it is definitely worth going to.

I originally went to meet my friend’s boyfriend and play a few board games. Snakes & Lattes is the perfect environment for this kind of scenario because it’s casual and fun… and playing a board game takes the pressure off having to make awkward small talk. Also, since it was me + a couple, it was a great set-up so I wouldn’t feel like a third wheel. Thankfully no one at the table is uber competitive so it was a perfect meeting-of-a-good-friend’s-boyfriend event.

Anyway, I could talk for hours about the board game selection (there are hundreds) or the lattes (also quite a variety) but what really matters here is the food; it was superb.

I went into this thinking it would be a couple hours, tops. Arrive at noon, leave by 2pm. Maybe grab a bite on the way home (S & L is on Bloor St. W. near Bathurst so there are ample restaurants to choose from). But after three hours and four board games, it became apparent I would have to solve this lunch problem here because we weren’t going home anytime soon.

The menu is two-sided; one on hot drinks, the other for food. The food menu is not extensive but it offers classic cafe staples such as sandwiches, salads, snacks and desserts. Oh and quiches, but we all know I didn’t bother there.

Snakes & Lattes is not expressively vegan friendly but I figured there would be something modifiable or, worst case, a garden salad for me to munch on. But I was in luck because its sandwich menu boasts a vegan sandwich. Appropriately called “the Option” it is grilled portobello, roasted zucchini and caramelized red onion with vegan garlic aioli on a ciabatta bun. Perfect. Lunch problem solved. I ordered that (sans the red onion because I just really don’t like red onions, caramelized or not).

And it was so, so, so good. Shockingly good for a board-game-and-latte-focused establishment. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and well seasoned, the bread fresh and soft, and the aioli on-point. I would definitely order it again. I’d probably even go back just to order the sandwich, to be honest.

My friend got the California club and her boyfriend had the grilled cheese. Both loved their sandwiches as much as I loved mine. So there you have it, folks. If you’re ever bored and hankering for a really good sandwich, Snakes & Lattes is where you need to go.

All in all, it was a really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We got there right before it got too busy, so there wasn’t a wait for a table (S&L doesn’t take reservations so it’s first-come-first-serve). I’d recommend arriving early because by 2pm there was a line up of people waiting for tables. But there are plenty of tables inside so I noticed most of the people didn’t have to wait long to be seated.

My bill for an afternoon of board games, a sandwich and a tea came to $18; $5 for the games, $9 for the sandwich, $2.50 for the tea + tax. Worth it.

No place for a vegan

This one is a warning post for all the Toronto vegans about a restaurant that should be avoided because there is basically nothing on the menu for a vegan.

Reds Midtown Tavern at Yonge & Gerrard.

I went there with my family for dinner. As you can probably guess, we went there because it was near the hospital. And because there wasn’t a long wait for a table like there was at the other restaurant we tried. So Reds it was.

Right off the bat the waiter told me there were no vegan options. Well, except for the edamame appetizer. Nothing that they were willing to modify for me. Nothing they could whip up for me in the kitchen. Just…nothing. Except edamame.

I won’t lie to you, I was in a bad mood so in move of defiance and stubbornness I decided that I would not be eating. Screw your edamame, Red. I ordered a glass of wine and sipped while my family ate their steaks, salad with chicken, and seafood in hollandaise sauce.

They enjoyed their food and because the wait for our (their) food took so long the waiter brought us a free round of drinks, which was appreciated. And, sure, the decor is nice, the music inoffensive and wait staff pleasant – our waiter was super apologetic about the lack of vegan options – it’s not a bad restaurant. In fact, my parents really loved it there. They would 100% go back.

But as a vegan with a blog based on giving tips & tricks to other vegans looking for places to eat in Toronto, I’m decidedly unimpressed. It’s 2015 and with all the diet restrictions out there I think they should have at least SOMETHING of substance for someone with a dairy/meat aversion. Or at least offer to make something off menu. Vegan meals are cheap; it’s essentially vegetables and carbs. I don’t think I’m asking for much here. Even The Keg Steakhouse managed to pull together a vegan meal for me!

Anyway, stay away from Reds if you don’t want an item that doesn’t have dairy, meat or edamame in it. You’ve been warned.

Banh Mi Boys

Oh my God is this place good.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m sick of the Toronto General Hospital food court so I’ve started venturing outside the hospital to fill my hunger. Banh Mi Boys was my first stop.

A good friend of mine had recently eaten at the Queen St. W. location and raved about it to me the week prior so when I saw it pop up on my Urbanspoon app I knew I had to go.

Located at the corner of Yonge and Gerrard St. it’s not a far walk from the hospital. About 10 minutes (5 if you’re a quick walker like myself). It’s a little spot that has a few tables for patrons wishing to eat their meal there. It’s decor and counter set-up actually remind me of Five Guys, even down to the red and white checkered paper they put the “for here” sandwiches on. Both times I’ve been I got my sandwiches to go so I can’t comment too much on the in-restaurant dining experience.

The menu is divided into five sections: banh mi, tacos, steamed bao, salads and sides.Each section offers a vegan option…except the salad section, ironically.

The first time I went I had the lemongrass tofu banh mi. Mayonnaise is the dressing but they ask before putting it on. After ordering your sandwich, you walk to the side of the counter and wait for them to call your name and then they’ll ask you if it’s for here or to go and then what spice level you want. There is a big sign that outlines the different levels but that time I somehow missed it and answered, “Oh as hot as possible” (which is Banh Mi Boy spice level: extra hot). That meant instead of sriracha (medium spice level) or jalapenos (hot spice level), I got habaneros.

I’ve gone on about how much I love hot food before but this was my first dance with habaneros and all I have to say is: ow. That is hot taken to the level of painful. Literally. It’s painful.

I ended up picking two-thirds of them off the sandwich and even my fingertips burned at touching them. You can imagine how my lips, mouth and throat felt.

But aside from that little misstep, the sandwich was fantastic. The bun was fresh and delicious and the tofu was really, really good. I’m skeptical about tofu sandwiches because I’ve had experiences with soggy or mushy tofu, which is pretty unappetizing on a sandwich. Luckily Banh Mi Boys does tofu well. The sandwich topped with carrots, cucumber, cilantro and pickled veggies + your choice of spice. 5 stars for sure.

The second time I went I decided to try the steamed bao because I’d heard great things about it. I got the panko-crusted tofu bao and it was also fantastic. Especially the price: $3.66! It’s a small sandwich, sure, but still quite the deal.

I had my reservations about the steamed bao because it looks like a giant marshmallow folded over a sandwich. I expected it to taste gooey or soggy but it was neither. It really tastes like a regular bun, but softer. Not soggy at all. The panko tofu was also really, really good. At this moment I’m still undecided which sandwich I preferred because both were so good. Oh, and that time I wisely went with “hot” as my spice level. I can handle jalapenos.

Unfortunately I have not had a chance to sample any of the sides or the tacos but please don’t kid yourself and think those were the only two times I’ll be at Banh Mi Boys’ doorstep. I will definitely be back. Definitely, definitely, definitely.

Searching for healthy in a hospital

I’ve been spending a lot of time at Toronto General Hospital recently. Not for myself, but with a family member recovering from a fairly invasive surgery.

Hospital food courts have a pretty bad reputation and, after spending almost every day of the past week there, I’m starting to see why; it’s not very healthy. Which surprises me, to be honest. Maybe I’m naive but I would assume that the restaurants a hospital allows to serve within its walls would have to do more to help people keep out of the healthcare system rather than pushing them in.

Anyway, sitting all day in a hospital watching a loved one recover doesn’t make me feel too good so the last thing I want is to eat a meal that will leave my body feeling bad too. But a girl’s gotta eat.

The options at the TGH food court are: Wing Machine, Bagel Stop, Hero Certified Burgers, Subway, Tim Hortons, Druxy’s, Mega Wraps, Booster Juice, Sushi, and Soup It Up. Sure, healthy (vegan) options can be found at most of those but after a couple days it starts to feel repetitive because those options tend to come in sandwich form.

Here are my thoughts on the vegan meals I’ve had so far:

Soup It Up
What I like about Soup It Up is everyday it offers one vegan soup. I tried the split pea veggie soup and it was quite good. I added a veggie sandwich with sesame dressing on a multigrain baguette and felt pretty good about the whole meal – taste-wise and health-wise. That meal rang in at about $11.

Mega Wraps
Mega Wraps also fits under my “healthy” bill because there are a ton of veggies to add to a wrap or even the option to make it into a salad. I had a falafel wrap that was pretty good and stuffed with vegetables, hummus and tahini. The menu also boasts a falafel salad and of course the options of a veggie wrap/salad. A regular size falafel wrap set me back $8.

Bagel Stop
I had a veggie bagel sandwich one morning and it was alright. The bagel was good but its toppings were…uh, limited. A couple soggy tomatoes, slices of cucumber and one leaf of lettuce. Dressings are either ketchup, mayo or butter so I went without. It was a rather dry sandwich and definitely a disappointing breakfast but it did the job. I don’t remember how much it cost but, honestly, don’t waste your money. Go to Tim Horton’s and get a 12 grain bagel with peanut butter. Hell, I bet the vegetables on Timmie’s veggie sandwich are in better shape so get that even.

Side note: my mom got a bacon, egg and cheese bagel from there and said it was the best breakfast sandwich she’d ever had so for all my non-vegan readers the opposite is true: go! Have breakfast at Bagel Stop!

Wing Machine
So no, I did not actually order or eat anything off the Wing Machine menu. But it gets a call out for offering a selection of fruit for purchase. Oranges, apples, pears and bananas for sale for just $1. I was looking for a quick, cheap and healthy snack and was pleasantly surprised to see that out of all the restaurants in that food court, Wing Machine was able to deliver. When I’m travelling or in other germ-friendly areas, I like to buy fruit that comes with a peel. Being able to wash an apple isn’t usually an option at the airport (or hospital) so a banana or orange works best for me. I’m not going to consider washing my apple in an airport washroom sink so don’t even suggest it. Ew.

Booster Juice
I’m sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that the hospital food for patients is far worse than its food court offerings and so my family member in recovery was not eating the meals being served. They asked me to grab them a smoothie (so at least they could get some kind of nutrients) so to Booster Juice I went. I didn’t get anything for myself because I noticed all the smoothies were made with dairy. Also, juice seems to be pretty big ingredient in the smoothies and I’m pretty against juice in general – it’s basically just sugar water. But for someone who hasn’t eaten in over 3 days, a high protein superfood smoothie (even made with dairy and juice) is perfect. Just not for a vegan.

And that’s it from my TGH food court experience. I’m tired of wraps and sandwiches, and soup isn’t a fun meal to have on the regular so from here on out I think I’m going to start exploring outside the hospital for my meals. Luckily TGH is right in the heart of the city so there are a ton of vegan-friendly restaurants in the area. Stay tuned!

Dat thug lyfe

*Warning: This post will feature expletives (well... a lot more than usual)

Guys, I have found my new favourite cookbook. Excuse me, I mean my new fucking favourite cookbook.

Thug Kitchen.

It is straight up amazing. Not only does it speak my language but the recipes are bomb. So far I’ve made the To-Go Breakfast Bars, black bean tortas with coconut chipotle mayo and green smoothie. Tonight I’m going to attempt the ravioli. AND I’VE ONLY HAD THE COOKBOOK FOR TWO DAYS.

In short: since I’ve received it, all my meals have come straight out of that cookbook.

That has never happened before and is a true sign of my complete adoration; I’m usually way too fucking lazy to cook everything I eat from a cookbook.

But this one is just so goddamn easy. It’s written to help people stop relying on fast food and focus on eating healthy. And what’s the best way to do it? By making the recipes as simple as possible using ingredients that are easy to find and may already have a home in your pantry.

While I love the Oh She Glows cookbook (my previous favourite), those recipes require quite a bit of planning. I don’t often have all the ingredients needed on hand and it’s difficult to spontaneously decide to make something from the book when I’m usually missing a key ingredient or two and, again, I’m way too fucking lazy to go to the grocery store for one thing.

With the thugs, I usually have 98% of all the ingredients. It’s a match made in fucking heaven.

Yep, whatever the thugs are preaching, I’m fucking buying into it.

I chose the feature photo because it resonates with me. Why is healthy food such a big fucking deal? Food is fuel; food is medicine; food can be all of those things AND taste good… so why are we opting to eat chemical garbage that may taste good when we can have the best of both worlds and not be shaving years off our lives in the process?

The book is available at most major bookstores (i.e. Chapters/Indigo) and not only contains a series of recipes that create tasty dishes (try the black bean tortas because those are food heaven) but are also fun to read. It makes cooking healthy meals fun, easy and rewarding.

Oh, and another thing? Thug Kitchen is completely vegan. Fuck yeah.

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I’m not going to post any of the recipes I’ve tried from the book because I don’t want to steal sales from the Thugs, but Metro apparently has permission to reprint the black bean torta recipe so here’s the link to it if you want to check it out. I highly recommend you do.

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Here just because swiss chard has recently become my new fav vegetable and I’m all about dat thug lyfe

Thanksgiving + sandwiches = a lot to be thankful for

Because it’s Thanksgiving for our neighbours south of the border, I thought today would be the perfect day to talk about the amazing holiday sandwich I had this weekend. While I really wanted to rave about it while still in the food-high it had me in, I’m all about perfect timing and so I saved it for today.

So, America, this one’s for you.

This weekend as I was lazily scrolling through Facebook I happened upon this status update:

After picking my jaw up off the floor, I dragged my hungover ass out the door and went and got it. I had to. When fate calls, you answer!

To make it even better, Veggielicious is currently going on so I got a free donut with the sandwich. Fate, guys. Fate.

Okay so it looks like a gross mess but trust me, it was heaven in a sandwich. Easily the best sandwich I have ever had. Easily.

It was like Thanksgiving presented on a delicious homemade bun; salty and sweet and savoury. It had me thankful for each bite. I wish this sandwich was a regular on the menu but it’s probably a good thing it’s not. I would get it way too often. But if it ever comes back, just go and get it. Trust me. Just go. Let me know and I’ll probably go with you.

TBC Vegan Baking Co. is one of my favourite vegan bakeries in the city. Located at Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave. its a cute little shop that is fairly nondescript and easy to miss if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. I would describe its interior and exterior decor as extremely hipster; vintage mixed with mason jars mixed community event postings mixed with chalkboards. Throw in the tatt’d up employees behind the counter and constant stream of hipster customers and, well, you got yourself a vegan hipster heaven.

For such a little bakery it’s got an impressive array of menu items: sandwiches, soups, brownies, cinnamon rolls, breakfast tarts, pot pies, mac ‘n’ cheese, donuts, cookies… I feel like I could on forever! Its pizza rolls are honest-to-God to die for (the jalapeno one is my favourite) and that one time I got the rocky road cookie I swear I’d never had a cookie so good.

But the bakery prides itself on its donuts and, well… I don’t like them. I feel bad writing it because I truly love this little bakery and I’m bashing its pride and joy, but I just do not like those donuts. It tastes…greasy. Like I can taste the oil it was fried in. And that is not a flavour I like to have in my desserts.

I’ve given it a chance; plenty of chances, actually. I’ve had the lemon poppyseed, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate glazed, blueberry and espresso donuts (pictured with the sandwich). But to no avail. I just can’t get behind those donuts. Sorry, TBC.

But, overall, it’s a charming bakery worth checking out. It has so much to offer that I feel like it’s okay if you don’t like one thing because you’re bound to find something else you love (like that sandwich. I know, I know, I’m obsessed but it is really the best thing ever). And you’re supporting a local business! Come onnnn – if the treats won’t get you in the door, at least let the guilt.

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers and I hope your feast today is as wonderful and satisfying as the one I had this weekend 🙂

Cheers!

Grocery store Godsend

I have discovered Amy’s Kitchen products and I think it’s changed my life. Or, at the very least, my grocery list.

I was just perusing the organic/specialty food section at Loblaw’s one night when I discovered Amy’s soups sitting on the shelf. I was in a soup mood and, after checking the ingredient list to make sure it was vegan, grabbed a can of the split pea soup.

I was back two nights later buying another can, as well as a roasted vegetable pizza and bean and rice burritos. Amy’s kitchen is slowly replacing mine.

I was skeptical about the pizza because it seemed to heavily features onions (a vegetable I’ve never been a fan of) but I gave it a chance. It was surprisingly delicious. Not the usual subpar grocery store frozen pizza (and no, Delisso, your pizza has never tricked me into thinking it’s delivery)! I now keep a box in the freezer as an emergency meal substitute for those lazy/recipe disaster nights. Until now, running to Tim Horton’s for a bagel with peanut butter had been my back-up. Tim, meet Amy, your replacement. The bean and rice burritos have become my after-bar food (sorry, Poutini’s).

In short, I am in love with Amy’s Kitchen and wanted the world to know. I still enjoy cooking and getting delicious vegan take out, but it feels so nice to have found a back-up for those times cooking and going to a restaurant seem like way too much effort (read: every Sunday). I’ve seen the products in a variety of grocery stores and it’s not outrageously expensive, as most specialty food items tend to be. I highly recommend giving Amy’s Kitchen a taste test.