The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 1)

[robirdstx]

My gf and I were finally able to go out for lunch yesterday as she had had knee replacement surgery earlier this month and is now feeling well enough to make short trips. In celebration we went back to Tookie's as that is one of her very favorite places and she was craving her usual, their #99 Burger.

I had had their chili cheeseburger before and really liked the chili, so this time I had Tookie's Chili Bowl - a bowl of chili (no beans) topped with chopped onion and shredded cheddar cheese. It also comes with a side of fritos, but I had them bring a side of avocado instead as I'm trying to reduce my carb intake.

But, I had to have some of their onion rings. I only ate three and brought the rest home for my DH. These rings are so worth the extra carbs! (Anna, I thought of you when I ordered them! )

[Anna N]

Yesterday Kerry and I had a full day of errands to do. We have a cooking gig again at the upcoming Ice Wine Festival in Niagara and needed supplies. In addition Kerry had a copy of the PDT Cocktail Book put aside for her which we needed to collect. This is a roundabout way of explaining how we ended up in the most culturally diverse neighbourhood of Toronto – Kensington Market at lunch time.

Our first instinct was Mexican and that might have been the brighter choice but we are not always at our brightest when we are hungry and faced with a multitude of choices from Mexican to Hungarian/Thai (The Hungary Thai Restaurant)! So when we spotted Waterfalls offering Indian Tapas we were too enthralled to ask “What were we thinking?”

While Kerry scanned the food menu I grabbed the drinks list as I was in the mood for a beer. I was stopped dead by the first offering of bottled beers – Glutton-Free Beer. I really needed a sop to my conscience so this sounded like a fine choice.

Fortunately Kerry googled it before I placed my order and discovered it should have read “gluten-free beer”. With such a letdown I ordered an Alexander Keith’s instead. Kerry had chai.

No calamari today although it was on the menu. But we did share a selection of appetizers.

Onion Bhajis served with an intriguing mint/tamarind dipping sauce:

Mussels in a lovely, creamy curry sauce:

Jumbo tandoori shrimp:

And quite delicious naan bread:

[Anna N]

...

This is a roundabout way of explaining how we ended up in the most culturally diverse neighbourhood of Toronto – Kensington Market at lunch time.

...

Just had to share one more photo with you to underline the cultural diversity of Kensington Market:

[Tri2Cook]

Butter chicken poutine! Talk about pushing the boundaries of fusion.

[Darienne]

What could it taste like? What would be in it? And with gravy on top?

[Beth Wilson]

I think you guys might have to go back and try a little butter chicken poutine...I have been debating on ordering the butter chicken Pizza at our local pizza joint. Pizza is not my favourite but butter chicken is so I am torn Is butter chicken the new salsa?

[Anna N]

We have been a bit lax in posting our “ladies who lunch” photos so here’s making up for lost time.

Last Monday, January 9, we returned to our favourite bistro. We are always amused by their garnishes for a simple glass of water:

Kerry stuck with her usual mussels but was devastated to find out that on Monday there are no baguettes and had to settle for a couple of dinner rolls to soak up the flavourful juice:

I decided to try something new from the menu and had the Boeuf Bourguignon sandwich which was very tasty.

We shared an order of frites:

Today we again stuck with the familiar and returned to Pane Fresco for their pizza. Kerry went for the chicken and pesto:

I don’t think you can beat their Funghi pizza:

Bonus: We both had leftovers to take home.

[Tri2Cook]

Looks tasty, especially the pizzas. Can't get a decent pizza here unless you make it yourself.

[Anna N]

Looks tasty, especially the pizzas. Can't get a decent pizza here unless you make it yourself.

You need to get down here to the "sunny" south of Ontario so Kerry and I can treat you to a really, really good pizza. The crust of these pizzas is just out of this world.

[Anna N]

Yesterday Kerry and I were on a mission to find a couple ofthese

after our local Burlington store came up empty despite showing lots of stock on-line. So the Etobicoke store looked promising but to make sure that this was not a total disappointment if their on-line inventory proved just as unreliable, I researched eating places in the vicinity. Seemed to both of us that we needed to stretch a little on our lunches. I came across this Lebanese eatery.

We arrived early to avoid the lunch time rush and had the place to ourselves for the whole time.

As usual we put together a meal that lent itself to sharing and sampling as much of the menu as possible.

I started with an Alexander Keith's red and Kerry had plain tap water. The first thing to arrive on our table were these raw carrots which were very lightly pickled and salted:

We ordered the Mo'ajjanet - One piece of Kibbe, Sambousik (homemade pastry stuffed with minced beef, onions,

and spices), Fatayer (spinach, onion, olive oil and fresh lemon juice wrapped

and baked in a homemade pastry.), and Ri’a’at (phyllo pastry rolls filled

with a combination of cheeses and spices):

Falafel which Kerry declared as being the lightest she had ever had. I am not a fan of falafel but admit that these were tasty:

Mo’ajjanet: One skewer each of lahem mishwee (AAA filet mignon), shish kafta (ground lean beef seasoned with parsley, onion and spices.) and shish tawook (tender grilled chicken breast) served with toum garlic sauce and Mezzas own spicy bbq sauce on pita:

There - now we have showed you that we can eat something other than Asian food! Next time I am sure we will return to our comfort food and you'll be treated to yet another photo of pho.

[threestars]

You'll never guess what this is?

Fried Calamari? Hope I got it right? Anyway, that looks great!

[Darienne]

Yesterday Kerry and I were on a mission to find a couple ofthese

after our local Burlington store came up empty despite showing lots of stock on-line. So the Etobicoke store looked promising but to make sure that this was not a total disappointment if their on-line inventory proved just as unreliable, I researched eating places in the vicinity. Seemed to both of us that we needed to stretch a little on our lunches. I came across this Lebanese eatery.

You two eat so well. I am so jealous of the huge range of excellent restaurants from which you can pick.

[Kerry Beal]

Today we headed down to Buffalo to grab some things from Tomric plastics and to have lunch with patris. And of course to shop at Wegmans!!!

We had lunch at Romeo and Juliet's Cafe.

Bread was brought with this lovely spread made of chickpeas, garlic, artichokes, olives and olive oil. Yummy! Got to make this at home.

I had brociole - veal around ground meat, cheese, ham and boiled egg topped with marinara.

Patty and Anna each had a pizza margherita.

Wegman's was a treat as always - I came home with some chuck eye's, a tri tip, a couple of nice Dartagnan duck breasts (in the reduced section), some Cabot sharp cheddar and several pounds of butter (so inexpensive compared with butter in Canada).

We also dropped in to Penzey's and grabbed a few things.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Marlene]

I'm so not going to ask how you got that stuff across the border! I miss Oakville and you guys. This summer, I'm coming down for lunch. Or you can come to the cottage. And Kerry, if you make that spread, please pass along how you did it!

[Kerry Beal]

I'm so not going to ask how you got that stuff across the border! I miss Oakville and you guys. This summer, I'm coming down for lunch. Or you can come to the cottage. And Kerry, if you make that spread, please pass along how you did it!

Yes - best no to ask!

Look forward to seeing you for lunch. I'll fiddle with the recipe and let you know if I can duplicate it.

[Anna N]

For the past week or so Kerry was away working in Manitoulin so these two ladies haven’t lunched for a couple of weeks. We both decided that only pho would hit the spot and the leisurely way of eating would give us time to catch up. First though we hit HomeSense where the staff were in a frenzy of price mark downs. Chatting with the staff we learned that they will increase the discount from now until Feb 25 when any unsold merchandise will be donated to charity. Unfortunately there was not a great deal that either of us needed or wanted. I did find this very cute appetizer server that I couldn’t resist though I have no idea when I might use it:

Still that is what retail therapy is all about isn’t it?

The day was bright and sunny and these tiny peppers looked so beautiful that Kerry just had to capture them:

I can’t remember the name of this appetizer but it was really tasty. A pork filling inside a soft dough that had been steamed I think:

Then the main attraction. Beef and chicken pho for Kerry:

Well-done and rare beef pho for me:

The condiment/chopstick dispenser:

The herb and bean sprout garnish plate:

After lunch we hit a couple of thrift stores in search of a clip-on light for me to help improve my food photography and some interesting plates for the same purpose.

[robirdstx]

Hi everyone, my GF and I had an early lunch together several weeks ago. We had a couple of early morning appointments and ended up on the deck at

Floyds about 10 minutes before they opened. We had wanted to eat out on the deck, as it was a gorgeous morning, so we chose our table and waited.

My GF decided to try the crab bisque, which was very good,

and the seafood salad, which was just okay and not really worth the price in her opinion.

Floyds is one of my favorite places for crawfish half and half (1/2 etouffee and 1/2 fried) but on that day I decided to try their calamari.

I'll stick with the crawfish in the future. The calamari batter was too heavy and the calamari were tough. Very disappointing.

However, we really enjoyed being out on the deck and combined our lunch with a little bird watching.

Edited February 10, 2012 by robirdstx (log)

[Anna N]

Robirdstx: Your lunch and the venue look delightful. Thanks for sharing.

Today after completing a couple of errands – getting some steel parts fabricated for Kerry’s chocolate enrober and picking up a chocolate order – we did what we do best – retail therapy. First stop was the Goodwill store where I found five canisters that I hope to tell you more about in another topic, and a very large divided Corelle serving dish which I hope to put to good use some Friday night.

Then we re-visited a cookware/electronic discount store where we both bought very sleek digital scales. Then it was time for lunch and we already had a destination in mind. On another board I had come across mention of California Burritos, a very small café, in Oakville. The menu consisted of burritos, quesadillas and dressed French fries.

My eye immediately fell on the roasted lamb burrito but Kerry pointed out that it was not served until after 5 pm – DAMN.

Kerry asked for permission to take a photo of their open kitchen:

Burritos tend to look much alike but here’s mine, a steak burrito:

And here’s Kerry”s, a chorizo burrito:

We shared a plate of LA dressed fries topped with salsa, guacamole and a drizzle of sauce:

[CaliPoutine]

Robirdstx: Your lunch and the venue look delightful. Thanks for sharing.

Today after completing a couple of errands – getting some steel parts fabricated for Kerry’s chocolate enrober and picking up a chocolate order – we did what we do best – retail therapy. First stop was the Goodwill store where I found five canisters that I hope to tell you more about in another topic, and a very large divided Corelle serving dish which I hope to put to good use some Friday night.

Then we re-visited a cookware/electronic discount store where we both bought very sleek digital scales. Then it was time for lunch and we already had a destination in mind. On another board I had come across mention of California Burritos, a very small café, in Oakville. The menu consisted of burritos, quesadillas and dressed French fries.

My eye immediately fell on the roasted lamb burrito but Kerry pointed out that it was not served until after 5 pm – DAMN.

Kerry asked for permission to take a photo of their open kitchen:

Burritos tend to look much alike but here’s mine, a steak burrito:

And here’s Kerry”s, a chorizo burrito:

We shared a plate of LA dressed fries topped with salsa, guacamole and a drizzle of sauce:

Love the panini grill marks on the burrito. You would NEVER see that in Cali. Same with the fries. I remember when I first moved to Ontario and had fries at Taco Bell. I was so surprised that the Taco Bell sold fries.

[Kerry Beal]

Robirdstx: Your lunch and the venue look delightful. Thanks for sharing.

Today after completing a couple of errands – getting some steel parts fabricated for Kerry’s chocolate enrober and picking up a chocolate order – we did what we do best – retail therapy. First stop was the Goodwill store where I found five canisters that I hope to tell you more about in another topic, and a very large divided Corelle serving dish which I hope to put to good use some Friday night.

Then we re-visited a cookware/electronic discount store where we both bought very sleek digital scales. Then it was time for lunch and we already had a destination in mind. On another board I had come across mention of California Burritos, a very small café, in Oakville. The menu consisted of burritos, quesadillas and dressed French fries.

My eye immediately fell on the roasted lamb burrito but Kerry pointed out that it was not served until after 5 pm – DAMN.

Kerry asked for permission to take a photo of their open kitchen:

Burritos tend to look much alike but here’s mine, a steak burrito:

And here’s Kerry”s, a chorizo burrito:

We shared a plate of LA dressed fries topped with salsa, guacamole and a drizzle of sauce:

Love the panini grill marks on the burrito. You would NEVER see that in Cali. Same with the fries. I remember when I first moved to Ontario and had fries at Taco Bell. I was so surprised that the Taco Bell sold fries.

Certainly not tradtion - but really good.

Taco Bell does Tater Tots in Cali - don't they?

[Dana]

Robirdstx - We have a Floyd's here in Beaumont as well. If you haven't tried the seafood gumbo, you're in for a treat. It's the best I've had, including my own!! The chicken sausage, not so much. Their cajun ceviche from the appy menu is great, too.

We should get together sometime...

[CaliPoutine]

Robirdstx: Your lunch and the venue look delightful. Thanks for sharing.

Today after completing a couple of errands – getting some steel parts fabricated for Kerry’s chocolate enrober and picking up a chocolate order – we did what we do best – retail therapy. First stop was the Goodwill store where I found five canisters that I hope to tell you more about in another topic, and a very large divided Corelle serving dish which I hope to put to good use some Friday night.

Then we re-visited a cookware/electronic discount store where we both bought very sleek digital scales. Then it was time for lunch and we already had a destination in mind. On another board I had come across mention of California Burritos, a very small café, in Oakville. The menu consisted of burritos, quesadillas and dressed French fries.

My eye immediately fell on the roasted lamb burrito but Kerry pointed out that it was not served until after 5 pm – DAMN.

Kerry asked for permission to take a photo of their open kitchen:

Burritos tend to look much alike but here’s mine, a steak burrito:

And here’s Kerry”s, a chorizo burrito:

We shared a plate of LA dressed fries topped with salsa, guacamole and a drizzle of sauce:

Love the panini grill marks on the burrito. You would NEVER see that in Cali. Same with the fries. I remember when I first moved to Ontario and had fries at Taco Bell. I was so surprised that the Taco Bell sold fries.

Certainly not tradtion - but really good.

Taco Bell does Tater Tots in Cali - don't they?

I've never seen tater tots at taco bell. I did see an advertisement for a crunch burrito. It had hot and spicy fritos inside.

[andiesenji]

Taco Bell is trying out some new menu items at various locations - a few stores only have some of the new offerings.

"First Meal" and the "Cantina Bell" menus.

The Taco Bell nearest me is not yet offering the breakfast menu and they don't open until 11 a.m.

Edited February 15, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[robirdstx]

Robirdstx: Your lunch and the venue look delightful. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Anna. Last week my GF and I had lunch together after spending a couple of hours birdwatching at a local nature preserve. We had heard that three bald eagles had been seen there but we didn't have that kind of luck.

For lunch, we went back to Mambo's Seafood. My GF ordered a half-order of the calamari (sorry about the blurry photo). It was perfect - nice light crust and tender squid!

She also had a combo plate of fried fish and shrimp with Mambo's shrimp fried rice.

She ended up with two to-go boxes of leftovers!

I went with the grilled shrimp and fish platter,

which came with a small salad and the shrimp fried rice. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it all, so I ordered the rice to go and had it with dinner that night.

[robirdstx]

Robirdstx - We have a Floyd's here in Beaumont as well. If you haven't tried the seafood gumbo, you're in for a treat. It's the best I've had, including my own!! The chicken sausage, not so much. Their cajun ceviche from the appy menu is great, too.

We should get together sometime...

Hi Dana, thanks for the tip on the seafood gumbo. And yes, lets do get together!