Sweetery: A Food Festival Supporting Sick Kids, Will Sweeten Your Weekend

Posted on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 by


As the weather warms in Toronto, the street festivals begin. Most food festivals are culture based, Sweetery will instead focus on all things sugary with recipes that’ll entice your sweet tooth. The best part is that you’ll have an excuse to indulge in the taste test, scavenger hunt and piñata breaking activities – 100% of the proceeds will go to support the Sick Kids Foundation!

Key Details

Date: Weekend of August 15 and 16
Time: noon to 10pm
Location: Front Street West and Portland Street
Admission: Free

With the plethora of vendors in attendance, bringing friends and family is a must to be able to try as many sweets as possible. The Hungarian chimney from Original Chimneys, butter tart from Beverley’s Bakers, sakura mocha milk from Kakigori and Vietnamese coffee cheesecake from Catering Diva has my name all over them!


George Brown Pastry chefs will be at the festival making pastries so you can see what it takes to concoct these decadent treats. Famous home cook, Christopher Siu of Master Chef Canada, will be offering Chinese inspired macarons and matcha crepe cakes.

There will also be the Canadian favourite sweet treat Beavertails, vegan cupcakes from Bloomer’s, bespoke marshmallows from I Love Puffy Love, Filipino desserts from Tito Rons and Mexican pastries from Pancho’s. But, if you want to have a meal before dessert, Fufu Rocks will be serving up savoury meals.


Check out Sweetery and take a whack at the piñata to help reach their $10,000 goal to support Sick Kids. Sweet treats will be available from $3-$5 and all attendees will receive a complimentary loot bag that gives you a chance to find a “golden ticket” to win a prize. So I encourage you to channel your inner Charlie and visit the chocolate factory this weekend.

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 510 Front St. W. (at Portland St.)

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CLOSED: Bobby C's Dockside (Bowmanville)

Posted on Sunday, August 09, 2015 by

Bobby C's Dockside
After visiting Jungle Cat World near Bowmanville, my friends and I decided to check out a local restaurant - #Parv gets the credit for finding Bobby C’s Dockside located at the Port Darlington Marina. Much larger than I expected, we arrived by car but you can also pull up by boat as the restaurant is located right on the dock.

Bobby C’s burgers seemed popular and I can see why. They’re large and filled with tons of toppings – the kind of dish you order after seeing a server walk by with one. The California burger ($13.69) consisted of a thick beef patty, sliced avocado, sprouts, roasted red peppers, smoked cheddar and tzatziki sauce.

California burger

The prime rib and ground chuck mix had a nice combination of flavour and fat; if the chef took it off the grill 30 seconds earlier it would have been even better. The combination of ingredients worked with the beef and arriving with a fried pickle was the cherry on top for me.

The chicken BLT burger ($13.69) sounds promising made with buttermilk fried chicken, bacon, smoked cheddar and barbecue sauce. Perhaps it’s because I tried this second, but the chicken was no longer crispy, which was a bit disappointing. But, Bobby C’s does sneak an onion ring into the burger that helps give some crunch.

Chicken BLT burger

Although I didn’t try the French onion soup ($5.99), it looked amazing. Arriving with plenty of gooey cheese, it’s a bit large for a starter, but if paired with a salad makes for a good meal.

French onion soup

Unfortunately, it was raining during our visit or I would have loved to walk around the small but cozy marina. Indeed, their 150 seater patio would likely have been bustling if the weather was nicer.


Port Darlington Marina

Bobby C’s menu is predominantly meat based despite their nautical environment. Imagine cracking into a fresh crab (matching the one used in their logo) while sitting outside in the summer. Oh how magical that would be…

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Bowmanville, Canada
 Address: 70 Port Darlington Road

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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CLOSED: One Pizza (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, August 09, 2015 by
One Pizza Toronto

One Pizza aims to keep things simple while providing customization options to Toronto customers. All pizzas are personal sized and are one of two prices: cheese for $9.86 or everything else at $11.86. With tons of toppings to choose from, if you start to get overwhelmed, One Pizza has plenty of signature recipes available. 

If you’re making your own, the sky’s the limit! But, the creator of my pizza suggested not using more than five ingredients, a couple of sauces and toppings as otherwise the pizza doesn’t cook as well.

My pizza was made with traditional dough, spicy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, zucchini, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, chicken and grated parmesan. The toppings looked fresh and appealing (a Blog TO article notes most are sourced from the nearby St. Lawrence Market).

One Pizza TorontoThe flat bread style crust was already partially cooked so the pizza was done pretty quickly. It was thin, airy and chewy; a nice toasted cornmeal crust along the sides and bottom. I would have liked it to be cooked a little longer as I found the middle slightly doughy, possibly from being covered from the thin zucchini slices.  

One Pizza’s dining area has plenty of tables and is large and airy. They use a casual dining system where you go up to order and they’ll present it at the table when it’s done. It’s a nice option for a reasonably priced meal while still having a decent environment to sit and talk. Plus, they also have a liquor license, so you can always wash it all down with a glass of vino.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 169 King Street East


 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Freiberger Schankhaus (Dresden)

Posted on Saturday, August 08, 2015 by
Dresden is a beautiful city to behold, with gigantic gothic buildings all grouped around a large square. Although the buildings look historic, most of them have actually be rebuilt within recent decades (some reclaimed original materials) as most of the city was destroyed in World War II bombings that left the city centre devastated. Some buildings were rebuilt based on their former self while others replaced with something entirely different. Freiberger Schankhaus is a restaurant that took over a former pharmacy when the land was finally redeveloped in 2006.

While visiting Germany in the spring it’s spargal or asparagus season. Many restaurants cater to this creating special menus to celebrate the season. At Freiberger, I tried their asparagus salad (€10.90) a large fresh dish with leafy lettuce (baby leaf, bibb and iceberg), sweet tomatoes, endives, and plenty of chopped spears of white and green asparagus. The asparagus is much lighter tasting than the Ontario variety; thick spears that’s really crunchy.


The dressing is what made the salad a meal with chopped eggs and finely diced ham in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette. At first, I thought it arrived undressed but after digging into the dish, realized the dressing was in the middle. You really need to get in there and mix it up or end up with overdressed leaves at the end.


Freiberger’s regular menu is predominantly comprised of hearty Saxon fare. Their freshly baked pretzel (€1.80) is made-to-order and much lighter than the ballpark variety. It’s simply topped with course sea salt and not a brush of butter at all.


My husband’s meal was much more carnivore friendly. The master brewer style pork escalope (€12.90) was a crispy, breaded pork chop stuffed with ham and cheese. It wasn’t overly salty and leant itself to being dipped in the rich beef gravy on the bottom. The dish also arrived with plenty of hot fries and a side salad; a filling meal at an amazing price.


Located right in the heart of the busy Neumarket area of Dresden, Freiberger is a great find. A lovely airy pub atmosphere set over two storeys, it’s not overly busy and serves substantial dishes at affordable prices.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Dresden, Germany
 Address: Neumarkt 8

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


You're Invited to Party with The Addisons

Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 by

The Addisons Toronto

The Addisons Residence has taken over C-Lounge and gutted the interior to make it into a retro Beverly Hills home. Although it still looks industrial-like from the outside, upon entering you can see the transformation. The changes are courtesy of designer Lisa Ho, of Lisa Ho Studios. The entrance resembles a foyer with a bright LA feel.

The Addisons Toronto: foyer

As you wind through the hallway you end up in a large kitchen & dining room area, which inevitably like all homes is the area people like to conjugate in and mingle. Other rooms to the venue include a large living area and rec room.

The Addisons Toronto: kitchen

Opened Wednesday to Saturday, the venue offers their own events (karaoke Wednesdays, DJ Thursdays, live band Fridays and party Saturdays) or can be rented out (by room or the entire venue) for private events.

It’s an interesting concept for this new King West lounge: you’re invited to an awesome house party and the back story is that the Addisons throw spectacular parties. It’s a grown-up house party complete with delicious cocktails but still playful enough that the “rec room” has a foosball table and shuffleboard.

The Addisons Toronto: rec room

During their launch party, I was able to try a couple of cocktails. An easy going drink for the summer months is their strawberry sangria ($50 for a punch bowl) made with white wine, rum, strawberry lemonade and cut up fruit. Sweet and refreshing, you wouldn’t think you’re even drinking alcohol.

The Addisons Toronto: strawberry sangria

For something interesting, try the Smoked Heat ($13) made with mezcal, grapefruit juice, lime and bitters and then spiced with jalapeno. It also starts off easy as the citrus taste is apparent first, but then the bitter and spicy elements hit for a unique finish.

The Addisons Toronto: jalepeno cocktail

The patio will be transformed into a backyard oasis. Unfortunately, it wasn’t opened during the launch party, but the Addisons notes they will be offering slushy drinks to help beat the rare Toronto heat waves.

The venue also offers food, courtesy of the Food Dudes, so while you rest in one of their many sitting areas you can enjoy a bite. At the opening party, they featured a hearty spread of juicy fried chicken, aromatic pierogies, chicken wings and tons of delicious salads.

The Addisons Toronto: food dudes fried chicken

There’s a grown-up feel to the lounge and the home environment offers an inviting and relaxing feel. And like a house party, I've been advised there will be no cover charge or dress code at the Addisons. Welcome to the neighbourhood!
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 456 Wellington Street West


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