Deals on Drinks

More than delicious food, I love a good deal.  As a follow up to my post on getting drinks in the city I've decided to start an ongoing list of places that offer up weekly specials on, you guessed it, DRINKS!  Perfect way to spend a night out with the girls, catch up with a friend or dodge an awkward first date.

Disclaimer - these are places that I would probably go to versus just a laundry list of deals.

DRINKS
Monday - Milestones // $40 - 4 Bellinis and 4 apps
Tuesdays and Thursdays - Joe Mamas // $5 Martini's
Tuesday-Friday - Spirithouse // $7 mixed doubles + $2 oysters (5:30-7pm)
Wednesday - Hey Lucy // $5 Martinis
Thursdays - Cibo Sociale - Cibo Wine Bar // Specials on cocktails and wine (4-7pm)
Friday - The Fifth/Cabin 5 // $3.50 drinks until midnight

Friday - Crush Wine Bar // 1/2 select bar items (5-7pm)

La Cubana

Brunch really is one of my favourite meals.  I'm one of those people that can't eat first thing in the morning and I always hear the preaching of everyone around me "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  Whatever.  With brunch, I get the best of both worlds. I get to sleep in, not eat something right away and then have a blend of some of my favourite foods because the ironic thing is, I actually LOVE breakfast foods.

So you can imagine my joy, when two of my really good friends RS and SS (Yes, you are finally getting a shout out!) texted me on Saturday morning asking if I wanted to do brunch.  In my half sleepy state I texted back "um, yah I do!".  So off I went on a rainy November Saturday, hopped on the King Streetcar and landed in the lovely little area of Roncesvalles.  I love this little neighbourhood.  I could totally see myself settling down here when I grow up ;)

SS had suggested we try La Cubana which was getting some great reviews and comes to us from the same people of Delux on Ossington.  Apparently Cuban food is quite rare in the city and most of the reviews I read were of pure joy that an authentic cuban diner has opened its doors.  Its a super kitchy, cute and small place that makes you feel like you're in a very clean subway station with the tiled walls and minimalist furniture/decor.

I grabbed us a table by the window where we could get some light and still enjoy the view of the restaurant.  They had their brunch menus in the form of table mats out so we started to peruse our options as the rumblings in our bellies were growing louder.

Once the waiter offered mimosas we couldn't say no.  Especially when the options were guava, mango, pineapple and orange.  Now that's how every morning should start.  The menu had options that seemed familiar but all with a little bit of cuban flare. After much deliberation we decided to start with Cuban Grilled Corn and then we each got the Cuban Breakfast (Slow roast pork, poached eggs and served with rice & beans, tostones and slaw.

There are no filters on these photos for the record.  The corn was just a wonderful little starter.  I love love love corn on the cob and since I've started to experience this new style of dressing it, I've fallen even deeper in love.

The breakfast itself was such a nice treat away from the standard eggs benny.  As RS put it "the egg is not the star of this show".  My poached eggs were a little overdone, i do prefer them runnier but because everything else surrounding them was so delicious, I didn't really mind.  The pork was soft and tender and had the right amount of salt.  The slaw was tart and tangy and brought the crunch to the whole meal.  The rice & beans, one of the more cuban side dishes was simple and filling.  The tostones were probably my least favourite.  I think they were meant to act as a hash brown but were a little harder than I expected.

I would definitely go back because there were a few options on the menu that I would have liked to try but all in all it was really nice to do something different for brunch and of course experience a different style of cuisine.

La Cubana
392 Roncesvalles Ave.

Origin - Better than EVER!

The best part about trying new places and experiencing the different cuisines the city has to offer is when you find those gems and start to build your own list of tried and true favourites.  Origin is one of those places that has quickly become one of my go-to places for an experience that I know won't disappoint.

The last time I was at Origin was years ago, I want to say close to when it first opened.  I thought the food was okay, portions were small and I didn't necessarily feel satisfied after we were done, especially for the price point.  Since then they have opened two more locations (Liberty Village and North York) and the takeover doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Two of my favourite ladies, BK and TR, were up for going back and it was also going to be TR's first experience since she had heard me go on and on about the Chinois duck wrap and how much I was in love with it.  So on a blistery October evening we set out to experience the amazingness that is Origin.

I also have to make a note about our waitress who was AMAZING.  I'm a big believer that a huge part of your experience at a restaurant is based on how you are treated.  She was helpful, kind, not overbearing and because we were three people she made sure there were 3 portions in every dish we ordered.  Simple but well noted.  Thank you!

Everything is built to share and they recommend ordering two dishes per person.  For us she said 5 would be totally fine.  After quickly perusing the menu we decided on some dishes to start with.

From the Mozzarella Bar we ordered the fior di latte + mushrooms + truffle oil + spinach
From the Chilled section we ordered the beet + goat cheese + pickled red onion + walnut + sherry dressing + yogourt
From the Hot section we ordered the pumpkin risotto (which is not showing up on their online menu right now) but it had pumpkin, butternut squash, marscapone and crispy fried plantains

These three dishes alone contain every single one of my favourite foods - beets, mushrooms, pumpkin/butternut squash and THREE different cheeses.  HEAVEN.  The beet salad came to our table first and I was in shock because it looked like Snow White's apple on a plate.  A full beet surrounded with creamy yogourt, goat cheese and sprinkled with walnuts and the sherry dressing.  It was a perfect portion for the three of us after I cut it into equal pieces. So fresh and creamy and a wonderful way to start. I then moved on to the mushroom/mozzarella bites which were just a delightful mix of textures. Crunchy, soft, a little tart and perfectly bit sized.  Then on to the risotto which was a really good portion size for the three of us and holy was it RICH.  The way I described it to people the next day was that it felt like I was being hugged on the inside.  Such a flavourful fall dish with the sweet pumpkin and butternut squash, hints of cinnamon and spices.  You are left with a creamy comforting feeling after.  I definitely want to come back for this!

So after feeling pretty satisfied we couldn't leave without having the Chinois Duck + flour tortilla + cucumber + hoisin + sour cream + sriracha (right???)

I mean come on.  Do I even need to describe this?  You only needed one and it was every flavour and texture all in wrapped in a beautiful little taco.  Sweet, spicy, crunchy, creamy and soft. Move over La Carnita!  On a side note, we also had the Spanish Fries which I wouldn't recommend because in all honesty, they were just regular ol' fries hence the lack of a picture.

No evening would then be complete without the "always look up" shot to try and capture some interesting light fixtures or a cool intricate ceiling.

I don't think there's anything more I can really say except just go.  Go and experiment and try the numerous dishes on their menu or any of these that I had the honour of trying. I can't wait to go back for some old favourites and new discoveries.

Origin
107 King Street East
www.origintoronto.com

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