Rashers on Ossington

By: The Charming Modernist

Where can you find a great bacon butty sandwich in Toronto? I'll tell you, but first, you may be wondering what a bacon butty sandwich is. Invented in England, it's a favourite sandwich among Brits consisting of white bread, bacon and brown sauce. You can find this unique dish and other delicious bacon sandwiches at the family-friendly diner, Rashers. 

Owner Richard Mulley is originally from England and is committed to making quality bacon sandwiches for his customers that are simple, yet delicious. Rashers, he says, is not about bacon being the hot new food trend. It's a casual restaurant where you can find premium local bacon of different cuts and varying flavours. I recently attended a dinner to sample some of Rashers' most popular creations at the newly opened Ossington location. The original location is in Leslieville and is a hit with locals.

British expats who are hungry for an authentic bacon butty ($8.00) will enjoy the classic sandwich that comes with homemade brown sauce and cheese or a fried egg may be added to it for a small charge. This one isn't reserved for just the expats; try this novelty for yourself! The brown sauce is tangy with a hint of spice and the meaty sandwich is quite filling. 

The bacon Caesar ($9.00) tastes much like you would imagine: crispy smoked strip bacon, fresh romaine lettuce with homemade Caesar dressing and grated parmesan cheese is served on a warm ciabatta bun. If you like a lot of crunch, this sammie is made for you. 

The fantastic brie and bacon ($10.00) is a crowd-pleaser. With smoked strip bacon, melted brie cheese and caramelized onions topped with a homemade garlic aioli on a toasted bun, this sandwich has a mix of both creamy and crunchy textures. The garlic aioli is not too overpowering and complements the sandwich very well. I also sample some delectably addictive hot and crispy garlic potato wedges ($4.00).

If you like your bacon cut thick, the Hogtown  ($9.00) is your go-to. The typical Canadian sandwich is a nod to one of Toronto's numerous nicknames and is comprised of peameal bacon with one-year aged cheddar and homemade ale mustard on multigrain bread that will keep you satiated.    

My absolute favourite sandwich of the night is the apple and maple grilled cheese ($9.50). It is loaded with cheese and is both sweet and savoury. The grilled sandwich comes with maple glazed smoked strip bacon, one-year aged cheddar and apple chutney on white bread that is bursting with flavour. 

Finally, Mulley offers the bacon burger ($11) to sample. The burger's patty has bacon mixed into it and comes with burger essentials, like lettuce, tomato and a signature chipotle mayo on a toasted bun. It's a substantial sandwich, so make sure you're hungry if you opt for this one.    

After sampling some of Mulley's unique creations, I can certainly say that you can find bacon sandwiches with high quality ingredients that are tasty and satisfying at Rashers. It's is a bacon lover's dream where you won't feel guilty pigging out!

Locations: 182 Ossington Avenue and 948 Queen Street. 
Website: Rashers.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/RashersInc
Twitter: twitter.com/rashersto
Instagram: instagram.com/rashersto

Front Street Foods at Adelaide Place

By: Shelby Morrison

With an abundance of restaurants throughout the city of Toronto, it can be difficult to choose just one to enjoy a memorable meal. However, with the return of Front Street Foods, variety has never been so accessible. This second annual culinary market showcases many of Toronto’s best chefs and restaurants to serve us hungry diners. Presented by the Toronto Market Company and Dream Office REIT, you are sure to enjoy yourself at the ultimate foodie market!

Last year, the market was a huge success, but took place on Front Street. This year, the location has been switched to the 2nd floor outdoor terrace at Adelaide Place (150 York Street). The new location is more of an oasis and an escape from the busy downtown streets. With no cars, streetcars or buses, you can truly relax and unwind with delicious food and drinks.

If you are looking for a delectable lunch, an after work snack, or an early dinner, this happening market is definitely your go-to. I was invited to an event at Front Street Foods where I indulged in an abundance of mouth-watering treats.

I began with a sample of three-cheese mac and cheese topped with brisket from Toben Food By Design. Gruyere, farmhouse cheddar and parmesan tossed noodles were topped with herbed brioche bread crumbs. This combination of creamy, cheesy and crispy paris well with the melt in your mouth brisket.

Next up were fish tacos from Little Fin. The battered haddock is topped with corn, pickled onions and a crunchy slaw. They are light, yet incredibly flavourful.

Freshly baked gourmet buns were served up by Hot Bunzz. These are a variety of stuffed sandwiches including different meats, cheeses and vegetables. I was lucky to try a beef short rib bun, as well as Quebec five cheese, spinach and mushroom bun. The doughiness and scrumptious stuffing are well balanced and I enjoyed the combination of the crispy and soft textures. 

Traditionally found in Swtizerland, Raclette cheese is offered from Raclette Suisse, which is a real showstopper. The cheese is placed under a broiler to get warm and gooey and then used to top sausages and vegetables. You watch as the melted cheese is scraped right in front of you onto your food. This dish is every cheese lover's dream!

Fred's Bread was offering a variety of different breads, which made it tough to decide. I opted for the Ontario mushroom pizza, as well as the Yukon Gold potato focaccia. These artisinal breads are extremely fresh, doughy and tasty. 

To end off the savoury portion of my evening, I ordered the crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich from Brock Sandwich. Perfectly crispy chicken is paired with sweet caramelized onions with some added heat from the Piri Piri sauce. I had to take some of this to go, as the serving size was quite large!

It's nearly impossible to turn down a doughnut, especially when they are from The Rolling Pin. Their offerings include PB & J, Boston Cream and, chocolate coconut and more! I also tried the salted caramel doughnut topped with chocolate and a syringe shot of caramel. There are not really many words to describe how amazing these really were. They are fresh, not too sweet and hit the spot perfectly!

Fresh rotisserie baked breads from Chimney Stax Baking Co. were serving up sweet and savoury takes on this Hungarian street food, known as chimney cakes. Traditionally, they are rolled in cinnamon sugar, but I tried one covered in Oreo crumbs and filled with vanilla frozen yogurt, topped with brownies and caramel sauce. You can imagine just how much I enjoyed this cold treat on a hot summer day.

As if I wasn’t full enough, I had to try Thai style ice cream rolls. This style of ice cream has been something I have seen all over social media, so I was excited to finally give it a try! Fresh bananas and blueberries as well as a creamy liquid base are spread out onto a frozen surface and chopped and mixed around until it becomes firm, yet smooth. They are then scraped into rolls and served. The result is a smooth, creamy, sweet frozen treat presented in the most unique fashion.

If you find yourself debating where to head for your next eating adventure, definitely pay a visit to Front Street Foods. It’s even better if you visit with a few friends so you can share a wide variety of decadent treats! 

Front Street Foods is open from June 13 - August 5, 2016 on Monday and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Select vendors open at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast. For more information, visit: frontstreetfoods.com. 

Shelby Morrison is a Toronto-based food blogger and freelance writer. She has a passion for food and living the most delicious life, while enjoying every step of the way. She eats her way through Toronto, yet loves to travel the world for unique and tasty finds.

WayHome VIP Preview Party at the Drake Hotel

By: Shelby Morrison

Although the WayHome Music & Arts Festival does not start until July 22, why not get pumped up a little early? With artists like Arcade Fire, Metric, Arkells and many more taking the stage, WayHome is sure to be loads of fun! The Drake Hotel hosted a VIP preview event of the festival to get us excited for what’s to come.

The atmosphere at the Drake was pulsating with DJ sets by Nino Brown and CRSB and a performance by River Tiber. I started off the night with a refreshing strawberry, sherry and Cointreau cocktail and made my way around the different stations. TopShop and TopMan were on site offering one-on-one consultations with personal stylists, while highlighting the top festival trends. After making my way over to the Equinox set-up, I was greeted with some fresh spa water with cucumber and mint. Massages were also being offered to guests, as well as free passes to the gym.

The Drake Hotel’s chef, Ted Corrado showcased some of his specially curated WayHome x The Drake VIP menu. A whole roasted suckling pig was offered at a create-your-own taco station with a variety of toppings such as guacamole, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, cabbage slaw, and beans. Korean fried chicken lettuce wraps, as well as salmon fried rice was being passed out as well. These dishes were bursting with flavor and were the perfect accompaniment to the evening.

If you wanted to get creative, Paris-born, Toronto-based artist Jimmy Chiale was painting abstract art directly on people’s bodies. A photo wall by The Kit was set up to take selfies and pictures, while also informing guests about the 'Best Dressed' competition that will take place at the festival.

If concert goers weren’t hyped about attending WayHome before, this sneak peek definitely changed that!

Tickets to WayHome are on sale at wayhome.com. 

Shelby Morrison is a Toronto-based food blogger and freelance writer. She has a passion for food and living the most delicious life, while enjoying every step of the way. She eats her way through Toronto, yet loves to travel the world for unique and tasty finds.

NAO: Summer Patio Launch Party

By: Carly Spears

The tables are out and the streets are lined with people buzzing over drinks and snacks – it must be summer in Toronto. 

This was definitely the case on Avenue Road last Thursday night at the official opening of NAO’s summer patio. Bustling with stylish young professionals sipping Moscow Mules and tossing back freshly-shucked oysters, it was clear that the “Summer of NAO” had officially started. 

Having eaten a decent but fairly unmemorable meal in the dining room following the launch of the steakhouse last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect by attending this event. Much to my surprise, each and every canapé I sampled was uniquely crafted and absolutely delicious. 

We started at the far right side of the patio, set up with a 10-foot-long oyster bar. Here, East Coast oysters shucked-to-serve were available to be topped with your choice of fresh horseradish, homemade cocktail sauce and a wide variety of fruit vinegar mignonettes. I opt for the cocktail sauce, blueberry and cucumber mignonettes – each of which was a refreshing and unique change for someone who typically steers clear of horseradish. 

Moving on, we find ourselves intrigued - running to grab the ceramic Chinese-style soup spoons filled with additional raw seafood options. First up was the ceviche spoon. Raw bay scallops accompanied by rock shrimp and a fresh jalapeno offered an explosion of perfectly balanced flavours fresh from the sea. The next spoon, however, was the winner for me. A meaty slice of hamachi, curled up with a jalapeno was swimming in a delicious pool of sweet and sour yuzu, providing bursting sensation for each and every section of my taste buds. 

On the deep fried front, panko-crusted, kimchi-topped crab cakes and delicately battered tempura shrimp were each served with their own unique house-mayo as garnish. While both were inventive and delicious plays on classics, these were probably two of the more underwhelming canapés of the night. 

As a contemporary steakhouse, we knew there had to be beef coming out soon. We were not wrong. Following the crab cakes and shrimp, we were finally greeted with dry aged beef in the form of both gyoza and sliders. Served with a light ponzu sauce and scallion wasabi, the pan-fried gyoza were a pleasant “upscale” play on the Japanese classic.

Nonetheless, the sliders were definitely the highlight here (and, maybe, of the night). Sitting on homemade truffle aioli and topped with caramelized onions, two succulent mini beef patties lay sandwiched between a freshly baked house slider bun. As the juice began to drip down the side of my wrist, all I could think about was how I needed to get another!

While searching for more sliders, we had no choice but to start digging into not one, not two, but four mini dessert options flowing our way. Because, what’s a summer launch party, or any dinner for that matter, without some delicious sweets? Featuring items from their daily “pie trolley” each mini version of dessert was better than the next. 

A fan of anything and everything Nutella, I was excited to see a group of mini whoopie pies featuring a chocolate hazelnut ganache sitting on a caramel-drizzled, rose-petal lined serving plate. 

Next, raspberry coconut cream pies and yuzu tarts, lined up on long white plates, started making their way from the kitchen. Each of which were built on a crispy, yet tender, buttery tart shell, and filled with deliciously sweet but balanced fillings.

Finally: the cheesecake tart. Simple, right? Wrong. Upon biting into the crackling chocolate-coated phyllo shell, we soon found out that it was actually a goat cheese filling! Offering a uniquely tangy twist on this classic dessert, this was a more than pleasant surprise to end the night with. 

I don’t know whether or not this is the Summer of NAO but, I can tell you this, I would host a patio party here any day!

Carly Spears is a marketing and communications professional who writes about and photographs food from Toronto and on various travels around the world. Follow her on Instagram @thechewreview. 

Thirsty Buddha Coconut Water

By: Zena Rebello

Since I was a child, I have always loved drinking fresh coconut water. Some of my most vivid memories revolve around occasional journeys to the South Asian markets on Gerrard Street East with my parents to buy fresh coconuts. As my father would crack them open at home, I would stand with my glass, ready to catch the leaking, sugary water that seeped out. But cracking coconuts is not all that easy. 

When I moved out on my own and started buying my own groceries, I searched for great tasting natural coconut water in stores. However I only ever found products that were either loaded with sugar or listed filtered water as the main ingredient. That was, of course, until I discovered Thirsty Buddha. Thirsty Buddha coconut water is not only made from the best coconuts in Thailand, but is it made from real coconuts only! Thirsty Buddha is natural coconut water and comes in a BPA-free can. It has no added water, sugar or preservatives.As someone who is health conscious and active, this aspect of the product is very important to me.

Thirsty Buddha coconut water is light, natural and thirst quenching! Its purity is evident from the first to the last sip. Also, depending on one’s preference, it can be purchased with or without pulp. To add to its appeal, Thirsty Buddha is a 1% For the Planet member which is a global network of companies that donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations.

I enjoy drinking Thirsty Buddha coconut water because it energizes me during the day, allows me to fuel and refuel before and after workouts, and tastes fantastic!

Zena Rebello is an environmental and atmospheric chemist by day and an ardent Muay Thai practitioner by night.