I forgot to mention...

that at the end of dinner, Woodlot does not offer candy with your bill, but a nice box of matches... so much more useful

hottest restaurant in Toronto right now is

Woodlot, and we went for dinner this past Sunday... Their mini website only lists their location, hours, and phone number... but trust me it's so worth a visit...

They present you with two menus, one carnivore, and the other one a vegetarian with plenty of options for vegans :)

cocktails to start... I know you might be thinking a cocktail in a mug.. well yup... I had Żubrówka vodka with hot apple cider, delish... I couldn't really taste the alcohol, but it made me feel so warm the minute I took a sip. Jay had Jamieson's Whiskey  with home made orange bitters... it tasted like medicine :)

bread basket... we were so hungry... and it was so tasty...

I also ordered a bottle of red...

for an app Jay had a bowl of super cheesy gnocchi with sausage in a creamy tomato sauce... he was so busy enjoying it, he barely said a word to me...

I was fine with his silence because I couldn't get over my potato and charred leek salad in sherry vinaigrette... OMG!

Mains:
marrow mashed potatoes... for Jay of course

along with "...the best pork chop I've ever had" said Jay with caramelized apples, bacon, and black walnuts...

for me vegan cabbage rolls...

I had to use flash... can you taste it? :)

downstairs kitchen and a communal table... dinning room is upstairs... this is a shot of my view... the big dark square on the left is the entrance, protected from the cold... and you can see the wood-fired oven that produces many of the amazing dishes...

the view from Jay's side... yup, that's the whole efficient kitchen...

for dessert I kept sipping on our red... Jay enjoyed a cappuccino...

and a lemon tart with blueberry sauce, and a marshmallow top...

another use of flash to capture the deliciousness

I visited the ladies room on our way out... isn't that the cutest and smallest sink ever?

 

Woodlot was amazing... anyone want to join us for our next visit? :)

1st dinner of 2011

a bottle of bubbly... pink is delicious...

 and then our thin style pizza... first one with a Moroccan style pizza sauce, topped with fire roasted tomatoes, artichokes, mix of olives, and spinach sauteed with roasted garlic and raisins... yum

 the second one with a base of truffle mushroom paste with truffle oil, topped with marinated mushrooms, artichokes, and an olive mix... this one yummmy... i love mushrooms, and truffles are delicious...

 sooo goood

Black Swan

we saw it today. What a messed up little film. It was very good, but not something you'd want to see with your parents... there are a couple of scenes that would make both of you uncomfortable :) And my hands were clammy a lot, because I have a serious phobia when it comes to fingernails and sharp objects near them. Getting a manicure or a pedicure is equivalent to a visit to a dentist for me... love the outcome, not the actual process. And this movie has a lot of nail clipping scenes...
Still highly recommended...

Merry Christmas!!!

Monday (20th) at Eaton's center... it was snowing soap bubbles on the Swarovski tree :)

Holiday toes.... not mine :)

burgers for dinner...

I've been craving a burger for a while... did some research on the places in our city... and decided to head to W Burger Bar... We went on Monday, I had my last exam that day, and we finished our Christmas shopping...
To start a couple of beers... a Blanche de Chambly for me (the cloudy one) and a 1516 Lager for Jay...instead of bread basket a little plate of carrot sticks with ranch dip...
What I like about W Burger is that fact that you choose your burger and your bun (whole wheat, white, or lettuce leaves), and then any toppings you like from their complimentary list, which do not cost any extra and there is plenty to choose from... then they also have a few premium toppings which are at an additional cost (check out their website for the menu)
Pictured below my burger... a couple of grilled portobello mushrooms on a whole wheat bun, from the complimentary topping menu I chose: mixed greens, sauteed onions, pickles, beets, and grilled red peppers... yum, with a side of large fries...
Jay had a Bison burger on a whole wheat bun, he chose to top it with mixed greens, sauteed onions, pickles, and Hellman's Dijonaise... with a side of large green salad with house dressing...
we shared our sides... and it was delicious...
Jay finished off his meal with a slice of sweet, moist looking chocolate cake...
this place is definitely worth a second visit... they have an actual veggie patty that I want to try... and Jay wants to try their Kobe burger...