400 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, Canada
Yes. It is just as cute as it sounds.
Definitely go to this cafe for breakfast or brunch. The menu has a great selection of regular breakfast items, and special mediterranean omlettes or sandwhiches of the day as well. Everything tastes fresh, hot and delicious. Not to mention the service is friendly, and this cafe also has a restaurant owner's dream patio right on Bloor Street, ideal for people watching.
I have also been to By the Way a couple times for dinner and have yet to be disappointed. They do offer a prix fixe menu - 3 courses for $25.00, or regular entree choices. Your server will start you with home made bread, accompanied by the spread of the day - such as sun dried tomato butter. I chose to try their warm tuna nicoise salad for only $10.00 and was pleased by all means. I received a classic nicoise salad with perfectly seared Ahi tuna sitting on top, and a light dressing to compliment those southern European flavours.
Go and enjoy this cafe for any meal of the day!
797 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
After careful deliberation of which, of the many, Italian restaurants to go to on College Street for the Summerlicious 2008 festival, I decided to try Grappa. And I'm so thankful I did.
This small to mid-sized, cosy restaurant boasted wonderful service, warm ambiance and a fantastic menu.
Right away, we were started on homemade breads and cornbreads, with fresh, hummus made in-house. For the starter, I went with the grilled calamari salad in tomatoes, red onions and capers. The calamari was cooked to perfection and was nicely blended with the mediterranean flavours. To follow I tried the pork tenderloin with a stuffing of mushrooms, spinach and pinenuts. A wonderfully complimentary marsala sauce accompanied the pork, as well as homemade mashed potatoes and veggies. The pork was tender and the stuffing was a fantastic contrast to the sometimes plainness of pork. Finally for dessert try the vanilla creme brulee or classic chocolate tartufo.
If the chef's were this good for the Summerlicious menu, I can't wait to go back and try their regular dishes. I will certainly be returning to Grappa and sincerely recommend walking that one extra block west on College in order to get a really good Italian dining experience. Enjoy!
400 Bloor Street West,
