When it comes to a quick breakfast, food court establishments have generally been the go-to and sometimes only option for eaters. For those working or residing in the Toronto downtown core, you now have another choice: Little Fin is currently opened earlier and serving breakfast weekdays from 8-11am.

All are freshly made and in under ten minutes I was presented with a piping hot (Egg) White Wrapper ($5.50); all prepped to go should a dash to the office be in order. In my case, I chose to give myself a break and enjoy the wrap at Little Fin – they have a few tables and numerous bar stool seats in the store.

Wrapped in the well-grilled whole wheat tortilla was an egg white omelette, fresh spinach (normally kale) and a hash brown that added a great crunch. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting the “healthy” sounding breakfast to be very flavourful, but the layer of soft goat cheese and drizzle of slightly spicy sauce (it seems to be the same as what's on the po’boy) made the wrap delicious!  

It was a tough decision first thing in the morning. After seeing the chicken and waffles sandwich ($6.50) on Instagram, the thick piece of fried chicken with the waffles as the “bread” was calling to me. And I was really hungry so the the Ultimate Brek-Fin Sandwich ($7) would have also been nice: slices of peameal bacon combined with a fried egg, hash brown, cheese, avocado, tomato and lettuce on a toasted sesame bun.

Yet with a beach vacation around the corner, I refrained myself and was thoroughly satisfied with the egg white wrap. For those who’d like seafood for breakfast, Little Fin also offers a smoked salmon bagel ($6).

Additionally, to celebrate the launch, Little Fin is running a contest:

When Danna and Adam Caldwell opened their first Menchie’s store in LA, little did they know the frozen yoghurt establishment would become a worldwide name! With a rotating 128 flavours – in April a new one, Skor, will soon be available – customers are able to mix and match the yoghurt bases with more than 50 toppings to create their own custom blend. Moreover, their gluten-free, vegan and Kosher options ensures most dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Toppings range from fresh fruit (berries, a tropical selection and melons) to candies (chocolate and gummi bears) and other interesting choices (sprinkles, cookies and cheesecake). My favourite are the mini peanut butter cups and popping boba, although not generally part of the same cup.

Not to rest on their laurels, Menchies continues to develop new products including custom made cakes and real fruit smoothies … so you won’t feel guilty about stopping into a store before noon.

This spring Menchies is encouraging Canadians to SMILE! After all, the sun and warm weather will soon be gracing us and enjoying the outdoors is but weeks away. A contest is launching March 28, 2016, where participants digitally scratch and win various instant prizes. Afterwards, you’ll receive a pin number to enter towards the grand prize: a 7-night round trip for two to the 5-star Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa in the Mayan Riviera!

Additionally, check back in a few weeks as Gastro World will also be giving you a chance to win a VIP pass to Menchies - holders are entitled to any cup of frozen yoghurt (no dollar limit)! The perfect way add as many toppings as you want, to create a masterpiece that’s worthy of making you smile.

Good luck everyone!

When I hear a restaurant’s doing “Canadian” food right, they peak my interest; not only to support my national cuisine, but also to develop a deeper understanding of what it’s about. Certain items that are synonymous with Canada: tourtière, poutine and lobster are distinctly Quebecois or from the Maritimes. Antler’s menu incorporates numerous Ontario offerings from the large province’s forests and lakes.

The wild mushroom tarte tatin ($10) looked beautiful, the dark foraged mushrooms lightened with a vibrant sorrel walnut pesto and frisee salad. If only the mushrooms were softer, rather than having an almost deep fried quality, to set it apart from the already flaky and crisp puff pastry.

When meat is fresh and of high quality, preparing it simply is the way to go. Skewers of charcoal grilled chicken thigh and duck heart ($9 for two skewers) were tasty – the chicken oh so succulent and the duck heart much lighter than expected.

Reviews have praised Chef Hunter’s handling of venison and it’s certainly well deserved. The spice ash crusted rack of deer ($39) was fantastic, the thick chop well seared but left rare so the lean meat remained tender and moist. Sitting underneath was a hefty portion of flavourful braised pulled shoulder meat and a smooth parsnip purée: delicious even by itself. For those who are worried about the venison being gamey, it’s no stronger black angus.

The skin on the pan seared rainbow trout ($28) was done to perfection – crackling and lightly seasoned. Despite being a thinner cut, the trout was succulent: Antler cooks fish right. To balance the other heavier dishes, the charred kale, wilted swiss chard, celery root purée and bright salsa verde were a blessing.

I had my doubts about the chestnut gnocchi ($21), not being a fan of sweet mains (the dish contains brown butter and almond brittle). Yet it was scrumptious, the earthy fluffy gnocchi each having a well seared crust. Diced roasted squash, brussel sprout leaves and shaved parmesan kept the dish savoury.

The daily special, a duck duo ($35), incorporated a decently prepared duck breast – a large portion but the skin could have been further rendered. Yet, it was missing an important part to the dish: the duo. We even double checked to see how we’d expect the aforementioned leg to be served (incorporated into the lentil mixture on the side). Despite every one of us combing through it meticulously – squash … brussel sprout … lentil … kale … not an ounce of leg was found.

Ely, our server, was so funny and charming that I’ll begrudgingly look past the absent duck leg and incorrectly charged bottle of wine ($60 on the menu vs. $75 on the bill that wasn’t discovered until the writing of this post). Antler’s atmosphere is laid back and friendly, not unlike the Canadiana persona.  

I was hoping to try Canadian geese – through following Chef Hunter on Twitter realize these large waddling traffic inducing fowls are approved for hunting. Unfortunately for me (but luckily for the geese) it was out of season and not available on the winter menu. Oh, and ladies, Chef Hunter is certainly not hard on the eyes; if you’re in luck (like we were) he may just make an appearance to the front of the house.

Midtown has a group of restaurants that has operated for years, yet their appeal have diminished with all the new competition, despite having decent food and a pleasant atmosphere. Spacco is one of these restaurants, a place I recall visiting for work functions numerous years ago, dining on appetizer platters and finger foods. 

They began offering a Groupon deal for a three course meal for four for only $80 - a steal considering most of their mains are $15-$20 (prices included in the post are from the regular menu). We did have to order from condensed offerings, but still had plenty of choices and was a well curated selection off their complete menu.

Both of the calamari ($13) were fair sized portions and well executed. The battered version, the typical thin rings, were hot and fresh from the deep fryer. Meanwhile, the grilled version could be charred a bit more but had nice flavours from the lemon garlic olive oil, the vegetables on the side a great addition.

The oven baked shrimp ($13) were thankfully not overcooked and the chunky spicy roasted tomato sauce they sat in great for slathering on the soft complimentary ciabatta buns.  

Although the arancini ($12) were delicious and in my opinion the tastiest of all the appetizers, the two ping pong sized balls made the starter much smaller compared to other offerings. Typically, at other restaurants, there would be three to an order – Spacco you need to consider increasing the number of arancini or the size of each one for this appetizer. Nonetheless, the deep fried risotto stuffed with peas and mozzarella were hot and satisfying, a soft molten middle with the requisite crunchy exterior.  

For the mains, the seafood risotto ($20) was terrible – the rice extremely mushy and is questionable if it was even made with the Arborio variety. There was a fair amount of seafood (shrimp, scallop, calamari and mussels) but despite the menu describing the mussels as “fresh”, they were gritty and tasted off to me.

The penne trecolore ($18) was better, the pasta in between the al dante and cooked through state but tossed in a tasty tomato cream sauce. Mixed into the pasta was plenty of chicken, spinach and roasted red peppers to provide the “three colours” from the dish’s name.

With the wood-burning oven prominently situated in the open kitchen, it seemed like a safe bet that the pizzas would be good. We ordered two to share, the culo rosso ($16) and campagnia ($17), both delicious and prettily presented.

Indeed, the culo rosso had a very spicy kick from the hot banana peppers, so much so that it momentarily renders your tongue numb making the sausage and caramelized shallots non-existent. But, if you like the heat, it’s a great pie. On the other hand, the campagnia is much tamer topped with chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach, sundried tomatoes and a fair amount of creamy goat cheese.

The only easy decision is dessert – there are two choices, a sweet and moist tuxedo truffle mousse cake or dense and sugary iced chocolate brownie with ice cream ($7). Neither are fantastic, yet tasted fresh and since they’re both so decadent, leaves you satisfied with a few tastes.   

Originally a popular hangout in the St. Lawrence area, Dublin Calling has since moved to the Adelaide West corridor. Situated on the second floor, the roll-up windows promises to transform the bar into a cool open space when the warm weather returns. Who knows, with the bout of luck Toronto has experienced lately, those windows may be opened for St. Patrick’s Day.

Pints of green beer without a balance of food can be dangerous. At Dublin Calling’s grand opening party, I sampled my way through tons of nibbles and they certainly have enough fried delights to keep a drinker satisfied.

It wouldn’t be a pub without fish and chips with a crispy flaky batter and plenty of tartar sauce.

For something to share and snack on, the deep fried mac ‘n’ cheese or deep fried pickles lend themselves to easily eat at the bar.

However, if you can score a table and don’t mind a bit of a mess, their chicken wings are fantastic! Large sized batter wings slathered in tons of sauce and toppings. Pictured below is a party sized platter of the garlic and parm (substituted with feta during the opening party). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture of the Kung Pow version, my favourite of the night – so innocent at first with the sweet and salty glaze, only to pack a POW of heat at the end.

Not everything was fried, they have a selection of wraps, sandwiches and burgers. The Irish burrito was an interesting combination of corned beef, potato, cheese and sauerkraut. The mustard drizzled on top, although making it messier to eat, made the wrap.

Drinking games can be brought up a level at one of the dart lanes (six in all) or through a game of pool.

For me, someone whose eye-hand coordination falters even without drinks, it’s best to just stay on the dance floor.  After all, it’s the time of the year when stamping along to anthems and doing the do-se-do is celebrated. Dublin Calling has you covered this St. Patty’s day.