Best Pizza in the city

With international travel on hold for a while I wanted to update the blog with a local post.
In a city as diverse as Toronto, it's hard to say with any sort of certainty which restaurant is 'The Best" in any category.  But I am convinced the best pizza in this city, by far, is Pizza Libretto.

This wood oven pizzeria opened on Ossington only a few years back but already has a popular following that would make most downtown restaurant green with envy. It's not unusual to wait upwards of an hour for a table, any given Tuesday evening.  Thursday-Saturday night you should probably have a snack before you head over and wait.  But I promise you, it is worth it.


My all-time favourite pizza's are either Nduja Sausage (Sausage, Tomato, Garlic, Oregano, Basil, Mozzarella, Stracciatella) or Ontario Prosciutto (Prosciutto, Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella). A slice of one of these with a nice glass of red wine is probably heaven on earth.

If you're not willing to make the treck downtown, Pizza Libretto has just opened a second location on the Danforth. 

(Image of the Nduja Sausage pizza thanks to BlogTO)

Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo

Our second city in Costa Rica was much more lively.  Unlike the quiet, hidden-paradise feel Cahuita offered, Puerto Viejo was filled with life.  The roads were lined with restaurants, bars, hostels and shops.  I don't want the city to sound like the busy streets of New York city, it is just that in comparison to Cahuita, it offers a much different vibe.

The town is still filled with friendly people; locals and travelers.  In fact we met our surf instructor the first afternoon in town by simply striking up a conversation with a stranger on the beach.  (Note: If you are interested in surfing this is know worldwide as one of the best places to do so.)

The food was also fabulous.  I had the best taco of my ENTIRE life in this city at a Mexican restaurant bar called TEX MEX (owned by a retired man from England) .

Prior to our trip we were warned this city could be unsafe.  What we found is that you simply need to apply common sense.   Do not wander the streets late at night, on your own, with lots of cash on hand.  I know this seems like the most basic information for anyplace one travels however, I believe the laid back island-feel of southern Costa Rica somehow makes people forget the most basic safety tips.

Although the city is much bigger than Cahuita, by our second day in Puerto Viejo we already knew a handful of locals. By the time we left, we couldn't walk into a restaurant or bar without finding someone we knew to sit down with.  The most common question we were asked was "Why are you leaving?" Believe me, as the trip came closer and closer to the end, the question became harder and harder to answer.

Miami: South Beach Society

Lucky enough to be treated to another work trip, this time I was in a much warmer climate; Miami, Florida. Although there was a lot I enjoyed about Miami (the SUN, the night life, the ocean...) my favourite part of the trip can be summed up into two main streets: Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road.

Ocean Drive:
Ocean drive is essentially the eastern most street in South Beach, right on the ocean. It's riddled with outdoor bars, art deco shops, and restaurants. (Specifically, we started our adventure at about 10th ave & Ocean Drive and walked for roughly 6 blocks.)

The best part about the restaurant scene on Ocean drive is its European feel.  Lots of outdoor seating so you can enjoy your meal in the warm weather, and people-watch! There is also a hostess standing outside each of the eateries to try and convince you come in and try their special of the day. (If you've ever been to Little Italy in New York its also very similar).  To top off this wonderful evening, after our (rather large) meal, we walked through a few galleries/art deco shops. This photo is now my inspiration for my stairwell at home!

Lincoln Road:
This outdoor shopping area puts all Toronto 'outdoor malls' to shame!  Cleverly nicknamed 'The 5th ave of the South' this pedestrian road is enclosed by boutique shops, brand name stores, restaurants, cafes, bars, theaters...you name it, it's on Lincoln road.  I spent so much time in this area I ended up eating both my lunch and dinner in this district. Just like Ocean drive, the restaurants offer most of their service to outdoor seating.  Of all the restaurants we checked out, Meat Market was hands-down the best. (We actually sat indoors at this place).  The decor was stunning, the wine selection was superb, and the food was fantastic! The only thing I didn't like about Meat Market....was my bill at the end of the evening.

Halifax: A 'Cheesy' City

I headed out East this week for a work trip, mostly full of meetings and driving.  It's not my first time out East, I've been around Nova Scotia before with family. I've seen the token tourist places, and even the not-so-token tourist places (one of my grandfather's houses is actually now a museum, how's that for making one feel old!?!?) I didn't even consider making a post after my trip because I didn't think there would be the time for me to really discover anything new.

Favourite find on this trip.  Obladee.

It's a small but trendy wine & cheese bar on Barrington St in downtown Halifax.  I was there on a Tuesday night and the place was packed! I can only image the crowd on a Friday evening.

They offer a vast selection of wine by the glass (or bottle) and an amazing selection of cheese and charcuterie. We let our waiter bring over a platter of  his personal favourites.  (Tie in to my last post: one of the recommended cheeses was goat gooda!)   The customized cheese board was perfect for our group of 4 as a late night snack.

By the very different crowd I saw at Obladee you could tell this place is appealing for many different types of nights. It's a great spot for after work drinks with co-workers, a great place to go on a date, or an awesome spot for a night out with your group of girlfriends. I wish there was a place like this closer to home.

The best part, prices were more than reasonable.  : )

A Day at Kensington Market

I love to travel.

It doesn’t have to be anywhere exotic, not even further than a few street blocks over, but more than anything I love to explore new areas. Since it will be a costly venture to book a plane ticket every few weeks, I decided exploring different areas in my very own city of Toronto would feel just as rewarding as when I get to explore during my travels far away.

Would you believe I have lived in Toronto my entire life, and never been to Kensington Market!?! Well, now I’ve been. If you’ve visited this area of the city I don’t need to sell you on what a fantastic day out this will prove to be. If you haven’t, you should! (Map included) And I’ve got a few suggestions based on my weekend adventure.

Suggestion 1: If you don’t need to take a car….don’t. Parking is sparse and streets are crowded. Plus, if it’s nice enough to walk around the market for the afternoon then biking or the ttc will do just fine.

Suggestion 2: Do any grocery shopping for the week AFTER you’ve visited Kensington market, you likely won’t need much at your local Metro once you’ve spent the afternoon here. My favourite spots include My Market Bakery which had a fantastic selection of fresh breads (go early in the day!), Global Cheese which has a vast variety of fresh cheeses (my pick of the week was goat gouda) and Essence of Life Organics which had a great selection of organic fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products....pretty much, any type of food you can think of.  

Suggestion 3: Try a restaurant. There are fantastic Thai, Mexican and Italian restaurants all throughout Kensington market. Most of the places are small and admittedly, look a little dodgy, but the pricing isn’t bad and the food is authentic. There is a listing of all the places to eat on the website.

I can’t wait to spend another weekend here. I think it’s more enjoyable in warmer weather, so my next visit may have to wait until next spring. There are dozens of places I didn’t get a chance to go into so if you have a favourite spot in Kensington, I’d love to know so I can check it out on my next visit.