mimicofest

I got a last minute call to attend Mimicofest this weekend to sell some totes. Although it wasn't super busy, it was interesting to sit out and watch the people and entertainment. Here are some pics from the day.

Bye, Bye Summer: What to do by the Lake Shore in the winter - Part 1 {Jazzy Jazz}

I haven't really gone outside much since this cold weather showed up. I'm not much of a winter person at all. I mean I like the odd crisp winter walk; and I really do love the look of snow, but the cold I can do without (even though I really do love bundling up in those cozy cowls).

So if you're like me, what the heck do you do in these dark winter months? I've put together some sort of guide, and please, if you know of something fun to do leave me a comment because I need all the help I can get!

Jazz Hands
Photo source

This post is all about jazz. This past weekend my hubby Mark and I had a craving for some jazz so we popped on over to Birds and Beans for some Sunday Jazz. First of all, if you've never been to Birds and Beans, you're missing out on the most delicious coffee known to man. (Lately I've been sipping on lattes, but my true love from there is the London Fog. I've only managed to order it once. The don't have it on the menu, so won't make it anymore until more people ask for it, so please for the love of Sundays ask for a London Fog! Ok I digress).

Ok back to the Jazz.

Every Saturday and Sunday Birds and Beans has some really fun jazz. You walk in, get your coffee and some nibbles (the breakfast cookie is available during all hours of the day and is quite delish); then turn around and walk up the stairs. You might feel a bit intimidated if it's your first time going upstairs because the jazzers are right there, but just step past them and find a spot on one of the 'ol chairs or the reclaimed church pew. The jazzers comprise a group of about 10 or so people who manage to all play together seamlessly. The jazz on Saturday changes up a bit, but the Sunday show seems to usually have The Birds of a Feather at noon, with Jazz at Birds and Beans with Fair Trade at 2:30. Get there early so you can get a seat.

But Birds and Beans isn't the only place with live jazz by the Lake!

Café Du Lac is another place to enjoy some fun live music. I think I talked about the live music there before, but the fun part about this place is that it's quaint and cozy; and cozy = staying warm. Order some poutine, sit back and enjoy.

If you're closer to Brown's Line you can catch some cool jazz every Saturday at Tatsu's Bread. They pull their jazz folks right out of Humber who provide a nice and warm atmosphere to enjoy your organic earl grey (hey maybe they'll make me a London Fog!) and a delectable dessert. If you go there during lunch they have these crazy yummy curried tuna sandwiches that I dream of on a weekly basis.

Momo's Bistro isn't quite by the lake but it still seems warm and cozy (I haven't been there yet!) and has some live jazz for all you folks. Check out the jam packed calendar here.

Ok that's all I've got. I'm semi-new in these parts so I'm partly counting on y'all to let me know what I've missed.

Also if you have ideas for other things to do in the area to keep warm, give me a shout at s_dodge (at) rogers (dot) com so I can add it to my next post!

Have a great Friday, jazz it up and stay warm for goodness sakes -- it's cold out there!

Shop the Shore -- Gift Ideas

Coffee from The Big Guys LIttle Coffee Shop - 2861 Lake Shore Blvd W

I just found this post on Our Lakeshore and thought I'd share. Happy Shore shopping!

Café du Lac

For the past couple years, a lot of my focus has been on Italy and the Italian culture. I did, after all, just marry an Italian guy in Italy (he's not from Italy; he grew up in Hamilton ;)). Before the wedding, we tried to learn the language as much as possible so we could get by during our three weeks over there. And get by we did; but I don't credit our Italian lessons as much as I credit growing up half-French Canadian.

Ok I don't really speak the language (give me a few drinks and I could spew out a few French slurs) but I grew up listening to my mother and her sisters speak to my grandparents in French and I learned the basics of the basics. Later on, I took french in high school and in university, but the language skills ran dry when I didn't keep up the conversation. I love the language though. I stop in my tracks when I hear it being spoken in Toronto because it brings me back to my childhood.

{What does this have to do with learning Italian you ask? Well, there are many similarities with the tenses, and knowing some French really helped with understanding some Italian (some).}

One thing I didn't really learn while growing up however, was Quebecois cuisine. My grandmother, of course, makes tortière every year for Christmas, but really I don't know what true Quebecois food is all about.

Last week my husband and I decided to try some at Café du Lac. Three words: best. dinner. ever. I can honestly say that. I don't think I've ever tasted anything as yummy and delish as what I tasted last Friday night (ok there were some dishes in Italy that might beat this meal, but let's say best in North America...).

As soon as we sat down, I told my husband that we had to get the poutine... it's all I hear about when people mention Café du Lac. Poutine isn't something we usually get, but I talked him into it and man it didn't disappoint. We chose the Poutine with Creme Sauce ($10) which was a silky blend of deliciousness and the perfect starter for someone who loves all things cheese. The fries were crisp and the cheese was hot and I really wish I had more of it right now sitting here writing this post.

We also ordered the Organic Salad tossed in house vinaigrette ($7) which didn't come until our mains, but that was still a great accompaniment.

For dinner I ordered the Pan-seared Duck Magret drizzled with foie gras truffle sauce with potato gratin ($28). I've never had foie gras and believe that one should try everything once. It was buttery and worked wonderfully with the crispy pieces of duck loveliness that came with it. Under everything was the potato gratin which is making my mouth water right now just thinking about it. The whole meal went so well together I can't even really describe it well enough. The hubster got the Venison Meatloaf ($27) topped with seared fois gras and served on a bed of rustic mashed potatoes. As our server mentioned, this isn't your regular meatloaf. It was full of spices like cinnamon and nutmegish types of spices and my husband ate all of it, so I think he really liked it. He has been mentioning lately that he wants to have meatloaf for dinner, so now that he has had something better, I might not have to attempt to make it any time soon.

In terms of drinks, Café du Lac specializes in Quebec beers, but I didn't realize that until right now looking at the web site, which is a shame because we both really love beer. Instead we opted for a litre and a half of La Vieille Ferme which I actually think is from France (ack!). Regardless, I like this wine and it went well with the duck, the conversation and the fun musical entertainment by Kim Doolittle.

The only thing I'd have to tell the owners of Café du Lac is to lift up the window shade. To be honest, half the time I walk by it doesn't look like anything is going on in there because you can't see in. People like to see what's cooking from the street and lifting the shade would be great for the street scape down here.

Overall,this was an A+++ in my opinion and and I can't wait to go back to try the brunch some weekend soon.

le yum.

6th Annual Lakeshore Mardi Gras

News care of www.thelakeshore.ca

I'm interested to see what this Mardi Gras event is all about... I'm off to Beer Fest that weekend, but I'll try to get down to this event to take some pics. I need some pics in my By the Lake Flickr Group! (hint, hint)

Here are the deets:

When: Fri, Aug 07 from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm, Aug 8, 12 pm - 9 pm & Aug 9, 12 pm - 7 pm
Where: On the Assembly Hall Grounds

Presented by the Lakeshore Mardi Gras Committee

Lakeshore Mardi Gras is a unique family experience, bringing the sounds and tastes of the south to the Lakeshore. There's something for everyone & admission is free!

Please visit the Lakeshore Mardi Gras Committee website at www.lakeshoremardigras.ca, in the coming weeks, or call 416-251-1390, for more information on this event.

Non-Day

Well it has been a while hasn't it? Not quite sure where the time has gone!

I finally took the chance to carry my big honkin' camera along with my hubster and me on our "non-day". We don't take too many of these non-days but when we do take them they're so relaxing and fun.

This non-day we took a stroll down to the Amos Waites Park (behind Birds and Beans) and sat at the end of the small peninsula there. We brought along some sandwiches and snacks and enjoyed the great view.

Here are a few pics from non-day:

you lose some, you win some

(pic source)

It has been just over a week in this new neighbourhood and although I'm really liking the area, I have to say I'm missing many of my favourite spots from my old neighbourhood. The gym over here isn't as nice and I'm a bit too far to go to my Friday noon-time yoga class. But there are many plusses to the new hood. One of them is The Village Butcher.

I've never really ordered meat from a butcher before, but when I heard that this place was just a few streets over from me, I knew I had to check it out. TVB sells only organic and naturally-raised meats, along with some other specialty food items like prepared meat pies, natural soda pop, and delicious mustards and spreads.

The first thing I noticed was how laid-back this place is. Butcher and owner Mark Ali is boisterous and super friendly to all of his clients and it's obvious he gets a lot of regulars because he calls each one of them by name as they get to their turn in line.

After eating out most nights this past week, I had a craving for some good 'ol meat and potatoes for dinner. I told Mark I was new to the whole butcher shop thing and that I wanted a piece of beef enough for two for dinner. Right away, he slid the glass back and pawed a 2-lb cut of prime rib and told me it would be perfect. As he wrapped it up, he told me how to cook it for a medium-rare roast "you can't go wrong with."

When I got up to the cash, there was a nice spread of baked goods to my left and at the back of the display I spotted some date squares; organic of course. While they weren't as good as my grandmother's, they were just what I needed for my three o'clock snack.

There's something about cooking a roast that is quite intimidating. You don't want it to be too dry, but you don't want it too red either. I left the roast in for a bit longer than Mark suggested and served it along-side some roasted parsnips and carrots and smashed potatoes. The verdict? M kept saying over and over how good it was and that it was as good as prime rib he would order in a restaurant. Each bite melted in our mouths -- a true testimate for buying organic/naturally-raised meat. It's a bit pricier than a regular cut that you'd get at the supermarket ($14/lb), but it is well worth it.

A day in the life of someone who has no plans with roti (and paint fumes) on the brain

This week off from work hasn't worked out completely as I planned: I was hoping to have the whole house ready to move in and all I would have to do is empty the boxes and put away the dishes. But since the painting is being done, I couldn't really hang out or put stuff away until it was done. That said, it has given me some time to relax and do anything I feel like.

Yesterday morning I needed to get out of the house because the painters were here and the paint fumes were getting to my brain. I decided that I needed to make a bigger dent in my book club book, so I headed over to Artisano, which is a lovely Italian-style, coffee, sweets and panino place just north of the Queensway on Islington. I was there for two hours or so with all the retired men, mommies and the few people that went there to work with their laptops.

Later in the day I had to go to the dentist which I was happy for only because it meant I could waste more time before going home to the fumes. On the way home I stopped off at Queen West at Roncesvalles to check out some antiques -- I'd love to incorporate some old in with the new in the house. Along the way, I found the perfect desk lamp for my new desk at Black Pug Dmk. It's from the '60s and in mint condition but the kicker -- it's $195. A little over my budget of $40 for a desk lamp (I was seriously trying to justify the purchase in my head...).

When I got home empty handed (for which I'm sure M was grateful) the paint fumes were still pretty bad, which took away all desires to cook and eat a meal here, so M and I went out again for dinner. This time we had a craving for some Caribbean food so we checked out what I think is Caribbean Queen Roti Hut located at 2957 Lake Shore Blvd W.

Now I have to start off by saying that roti is one my MOST favourite things to eat. We became regulars of Cool Runnings on Main Street in the east end which was melt in your mouth yumminess - I would honestly dream about the stuff.

The roti at Roti Hut was just ok. It might have something to do with the fact that I didn't want it too spicy 'cause I'm a bit of a wimp, or it could have been the fact that it was Trinidadian roti, as opposed to the Jamaican roti from Cool Runnings I'm used to. Either way, it hit the spot and the owner was super sweet. She seemed to have a couple regulars come through when we were there (the restaurant has been around for 19 years after all!) and the price was right at $6.95 for boneless chicken.

The atmosphere isn't much to write about, but the owner had some really fun Caribbean music playing and I felt instantly as though I were closer to the sun and beach (I wish!).

Well that's all I've got for today. The kitchen is finally finished so I'm going to concentrate on putting stuff away and then I have to get out to change my SIN card info later on. I tried to do that earlier in the week but I forgot my birth certificate - arg!

later lakers!
~lealou

on another adventure

So I've started another adventure. Some of you may know me through my other blog about sewing and such, but in the past week I've moved to Mimico by the Lake in Toronto and I thought it would be kind of fun to write about my new adventures here.

You see... I don't really know anything about the West side of Toronto. I did live in Roncesvalles for about a year, four years ago; and had a brief stint with my travelling friend in the Junction but that's it.

So far this area is great. I already have the PERFECT coffee spot picked out (more on that later) and have eaten out at some yummy restaurants (more on one of those next).

Stay tuned for the adventure -- I think it will be a fun one!

~lealou