Pizzeria Libretto Outside on the Danforth

Me and my Special Pizza on the Patio

Loving the Arugula!

Who likes the pizza?

Today when I went to Pizzeria Libretto on the Danforth, I was in for a real treat! Me and my family realized that they have a newly opened patio that we could eat at! We sat outside in the bright spring sunshine and we really enjoyed it. The tables were smooth and clean and the chairs were really comfortable – patio chairs can be kind of uncomfortable and these ones are great!

We all ordered our usuals, except for me – because the waiter told me about the special pizza, which I needed to order as soon as he told me what it was! Do you see my happiness in the picture above with my spelt crust pizza topped with caramelized onions, scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage (really, the primary element of this edible work of art!), cheese, chives and chili oil.

You can read my full reviews about Libretto Osssington from 2009 here and Libretto Danforth here, but what a bonus it is to eat amazing pizza on the Danforth outside on their patio! (also, they have umbrellas to give you shade too)

Bunners Bakeshop in the Junction

So here’s the thing – I haven’t been to Bunners on Dundas in a while (sometimes it takes me a long time to actually write a review), and to get some details, I went to their website. Now I have a problem – I have no way of getting there right now, and I really want their cinnamon buns and butter tarts that look so gooey and delicious on their home page, which seem to be new since I was there last!

Bunners is an incredible vegan and gluten-free bakery in Toronto that everyone loves. We’ve even served their baked goods to people who don’t like vegan food, and they’ve loved it! The Creamies were the biggest hit, and I would recommend ordering them smaller for a party since they are normally gigantic! If you are after gluten free bread, their loaves are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – it makes really good toast with sunbutter!

They can make soy-free icing on their cupcakes upon request, if that’s something you are concerned about! I just love all kinds of cupcakes. Some people eat the icing first, some people eat the cake first, but I like to eat the icing and cake in each bite!

It’s hard to recommend what you should get (check out their menu), because anything we’ve purchased and eaten from their display counter has been excellent. If you celebrate Chanukah they can make excellent donuts for you, and if you celebrate Easter, their Easter Cream Eggs are the sweetest and the best easter eggs I’ve ever had (I’ll celebrate anything for their desserts!).

The people who work there are very nice, and although they don’t guarantee that they are nut-free, they don’t use nuts.

It’s a perfect place to walk to for dessert after lunch at The Beet down the street!

Stush in the Bush – Jamaica

Microgreen Heaven!

Some of the food we bring with us from home

The Amazing SITB Banana Cake!

My family and I were lucky enough to go to Jamaica on vacation this year. Because of the way we eat, we take all of our own food, except produce, of course. This year, my mom found an organic farm called Zionites Farm in Free Hill, St. Ann, Jamaica (no website yet) who was happily able to deliver to us. And, they didn’t just grow organic produce, they also baked their own cakes, breads and jarred condiments. Nut free! All vegan! And many of the ingredients used were organic from their own farm! Score!

Hot Sauce!!

The delivery arrived packed perfectly in a box with no plastic wrapping, but they used their banana and palm leaf scraps! We got lots of greens and some of the best microgreens I’ve ever had. I know we’ll be getting a lot more of what they have to offer next time!

We tried their chocolate cake with fresh mint pressed into the top as a garnish, but the mint also tasted great! We also ordered a banana coconut cake which was so delectable that I cannot describe it well enough to give it the credit it deserves. We needed to order another one for our plane ride home it was so good! They baked us a multigrain bread that was one of the best breads I’ve ever had as well. Their jarred condiments are all packaged in glass jars which is amazing. Their hot sauce we tried is called “Blow Fyah” (pronounced “blow fire) and it was so super spicy that even my parents could only take a little bit at a time, and we like spicy! You have to imagine how good their banana preserves are too, it was the best thing I’ve spread on to my toast since I discovered Sunbutter. By the way, if you combine the Stush in the Bush Banana Preserves with the Sunbutter, it tastes incredibly, amazingly awesome! I am even considering importing the preserves into Canada, is anybody interested?

The main reason we got a second delivery was because my sister was pestering my mother for fresh sugar cane and they had some from their farm. Plus, we wanted more cacao pods. Even thought the inside of them look like a giant worm, it tastes so sweet and was fun to eat, plus you can’t get those in Toronto, although I’m going to ask Chocosol now that I think of it. I also realize that with our big sugar cane delivery, I never even ate any of it, my sister devoured it! I guess I’ll need to go back!!

Also, you should know that the farmers drove two hours to deliver the second order to us, and they were SO nice and we were all glad to meet them. It’s crazy what we all are willing to do to connect over real food. I hope if you are going to Jamaica, you will support them by placing an order from them, so we can keep them in business and keep enjoying their wonderful products. Next year, if I’m lucky enough to go back, we are going to have a tour of their farm for sure.

WORMS! (April Fools! It's actually where all of your real chocolate comes from!)

Look at my ears (it's sugar cane!)

And presenting...CACAO POD!

The SITB Team (minus Lisa Binns)

Earth

Earth is a very nice restaurant with a very nice atmosphere to go with it. The food is supposed to be mostly organic and local (but see further on for aggravating exceptions!). We go to Earth many Saturdays now with my 97 year old great-grandfather and he loves it there. It’s close to where he lives, they take reservations and can accommodate large groups (sometimes lots of family goes!), it’s quieter (since there is carpet), the seating is very comfortable and they have a coat check.
My mom loves the tea since it’s organic and loose leaf and comes in a pot, and I love ordering the baker’s basket because the cakes are amazing and melts in your mouth. I can’t believe I am allowed to get it since it has sugar and stuff in it. But restaurants are a treat, and sometimes I get french fries too. My favourite thing to order are the eggs benny with cured trout (hollandaise on the side always – I eat it with the french fries but don’t like it on top). The eggs are always hot and done well, I love sticking my knife into the egg and watching the yolk come streaming out. I once asked for ketchup, and I asked which kind it was, but unfortunately they said it was Heinz and when my great-grandfather asked for orange juice they said it was Tropicana – what is the deal with this? If they are organic, local, and sustainable, why have all of this crap there? (hopefully after they read this, they’ll get better products or make their own like their baked goods!!!!). I also have had the omelette of the day, and decided that although I LOVE mushrooms, I do not like truffled mushrooms because they were way too rich. And, I never say that. Their potato salad is amazing, I love the fresh herbs in it. My dad has the same food as me a lot, my sister loves the french toast with lots of maple syrup and my little brother usually eats scrambled eggs, some of my mom’s salad and some of the “donish” (he calls a danish a “donish”), but mostly he plays the ipod touch so we can leisurely eat our meal.
You should know, there is a private dining room that would be good for dinners and gatherings. Earth is a very nice restaurant, but they need to wise up on their ketchup and orange juice and probably some other things in the kitchen.