Brunch at Farmhouse Tavern

Farmhouse Tavern is the type of restaurant you want to tell people about, but want to keep to yourself too.  It’s been open for a few months in the Junction and has been gaining positive word of mouth through friends in the neighborhood. he Farmhouse does a brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays from 11a-3p, and it’s a great concept: like their dinner service, there’s no set menu, with the days menu of “farm driven food” scrawled on a chalkboard. A Sunday brunch with friends provided the perfect excuse to visit.

We settled into the front tavern space – there’s a main dining room “farmhouse” and the private room “Hunt Club” in the back as well. As soon as we settled in, we took a moment to take in the charm of the room. It’s a flea market of knick knacks, with a comfortable indie soundtrack playing underneath the chatter. It’s sunny and bright, with a clear view of a well-stocked bar. There's a noticeable focus on VQA wines, craft beers like Beaus, and cocktails.

I was driving, so I skipped the smoked caesar (and regretted it - LOOK AT THIS THING) and went straight for the coffee, again and again – mornings, amirightfolks? What? Oh, right, brunch. Here’s what was on the board that Sunday:

Typical brunch menu at the Farmhouse Tavern

My immediate question – what the heck is the Mother and Child Reunion? Some sort of chicken and egg creation? When the waitress told me it was duck eggs, soft boiled and then rolled in panko and fried, with some duck prosciutto, I muttered a silent apology to Daffy Duck and ordered it. With gusto.

Once the waitress answered our questions and took the orders, she spun around and headed to the back.

“Our waitress is skipping,” I think to myself. This is a good sign. She returned with drinks and a delicious welcome basket of chocolate chip and cornbread muffins that restore your faith in breakfast pastry and makes regret every mealy franchise café muffin you ever forced down. And that's a thing I notice and start to love about Farmhouse Tavern - that extra effort on fresh ingredients, or a combination that elevates standard brunch fare: the mimosas were made with sparking wine from Hinterland Wine, the coffee was a satisfying Reunion Island roast. You feel spoiled, but it's really just how things should be at their best.

Our table full of, oh, let’s say Twitter-heavy users, almost collectively dropped their phones when the food showed up and we dug in: everything was incredibly delicious. My eggs had a crunchy outer layer, but a soft yolk that I mopped up with a hunk of toasted, buttery bread. The other table favourite was the smoked chicken crepe, with chicken smoked on site and a slice of brie melted on top. The gluten-free/vegetarian friendly mushroom frittata was also well received. The side salads served with our meals were also bright and fresh, as we tried to identify a couple of the delicious veggies – it was watermelon radish that baffled us. The whole meal was outstanding.

The Mother n' Child Reunion - duck eggs, soft boiled and deep fried, with streaks of duck prosciutto, hunk of tasted bread and a salad. That might be a chuck of foie gras on the side.

We lingered for a while, coffees refreshed and mimosas poured down.  We didn’t feel rushed or crowded. It was how brunch is supposed to be: restorative, social, engaging.

Farmhouse Tavern has been around a short while, but it’s made a deep impression. I will return.

Sample dinner menu at Farmhouse Tavern

Farmhouse Tavern is open for dinner service Thurs – Sunday – follow them on Twitter and Facebook for menus and special culinary events. One of the highlights is the F*ck Monday events on Sundays – a schedule of hourly evening specials that culminates in a half-priced menu kicking in at 9pm.

Farmhouse Tavern
1627 Dupont St. (between Dufferin Ave and Symington Ave).
Serving Dinner Thursday through Sunday @ 6pm.
Brunch on Saturday & Sunday @ 11am-3pm.

Reservations can be sent via text to: 416-561-9114

A meal at La Carnita, also known as "I will require all the avocado and chips."

Margarita and a tostada with swordfish ceviche. Bliss.

It’s hard to think of a better follow-up to a day exploring the art of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at the Art Gallery of Ontario than a meal at La Carnita. What started as an intention to have some chips and guacamole quickly escalated into full-fledged food bliss.

I’ve followed the story of La Carnita since they started as a pop-up restaurant, serving their tacos at events like Toronto Underground Market. As buzz and business grew, it was a welcome sight when they opened up a permanent restaurant on College St. last summer. It had been a few months since my last visit to – a sampling of every taco on the menu was time well spent – and the occasion of foodie friend @laurendorphin’s birthday guaranteed the choice of an excellent restaurant with great dining companions. Our group of 8 managed to grab a large table at 6:30pm on a Saturday, and the large and lively space filled up quickly by 7:30pm. With long tables and many booths, the place seems meant to invite groups of diners to share a meal.

The menu gets refreshed regularly, but offers a reliable array of appetizers sharing plates and tacos, reasonably priced, which gives you the perfect excuse to try a little bit of everything.  A tempting array of cocktails, beers, and wine are available, but I went with the classic margarita. Or two.

Corn and rice frituras, perfect for sharing.

We ordered housemade tortilla chips & guacamole – dusted with ancho chili powder, making an excellent complement to the sweetness of my cocktail. The corn & rice frituras, 4 to an order and each about the size of a pool ball, and an avocado mango salad were perfect for sharing, ranging from $6.50-$8. Every taco on the menu made an appearance at our table ($5 each). Saturday’s menu offered up their iconic cod fish taco, braised beef cheek, fried chicken, fried avocado, and chorizo, all with fresh flavour and pleasant but not overwhelming taste of heat. The tostada was a swordfish ceviche ($7) which perfectly, indulgently good. Sheer bliss.

Key-lime paletas - pie on stick? What is this sorcery?

The capper was dessert. The churros are popular, but I went with the “paletas” ($4 each). Different flavours every day, but I didn’t quite know what a paleta was. I assumed it was a tart of some sort when I heard that chocolate-peanut butter and key lime were being offered. I was delighted and surprised to be presented with a paleta – basically an ice pop. The key lime was like a tart creamsicle, rolled in graham crackers. Outstanding.

I’d recommend going with a group of 6-8 friends to get a nice cross-section of the menu. While they don’t take reservations, you may need to just get the timing right to get a table, with 7p – 9p being prime time. I’ve had two successful visits and intend to make more. Make sure to browse some of their fantastic Mexican street art for sale as well.

Check their website for their current menu, and follow them on Twitter at @la_carnita for updates on daily specials.

La Carnita

501 College St., west of Bathurst St. on the south side

Sun - Mon 5 - 10pm

Tues - Sat 5 - 11pm

Reservations: None, first come, first serve.

Neko Case, force of nature

A great Saturday night last week as some of my favourite peeps came to town to catch one of my favourite singer-songwriters Neko Case, who was playing the second of two sold out shows at Trinity St Paul's Church in Toronto.

First we had dinner at Dessert Trends Bistro on Harbord St, and I was very pleased with my first experience there. Started about 3 years ago as a dessert bakery, they've gone beyond their delicious desserts and introduced a full brunch, lunch, and dinner menu in the past year. Selecting from the $25 prix-fixe menu gave us each plenty of options to chose from. The opening salads and appetizers were brought to our table and presented very nicely. The pastry on the Baked Wild Mushroom Phyllo Tart with Goat Cheese was crisp and light. My main was the braised beef short ribs with lemongrass and preserved herb tomato served with French baguette for soaking up the lovely sauce. Everything was delicious to this point, and then came the desserts. True to expectations, absolutely delicious. Overall, great price point for food of excellent quality, variety, and freshness.


Bellies full, we walked up the street to Trinity St Paul's Church on Bloor, or as it's known by it's full name, Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts. It's a beautiful building, and a very unique venue for seeing the show. I wasn't terribly familiar with the opening band Crooked Fingers - led by Eric Bachmann, the band had some beautiful songs with Eric's voice playing into the rafters of the church. Melodic, reminding me of the Great Lake Swimmers a bit, I'm definitely making a point to pick up a few of their albums.

And then the main event. Neko Case is a force of nature - a mane of fiery red hair, a sharp wit and a voice that is bigger than her body. This singer-songwriter breaks beyond record store categories like alt-country, with songs that are a little more punk, some a little more pop. It was an extraordinairy night. It's one thing to fall in love with her voice on the albums, but to hear her live and realize that her voice is that powerful outside a studio was just stunning. Nikita and I kept looking at each other as if to say "Where the hell is all that voice coming from?"

You could tell Neko was thrilled to play such a unique venue - she even wore a dress for the occasion. Churches tend to have such fantastic acoustics and from first note to last, she killed it. Easily the best show I've seen all year, and will be hard to beat. Neko had a full company of the players she recorded her newest album Middle Cyclone - guitarist Paul Rigby and Vancouver drummer Barry Mirochnick, bassist Tom V. Ray, backing vocalist Kelly Hogan and multi-instrumentalist John Rauhouse. Kelly's pretty charming and talented in her own right, but she was a highlight as she played the role of straight-woman with Neko, entertaining us with some funny dialogue between the songs and allowing Neko to show off her personality, and take her mind off the fact she was in a church, and likely hadn't been in one since, well, probably the last time I'd been in one prior to this Easter.

The crowd greeted her enthusiastically as ever. Despite her being an American performer, most people assume she's Canadian. She may as well be given the time she spends up here as part of the Canadian music scene, either as part of the Vancouver group The New Pornographers, or frequent collaborations with The Sadies, who she credited on several of the songs that night. Fans were suggesting her 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood should have been a contender for the Polaris Prize that year, which recognizes artistic merit of a Canadian artist. Alas, no rule bending, even for the divine Neko Case.

On tour for her latest album Middle Cyclone (buy it buy it buy it), Neko hit so many bright spots in her catalog, from new songs like the urgently passionate "This Tornado Loves You" and the upbeat pop "Maneater" to older favourites like "Deep Red Bells". I know I'm gushing, but to hear Neko's weary lament on "Wish I Was The Moon" with it's refrain of "I'm so tired/I'm so tired" was just a highlight of my music-going life. And anyone who was there, don't tell me you weren't moved by her cover of "Don't Forget Me" by Harry Nilsson, with special guest Garth Hudson of The Band brought out for some accordion work. Hearing Neko sing it live, such a beautiful lyrics, means every time it comes on the headphones it gets a little lump in the throat. But I think I can live with that.

Neko is coming back to town to Massey Hall in July. Go and thank me later.

More pictures from me: the2scoops @ Neko Case flickr set
Official Site: Neko Case

Some links via Chromewaves:

Chromewave's Photos: Neko Case, Crooked Fingers @ Trinity-St. Paul’s - April 18, 2009
MP3: Neko Case - “Middle Cyclone”
MP3: Neko Case - “People Got A Lotta Nerve”
MP3: Neko Case - “Hold On, Hold On”
MP3: Neko Case - “Star Witness”
MP3: Neko Case - “If You Knew”
MP3: Crooked Fingers - “Phony Revolutions”
MP3: Crooked Fingers - “Call To Love”
MP3: Crooked Fingers - “Big Darkness”
MP3: Crooked Fingers - “Devil’s Train”
MP3: Crooked Fingers - “New Drink For The Old Drunk”
Video: Neko Case - “People Got A Lotta Nerve”
Video: Neko Case - “Maybe Sparrow”
Video: Neko Case - “Furnace Room Lullabye”
MySpace: Neko Case
MySpace: Crooked Fingers

"When the water sommelier comes over, I reach for my gun."

Be sure to check out Anthony Bourdain’s Overrated Menu from Radar magazine’s Hype Report. Chef Bourdain puts the pin to the pretension balloon by pointing out overrated items that you’ll find on the menu of many “fine dining” restaurants. Click on this link to read Chef Bourdain's explanation of each item. And yes, there are restaurants that have a Water Sommelier on staff.

For more fun and visceral Bourdain blogging, be sure to read Anthony's Blog, where he's covering this season of the reality TV competition "Top Chef", on which he appears as an occasional guest judge.

"Top Chef fans? Just as no one can say boo about the judging this week, no one -- NO ONE -- can complain about the challenges. No quirky, kooky, product-placing roach-coach stunts this time, my friends. No one had to make quesadillas over an open can of sterno in the back of a moving Rav 4. Or prepare a festive snack out of Froot Loops while wearing a Glad Family of Bags over their head. Tonight, the challenges were not only perfectly suited to the task of deciding who might someday be a "Top Chef", but were also perfectly matched to the judging panel."

Anthony's Blog

via Accordion Guy and ALOTT5MA

Openings & Closings in Toronto

Long-time College Street neighbours Ciao Edie and Andy Poolhall will be united at last. In mid-September, the two bars (same ownership) will become one as the wall dividing the two is removed thus merging the spaces into a 500 capacity club complete with ten unisex toilets (thank God, Andy’s was one of the few places where the men’s room line is longer than the women’s). Ciao Edie will remain open for most of the summer, but Andy’s will be closed starting August 6th, 2007. I’ve always enjoyed the “everyone is welcome to do there thing” vibe at Andy Poolhall, and I hope the Friday night Synchro open format sessions with Denise Benson & friends continue.

The re-building continues on the much-derided yet iconic Sassafraz in Yorkville, which burned down last December. Sassafraz went on for years as the centre of Yorkville, cruising along more on the constant flow of celebrities more than the quality food and drinks. Essentially seen as a “star-f*cker” of a restaurant, there was much schadenfreude when it burned to the ground. And, like the career of Sharon Stone, it just won’t die. Amusingly the owners Zoran and Vasko Kocovski say that "We hear you, Toronto," and seem to have a sense of humour. They've taken the comments and criticisms from various Toronto blogs and quoted both the good and the bad on their walls. Now whether they take that criticism and improve their business remains to be seen. Sassafraz is aiming to re-open in early September, in order to coincide with the Toronto Film Festival.

The Sparrow on Ossington shut down.

Ever wondered why the massive space formerly home to Lucid nightclub on John St. has been closed so long? The new club owners are mired in lawsuits with partners. The space is massive, and was originally built to house Sony Playdium. I can’t imagine how much money you’d have to be raking in to turn a profit – the overhead must be enormous. The new owners have been working for more than a year on the space, which is to be reborn as Circa. Now, for the umpteenth time, they’ve announced Circa will open this summer. I remain skeptical.

Most of the scoops via Martiniboys.com