In Search of the Perfect Hommous
Posted by Rod Weatherbie in middle eastern, prepared foods, product comparison on May 9, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I grew up on Lebanese food.
I’m not Lebanese. But growing up in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, I might as well have been. The Island has, for its population, a sizable Lebanese community. A lot of the merchants on the Island are Lebanese, one of Charlottetown’s city councilors is, and PEI has now had two premiers of Lebanese decent.
My grandmother’s bridge parties consisted of her and five Lebanese ladies.
Now, the how and the why so many people from that area of the world ended up on PEI remains a mystery to me (although I’m pretty sure there is a book or two explaining it), all I know is I love Lebanese food. Not Israeli, Syrian, Cypriot or whatever. No, it’s Lebanese I love. One of the best restaurants in Charlottetown is Lebanese, Cedar’s Eatery, and I grew up eating there and eventually ended up running their upstairs bar.
I shit falafel.
Ever since leaving the Island to come to Toronto we have yet to find a restaurant, Middle Eastern in general, Lebanese specifically (but you knew that already), that has yet to match the wonder that is Cedar’s.
If you’re still looking for a good place to take Mom out on Sunday for Mother’s Day, how about a fancy afternoon tea? Many downtown hotels put on a nice spread every Sunday, and there are also a number of special teas happening, including soirées at Spadina Museum, Casa Loma, and Madeleines, Cherry Pie & Ice Cream.
At NOW this week, Steven Davey gets his fill of Mexican grub with visits to
In
There is an unspoken rift in Toronto’s foodie community. Bloggers lament the death of good service, reviewers pan otherwise fantastic dining experiences when neglectful hosts fail to take their coats, and in even the city’s trendiest rooms, diners sit pouting in wait for water refills and bread baskets.
We’re coming up on the busiest brunch day of the year this Sunday, when guilty families across the country try to make up for a year of talking back, dirtying up the floors, and other assorted misdemeanours that drive Moms crazy. At the Toronto Sun Rita DeMontis says Moms just want “a simple thanks”, but barring that (or perhaps in addition to), try making her a 
In their pure and unadulterated form, Belgian lambics are not beers to be trifled with. Brewed in open air vats where they are inoculated with wild yeasts and other wee beasties, and aged for years in wooden casks, these mutant brews develop flavours that are aggressively sour and funky, making them an acquired taste amongst even the geekiest of beer geeks.
The warm weather we had in April means the season for local produce has already started. I came home from St. Lawrence Market this past Saturday with not only local asparagus and ramps, but peas, tomatoes, and fiddleheads.
This week, we start our round-up with Posted Toronto, where Rob Roberts features one of Parkdale’s favourite spots, the
It’s not often that a critic shows up at a particular address to review a restaurant, only to find a different restaurant in its place. But that’s exactly what happened to
It’s easy to see why people refer to California as “Wine Country”; with nearly 2300 wineries California commands 90 percent of US wine production. A new promotion at
Normally here on Taste T.O. we tend not to print press releases in full, preferring to use them as the basis for either a quick summary blurb or a more detailed original article.
As Joanne Kates notes in her review of Le Pain Quotidien in today’s Globe & Mail, the recent opening in Forest Hill of the first Canadian location of this Belgian bakery and café chain was treated as nothing less than the second coming by many in Toronto’s foodie community. As far back as July of last year, the rumours of LPQ coming to Toronto were reported in a
It seems Toronto food bloggers have a collective sweet tooth this week, as the majority of the posts we’ve selected to feature are about sweet stuff.