When I was growing up in Calgary, going out for “ethnic” meant going out for Italian (pronounced eye-tal’-yun). Hey, what can I say? It was Alberta. It was the 70s. I did not discover different flavours until waaay after I moved away from home, went away to university and traveled a bit. Suddenly I realized Chinese food is not all about beef and broccoli and sweet and sour chicken balls; that Italian food does not necessarily mean spaghetti; that there’s a difference between Indian and Japanese curries; and that there’s rice beyond Uncle Ben’s.

The more I traveled and got exposed to different cuisines, the more I realized how little I knew. By the time I finished university, I was hooked. I was a total foodie.

Nearly ten years ago, I ended up in Toronto. Much to the dismay of my western friends and relatives, I have turned out to be quite the Toronto cheerleader. And why not? Toronto’s rich multicultural fabric allows me to indulge my new found passion for food.

Continue reading An East End Foodie Field Trip »

(Editor’s Note - As of June 2nd, 2007, New World Organics has shut down their retail business to concentrate on wholesale orders.)

New World Organics
161 Main Street
647-435-4885

The corner of Main and Gerrard got suddenly brighter with the opening of New World Organics three weeks ago. Oh happy day, a new neighbourhood bakery, and organic to boot! I no longer have to tempt the parking ticket gods on Queen Street to get my bread.

The Baker
When I walked in to the yet-unsigned space between Saks Fine Foods and Premier Doughnuts and Deli, co-owner and baker, Vicki Tretiak, emerged from the kitchen wearing a dark apron marked with Rorschach patterns of flour, while co-owner and husband, William (previously chef at Revival, the original Gio’s, and Peppino’s on the Beach), laboured on behind the scenes in the kitchen. Yes, the shop is very new, Vicki said with a beaming smile, but somehow, people have been finding them.

If you see Vicki and the name or the face does not prompt recognition, sample some of her stuff and let your sense of taste help you. Take a big bite of the scrumptious fudgey Dark Horse brownie and it will remind you of the Leslieville shop for which she created and supplied these treats. Or how about trying a slice of one of her organic breads to remind you of the kind of wholesome goodness she has been selling at the Riverdale Farmers Market. Then there’s the tasty muffins and squares that you will recognize as the Morning Glory treats she used to bake for said breakfast spot. Or perhaps order one of her signature lunch specials, the taste and presentation of which will remind you of her recent stint as chef at Le Café Vert.

Continue reading New World Organics »

Immigrants like me have a different sense of geography. When I was growing up in Calgary, my world was not defined by my block or neighbourhood but by the social network of friends and family. I grew up not knowing my neighbours, but I certainly knew where the other Filipino families lived no matter how far away they were.

I didn’t discover the concept of neighbourhood until I moved out on my own. I think this explains my comfort level of being a tourist in my city. I am comfortable walking in someplace and feeling “foreign.”

Take this coffee shop I go to on the east side of the Danforth. My carpool buddy introduced me to Seb’s Cappuccino (1928 Danforth Avenue) last year. It’s halfway between our two homes so regardless of who was driving that day, we can always meet there.

I was curious about the smattering of Italian coffee shops like Seb’s on this side of the Danforth so I asked one of my retired neighbours who just happens to be a great source of oral history. While most of the Italians settled in the growing Little Italy area of College and Grace on the west side, he told me that two things brought the Italians to this side of Yonge. First was the construction of the Bloor subway line. Apparently, Donway station was one of the entrance points used to access the underground construction, so many of the Italian labourers who built this infrastructure moved here to be closer to work. In addition, an entrepreneurial group of Italians moved here to set up green grocers to supply the growing Italian population and the burgeoning restaurant trade that the Greeks and Macedonians started at around the same time.

But let’s get back to my coffee story. I need to explain my attraction to Seb’s. No, it’s not the décor or the warm fuzzy feeling of “I’m home” when I get there. In fact it’s quite the opposite. I rarely ever go into the coffee shop (I send my husband instead) and the first time I walked in, I had that Twilight Zone-ish feeling: I could have sworn silence swept the room as everyone stopped mid-sentence, mid-activity, to stare. While everything was in suspended animation, I took a quick scan of the room: pool table, card tables and large screen TV at the back (soccer was on – in fact, soccer seems to always be on, no matter the season or time of day), stools immediately to the left where people are perched facing the coffee bar on the right, corkboards on the wall where business cards are tacked and For Sale strips of paper are posted. This is not a trendy place. Nothing too fancy. Nothing to write home about. Except they make a fine cup of coffee!

Continue reading A Tourist in My Own City »