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.

Continue reading In Search of the Perfect Hommous »

Pomegranate Chai House
420 College Street
416-921-7557
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $70

The room breathes Persian sexiness. It is lively every night, with tables continually full during dinner hours. Tapestries, artifacts and paintings adorn the walls. Rugs warm the floor. A “takht” (double-bed) is able to be reserved for those who like to eat more traditionally—chairless.

This is Pomegranate, a perfectly-sized restaurant that absolutely defines the tired and seldom-relevant term “hidden gem.” The tables are full, sure, but only by those who have dug to discover its charm on a stretch of College Street that does it no great justice (in my fair opinion).

Continue reading Where Fruit and Lamb Live in Harmony »

Adam’s Shawarma
1910 Kipling Avenue
416-241-1114
Lunch for two with all taxes, tip and soft drinks: $20

You can’t spell “shawarma” without the “warm”, so Adam’s sounded particularly appealing as a lunch-stop on a blisteringly cold day in January.

With an address that places it almost directly under the 409 overpass, Adam’s Shawarma is not situated in the most attractive of locations. And it’s not easy to get to, even by car. If driving in from the south, one has to make a left on Belfield Road and swing around to get into the parking lot. But never mind the aesthetics and the logistics. It’s the food that’s worth the visit for anyone who finds themselves in the area, perhaps comparing ceramic tile prices between the nearby Rona on Belfield and Home Depot on Kipling. The former provides hot dogs from a cart; the latter houses a Harvey’s. Adam’s Shawarma is welcome addition to the light industrial/home improvement big box store neighbourhood.

Continue reading A Nice Shawarma Welcome »

Farhat Restaurant
2020 Lawrence Avenue East
416-285-5010
Dinner for two with soft drinks and all taxes: $20

“Feel awful, ha, ha, ha! You’re having a feel awful!” That’s what my room mate Morton used to guffaw whenever I ate a falafel for dinner. Now I never liked Morton and I’m glad he’s doing twenty-to-life at Kingston Pen. But there was some truth in his witless, annoying braying. Falafels are a food I associate with student indigence, cramped, insalubrious restaurants and horrible room mates. Did I actually like falafels? After an intestinal upset from one rancid, oil-soaked “falafel special,” I abandoned my pious vegetarian lifestyle and apprenticed as a butcher.

Continue reading Awfully Good Falafel »

Nasr Foods
1996 Lawrence Avenue East
416-757-1611

Last week, overcome with hunger, I traveled to the Mid-East. During my sojourn in that troubled area, I gorged myself on sheep cheese, fresh dates and halvah. My plump, manicured fingers snatched Turkish Delight from a tray. Satiated, I reclined languidly as I partook of a water pipe.

Of course, when I refer to the mid-East, I am referring to the mid-East of the G.T.A.. This area - Lawrence between Pharmacy and Warden - has emerged as a sort of Arab Strip or Little Lebanon, awaiting discovery by the falafel-craving foodies of downtown Toronto.

Continue reading Arabia Scarberia »

A La Turque
559 Church Street
no phone
Wraps for two with all taxes and tip: $12

I was hungry for something quick and cheap, so I decided to swing by A La Turque. It’s right around the corner from my place and I’d been meaning to check it out for a while now.

Waliking into A La Turque reads a bit like an advertisement for Turkey tourism. The posters lining the wall are reminiscent of something you might see at a travel agent’s office. The place is rather tiny with the food counter up front and five or six tables at the back with ten or so chairs available, if you choose to eat there.

The presence of any sort of traditional menu is suspiciously absent. There are a few pictures of the meals on the outside window and a few pictures of other meals on the inside above the cook tops, but no prices and no other food list.

Continue reading Cheap and Cheerful Turkish Fare »

Prince of Egypt
135 Danforth Avenue
416-463-2228
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and juice and Egyptian coffee: $68

As a die-hard west-end girl, I don’t often find myself wandering along the Danforth at dinner time looking for someplace to eat. Particularly on a Saturday night. You might find me wandering Queen West, but crossing Yonge Street into bizarro-world isn’t something I do without a lot of pre-planning.

So when we wandered past the empty and forlorn-looking Prince of Egypt one recent Saturday night, we almost kept on going. Like so many people we stopped and read the menu posted in the window and then walked away. But something made me say, “you know, let’s just eat here. It looks good.” And good it was, great even.

Continue reading Princely Fare at Prince of Egypt »

Patisserie Royale
1801 Lawrence Avenue East, Unit 9
416-755-6323

Growing up in an Armenian family with Syrian roots, I’ve eaten lots of baklawa and other Middle Eastern pastries. Some of my experiences have been good, and others quite bad. I recall the time my aunt attempted to make nammoura, a semolina mixture that is baked and covered in syrup. Normally nammoura is soft and melts in your mouth. My aunt’s nammoura almost broke my teeth.

Many Middle Eastern pastries, like nammoura, are semolina based, and usually feature nuts, syrup, and rose water or orange blossom essences. Other desserts, such as baklawa, feature similar ingredients but have a phyllo pastry base. Phyllo dough, as those of us who have baked with it are aware of, is quite difficult to work with. This paper-thin dough is brushed with clarified butter and layered to create the desired thickness for a pastry dish. On the surface such desserts seem simple, but are actually quite tricky to make “just right”, as evidenced by my aunt’s nammoura.

Continue reading Found! The Ultimate Baklawa! »