Cravings Market Restaurant


I’ve had my eye on Cravings Market for a while. Probably since it opened quite a few years ago. Since I was in the mood for vegetarian and hubby steak, I choose a place which could accommodate both our desires. When we left our place, it was lightly snowing. More on that later.

The restaurant has an interesting format. It’s laid out like a market with stations catering to different types of cuisine. For example, salad, stir fry main course and dessert. Each diner is issued a card. Walk up to the station, order, present the card. Servers will bring it to the table. Go right to the hostess stand to pay, no need to ask for the bill at the table. They also do take out.

I had the three salad sampler with mixed vegetables, quinoa, roasted beet and mandarin with a skewer of shrimp. Hubby had the prime rib special with roasted potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yorkies and gravy. For dessert, I had tiramisu and Rosso’s decaf. The coffee was heavenly. Hubby had chocolate mousse. Everything was delicious and freshly made. Their chefs can customize your selection and cook to order. There was enough variety for even the pickiest of eaters. Even though they don’t have a kids menu, my kids could easily eat from the regular menu. Beware though, the portions are very generous.

The service was very good. I do recommend this restaurant for special occasions. It is family friendly, so there might be an element of noise if kids are there.

We stepped out to a heavy spring snowstorm. We would learn later, that many cars had gone into the ditch on highways around town. We had about 25 cm of accumulation that didn’t melt right away. We made it home safely with careful driving.

Cravings Market Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Eative Film Cafe

I wanted to try something different for breakfast. As my sister would say, funky breakfast. I was considering a south Indian place, but it turned out that they didn’t open until 11am even though they advertised a breakfast menu on their website. In our travels through Kensington Market the previous day, we noticed the Eative Film Cafe. Japanese cafes and such seem to be on trend in Toronto these days so we were eager to check it out. We noticed the Japanese breakfast options on the menu, in addition to the classic ones.

We arrived before the horde did at 10am. Order at the counter and they deliver to your table. I was intrigued by the purple rice balls. So I chose the Tokyo omelette. I added some extra avocado. It came with a side of miso soup. I also ordered an Americano. I was quite impressed with the rice balls. I prefer a healthy breakfast. The flavour was a subtle one of wild rice. It went well with the omelette.

My sister enjoyed the Sapparo breakfast. It came with a side of coleslaw and tangy mayo. It seemed like a good combination.

This cafe is also known for its 24K gold flake ice cream, which is another item that is trendy in Toronto. They also carry cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, which is in demand. The waits are up to 3 hours at their only location in Toronto.

They also have classic breakfast, weekend brunch and Japanese street food. Well worth another visit.

Tokyo Omelette
Roasted Seaweed, Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Mushroom, Sun Dried Tomato, Grilled Onion, Avocado served with Japanese Onigiri (Multigrain Purple Rice Ball) & Miso Soup

Sapporo Breakfast
Tamago Yaki (Rolled Scrambled Egg), 2 Sausages, 2 Onigiri (Purple Rice Ball with Seaweed), Miso Soup, House Salad

24K gold covered ice cream

A selection of Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes

Eative Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Red’s in Ramsay

Feeling hungry after a session at the climbing gym, hubby and I decided to check out Red’s in Ramsay. It is really hard to find a brunch spot on weekends in Calgary, but Red’s uses the NoWait app which piqued my interest. It worked out really well for us. We arrived; we were seated ahead of a few other parties that were waiting. I wish that busy restaurants would use this more often. You don’t have to be at the restaurant to reserve your place in line.  It’s real time, unlike Open Table.

I dug into one of the specials of the day, turkey and bacon on marble rye with creamy chicken and vegetable soup. I found the food pretty average, but it was enough to satisfy a climbing appetite. Service was friendly, but a little spotty as they were busy. Nice location and definitely a neighborhood eatery.

Turkey and bacon sandwich with creamy chicken and vegetable soup
Turkey and bacon sandwich with creamy chicken and vegetable soup

Red's in Ramsay Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Fine Diner

I was in search of brunch with little to no lineups. It’s quite a feat in Calgary to avoid weekend brunch lineups. Which brought me, to the Fine Diner in Inglewood. The restaurant was full when we arrived. We were third in line; the estimated wait was 15-20 minutes. They took my mobile number and would text me when a table became available. No sooner then did we cross the street, I received the text. It turned out the the party ahead of us didn’t show up for their reservation. We were seated in separate dining area in the back of the restaurant. It was nice that they had an overflow area. It was quiet, with just a few tables.

Hubby ordered the croque madame and I had the stuffed french toast. Hubby really enjoyed his dish. It came with a side of fruit and roasted potatoes. Both of the dishes used house made brioche which was delicious. The french toast was stuffed with orange marmalade and cream cheese. I found the first half delightful, but was wanting some relief from the sweetness by the time I finished. It was served with caramel sauce and whipped cream. The only knack was that our meal took a little longer to arrive, and the kitchen apologized for the wait.

We enjoyed our dining experience and we will be returning.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST House baked brioche stuffed with our kitchen team's latest creation
STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
House baked brioche stuffed with our kitchen team’s latest creation

CROQUE MADAME Home made brioche stuffed with gruyère & bacon. Topped with a poached egg. Served on creamy mornay sauce
CROQUE MADAME
Home made brioche stuffed with gruyère & bacon. Topped with a poached egg. Served on creamy mornay sauce

The Fine Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus

I went to the Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus for brunch a while ago, it has taken me this long to follow with the post. When we arrived, it was a Saturday around lunchtime. As expected, the place was fairly busy. I ordered the herb butter pannenkoeken. It made for a substantial meal. The side salad was a nice fresh accompaniment to the substantial pannenkoeken. Hubby preferred mine over his Mediterranean.

The icing on the cake (literally!) was the Black Forest pannenkoeken. It was big enough for three or four people to share, after the main meal. It came with a cupful of liquor in a chocolate cup! Good thing I was driving home, as hubby had it all to himself. It was definitely a chocolate and cherry lovers dream. Need to go back…

Kruidenboter (Herb butter) Ham, mushroom, onion and cheese served with a herb butter patty and a small house salad on top
Kruidenboter (Herb butter)
Ham, mushroom, onion and cheese served with a herb
butter patty and a small house salad on top

Mediterrian (Mediterranean) Chicken, spinach, olives, feta cheese, house blend cheese, garnished with fresh tomatoes and red onions
Mediterrian (Mediterranean)
Chicken, spinach, olives, feta cheese, house blend
cheese, garnished with fresh tomatoes and red onions

Zwarte Woud (Black Forest) Warm cherries, ice cream, whipped cream, Kirschwasser in a chocolate cup and chocolate sauce
Zwarte Woud (Black Forest)
Warm cherries, ice cream, whipped cream,
Kirschwasser in a chocolate cup and chocolate sauce

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Tooloulou’s

Hubby had a conference in Banff last month. We arrived on a Thursday night, hungry and looking for dinner. Looking for something completely different, we decided to try Tooloulou’s, a Cajun and Creole restaurant. It was nice to go to a place in Banff and avoid the crazy weekend crowds.

We shared the Boudin balls to start, which was a tasty mixture of meat, veg and rice deep fried.  I ordered the seafood and sausage gumbo. It was flavorful with a medium spicy heat. The cornbread was pretty good too. It was a good sized portion. Hubby had the Creole jambalaya which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was nice that the chilies were served on the side, so you could control the additional heat.

We shared an ice cream sundae for dessert which hit the spot as it served to cool down our spiced taste buds.

Their menu is quite extensive, including many breakfast options. I will have to come back and try their breakfast someday.

Boudin Balls Blend of beef, pork, onion, rice, peppers and seasonings served with Creole mustard
Boudin Balls
Blend of beef, pork, onion, rice, peppers and seasonings served with Creole mustard

Seafood and Sausage Gumbo
Seafood and Sausage Gumbo

Creole Jambalaya
Creole Jambalaya

Tooloulou's Restaurant on Urbanspoon

The Wooden Spoon Brunch & Bistro Co.

We decided to check out The Wooden Spoon for breakfast and then the White Rock Farmer’s Market. I needed something a little lighter and healthier so I choose the granola with spicy sausage bangers. The fruit was fresh, but the parfait was pretty average. The sausage had kick, but was a little dry. I liked the coffee, served in a french press. Hubby enjoyed his Wooden Spoon poutine. I had a taste and found the flavours satisfying, but a tad on the greasy side.  Service was really attentive to start, but faded as they got busier and when we tried to get the bill. They are definitely creative with their brunch items, if I am in town again. I might return.

Granola Parfait  House roasted granola served over Greek yogurt topped with Fraser Valley honey, and fresh fruit Spicy sausage bangers
Granola Parfait
House roasted granola served over Greek yogurt topped with Fraser Valley honey, and fresh fruit
Spicy sausage bangers

Wooden Spoon Poutine Spicy house ground sausage, sauteed sweet peppers, caramelized onions, cheese curds, topped with two poached eggs and hollandaise
Wooden Spoon Poutine
Spicy house ground sausage, sauteed sweet peppers, caramelized onions, cheese curds, topped with two poached eggs and hollandaise

The Wooden Spoon Brunch and Bistro Co. on Urbanspoon

Five Corners Cafe

I was in White Rock a couple of weekends ago, visiting friends. We were looking for breakfast and decided to try Five Corners Cafe. I loved it. This is a fifties style diner which hasn’t changed. They had old cameras (I mean really old), photos and other knick knacks on display.

The food is traditional diner food. I had to try the full Irish breakfast. I’ve had a real full English breakfast, but not an Irish one. It was so big that I shared it with my friend. You know their portions are generous when there are half servings available for some menu items.

My Irish breakfast from L-R: baked beans, scrambled eggs, tomato, white pudding, ham, black pudding, sausage, potato cake and soda bread. It was delicious. The black pudding is pork blood and oatmeal. White pudding is oatmeal and suet. Both tasted pretty good. The service was friendly and the place is popular on a Saturday morning.

Full Irish Breakfast
Full Irish Breakfast

Five Corners Café on Urbanspoon

 

Eating In The Okanagan – Road Trip

I went to  Kelowna last week.  The main reason was to run in the Okanagan Marathon Race Weekend, but also to rock climb, and of course eat. I wonder if fall is the best time to visit this area. We didn’t go by any wineries; I’ve done that in past visits. Kelowna is the kind of place where you have a subdivision, and right next to it; the cows are grazing and the fruit is growing in the orchards. Farms in the city, got to like that.

I was in search of some dessert for some dinners we would be having. My Aunt discovered that the grocery store she frequents makes homemade pie.  I was looking for an alternative to Log Barn, which was up the road in Enderby.  Their business practices are less then stellar; so I have heard. Back to the pie.  Quality Greens Farm Market (not to be confused with Quality Foods) is a local produce store in the Okanagan. They sell local and imported produce, as well as organic grocery items. They also have a deli counter where they serve food, and pies. I pre-ordered an apple and a pumpkin pie. They were so good! The 10 inch pies were $9.99 +tax. The apple was chunky and not too sweet or mushy. The pumpkin was just good. I ordered two more of each for the trip home.

Apple Pie
Apple Pie

It’s also apple and pear season. My Aunt gave me some ripe Bartletts and some Boscs. The Bartletts were overripe by the time I finished them, and the Boscs ripened nicely. The Ambrosia apples were delicious! I love fruit that is local and fresh.

We were also looking for ice cream a couple of nights after dinner. I was rather disappointed that the Okanagan Fudge and Sundae Company were closed during the week, even though they advertised being open for the latter part of the week. They were open on Thanksgiving weekend, when the races were on. The other shop, Moo-Lix was closed as well.

On our way back to Alberta, we stopped in Sicamous. We found D Dutchmen Dairy just off the highway. They are the real deal. They sell ice cream and dairy products. The cows are right next to the store; we could definitely smell them. They had a good selection of flavours. I had the “above average” which was two scoops. The “mammoth” was three. The pumpkin pie was really good and I also had the chocolate cheesecake.  They even sell their milk in glass bottles. Definitely worth a stop while passing through town.

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We arrived in Golden looking for a coffee shop and a place to stretch our legs. We decided to go into town to the Big Bend Cafe, rather then stop at the commercial strip off the highway. It was around 2pm and they were closed. We walked further down the street noting most of the places were closed, on a Friday afternoon. We found the Golden Bakery and Deli. It is run by a local family; a no frills bakery and diner. I had the soup of the day, which was cream of asparagus and a homemade brown roll. My friend had a pizza bun, which was nice and soft. I like supporting local business.

D Dutchmen Dairy on Urbanspoon

Cafe Crepe

I find it difficult to find good breakfast places that open earlier than 9am within a short distance of my hotel. I mean sit down breakfast, not grab and go. So I went to Cafe Crepe, which had been a goto on many occasions.

I find that they serve reliable food and that the service is quick. Good when you’re on the way to the airport.  Today, I had the West Coast Eggs Benedict, made with smoked salmon. It tasted pretty good, although the benny was warm in the middle and the outside, room temperature.  It’s definitely a serviceable breakfast, for a city that doesn’t seem to have much open early on the weekends.

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Decaf Cafe Latte

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West Coast Eggs Benedict

Cafe Crepe on Urbanspoon