Foodies Unite – Toronto
Divine and delectable are the experiences for those who venture to this month’s foodie hot spots, listed below. Whether it’s locally produced handmade sweets, the genuine tastes of Italy and Spain or vegan burgers and fish, it’ll be love at first bite.
SOMA
Soma Chocolatemaker brings out the personality of every cacao bean, offering a myriad of food fun — truffles, gelato, flavoured bars, toffee, drinking chocolate and spreads — for all occasions. No artificial flavours or chemicals are used. Cacao beans are sourced from Central America, the Caribbean, Madagascar and the South Pacific. The “small, funky chocolate factory” has two locations.
Planta
Planta’s raison d’être is to offer mouth-watering food while promoting environmental sustainability. Chef David Lee’s innovative, upscale, plant-based offerings include such global fare as sweet mess tacos, fried kimchi dumplings and Thai noodles. Then there’s the Italian pizza that dances with cashew mozzarella, farro, fennel sausage and mushroom bacon. The land lox and crab cakes taste completely “real”!
Terroni
La Bottega di Terroni has been importing Italian boutique items for decades, including the Peperoncini Piccanti, a spicy staple condiment. Their low-acid, pungent Terroni olive oil comes from a small Puglia grove. Tomatoes are expertly plucked to make their tomato sauce, and the full-bodied, sweet Due Vittorie balsamic vinegar is made near Modena, the birthplace of balsamic.
Mercat del Carmen
At Carmen, get a taste of authentic Spain and its culinary traditions, which include paella (with rabbit, snails, octopus, shrimp or clams), seared sardines, steamed mussels, tapas and everything in between. The restaurant touts traditional recipes, heavenly flavours and simple ingredients, all created by Chef Luis Valenzuela Robles Linares. Look for the dazzling Spanish vino list, too!
Julie Emm Cakes
How can you not be giddy over chocolate cake with a Lindt chocolate truffle filling? That’s among the many specialties of Julie Emm Custom Cakes and Confections. There are a dozen more varieties where that came from — including vanilla passionfruit, summer berry, pumpkin spice and pistachio raspberry. Let’s also not forget the array of sweet tables and other confections!
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