Summer Festival 1: Some things to try at Taste of the Danforth

Summer means a lot of festivals in downtown Toronto. This year, as we had such a long winter, we had to make the most of summer festivals! So, we went to a few food fests.

Taste of the Danforth

The Taste of the Danforth is the largest street festival in Canada (or so we heard), welcoming 1.5 million attendees annually. This year was its 21^st year and our second time to visit. The many restaurants take their tasty offerings to booths on the street for the people to order small plates--from the expected Greek food to sushi and even paella.

Here are some dishes you might want to try during this festival:

     Souvlaki—grilled skewers of chicken, pork, lamb. Try this with tzatziki (yogurt) sauce

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce

 Spanakopita—a flaky, savoury pastry filled with spinach and feta

     Loukoumades-- deep fried dough balls drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon

Loukoumades

     Grilled Quail

     Grilled octopus and squid

Gyros—grilled meat sandwich

    Baklava –layers of phyllo dough stacked with honey and nuts

They even have nut-free Baklava!

 There were also games, children’s activities (such as rock climbing) and entertainment. And when you would like a break from the streets, you could pop into one of the many shops along the Danforth selling toys, kitchenware, candy and even party supplies! 

Entertainment @ Taste of the Danforth

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Happy bellies: Moroccan Dinner and Belly-Dancing show at Sultan’s tent

Cafe Maroc and Sultan's Tent

 Hubby and I were looking for something different for dinner for our anniversary. So we decided to give Sultan’s Tent a try. We had already tried Café Maroc (in front of the Sultan’s Tent) where they serve the same food minus the ambience and show in Summerlicious before. I remembered we had a sumptuous meal so we decided to also check out the show.

The ambience at Sultan’s Tent was just wonderful. It was actually featured in Zagat as Best Décor in Toronto. There were several tents with plush divans and vibrant, embroidered cushions. Moroccan lanterns of intricate patterns on rustic metal and coloured glass graced each table. A whole new world, indeed!

We started with some of my favourite Maftoul (Moroccan cigars) which are like spring rolls of spiced beef and raisins. These were drizzled with chipotle aioli. 

Maftoul (Moroccan cigars) @ Sultan's Tent

 I had the Ossobuco and hubby had Beef Cheeks for our main. I had a bite of the Beef Cheeks and they were tender and spicy. Hubby loved the strong flavours mixed with caramelized onions and raisins. 

Beef Cheeks @ Sultan's Tent

I had Tagine of Ossobuco. The Ossobuco (veal shank) was fall-of-the-bone tender and I liked the slightly milder spice. It was served in the Tagine earthenware pot on which it was cooked. The broth was hearty and tasted home-made. 

Tagine Ossobuco @ Sultan's Tent

We also had their drink specialty of sparkling wine and pomegranates. I would recommend the Moroccan mint tea served in elaborate silver pots and cups. For dessert we had Nuts for Ella which was a delightful cap for our meal—a beautiful presentation of figs, dulce de leche, poached pears, gianduja (chocolate spread) and a hazelnut macaron.

Nuts for Ella @ Sultan's Tent

The servers opened the curtains of the tents when the belly-dancing show began. The show lasted for under 30 minutes with some audience participation. As the belly dancer moved around during the entire performance, going from tent to tent, it was a good show for when you are having a meal. If you are already done with the meal and only watching the show, there are some lulls as some seats do not provide the best of views. Nevertheless, the show was entertaining enough even if it was not the greatest. I would mark it as a nice change for a dinner but not a must-see. Still, entertainment and hearty food in a delightful setting are great ingredients to a nice evening.

Belly dancing show @ Sultan's tent

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Bachata dancing at Babaluu

What can be more perfect than a night out with some good friends? A night out with paella, mojitos and dancing, of course! We were guaranteed to have an awesome night.

Hubby and I went with a couple of good friends to have dinner at Babaluu Supperclub at Yorkville. We started with some mojitos (aaahhhh) and bread. The mojito was just perfect to begin our evening with its fresh mint leaves.

We had both Seafood Paella and Babaluu Paella (chicken, chorizo and more seafood) for our main. As with Tapas at Embrujo, I still did not get the sofrito, but it was good nonetheless. It was perfectly seasoned and packed with meat. We were too full we could not have any more tapas!

Dancing began past 9pm. After learning some basic Bachata steps, we were off to dance the night away (or at least we tried!) in our little corner of the bar. The place was so packed it was a Survivor Challenge just to be able to walk across to go to the loo! Prepare to be injured! We all got smacked in one body part or another just trying to negotiate the sea of people dancing. How can they help it, though, the music was great!

 My friends and I had a blast! But alas, we had to go home to the kiddos, just when some folks were only about to begin their night. The line-up to get through the door was a block long! Quite a few were all too happy we were leaving some space inside. 

Dinner and dancing with good friends made for a perfect evening. It was so much fun we would do it again in a salsa beat.

Day trip to Port Perry

Summer is very short, so we try to make the most out of every weekend we have. Last long weekend, we drove to Port Perry. It was only about an hour from Toronto.

We dropped Grandma off at the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino which was small compared to Casino Rama but was good enough for a couple of hours of entertainment. We then explored some antique shops and markets, hoping to find nice items for the house. Redman’s Crossroads Antique Barn which housed 17 smaller vendors provided a good variety. Most pieces we liked were on the pricey side so we ended up empty handed. Instead, we just got some freshly-baked (but quite bland) potato bread from Marcelle’s kitchen. They specialize in gluten free products.

We picked Grandma up and had lunch at Halibut House. Our family cannot resist a local fish and chips joint. We got their lunch special of Halibut, chips and fish chowder for $8.99. The girls loved the fish chowder. It was quite hearty even if the presentation was not very appetizing. The halibut was fresh and had a sweet, crisp batter. A nice meal, overall.

We walked along Lake Scugog and the marina. Many folks were fishing though I did not see anyone have a catch. 

Lake Scugog, Port Perry

The girls also played in the playground in the park. 

Afterward, we continued our shopping (or should I say, window-shopping) along Queen St. The structures were mostly heritage buildings and were beautiful. There were more antique stores as well as clothing and shoe stores.

Queen St Port Perry

We also got a couple of craft beers at the recently opened Old Flame Brewery. The brewhouse, converted from the former Ontario Carriage Works (circa 1874), had a wonderful and casual ambience. And they had good beer! They also offer free tours and paid tastings.

Old Flame Brewing Co. @ Port Perry

 

Old Flame Beer

Before heading home, we dropped by Ocala Orchards and got some apple wines. They offer tastings and meals by reservation as well.

A full day should be sufficient for a trip to Port Perry. Be sure to check out the history of each building as marked on the walls along Queen St. for more of the area’s past.

Port Perry BIA