‘Nanas for Nanashake

Nanashake bar

I came across a write-up on a new dessert place serving up vegan frozen dessert so one lunch break, my friends and I decided to give it a try. Note, we are not vegan and it really doesn’t matter to us that it is dairy-free, gluten-free, and that they use agave syrup instead of sugar! But a healthy frozen dessert? Why not?! Our waistlines will love it!

The banana-based frozen treat came with 5 flavours plus the original and they also had Nana Pops.  We sampled pretty much all of their flavours (except the original): chocolate, minty chocolate, strawberry, rosy pistachio, and spicy date. As I really like minty chocolate, that is what I got. It was delicious! There was only a slight hint of banana and it was full of minty chocolate flavour! I couldn’t have asked for a better 220-calorie chocolate treat that I could have in more than two bites! My friends also enjoyed their rosy pistachio and chocolate desserts.

Minty Chocolate Nanashake

A single serving was just right and pretty filling. At $4.99 each, extra for toppings and espresso shot (if you wanted an Affogato), it was comparable to the price of bubble teas and gelatos.

Pizza cones at Yummy cone

Yummy Cone in Thornhill

My pizza monster DD#2 is always on the lookout for pizza. So, one afternoon, we checked out Yummy Cone over at Yonge and Steeles. We got a combo of pizza cone, drink and tornado fries.  We brought home the tornado fries to share with the fam. The tornado fries were a bit on the bitter side, with a burnt aftertaste and was not thoroughly enjoyed.

Tornado fries @ Yummy Cone

What we did enjoy was the pizza cone we had in store. It took a while for the pizza cone to be served--be prepared for some wait. They only made the cones to order. We ordered a meat lover (Pepperoni, Bacon, Sausage, Beef, Cheddar Cheese & Mozzarella) but some mushrooms made their way into our cone. Not a biggie for us, but may be an issue for some.

pizza cone @ Yummy Cone

It was not an out-of-this-world pizza but a nice change to a favourite. The cone itself tasted like it was made from waffle batter and not the traditional pizza crust. That, for me, made it more delicious. Combo meal was a little over $8 + tax and it was quite filling.

Le Canard no. 2073: Duckling à la Rouennaise at Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade

Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

I’ve seen the Pressed Duck of La Tour d’Argent in Paris featured in a few magazines and TV shows. I didn’t get a chance to try this when hubby and I went to Paris many years ago and the next trip will not be for many years yet. Imagine my excitement when, on our trip to Mont Tremblant, I discovered that one of the Master Canardiers in the world has a restaurant in Québec! Chef Olivier Tali, originally from France, is the vice-consul of the Ordre des Canardiers in Québec and owner of Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade. I made reservations and ordered the Duckling à la Rouennaise in advance.

We were warmly greeted upon our arrival in this quaint dining room by the Laurentian Mountains. While the patio was lovely, it was a bit chilly so we decided to be seated indoors. As hubby and I had already pre-ordered our meal, the girls and Grandma chose from the menu. They have Discovery menus (or set menus) as well if you can’t decide what to get from the À la carte menu.

For appetizers, the house served us a wonderful mango and shrimp salsa with a savoury whipped cream topping. 

Mango salsa,  Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

We were also served bread with balls of regular and sun-dried tomato butter. 

Sundried tomato butter, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

Both were delicious and made us anticipate our main course even more.

Only hubby had the space to get another appetizer. He had the Mediterranean fish soup served with rouille (a Provençal sauce), croutons and grated cheese. I had a taste (as the server said I must try this) and it was lovely.

Mediterranean Fish Soup, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

We were then invited to watch Chef Tali demonstrate how to make the Canard à la Rouennaise using a 300-year old recipe originating from Rouen. The chef presented a roasted duckling, locally grown, from which he took off the breast. He placed the remaining carcass in the beautiful 100+ year old duck press to extract blood and juices. The girls were thrilled to be helping the chef on this. 

100 year old duck press, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

Using the extracted blood, he made a sauce combining this with butter, portwine, Cognac  and a little bit of lemon juice. He also used foie gras butter to thicken the sauce. We all got a teaspoon to try the sauce and It.was.heavenly.

Preparing Canard a la Rouennaise, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

We then went back to our table as he finished preparing our meals. Grandma ordered the Tiger Prawns with creamy sauce and garlic flower

Tiger Prawns, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

while DD#2 ordered the Duck confit with raspberry coulis. From my understanding, this would have been a second course in some Parisian restaurants serving the pressed duck, but here it was served and ordered separately. The leg quarters were tender and juicy and the coulis was perfect for the duck. The fam obviously and generously gave me a taste!

Duck confit, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

DD#1 ordered another house specialty, Mediterranean bouillabaisse (using sustainable Pollock and shrimp) and also served with rouille, croutons and grated cheese. While it was good, I've had better bouillabaisse (though not as authentic). I know it is quite hard to prepare but I did not find it as tasty as the other dishes. As DD#1 kept asking to have a bite of our dishes instead of devouring hers, it was probably underwhelming for her as well.

Mediterranean Bouillabaisse, Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade @ Mont Tremblant

However, it was our pressed duckling which was just divine. The duckling was so tender and the sauce was beautifully rich. Each bite just melted in my mouth with bursts of Foie gras singing in my taste buds. The side dish of ultra-light pommes dauphine (crispy potato puffs made of mashed potatoes and savoury choux pastry) was so delightful.

 Laurentians’ Duckling à la Rouennaise at Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade

While we were full, we couldn’t pass up even sharing a Tarte au Citron with babaco (sourced locally from the greenhouses of Les Serres d’Arundel) sorbet on red fruit coulis. It was a perfect palate cleanser to cap our wonderful meal.

Tarte au Citron,  Restaurant Le Cheval de Jade

The duckling sourced from the farm 'Canards, Delices et Pommes' in Prévost was also numbered. We signed a register to attest that we had duck number 2073. So as we were eating dessert, Chef Tali presented us with a certificate with the number of the duckling to prove our culinary experience—just like tradition in La Tour d’Argent which began in the 1890s.

Food was superb and the service was very friendly, not at all snobbish. Chef Tali visited each table even though the restaurant was full (and on a weeknight!). This was one of the best meals we have ever had! A wonderful experience overall. Highly recommended.

Top things to do in Tobermory

Small Flowerpot @ Flowerpot Island (near Tobermory)

From Owen Sound, we went to Tobermory for the day. It was just under a hundred kilometers one way so we started early. Our first stop was the Visitor Centre where we got some tips on how to maximize our day. Here are my top things to do in Tobermory:

1. Enjoy the local fish and chips – after we got our boat cruise tickets, we had our lunch at one of the fish n chips restaurants in the area. Just by the Little Tub Harbour, there were many fish n chip places. We selected the one closest to the street, Shipwreck Lee’s (which required the least walking for our companions) and it was good. The fish was fresh and the service was fast and friendly! They also offer all you can eat fish n chips (not local whitefish, though).

Fish & Chips at Tobermory

2. Take the Glassbottom boat tour– there are two cruise operators out of Tobermory offering Glassbottom boat tours to Flowerpot Island. We chose the Bruce Anchor Cruises but it was similar in operations to the other operator, Blue Heron Boat Tours. The rates were not that cheap, coming out to about $40 per person. It is cheaper if you don’t get off at Flowerpot Island, but what is the fun in that? There was a tour about every 30 or so minutes and they give you a parking pass since parking was a bit difficult in the area.

Glassbottom boat cruise @ Tobermory

The tours depart from Little Tub Harbour, one of Tobermory’s two natural harbours. 

Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory

We crossed to the Big Tub Harbour where we saw the Big Tub Lighthouse built in 1885 

Big Tub Harbour Lighthouse, Tobermory

and got a view of the two shipwrecks at the head—The Sweepstakes and the City of Grand Rapids. These were both shallow enough and the waters were so clear that we were able to view these from the boat as well as the glass bottom area.

Shipwreck at Fathom Five National Marine Park, Big Tub @ Tobermory

3. Hike and view the majestic cliffs in Flowerpot Island at Fathom Five National Park—the National Park Day Pass is extra and can be purchased at the same ticket booth where you get your boat cruise tickets. Depending on your length of stay on the island, you can take a mini-hike to see the sea caves,

Sea Caves at Flowerpot Island (Tobermory)

take a closer look at the Flowerpots, 

Flowerpot at Flowerpot Island (Tobermory)

go all the way to the Lighthouse/museum 

Lighthouse at Flowerpot Island (Tobermory)

or do a loop trail around the island. We did everything except the loop trail as we only had 3 hours on the island. The sights were magnificent with aquamarine waters and majestic cliffs. Apart from the two famous “flowerpots” (which were actually 60’ seastacks), there were so many caves and strange rock formations surrounded by crystal clear waters. It was so beautiful and serene. Anywhere you turn, it was just picture-perfect (well, outside of the tons of tourists photobombing your shots).  

crystal clear waters at Flowerpot Island (Tobermory)

caves and cliffs at Flowerpot Island (Tobermory)

 The day pass for Fathom Five also allowed us admission to the exhibit and movie at the Visitors Centre. This centre also has access to where the Bruce Trail begins to take you on over 800km walking trails all the way to Niagara. They also have a tower looking out over Tobermory and the trails.

Trails at Bruce National Park Visitor Centre (Tobermory)

exhibit at Bruce National Park Visitor Centre (Tobermory)

And some things we will have to come back for:

1. Go scubadiving or snorkeling—apparently, Tobermory is the Diving Capital of Canada. We did get to see a couple of the shipwrecks (out of 22 in the Fathom Five National Marine Park!) from above the waters (yes, the waters were that clear!!!) and the accounts were fascinating.

2. Check out the Grotto at Bruce Peninsula National Park-- this is a sea cave that was carved from the rock face by centuries of waves beating on the cliffs. Quite beautiful in the photos that I have seen and our reason to come back to the area! There are also many trails with varying degrees of difficulty in this park showcasing limestone cliffs, wetlands and even beaches.

3. Get to Manitoulin island—apparently another beautiful area and again, another reason to come back. Manitoulin is the largest freshwater island in the world! It is home to La Cloche mountains and accessible via car or ferry. In the summer months (May to October), the Chi-Cheemaun ferries between Tobermory and South Baymouth. It also boasts plenty of trails and cruises.

We just totally loved the sights and waters of Tobermory and Flowerpot Island. It was one of the most beautiful places we have seen. And while the cliffs reminded us of El Nido in Palawan, the crystal clear waters on limestone slabs where the girls played in gave us picture perfect memories to last a lifetime!

Attractions and day trips in Owen Sound

Inglis Falls @ Owen Sound

Last summer, we did our last hurrah before school started, in Bruce/Grey Country. We had our base in Owen Sound then did a day trip to Tobermory.

There are a few things which make Owen Sound a destination. It has trails, waterfalls and fishing. We did not have time to go fishing, highlighted at the end of August Salmon Derby, but we did get a chance to do some trails and check out Inglis Falls. If you are in the area during Fall, you can also catch the salmon run as Chinook Salmon from Georgian Bay scale the ladders to spawn on the Sydenham River.

There are four popular waterfalls which spill from the Niagara Escarpment near Owen Sound:  Inglis Falls, Jones Falls, Indian Falls and Weavers’ Creek Falls. Each is less than 10 kilometres from the downtown Visitor Information Centre, so you can tour all in a single day. Three of them (Jones, Inglis and Weaver’s Creek) are linked by the Bruce Trail.

We visited Inglis Falls and it was just beautiful! One other great thing was that you did not have to go through trails to get there. As we had some seniors in our party, it was quite difficult for them to walk long distances on rocky terrain. So, we were glad they were able to view the falls just steps from the parking lot! Inglis Falls is the main attraction in the area, in terms of waterfalls tours. Even in winter, we were told that spectacular ice formations can be seen. Within the conservation area, there was a beautiful forest which we explored. Surely it will be awesome for snowshoeing or cross country skiing!

Forest at Inglis Falls Conservation @ Owen Sound

We also picnicked and hiked in the Hibou conservation area. They had a couple of pavilions and lots of picnic tables for a nice family meal. There was a stretch of natural sandy beach where the water was clear and calm. The girls could not resist the shallow and cool waters and jumped right in after lunch. We then went hiking in some of the trails across the road from the beach. Lots of signs with information on tree species and beaver activities can be found along the trail. Also, the trails incorporate boardwalks to allow hikers to navigate the low-lying wet areas! How cool was that?

About 40Km from Owen Sound, you can get to the beautiful Sauble beach (Lake Huron) where you can also do your day trip from Owen Sound. You can even park your vehicle right at the beach. The waters were clear but cold! What was great was that it did not have the fishy smell of Lake Simcoe or the yucky green floating things from Lake Ontario. There were also plenty of shops and eateries across the beach.

Sauble Beach

All in all, Owen Sound was a good base with some attractions in the area and close enough to the rest of the places we wanted to see. It offers a lot for nature lovers and anglers!

Other things to check out: Harrison Park, Northern Lights festival in winter and on Groundhog day, Wiarton is close so you can see Wiarton Willie!