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Although our families are safe, the destruction of typhoon Haiyan is absolutely devastating and heart-wrenching. The photos, the facts, the numbers and the reports makes it impossible to not support our home country.

We've decided we are going to do as much as we can in the next few months to raise funds and this is going to be our first project.

Facials for Philippines Fundraiser is being headed by a fellow filipino whose family has been directly impacted by this great tragedy. Facials, booths of shops, a silect auction and a bake sale will be occuring at this event and foodtwiceeaten will be contributing to the bake sale. 

Followers and fellow tumblrs in the GTA region, please come out to support this event or donate to the Philippine Red Cross.

The event will be held at the following location

Refuel Church 19 Waterman Ave Toronto, ON

Hopefully we'll see you there! Tanner and Merky

P.S. Thank you Tumblr for the amazing support you've given to this tragedy.

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Patrician Grill  219 King St. E

The great things I've heard about this diner was never enough to get me to actually sit in by myself after my morning classes (due to lack of friends -- lol, I'm just joking). Thankfully, Tanner suggested it, and Patrician Grill definitely deserved all the hype George Brown students give it. We arrived with one or two patrons sitting at the counter reading the newspaper, just before the lunch rush, cuz we left a full house. 

It was Friday which, at Patrician Grill, means Meatloaf! I couldn't pass up the opportunity. But, what can I really say about meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn? The meatloaf wasn't particularly special. It's simple. And yet that's exactly the best part about it. Other restaurants might prepare their meatloaf with extra ingredients or finish it with a unique sauce, but Patrician Grill did it the way your grandmother or your mother would've made it at home. All you really need is gravy, corn, and some mashed potatoes. 

Philip ordered the Belt Buster, which seemed to have been satisfying enough since he, again, offered a bite to neither Tanner nor me. (A selfish Phil always means good food.) The massive burger consisted of two patties, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes, plus an over-easy egg to top it off. 

Tanner had breakfast food, a greek omelet with feta, tomatoes, and spinach, with coleslaw and home fries on the side. Breakfast foods is definitely a type of food you can count on being good or not at all good. Luckily, this, being just as you'd expect it, landed on the good side. However, one thing can be said about this dish -- if you don't like your coleslaw sour, opt out of it. It definitely has a kick. 

The biggest standout? The attention of the manager/owner and the service given. The manager seemed to go around the restaurant, taking orders and commenting on choices, joking with us, or chatting with the regulars. This is the kind of service we hardly see, and even though we can be shy at times, we definitely love a manager/owner who's out on the floor making friendly conversations with his/her patrons.

So here it is followers, a run of the mill diner that know's that it's just that and embraces it. Enjoy the Meatloaf and the bacon and the eggs the next time you come down to King East! From all the different restaurants out there, Patrician Grill may be an experience that you yourself never realized you've been missing. 

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El Trompo  277 Augusta Ave

The restaurant we've waited three long years to share with you has finally made it onto our blog! This is the very restaurant a prof recommended to Tanner where we decided to start FTE. El Trompo is a not-so-hidden gem of a little Mexican restaurant in the city that isn't given enough praise for its authenticity and its environment. 

From the ones we've tried, the guacamole is the best in the city -- fresh made to order, creamy, with a little zing from the lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, and cayenne pepper mixed in.

For the tacos, the tortillas were soft and each filling had an amazing amount of flavour. There are many choices for tacos. We chose Al Pastor, Spicy Tinga Chicken and Bistec, and while these three were all solid choices, the Chorizo from our very first visit is still our favourite. 

Phil devoured his plate of Al Pastor fajitas despite not realizing it'd be filled with onions and peppers. For desert we split the flan, which was dense (yet not at all heavy) with a syrupy sweetness you'd expect it to have. 

El Trompo is definitely a place for good, authentic Mexican cuisine -- it's without the extras that turn it American/Tex-Mex.

x M

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Hello followers and fellow foodies out there!

Firstly, Tanner and I would like to apologize for our hiatus as things have gotten extremely busy for the both of us. Unfortunately, things look to be getting worse for me as I am going back to school.

Hold on for us and we promise we will have some reviews here and there. We do have a few we need to write so look out for those.

For now, here are some photos of a few cupcakes I made a couple of months ago. My Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes!

xMerky

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Summerlicious 2013 at

Houston Avenue Bar & Grill 33 Yonge Street

The yearly event of Summerlicious rolls out again, and our choices this year wasn't as spectacular as we hoped. Lesson of Summerlicious 2013? Research, research, research. 

My first venture into Summerlicious this year was at Houston Avenue Bar & Grill, and although there were some high notes in the food, the overall experience wasn't enough to satisfy. 

I never want to be the Debbie Downer but frustration first arrived with no offering of the Summerlicious menu. Why participate in the event but not promote at your resume, have no sign of Summerlicious in sight? We didn't receive the menu until 10-15 minutes after our waitress finally arrived at our table to greet us. This was the speed of  the service we received throughout our whole seating, and it's extremely disappointing.

Let's begin with our appetizers. Calvin and I ordered the Calamari and Carpaccio to share, and Abram ordered a Caesar salad. I am not 100% sure on how to "review" a simple salad, but the thick pieces of bacon was enough to win Abram over. This was my first time having carpaccio because the idea of completely rare beef has always bothered me. The beef itself was fresh and was nicely touched with fresh ground peppercorn. The beef, however, was swimming in olive oil. The calamari was crispy, tender, and well-seasoned. What more can I really ask for from a calamari? Except just  more of it, please! 

The main part of the meal, the entree, is where most of our disappointment came from. Abram and Calvin ordered the New York Striploin with Shrimp, and I ordered the BBQ Salmon. The BBQ Salmon was mediocre. I ordered it medium rare, which it was. However, when I think BBQ Salmon, I think grilled with a nice smokey flavour -- not just grill marks on a piece of salmon and some bbq sauce. The New York Striploins were cooked differently despite the same request for medium rare. Calvin's was right, medium rare, but Abram's steak was cooked medium. New York Striploin is a tough cut already, but both felt that the cook on the steak was uneven, leave some parts much tougher to chew than others. 

Our desserts were decent. The flourless Chocolate Cake was exactly what I expected it to be, a moist and bittersweet brownie-textured cake. The idea of no flour gives lots of room for the wet ingredients to take over, which it did. The vanilla ice cream on the side gave it a good touch of the sweetness it needed. The Sticky Toffee Pudding was the complete opposite. I expected a nice sticky brownie on a plate, and I receive a small cup of an extremely sweet caramel with a bite-size blondie submerged in it. 

Besides the marvelously crispy calamari, this visit was, unfortunately, a bust. Still, don't stray away from the idea of participating in Summerlicious! It's a great opportunity to try new cuisines and new restaurants without having to fear the bill! The heaven for all you on-a-budget foodies out there.

x M

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The Works 60 Wellington Street E. 416 594 9675

Oh, The Works. It's heaven for some, but a disaster for those who are extremely indecisive, and after 15 years of collective memory, I must admit to falling in the latter category.

The Works offers a very, very wide variety of burgers - - at least 60 choices. Their menu also includes regular appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and specialty poutine. Can you understand why I struggled for 15 minutes before finally deciding what to order? David decided about 10 minutes before me, but I swear it is pretty overwhelming!

For 16.91 David ordered the Beef Burger with Get in My Belly, which is caramelized onions, sour cream, and bacon chunks, and upgraded his side to a Varsity Poutine (for $3.29), a regular poutine with extra curds and thinly sliced Montreal Meat. 

David didn't say much, a usual sign that he was enjoying the meal enough to ignore his company. He did say though that the Montreal Smoked Meat on the poutine was nothing like the fare we had in Montreal and the egg wasn't runny enough for the complete sunny-side up egg experience. 

For 13.91, I ordered the Beef Burger with Hunka Hunka Love, which is peanut butter, freshly sliced bananas, and bacon strips, and Spicy Die Cut Chips with Tzatziki 

I wanted to be adventurous and add something I wouldn't usually put on a burger. I ended up with something that may become a regular whenever the opportunity comes. The creaminess of the peanut butter, the crunch and saltiness from the bacon, and the sweet taste of the banana balanced the meatiness of the burger well. The burger itself can use some help though. I found mine on the dry side. This burger would have been just right with a nice juicy beef patty!

Overall, the experience was pleasant. The waitress was willing to help us on our first ever visit, explaining the menu's concept and how to order. She led us in the right direction on our choices. The concept is great, but they still need to straighten out the kinks for this place to be put on the map of an already competitive burger city. 

<3 Merky

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The Kathi Roll Express 692 Yonge St

To end the night, we sampled the Himalayan-Style Malai Kulfi, an Indian ice cream flavoured with saffron and almonds. Compared to Western ice cream, kulfi is creamier and denser and easily served on a stick as it takes longer to melt. Yes, I’m allergic to almonds, but a little doesn’t hurt (I don’t think). It’s summer and the kulfi were cut up into small pieces and served on toothpicks, so I couldn’t resist. This dessert reminded me of those crumbly almond cookies I used to eat before I learned I was allergic –- though it was certainly creamy and dense, the kulfi still had a bit of a powdery texture, which enjoyed much more than I would have ever expected. 

In addition to kathi rolls and rice dishes, TKRE offers Mumbai-style sandwiches and fresh juices that I’ll be sure to try next when Merky finally makes her visit.

But it’s not a matter of trying new food. Sure, the food is street food, but TKRE is no street vendor –- if you couldn’t already tell. Still, from the brick walls and graffiti to the milk crate light fixture to the suspended bike, the decor transports you to the street. And you can get your grub at a fair price without having stand on the sidewalk while passersby watch you spill sauce on your shirt.

Thanks again goes to Sumit, Megan, and the TKRE staff, T

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MoRoCo Chocolat  99 Yorkville Ave continued...

As I stated in our last post about this Yorkville shop, MoRoCo Chocolat isn't 100% pure chocolate boutique. They also serve brunch, lunch, and dinner with a fully licensed bar.

Now, I won't deny the prices are steep, but the quality and the fresh ingredients certainly make up for it. 

Smores Martini 

I wonder now why I ordered this martini considering I don't even enjoy smores or marshmallows. Although it wasn't my favourite, I can see why many others might like this alcoholic sweet drink as a treat to end their dinner here. 

MoRoCo Chicken Club - $15

This sandwich is rather simple, making the $15 price mark questionable. However, all the ingredients were high quality and each part of this club sandwich belonged. The filling included smoked bacon, vine-ripened tomato, Boston bibb, sliced roasted chicken, sliced boiled egg and a delicious Dijon aioli. 

Tuna Tartare - $16

Yep, this Tartare was more expensive than the club sandwich (which was four times the size) but the flavours of this dish was four times the amount of the club. This dish consisted of fresh, diced Ahi Tuna on a bed of avocado, topped with wonton chips. The sauce was a tasty soy sauce that balanced out the creaminess of the tuna and the avocado. 

Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Couscous - $25

My own order was my favourite of the night. The chicken leg had an amazing crisp on the outside and a tender and moist inside that was marinaded to perfection. There were also caramelized onions and raisins, couscous and a lemon confit that complimented the chicken nicely. 

All Wrapped Up! - $15

Cheesecake wrapped up in crispy phyllo? Sign us up! I liked it, but I knew that after a few bites I'd be bored. I was right. Maybe it was too sweet and my tongue couldn't handle it anymore, but I just didn't want anymore of it after my first five bites. 

Overall, Moroco is a classy boutique with good eats, but be ready to dish out the cash for these handcrafted dishes. The chocolate and the macarons are what we'll be back for, but we've no regrets trying out their dinner and dessert menu!

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The Kathi Roll Express 
692 Yonge St

We love Indian food. Or at least, what we know of it. Butter chicken, beef vindaloo, pakoras, dahi puri, so on. But what about Indian street food? We knew nothing of it, so I was happy to accept Megan's invitation to sample some kathi rolls at The Kathi Roll Express, Toronto's first restaurant to serve the popular street food originating from Kolkata.

Not unlike most rolls and wraps you're already familiar with (burritos, shawarmas), a kathi roll is your choice of filling wrapped in flatbread. When everyone was seated, a tray of four different kinds was served.

Sumit, the owner, says he could not open a restaurant where kung pao chicken wasn't served. Not only does Sumit bring Indian street food Toronto, he also welcomes the flavours of different cuisines. According to their website, TKRE's aim is "to globalize this street food [by combining] various cultures into one mouth-watering roll." The Chicken Kung Pao Szechwan Style Roll, one of four fusion rolls on the menu, definitely has the kick of a kung pao chicken dish.

From the more traditional part of the menu -- the Achari Paneer Tikka Roll, the vegetarian option, was filled generously with the Indian cottage cheese but just wasn't for our table, my company consisting of pretty strict carnivores. Our favourites of the four were the Chicken Tikka Roll, bbq'd chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, and the Shami Kebab Roll, minced lamb and chickpea lentils.

I do have to say that all of these rolls were pretty spicy, just as one would imagine in Indian cuisine. The problem with trying several rolls with a threshold for spicy food as low as mine (same goes for tacos with real heat) is that they all start to taste the same. Luckily, we had Mango Lassi -- a staple order at any Indian restaurant -- to sip between bites. The downside of something as refreshing and thick as mango lassi is how quickly it goes down, disappearing when the heat has built up in your mouth, i.e., you need it most.

What made me finish these rolls, despite the heat and beside the help of mango lassi, was the paratha, the flatbread. The paratha is made in-house, fried on top of freshly beaten eggs in a tawa, TKRE's own round cast-iron griddle being large, almost flat, and capable of preparing five or six pieces at a time. Sumit prefers parantha to naan because it doesn't get hard when left aside. Merky and I love naan. We even make second orders of it when we're already ready to undo our belts. But paratha, if I can eat it alone, is now another South Asian bread I can probably binge on. Even Phil, our buddy who tears off and refuses to eat the excess of his burger buns and who rarely vocalizes an opinion on the food he eats, spoke up to say he liked the flatbread a lot.

Unfortunately, Merky was stuck in Markham and couldn’t join us. With a much, much higher tolerance for spice, she would’ve surely enjoyed this new food experience. And these are just the kathi rolls. (There are a couple of other things worthy of mention in a second post.) Before this post gets too long, I just want to say thanks to Sumit, Megan, and the rest of the team at The Kathi Roll Express for introducing us -- and Toronto -- to this Kolkata street favourite!

T

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In case you missed it, yesterday marked the start of this year's Summerlicious! Even if we only have the time and money to eat out once or twice during their run, we always look forward to Summer- and Winterlicious. How do you pass up on three-course prix fixe menus at almost 200 Toronto's top restaurants?

If you don't know anything about this annual food fest, lunches are priced at $15, $20, and $25, dinners at $25, $35 and $45 -- and this year, you have until July 21 to enjoy as many full meals as you can.

We only wish we were Amex cardholders. New this year, you can receive a $10 statement credit when you use your Amex card to pay for your Summerlicious meal. Details here. As if the great value, i.e., awesome prices at top restaurants, isn't incentive enough!

Follow @LiciousTO on Twitter for the latest Summerlicious updates, and be part of the conversation by using the hashtag #liciousTO. Now, let's eat!

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Purple Party Patio Launch at

MoRoCo 99 Yorkville Ave 

I don't think that Tanner and I have covered chocolate here despite our shared constant cravings for the sweet or bitter temptation. When Shauna Ireland invited us to the Purple Party Patio Launch at MoRoCo, we couldn't help but jump on this event. 

The Purple Party is an annual event to open the patio for the summer season. This year, MoRoCo introduced a new line of chocolate, The Blondes, their new Blonde Chocolate Collection in collaboration with French luxury chocolate maker, Valrhona. Just the word "Blonde" intrigued me, considering my favourite chocolate is the nice, creamy, and extra sweet white chocolate. I had to get to this event, even if that meant leaving work an hour early!

Now, MoRoCo isn't just a chocolate shop. It's a full blown chocolate boutique with an exquisite lounge area and a formidable patio with kitchen staff serving brunch, lunch, and dinner. But, by its location, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Yorkville is full of boutiques and five star restaurants.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the beautiful Shauna and she described the schedule for the night. First, we would have the time and space to take photos of the location and the displays (photos we will share on another day) and then continue onto the eating!

After dinner and a few drinks, we finally got to try their new blonde chocolate collection. 

The Blonde Sip came first. A chocolate for sipping you ask? Yes! I was a bit hesitant as I was afraid it'd taste like a concentrated version of Second Cup's white hot chocolate, which would be too sweet! But, with some caramel and espresso notes, The Blonde Sip had a great balance between bitter and sweet. 

We ordered The Legally Blonde, just one between the three of us. In my head, I was trying to calculate a way to savour the amazingly sweet and crunchy dessert yet eat it fast enough to have my fair share before Phil and Tanner ate it all. The almond streusel gave this dessert an extra crunch between the layers of already crunchy biscuits, stealing the show for me. This was an A+ in my books!

The star of the night was The Blonde Babe Truffle. The outer layer was the caramel white chocolate and the inside was filled with crunchy biscuits, not unlike the layers you find in The Legally Blonde -- all that goodness in one bite, two or three if you really want to savour it. Need I say more? 

All in all, I definitely see myself coming back to MoRoCo for more. It was extremely satisfying being able to be a part of this launch and we would like to extend our appreciation to Shauna and the MoRoCo team for introducing us to our new craving! 

x M

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Paese Ristorante 333 King St West 

There were too many balls crowding our first post -- I mean, even the drink had a meatball! -- we felt the need to make a second one about the less round food. Sure, the highlights of Messy Meatball Monday are the meatballs, which they obviously are, but these two pictured above, a side and a bar snack, are also worth mentioning. 

Between meatballs, a plate of Polenta Fries unexpectedly arrived at our table. I personally don't like cornmeal for its granular yet oddly powdery texture, and polenta in my mind has always been, simply, a cornmeal mush. But these worked for me. Perhaps because they were extremely crispy, way on the other end of the spectrum from mush. No, they still don't rank high on my fries list, but I could eat these served with their house smoked ketchup and an even better garlic mayo.

Then, to end the night, we were given a small bowl of Parmesan and Black Pepper Cashews. After my second slice of pizza, I declared I was done -- that is after claiming to have room for only one slice -- but I couldn't help munching on these. I swear, even as we got up and got ready to head home, I was still sneaking these into my mouth. An addictive combination of salt and subtle sweetness, these cashews definitely make for a great bar snack!

You should also know that Paese is holding a contest on Twitter. For a chance to win a $125 gift card, all you need to do is tweet your best shot of any of their meatballs! Just make sure to mention @PaeseRistorante and use the hashtag #PAESEMeatballART so they notice your awesome photography skills. Contest closes July 15th.

Also, if you got a good ball joke (cuz we couldn’t think of one), send them our way and we’ll be happy to share them!

Get those balls in your mouth, Tanner

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Messy Meatball Monday at

Paese Ristorante 333 King St West Messy Meatball Monday launched Paese's new Late Night Ball Menu, consisting of nine different offerings, of which we were happy to sample five. This will be a long post, so we're going to break down the night as simply as possible -- the dish's name, its menu description, and our thoughts, in the order they came.

Paese Meatballs house ground beef short rib, sirloin brisket and pecorino, braised in tomato sugo

This one was pretty heavy, considering it was the first served -- but understandably first as this is their signature meatball. The mix of the spices was nice without being overpowering. The pecorino on the top gave the sourness of the tomato sauce a nice salty touch.
 And there was some accompanying croutons that gave this a nice surprise crunch in some bites.

The Ducé (Translation: The Leader)

This is not a meatball but Moses McIntee’s play on the Caesar. It’s made with the same tomato sauce used in their meatballs, garnished with a slice of pickle, and topped with a Paese Meatball! I’m personally not a fan of caesars, so I can’t give this a fair evaluation. Tanner thought she wasn’t a fan either, but this cocktail, new on Paese’s Spring menu, seemed to grow on her. She even finished it. If we have one convert here, that’s gotta mean something to you Caesar-drinkin' readers.

Veal Meatballs house ground veal, pork and ricotta, with sweet peas, cippolini onions braised in milk

Braised in milk, just how it’s done in Italy! The ricotta and the braising method created a meatball that’s much lighter than the Paese Meatball.
 You have to already like veal to enjoy this. This was our favourite of the night. If there weren’t more meatballs for us to taste, we would’ve happily enjoyed seconds of these. (Our favourite couldn't be a more polar opposite of everyone else's favourite, which was...)

Chicken Wing Meatballs spicy pepporincini chicken meatballs with gorgonzola dipping sauce

Apparently, this was the most popular one with seconds making rounds. I’ll agree that the gorgonzola that this chicken meatball was sitting in was excellent. 
The pickled veg on top added a nice bit of sourness. But, this wasn’t spicy at all. (Tanner could handle it.) Still, this reminded me so much of a chicken wing, I missed the experience of eating an actual chicken wing. I suppose we’re just not big on ground chicken, but to have this remind of chicken wings is a testament to this meatball’s full-impact flavour. 

Balls on Buns smashed balls, tomato sugo, dill pickle, potato chips, and provolone on biroche mini buns

We were already stuffed after three meatballs, and they had to add carbs to the next item! Good thing we love our bread and pasta. The potato chips gave an added saltiness as well as a different and welcomed texture to this two-bite-sized burger slider. The provolone had a nice smoky flavour. My only complaint is that there wasn’t enough sauce, but it’s a minor and easily remedied issue. More sauce, please!

Meatball Margherita mozzerella, basil, tomato sauce, and meatballs

As you guessed with Balls on Buns, Paese’s Late Night Ball Menu isn’t just a list of different flavoured balls. Besides the cute slider, they also offer the Italian-American home classic, spaghetti and meatballs, and everyone’s favourite, pizza! This came to our table as a bare cheese pizza with one big meatball in the centre, which was crushed with a fork and spread around, a little bit for each slice. In the first bite, I could taste just how fresh the mozzerella was. And then there was the crust! The cornmeal crust on the pizza is genius. It gave this pizza an extra crunch that I will forever crave when I reach the end of any slice of pizza.

Tanner and I would never have had this opportunity if it weren't for Suzanne and the whole L-eat team. To them, thank you for inviting us to a classy yet humorous launch dinner! (All guests were provided with an orange bib -- you know, to keep that meatball sauce off our clean shirts -- on which we were asked to write our best ball joke. We never thought of a funny enough joke before our sharpies were taken away to make room for meatballs.)

We should also apologize that we weren't the most enthusiastic of guests. Tanner getting over a weekend sick at home and me running on little sleep, we were both exhausted. We regret never making use of the chalk and chalkboard, backdrops and props in the corner to stage our best meatball pic. And we wish we had a chance to meet and really talk with Chef Palik like other guests did. If it isn't obvious already, he makes great food! And, great food always comes with great conversation, right?

Thanks for many messy mouthwatering meatballs, Paese! Perhaps too many. (Although I bet we would've welcomed more. Your Pepperoni Arancini Balls and Falafel Balls sound delicious.) We each went straight to bed that night with a case of itis, but did so happily. 

Get messy, Merky

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Hadley's 940 College St 

For a while now, we both had Hadley's on our lists waiting to be crossed off. The name first caught Tanner's eye while browsing the burger specials for Burger Week last year -- theirs was topped with house-smoked blue cheese, house-cured smoked bacon, and apple-rosemary marmalade. I caught them on an episode of You Gotta Eat Here!  where co-owner Eric prepare their speciality, The Remedy -- deep fried poached eggs served on top of potato-onion hash, pulled pork and smoked cheese. Yeah, we'll give you a second to add this neighbourhood restaurant to your list now.

Phil ordered the full rack of Pork Ribs with a side of Mac and Cheese and Fries. My choice of entree was between this and another dish, so when he ordered these ribs, I forced him to share. The pork ribs had a very nice tangy taste to the BBQ sauce. Many people complain about their ribs not being tender enough. However, that fall-off-the-bone quality is a sign of the meat being overdone. This was absolutely not the case. We bit the meat off the bone, just the way ribs are meant to be eaten.

Tanner had the roasted duck risotto. It was the roasted sweet potato and wild mushroom risotto that sold her. Soft and creamy, but not too soft or too creamy that it'd turn into what she'd consider mush, it quickly became her favourite part -- I don't know what to say about duck, as I've had it so few times in my life, except that it was delicious with the cranberry gastrique, all in one bite with the risotto.

With Phil ordering the ribs, I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich with a bowl of Sweet Potato Soap and, to drink, a Trixie Dixie. The Trixie Dixie is gin, southern comfort, lime juice, pineapple juice, and soda. It's rare that we talk about alcoholic drinks on FTE, so none of you would know my hate for gin. I hate gin. Yet, it works for me in this drink. I had no problem drinking the whole cup! The Pulled Pork Sandwich had a sweet and tangy taste to it which was toned down by an amazing coleslaw. I had no qualms about my order except that the soup was bland, lacking in almost everything I can think of.

There were two dessert options that day -- pecan pie and a cheesecake with a rice krispy crust. We ordered both and all shared. We would never have thought of using rice krispies as a crust, so you can understand what piqued our interest. Besides the lavish rainbow nonpareils and the adorable gingerbread men confetti, this is rather simple cheesecake. The cheesecake itself was delicious, rich and creamy but a little strange with the rice krispy crust. We appreciate the work though! It's a cute slice of cheesecake, isn't it?

And then there was the pecan pie.

Oh my goodness. I already love Pecan Pies, but Hadley's took my love and devotion to the next level! It was perfectly sweet with whole pecans that added a nice bite. Yum!

We didn't make it in time for brunch to try The Remedy. And just Tanner's luck, burgers weren't on the menu. But it's summer now. And you can be sure that we're coming back, hung over, just to have them deep fried poached eggs. Followed by whatever is on Lex's menu of awesome desserts.

x M

ps. Speaking of burgers, I hope you guys enjoyed Burger Week!

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CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? FOOD TWICE EATEN IS 3!

Our original choice was La Carnita. But, with the 1- to 2-hour wait time and work the next day, we ditched the plans to celebrate with tacos (again) and wandered College West looking for a place that not only serves good food but would seat us quickly. Normally, we'd make sure to go somewhere new, but it was a cold Friday and we were starving, so when we spotted Duff's Famous Wings (558 College Street West), which Merky had tried and loved, we ran in. To celebrate FTE's third year, we got our hands and faces sticky with wing sauce.

We started with fried pickles and calamari. (We ordered the exact same appetizers at The Fill Station, another great wings place in the Beaches.) Getting down to the real, good stuff, we made two orders of Duff's Wing Special No. 4. Altogether, sweet potato fries and poutine (both upgrades from large fries), two pitchers of Mill Street Organic, and forty wings -- ten each of their mild, medium, hot honey garlic, and plain with a spicy bbq sauce on the side.

Also, we had some blue cheese and ranch on the table to help tame any heat we all assumed I couldn't handle. According to the menu and staff t-shirts, medium is hot, medium hot is very hot, etc., but medium is already my hot, and medium seemed as hot as any other medium sauce I've tried. Regardless -- and to put it simply -- the food was good. And, sometimes, instead of trying that new place with potentially bad food and service, you should celebrate with what you know to be good to have a good time. Amirite? (Go ahead. Call me cheesy.)

This isn't much a review. Merky had written one on one of Duff's other locations before. I thought I'd take this opportunity to list some of the places we've tried and loved since our 2nd anniversary at Grand Electric. Cuz we can't choose just three to mark our third year, here's nine:

Khao San Road for gra bong to share, pad thai, khao soi New Generation for a good alternative to Sushi on Bloor in the Annex Big Daddy's for popcorn shrimp, jambalaya, pillowy pretzel bun Starfish for their famous sticky toffee pudding -- not for sharing Korean Village for bibimbap, kalbi beef, and ridiculously friendly service Banh Mi Boys for kimchi fries and banh mi to go Czehoski for some crab cakes and perogies on their rooftop patio Buster's Sea Cove for crab cake sandwiches and everything seafood Greg's for roasted marshmallow and pretty much all other flavours

Keep eating, Tanner

[foodtwiceeaten-blog]

Khao San Road 326 Adelaide St W

If you live in Toronto and you call yourself a foodie or have a foodie friend, it's more than likely that you've heard of Khao San Road, that Thai restaurant has been changing personal opinions on Thai cuisine -- at least in our circle of friends. Oh, it's also No. 1 on blogTO's 2011 list of Best Thai restaurants.

With some research, we knew their specialties: Gra Bong, Chef's Special Pad Thai, and Khao Soi. I told myself, "I can't say I don't like pad thai unless I try pad thai at an actual Thai restaurant, not just at Thai Express." We ordered one of each. 

Gra Bong is a dish of freshly grated and fried squash fritters. As shown in the photo, the portion was massive. You can't tell but it came in six huge pieces! Plus all the little pieces that had broken and fallen off and you can't resist eating. Not to overshadow quality with quantity -- the freshness of the squash was evident in its sweetness and colour. The batter was crunchy, the inside still soft and tender. And the seasoning was a balanced combination of wild ginger, lemongrass, and red curry. 

The Chef's Special Pad Thai came to the table, and I came to a standstill. I wondered, "Am I going to enjoy this? If this tastes like Thai Express, I swear I'm gonna..." and then stuffed my mouth with my first bite without finishing that thought. All my doubts were thrown out the window. Now, let me be clear, I didn't suddenly become a huge fan of pad thai. However, the three flavours that Khao San Road described in their description -- sweet, sour, and savoury -- I got a hit of each in every bite. I ordered this dish with the shrimp (other choices are veggie and tofu, chicken, beef, and pork) and expected to get a measly four pieces. Khao San added about eight or ten pieces -- which is a generous amount in my book.

Khao Soi had always appeared to be a perfect dish to me. Every time I'd seen a photo, I'd stare and hope it'd materialize right before me. Disappointment every time it didn't. I wanted it pretty badly, but Tanner ordered Khao Soi with Braised Beef. This dish is composed of egg noodles bathing in a coconut milk-enriched curry and garnished with crispy noodles, green onion, coriander, and lime. With only one bite, I can say that this famous dish is worth the popularity and the hype. The Braised Beef was tender, the crispy noodles give it a different texture, and the enriched curry has so much flavour and spices that makes it so special. However, we do suggest you make your napkin a bib while having this dish. Maybe Tanner didn't have the right technique but she managed to splash a bit of curry on her face and glasses.

Though it's officially spring now, it may still feel like winter. No matter the weather, there's always going to be a wait here. Is it worth the wait? Yes. If for some reason you enjoy Thai Express, do I suggest you come here? Definitely. You gotta taste the difference! But, even if you're not big on Thai food, I'd still say definitely come. It's just a experience you gotta have.

We were short on cash on a cash-only day, so the next time we visit, we'll be sure to each order a Cha Nom Yen, the Thai iced tea. It sounds perfect for a summer day.

Merky

[foodtwiceeaten-blog]

Paramount Fine Foods 253 Yonge St

We love hummus in general. Great, healthy dip for your crackers or torn pieces of flatbread and a much tastier spread for your everyday sandwiches than mayo. Heck, if I can only eat two or three foods for the rest of my life, hummus would be one. We loved this hummus, too. Not sure what I can say specifically about this hummus that would set it apart from others. It's as basic as it can get, a simple concoction of mashed chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil, garnished with coriander (or is that parsley?), paprika, and a couple of whole chickpeas. Still, it's fresh (seemingly made in-house) and comforting, all you really need to be satisfied.

I had my usual order from any Middle Eastern restaurant, a chicken shawarma, which to me was filling -- but to my brother's standards (he tried Paramount on another day) too small and, therefore, not worth his money. I will momentarily side with him to tell you that there are several places, particularly along Lawrence Ave E between Vic Park and Warden, that offer you two hot and delicious shawarma sandwiches for only a dollar or two more. However, a shawarma sandwich from Paramount still beats most food in the Urban Eatery, especially its counterpart at Villa Madina.

Merky had the falafel sandwich (not pictured). I had one bad experience with falafel and avoided it ever since. M offered me a bite and no sooner did I change my mind about those golden, deep-fried balls of grounded chickpeas. The first time I had falafel, falafel was an unpleasantly soggy patty. Paramount's round falafel had that great crunch missing from my last experience. It's what makes the dish for us both.

The next time I went to Paramount alone, guess what I ordered! Here, I suppose, is the best time to transition to their take-out service. The falafel sandwich I had to myself was no less delicious than the single bite out of M's, but it seem to take a long while to make a measly wrap. Granted, their system was down the day I went, but my brother had the same experience. Take-out orders don't seem to be a priority. Plate after plate came out of the kitchen, but where my brown bag was I didn't know. For fifteen to twenty minutes anyway. If you want food from Paramount, it's better to sit in.

Some dine-in reviews mention attitude from the servers and the generally poor service. No, service is not spectacular, but we had no complaints. It's good food, and we plan on coming back to try their platters and the Arabic-style pizza, manakeesh. Geez, they have an open kitchen where you can see the manakeesh come out of the ovens -- we wish we weren't so quick to order the familiar plates!

Tanner