blogTO | Posts by Emily

A Night at the Cosmopolitan Hotel

Emily Thomas — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:48:52 EST

It's cold and snowy outside, and I could use a vacation. But last month I escaped my usual routine for a night and cozied up in the zen-like Cosmopolitan Hotel. While the Cosmo doesn't offer free WiFi, they do win points by allowing guests to choose an incense option during check-in. We chose "peace".

Find out more about the experience in my review of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the hotels section.

The Best All Day Breakfast in Toronto

Emily Thomas — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:39:51 EST

The best all day breakfast in Toronto is a scramble. Making a solid breakfast strikes me as an easy (and fun!) task. It can't be too difficult to make breakfast spectacular, because it's so basic and inherently beautiful: Bread, bacon and eggs! (Or your choice of a vegetarian alternative!) It's so pure and... historical.

More...

A Bang for Your Buck on Mexican Bread

Emily Thomas — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:31:34 EDT

A simple little place up on Davenport at Dufferin, Pancho's has a whole lot of sweet Mexican bread options and, if you look closely, delicious homemade tamales.

See my profile of Pancho's Bakery in the baked goods section.

Coffee That Tastes Like Blueberries?

Emily Thomas — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:59:40 EDT

Sam James is a charming local "coffee celebrity" of sorts, and he's just opened a new coffee bar on Harbord at Clinton. Using coffee paraphernalia that dates back to the 1840s, he prepared a sample of a unique, delicious coffee that tasted like blueberries. Seriously.

See my review of Sam James Coffee Bar in the cafe section.

Juices and Teas for the Body's Needs

Emily Thomas — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:53:19 EDT

Cream Tangerine has been tucked into The Great Hall at Queen and Dovercourt for a couple months now and is still coming into its own. We stopped in this week to see how things are shaping up and to enjoy a fresh sandwich. We'll have to go back for the Ayurvedic consultations... and juices.

Read my review of Cream Tangerine Cafe and Gallery in the cafe section.

Why is Coffee Culture So Busy When Manic and Kahawa Are Right Across the Street?

Emily Thomas — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:59:54 EDT

Coffee Culture is an Ontario-wide franchised cafe that recently opened it's first Toronto location just outside Little Italy. Oddly, it seems to be doing pretty well despite its proximity to some of the city's favourite little coffee shops.

Read my review of Coffee Culture in the cafe section.

Gluten Free Deliciousness at Wild Earth

Emily Thomas — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:27:06 EDT

Wild Earth bakes tasty gluten free, organic and vegan treats for folks in The Beaches. They also offer an interesting looking/sounding sugar free teething bar for babies!

Read my review of an allergy free trip to the Wild Earth Bakery and Cafe.

Striking a Chord at the New B Espresso Bar

Emily Thomas — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:30:23 EDT

Inside The Royal Conservatory, this little b is a cross section of the goods offered at the much loved original (at Queen and Jarvis) plus a ton of musicians.

Read my review of the new b Espresso Bar in the cafes section.

Return Trips to Rapido

Emily Thomas — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:27:16 EDT

Another new cafe on the burgeoning Bathurst strip, Rapido sets itself apart with mega-fresh panini, homemade olives (!) and in-house-smoked meats. We headed over there this week with a whole lotta anticipation (we'd heard about those olives) and stuffed ourselves FULL of pizza and panini. Twice.

Read my review of Rapido in the cafe section.

Kid Friendly at Gingerbread House Cafe

Emily Thomas — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:16:12 EDT

The Gingerbread House Cafe is a brand new organic coffee serving joint in the Junction geared towards parents with babies and little kids. It's not really a place for business meetings (self-proclaimed), so Alyssa and I took a kid with us in hopes of appearing less professional.

Read my review of the Gingerbread House Family Cafe in the cafe section.

She Really Does Take the Cake

Emily Thomas — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:45:06 EDT

She Takes The Cake is a soothing cafe and bakery at Dundas & Brock that offers tons of high end baked goods, homemade lunch items and organic, fair trade coffee. More specifically, they have a dulce de leche cheesecake that blew my mind.

See my review and Alyssa's photos of She Takes the Cake in the bakery section.

Scoop and Bean and Morning Ice Cream

Emily Thomas — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:47:19 EDT

Scoop & Bean in the Annex is a new cafe that gave Alyssa and I an excuse to eat a scoop (of ice cream) with our morning bean (coffee), improving our day significantly. Sounds enticing, doesn't it?

See my review of Scoop & Bean in the cafe section.

Where the Circles & Squares Magic Happens

Emily Thomas — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:15:54 EDT

After months of (really) enjoying Circles & Squares baked goods all around town, Alyssa and I felt like we needed to go on a butter tart-centric mini-vacation. We headed out to Markham to see where the quality baking all goes down.

See my profile of Circles & Squares in the bakery section.

Breakfast and Sweets at Cool Hand of a Girl

Emily Thomas — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:18:32 EDT

Cool Hand of a Girl in The Junction offers organic coffee, soups, sandwiches and sweets. After a somewhat uninspired breakfast, Alyssa and I tried (and recommend!) the sweets.

See my profile of Cool Hand of a Girl in the cafe section.

Caffeine, Waffles, and Gallery Space for the Starving Artist

Emily Thomas — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:23 EDT

A new cafe in Bloordale Village (at "Blansdowne"), Starving Artist is an artistic hub run by photographer Tobias Wang, and creative director Bryan Jackson. They aim to get art on their walls and in the street, and waffles into the bellies of hungry creative types.

See my review of Starving Artist in the cafes section.