Bites and Nibbles @ Debbie's Boutique Café

After a very late Friday night out with hubby, there is nothing more beautiful to my ears than him saying "Let's not prepare lunch, let's just have  brunch outside" the following morning! Out we went and tried Debbie's Boutique Café in Ajax.

We were greeted by Debbie herself  and introduced me to her selection of fine teas. I am sold after that!

The place has an eclectic, homey feel specially the back end area. The tea (I had vanilla and jasmine) was delicious and I really enjoyed the fresh fruit bowl (banana, strawberry. kiwi and apple) topped with Greek yoghourt, crunchy granola and drizzled with pure maple syrup.

I saw a round dining table at the very back of the room decorated with dainty tea cups. Maybe I will book this table one afternoon with some girlfriends for an afternoon tea!

On the glass counter was a great selection of cupcakes, squares and tempting tarts. I almost gave in to the temptations but decided to reserve them for our next visit - maybe an after dinner treat on a Friday night.


 Debbie's Boutique Café
94 Harwood Avenue South
Ajax, Ontario

 

Bites and Nibbles @ Maimana

The medley of snow, rain and ice pellets falling from the sky during rush hour on Thursday afternoon made it impossible to go faster than 20 kilometers /hour. I was really anxious to get home - hubby and I made a date that morning - we will go out for a nice dinner and I promised to be home by 6:30. By the time I reached our drive way it was already 8 PM, I was tired, no more appetite for anything solid (I just want a  glass of Pinot Grigio) and definitely not in the mood to go out anymore. Jayvee on the other hand was excited to try a new restaurant on a small strip just near our place so I gave in and went to MAIMANA.  

When I read the word NAAN on the restaurant's sign, my appetite returned because I thought I am in for spicy Indian Cuisine. I was corrected by the friendly owner Wahlid {who is also a very good photographer - all the pictures on the menu and the framed photos in the restaurants are his}  who welcomed  and informed us that their family is from Maimana, a province in northern Afghanistan, near the Turkmenistan border.

Excited to have my first Afghani food, we sampled the Beef Tikka Kabob and Chicken Tandoori Kabob. The meal came with a fresh garden salad, "plain rice" and naan bread.

 

The meat (both chicken and beef) were succulent and delicious. I have to say  the chicken tandoori is one of the best (if not the best) I ever had. They call their rice "plain rice" on the menu but plain it was not. It was very good and tasty.  I can have it anytime even on its own. That naan bread was different from the Indian naan - this one was thicker and crustier but delicious as well. It was still hot when they serve it to us which made it more delectable.

After dinner, Wahlid gave us a sample of Ferni for dessert after learning that I love Kheer (Indian rice pudding). Ferni is an Afghani dessert made from milk and rice (or rice starch) flavored with rose water, cardamom and pistachio {the one we had was topped with walnut}. It was very light and silky - just a hint of sweetness and a subtle flavor of cardamom and rose water. A perfect way to end the meal.

As I am writing this, we are already planning my next visit to bring a couple of friends there for lunch. I want to try the Mantoo {steamed dumpling pastry shells filled with onions & ground beef, topped with yellow split peas & served with seasoned yogurt} and Boolani {pan-fried twin pastry shell, filled with leek (green onion) & spiced potatoes, served with yogurt and mint}.

Maimana is a true gem in our neck of the woods!

MAIMANA Naan & Kabab
    279 Kingston Road East
    Ajax, Ontario

Bites and Nibbles @ Forget About It!

Location : 325 King Street West Toronto
Cuisine : Italian

Last Friday hubby and I together with some of our close friends were invited to a dinner at a place called Forget About It! As a marketer, I will think a number of times before I would consider this name - no doubt the name is catchy but also very risky specially for a restaurant. I purposely did not read the reviews of this place prior to the dinner so I can see for myself why the owner took this risky name ....

The overall ambiance is welcoming. A long bar is the first thing you will notice when you enter the restaurant Since we were a big group we were given the cozy private lounge. Instead of ordering from the menu, our group took advantage of the 3-course-fixed menu for $25. I wasn't expecting much for 25 bucks but the food did not disappoint! The portions were just enough to fill a hungry tummy with flavours that truly  satisfy (the quinoa a-la risotto was really good) . Will I forget this place? Not at all! We had a lovely evening of good food and wine but MORE than that, it was an evening of long-lasting friendship and camaraderie.

 

Bites and Nibbles @ Makimoto Japanese Restaurant

Location : 50 Kingston Road East, Ajax Ontario
Cuisine : Japanese and Sushi Bar

When the palate calls for some Japanese treats, Makimono (Ajax branch) is our go-to-spot here in our neck of the woods. We've been here so many times both for lunch and dinner since they opened a few years back and the sushi and sashimi are always fresh. They offer AYCE but we are always drawn to their bento boxes specially the grilled chicken and teriyaki beef. The garden salad that comes with the set lunch or dinner is served cold and crispy surrendering to the delicious and refreshing Japanese dressing. If I am craving for something fried, the gyoza is on top of my list. For something light but equally satisfying, the shitake udon on a cold winter night is just perfect!

Bites and Nibbles @ Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli

Location : Via A. Gramsci, 4 Castel Gondolfo {Roma}, Italy
Famous for : Traditional and Innovative Italian Cuisine

Just a few steps from the Pope's summer residence in Castel Gondolfo is this 19th century building with romantic garden and terrace overlooking the magnificent Lake Albano. Although we were tempted to have our lunch in the main room of the restaurant adorned in wooden chestnut ceilings and terracotta floors, the the call of the garden and terrace was too beautiful to ignore.

The selection of appetizers was already a meal in itself : Grilled vegetables, lard with pistachios, Caprino soft cheese and Buffalo Mozzarella, garden salad, quail eggs, boar sausages, smoked pork loin with raisins and pine nuts. So many flavors on one plate, all good and satisfying!

The simpleness and the depth of flavor of this dish - Fettuccine with smoked Provola cheese, eggplant and cherry tomatoes is not to be forgotten.

Straight from Pagnanelli's cellar {the selection of wines is unbelievable - we had wine tasting at the cellar before lunch} is this refreshing, velvety, full-bodied white wine - a perfect match to our sumptuous lunch.

A glass of wine, if  i'm having one with lunch is good enough for me. But with an AWESOME view like this from our table in the garden, delicious food and and my hubby {as my date} you can't fault me if I had 3 glasses!


If you have plans of traveling to Rome, be sure to include a lunch or dinner here at Pagnanelli. Simply wonderful! 

Bites and Nibbles @ Man Doo Hyan

Location: 169 Dundas Street East, Mississauga Ontario
Famous For: Authentic Korean Cuisine

Before trying a restaurant, normally I read reviews of what we are about to experience. Although I keep an open mind about what I read, I still want to prepare my taste buds' "expectations" for another gustatory adventure.

Yesterday was different. Out of hunger, my husband Jayvee just picked the first restaurant he saw along Dundas street in Mississauga {we are not familiar with this part of town since we live 70 kilometers away}. I was hesitant at first because from the outside, it doesn't look so promising. But thanks to my growling tummy, we went inside and I'm so glad we did!

The place was packed with Korean families {first sign that the place must be good} so we ended up on the other side of the restaurant where tatami tables and floor pillows were set up for an authentic Korean dinning experience.

The appetizers, my favorite kimchee {which was so good} and pickled radish were just enough to whet my appetite.

The main dishes {Korean bone soup for my hubby and bibimbap for me - served on super hot dolsot stone bowl} were equally delicious and satisfying. Ground rice tea with a hint of herbs were served continuously throughout the meal. Too bad we were already full to try their dim sum.

On the wall were numerous framed letters written in Korean alphabets and I can only guess  they were written by satisfied food lovers  like us!

Bites and Nibbles @ Baldwin Street Burger

Location : 53A Baldwin Street, Whitby Ontario
Famous For : Farm-fresh, hand made burger patties

If you are a burger fanatic {like my dear husband} and you are in Brooklin, Ontario {yes, that's Brooklin with an i}  by any chance, pass by Baldwin Street Burger for lunch or dinner for a delicious burger fix. The rustic ambiance is a perfect match to the gourmet burgers {see list of specialty burgers on the board above}.

Oh, by the way the fries are sooooo good! Sinful but delicious!

Bites and Nibbles @ Mazaar Lebanese Cuisine

Location : 372 Ouellette Ave. Windsor, Ontario

Famous for : Shish kabob, shihs tawook, pita bread

My hubby Jayvee and I drove to Windsor a week ago to attend a charity dinner with Al Pacino. The drive was a little over 4 hours from Toronto and we reached Windsor around lunchtime. Since I have been reading good reviews about the food at Mazaar, we decided to have lunch there and see if this is really "The place you must visit", as they claim in their website.

As soon as we entered the place, I knew were in for a treat. The interior was tastefully done, warm, cozy and inviting. The service was excellent - while waiting for our food to be served, our waiter was entertaining us with  stories behind the beautiful murals. 

The pita bread was freshly baked - surrendering its softness to the flavorful hummus.

We had calamari which was tender, crispy and just the right amount of herbs to make you grab for more. I also tried the eggplant antipasto - baby eggplant stuffed with walnuts and red pepper marinated in garlic olive oil.

The main course, tenderloin shish kabob {the beef was so tender!} was served with fattoush salad and beryani rice. I don't think the photos below did not give justice to the medley of flavors that treated my taste buds.

If they claim that Mazaar is the place to visit, I couldn't agree more!

Bil-hanā wa ash-shifā!