Why take lunch to work when you can lunch out in style? Intrepid lunch-explorer (somebody has to do it), Lori Myers, says: “There are all sorts of places to share. Comfort food. Warm stews, soups, hearty breads. Gourmet combinations. Good company. Lunch is the best meal of the day, isn’t it?”
Same thing happened last time: Lori thought of dozens of places to recommend but realized she shouldn’t exhaust you before you could escape for lunch. She needed to have lunch, too, of course! She whittled down the last list to three locations. That tasty trio obviously whetted your appetite. In this first of two installments, Lori kindly agreed to discuss more reasons for you to stroll and graze around town this winter. Leave that soggy brown bag in the fridge at work. Get out and explore!
Grenadier Cafe and Teahouse in High Park
The first suggestion is made for a number of reasons, says Myers, “but not its gourmet-quotient!” Why read on? Well, it’s winter so you might enjoy lunch in one of the most beautiful places in TO: High Park. If a break amidst breezes, blowing snow flakes and sun glinting on the water of Grenadier Pond appeals, escape from work immediately and head to Grenadier Cafe and Teahouse(Inside the park: 5-minute walk or quick drive south of Bloor, 416-769-9870. Daily, 7am-9pm). The place is casual and boasts a decent, eclectic, reasonable menu. Want breakfast? Snack? Salad? Sandwich? Spanakopita? Fish and chips? A treat? Here you go. The whole park is a worthy destination, but this may appeal: the little High Park Zoo is just down the hill outside the café parking lot. Listen for peacocks. The front half of the huge cafe is take-out/seat-yourself. Families out for a walk (or zoo visit) come for a snack or hot chocolate on cool afternoons. Further inside is a host/ess-seated, menu’d area for a delicious, leisurely brunch or lunch (did someone say “lunch?”). Sometimes tables of runners meet for brunch after a morning trot in the park (don’t knock it: that run allows them to enjoy whole wheat French toast with fresh fruit and a side of bacon). Other tables include lunching families and friends. This is a relaxed place for an afternoon coffee meeting. Or sit and read in the sun with a pot of tea. Not just for autumn, you might like something tasty (wood oven pizza!) after a cool day skating on the rink. Or a burger on the patio in summer. Lori’s favourite seat: "the little glass sunroom beside a tiny grove of sumach (beautiful in fall, with flame-like seed clusters). Enjoy lunch in here and watch the sky blow past treetops. Gorgeous."
Lori suggests: a cool afternoon and onion soup. Enjoy your stay in the park. You might not make it back to work on time!
Rua Vang in the Queen West Gallery District
Perhaps you’re wandering the Queen West gallery district and suddenly find yourself in lunch mode “Mind you,” Ms. M. laughs, “when is one not in lunch mode?”. Walk a couple of blocks up Ossington to discover artistic cuisine at Rua Vang (125 Ossington Avenue, 416-531-1601), a favourite destination for Vietnamese delights. Before visiting an exhibit at David Kaye or Stephen Bulger galleries (or going further west for art supplies at Woolfitt’s), head there for a scrumptious lunch. Maybe pho ga (almost-daunting bowl of chicken and noodles in delicious broth – with crunchy, tasty toppings of basil and bean sprouts). Add spring rolls (maybe the crispiest anywhere). To share, or not to share, that is the question! Enough interesting beverages here to inspire a separate dedicated research project. "No idle threat," our lunch-investigator claims! Despite current weather, Lori loves iced Vietnamese coffee – though not a coffee drinker!.
When asked for a special recommendation, Myers enthuses: “The Vietnamese Pancake! Heaven on a plate!” Its combination of tastes and textures defies comparison. The pancake is made of rice flower and coconut milk sautéed until golden and crispy on the outside, but soft enough inside to allow folding around juicy bean sprouts, shrimps and basil leaves. It comes with a vinegar-y dip to offset rich flavours perfectly. Chopsticks? Well, says Lori, “I tear the accompanying romaine leaves to wrap some up and enjoy. Messy, but delicious.” Her advice: go there. Go often.
More ideas? Stay tuned for another tasty installment!
