Monday, April 23, 2012

Discovering T.O. #5

I'm ashamed to say that it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted on here.  Oh well, no better time than now to update and get on with it...


I think now is a good time for another installment of "Discovering T.O."


This past Saturday, we celebrated my sister's bachelorette with a very classy day of enjoying some treats the city has to offer.  My sister is a very low-key kind of girl, and her bachelorette reflected that.  Guests were invited to attend one or both parts of the day.  The first was...


High Tea @ MoRoCo Chocolat:


My sister (the engaged one) loves tea and baking, so my other sister (the organizer) suggested high tea at MoRoCo in Yorkville.  She had been before and loved it so we all took her word for it and went there Saturday afternoon.  


It was a very classy affair, to begin with.  Beautiful decor and atmosphere, great service, and a really delicious menu.  We began with a glass of champagne, followed by having our orders for tea taken (they provide loose-leaf tea selection; you choose yours and they bring you your own full tea-pot of it, with a beautiful tea-cup and a strainer).  When your tea arrives, so does all the food (see photo below).  The bottom tier of the tower has finger sandwiches, second tier has the most delicious scones you've ever tasted (complete with cream & custard), and the third tier has a variety of chocolate-coated and other sweets (strawberry dipped in chocolate, macarons, etc.).  There was no rush to enjoy all of this and, as I said, the service was fantastic!




Next on the menu...


Dinner @ Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant (a.k.a. "The Nose"):


We took the TTC from Yorkville to Leslieville for dinner at Gio Rana's.  Some of the guests just went to the tea, but 6 of us made the trip together from one hip neighbourhood to another and had 2 more join us.  My sister (the organizer) booked us in their private room/vault/wine room, which provided an extremely cozy, cool, and intimate eating experience.  We all kicked off the night with dirty martinis and then a couple of bottles of red wine to go with the delicious Italian food we were served.  I chose the Involtini as my main: stuffed pork wrapped in a rib-eye, topped with goat cheese.  As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any better.  I had the salad special of the night as a side, which was also delicious.  A very perfect dining experience, with an Irish coffee to cap the night off.




Currently reading -- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain


Posts to come -- the long-awaited (I'm sure) Lady Gaga post, my thoughts on "Downton Abbey", and my feelings on The Hunger Games

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Weekend Mish-Mash

It's been nearly two weeks now since my last post.  I used to post more frequently maybe, but I'm trying to write in a more thematic way than before, as you may have noticed.  That being said, I don't want that to keep me from posting, so here's something new - unplanned & random.


I'm now over three months into rc-4 and 4 books down.  Not exactly the right rate of reading (alliteration!) if I want to get to 20, but I'm not concerned.  The fourth book I read was Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs.  I was assigned this book in one of my English courses in university and read a fair bit of it but wasn't able to finish it before the end of the course, so I finally got down to getting through the whole thing... and it was GREAT!

The book appeals to me in the same way the movie does - a unique story, a fantastic protagonist (Clarice Starling), and the best elements of a psychological thriller without being downright gratuitous.  There are moments in the book - again, just like the movie - that are downright gross, upsetting, and creepy.  That being said, it all fits, and none of it seems gross just for the sake of it, so I let myself get creeped out by those moments and that's part of the fun.  The important thing was that it was a great read, I was engaged start to finish, and I'm glad I made it to the end this time around.

Having finished the book I figured it was high-time I re-watch the movie "Silence of the Lambs" with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.  Luckily it was on Rogers on Demand, so I watched it on Good Friday (how appropriate).  It was just as good as I remembered.  Jodie Foster is the PERFECT Clarice Starling, and the movie does a good job of taking liberties on additions and making smart decisions on subtractions so that at the end of the day, you've still got the same great story.  That said, there's nothing quite as good as the book.


In other news, I had a bit of a "Discovering TO" moment yesterday when I finally got my chance to have fish & chips at Penrose Fish & Chips on Mt. Pleasant.  I had heard this place raved about a number of times and so how appropriate (actually this time) that I got my first taste on Good Friday?!?  Let me tell you... it was worth the rave reviews I had heard.  The atmosphere was simple and classic, unpretentious and family-oriented.  The take-out line-up was literally down the street.  The main event - the fish & chips - were perfect.  Crispy, crunchy batter wrapped around light, fresh halibut & home-made fat fries with lots of vinegar, salt, and ketchup at the table to enjoy them with.  YUM!!!  We finished it off with one piece of lemon meringue pie and four forks.  It was PERFECTION.  I left feeling full but not bloated, which to me is the sign of a good meal.  On top of that the company was the best you can have, so that didn't hurt.  Oh, and this place is literally newsworthy - a cameraman from CityTV was there to film the Good Friday tradition there and my friend ended up on the news that night reporting that Penrose is worth the wait!  Yours truly snuck in there, too, don't you know...  So glad to have had my Penrose experience!  More to come, to be sure.


And finally, I haven't yet reported that I'm now a "Downton Abbey" lover, but I am and I'm proud of it!  I was introduced to it last weekend and wrapped up season 1 last night.  I had heard a lot of hype, but I knew that it would be something I'd enjoy, so I fought my aversion to hype and dove in.  OMG it is good.  It has all the elements I like in a television show - good writing, good acting, good cinematography, tasteful drama, and exposure to a world you've never seen before (I hope I don't sound pretentious as I think I might, having just said cinematography is an element I like in TV).  Anyway, I love the show and highly recommend it.

Now - back to my Easter weekend..... pajamas, guilt-free TV and movie-watching, my new book (The Hunger Games... speaking of hype), and good old-fashioned chillin'.

Who's visiting?