Review: Against the Grain Urban Tavern

Against the Grain Urban Tavern - Leaside

“Want to go for brunch on Sunday??” I get or send that text message every week, typically sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Usually it’s to and from my friends Matt and Dawn. Brunch is one of those meals where you recap the week and make plans for the next so you have to be in good company either because you need someone to laugh with (hopefully not at) and occasionally a shoulder to cry on. Knowing I was in good company, it was time to send the all-important follow up, “Where do you want to eat?” That’s not a tricky question normally, except when one goes out for brunch every weekend and then where do you go avoid gastro-boredom?

Then I remembered the Against the Grain Urban Tavern, a restaurant in Leaside I had watched being built over the winter months. I suppose being stuck in traffic caused by the road construction on Laird Avenue could be looked at as a bad thing by local businesses, but on the other hand it’s free advertising because what else do people do when they’re stopped in their car, but look around. So why not? Let’s give this place a shot and see what they’ve got for brunch.  Continue reading “Review: Against the Grain Urban Tavern”

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Review: Carthay Circle Restaurant

Located in Disney’s California Adventure theme park on Buena Vista Street, Carthay Circle is the newest full service restaurant to open at Disneyland. The restaurant was designed as a replicate the famous Carthay Circle Theatre. The interior is decorated in ornate furniture with rich gold and brown coloring to reflect Hollywood’s Golden Age. Built on two stories, guests can enjoy drinks and snacks in the lounge on the main floor or a meal upstairs in the dining room.  Continue reading “Review: Carthay Circle Restaurant”

TIFF Movie Review: ‘End of Watch’

Photo Credit: Open Road Films

End of Watch
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn, America Ferrera

Written & directed by: David Ayers

Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, ‘End of Watch’ follows two young LAPD officers assigned the streets of South Central LA. Officer Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Officer Zavala (Michael Peña) do the usual routine investigations and street patrols. However, after recovering a cache of weapons and money and later uncovering safe houses belonging to a Mexican drug cartel, they quickly become marked targets. Continue reading “TIFF Movie Review: ‘End of Watch’”

June Foodie Penpals – Reveal Day

The Lean Green Bean

It’s June 30th which means it’s reveal day for the Foodie Penpal program. The Foodie Penpal program is the brainchild of Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean.  I love the idea of penpals and getting something in the mail other than my credit card bill. Interested? Here’s how the exchange works: Continue reading “June Foodie Penpals – Reveal Day”

Fresh Find Friday – Munching at Menchies

I see lots of bloggers posting ice cream recipes and I have no room for an ice cream machine in my freezer. Kinda makes me sad. You thought the real estate market was bad? Try finding space in my freezer. Geez! But not having an ice cream machine isn’t all that bad because it’s a great excuse for me to get out and try something new. Enter Menchie’s, a popular self-serve fro-yo chain from the US. Yeah they’ve been around for a while but it’s new to Canada. And for all of you Dole Whip fans out there, if you can’t get to Disney World, Disneyland or Hawaii, you’ll want to keep reading.  Continue reading “Fresh Find Friday – Munching at Menchies”

Fresh Find Friday – Airport Macarons

People tell me that traveling for business is not fun. I get it. You hurry to the airport, get strip searched by strangers, are crammed onto a plane, land, go to meetings, rinse, repeat and you’re on a plane back home before you know it. Fortunately, that’s not me. Kidding! I’ll just live vicariously through the rest of my friends who do travel for business. Where am I going with this? I got a present in a small paper bag last evening. A friend who had gone to France returned with a gift. He said “I knew you’d appreciate this.”  I opened the bag to find a giant green thing inside. Continue reading “Fresh Find Friday – Airport Macarons”