Edible Tulip

Rashnaa - Sri Lankan Restaurant

This restaurant suffered a horrendous fire a few years back and when they re-opened after being closed for a 6 month renovation their business never really revived entirely. Since I think their food and their service is outstanding I try to visit whenever I crave Sri Lankan spice and a good old Cheetah beer. I also try to spread the word about them.

Rashnaa means tasty in Sanskrit. The food is inspired by Sri Lankan/South Indian traditional tamil dishes which means not only tasty but SPICY.

There were two of us and we ate heartily and there were still leftovers. There are a range of vegetable curries ($4.95 each) that come in round silver bowls (3's enough for 2 people): Eggplant, potato, carrot, spinach, dhal, beets, okra, leeks, soya, cauliflower, beans, Indian Squash, chick peas. We ordered a large serving of Pilau rice ($3.95) with currants and cashews and peas that comes seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices. And our main meat dish was Chicken Devil ($8.95): strips of boneless chicken, sauteed with onion, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a hot chili sauce.

There are also lots of Dosa dishes, Vermicelli platters, and Rice/Curry entrees both vegetarian and meat oriented. They tend to, unlike the Persian restaurants I like which favour lamb, prefer beef and chicken for their carnivorous creations but there are also shrimp and whole fish dishes.

The restaurant decor/ambiance is low key and humble. The food is marvelous. It's located on one of Toronto's best kept street secrets: Wellesley Street just west of Parliament. At this time of year, late spring, the eccentric funk of Cabbagetown is in full array in the frontal scapes of the various Victorian cottages that line the street.

Afterward, hop the fence and wander through the shadows of the Necropolis - one of Toronto's oldest and most historic cemeteries across from Riverdale Farm.

Grapefruit Moon Restaurant (or I ate a BLT!)

Grapefruit Moon occupies a corner storefront in an otherwise non-descript block on Bathurst Street north of Bloor and south of Dupont. I'd been there nearly a decade ago meeting an old friend late at night for red wine and midnight reminiscing but I haven't been back since, so, yesterday, when my brother suggested the spot as a place where we could eat a late lunch with my visiting mother (mostly out of convenience since it's merely a block from his house), we concurred.

It blurs the line between diner and cosy restaurant with bar stools lining the kitchen counter and little tables (about 7 of them) set up against the opposite wall with two tables in both window nooks. It's dimly lit even at 3 in the afternoon suitable for the hungover musician/artist/boho/grad student scene it seems to attract. The three of us sat at a formica table by the window and I tried to ignore the refuse from the morning eaters on the floor beside me (ham bits, avocado chunks and large pieces of tomato in dressing). The brunch menu offers various egg dishes and several sandwiches with sides of salad and home fries. I decided to start myself off with a caesar and lo and behold "Caesar Boy" was in the house! My order brought a very talkative excitable young man over to the table doing the pointed gun hand gesture and winking at me. He had a pen with an enormous pink feather in it behind one ear. And he asked if I'd heard about him. Well, no, in fact I hadn't. He seemed to think his caesar sensibilities had earned him a reputation in this town. 5 minutes later he appeared with a glass rimmed in a dense mixture of salt and pepper, filled with a red thick clamato with visible amounts of horseradish floating gleefully, a lemon wedge and a lime wedge, a hanging monkey with two hot pepper rounds on it, some ice and a straw. It was spicy and a touch sweet and a great compliment to my toasted BLT and home fry/salad lunch.

Mom also had the BLT on rye and my brother ordered "the Hoser" (peameal ham on toasted multigrain) but got a sandwich of avocado and tomato while a woman ordering take-out in turn took out the hoser.

Julie's Cuban

There's nothing like eating a few peppery corn fritters dipped in whipped sour cream on a Saturday night at midnight in September in 25 C degree weather while sitting beside a spiral of tropical flowers. It was Toronto's way of WELCOMING me back. I'm certain.

My life as a river rat is officially over. Last week, I packed up the cabin, traumatized my cats by taking away their daily mole killing spree and re-urbanizing them, and traumatized myself by re-entering a vibrant bright loud big city life.

In a way it feels good to be back - back in my cosy apartment, back in my eclectic Korean/Greek/Eritrean/Serbian neighbourhood, back in the hum of living amongst millions of people. But I'm also still nostalgic for the sweet lulls of summer. I like peace and I like quiet. This summer, apart from cooking for crowds, was full of both. Now I'm having to adjust by falling forward with the seasons and the movement of the city. It might take a little bit of time and I might need to go out and eat A LOT of ethnic food to make the transition easier. Eating soothes the soul and tempers the restless spirit.

Julie's Cuban is nestled in the midst of Victorian row houses on Dovercourt Road (between Queen and Dundas). By day, when it's closed, the little yellow building can easily be overlooked. At night however the small patio is jam packed with tables and umbrellas and mojitos and sangria pitchers and little white flickering strings of lights and table lanterns and Sylvie, the co-proprietor, who can usually be spotted weaving through the oasis of dusk in summer under massive maple trees greeting guests.

Inside it’s all about the pink and blue Caribbean paint vibe, the retro black and white Cuban tourist posters, the shelves of books, memorabilia, propoganda and board games. It's a cross between a late night elegant tacqueria in a colonial town in Mexico and a back alley tapas joint in Spain. It's cosy, full of random people (old, young, couples, singles, groups, families, first dates, loquacious lovers), a great neighbourhood spot to have a drink or a late night snack, and a perfect place to sit in the garden and drink wine and eat on your first weekend back in the city.