Don’s Blog

Following up on my restaurant recommendation posting, I’ve decided to share a few other London ”food” secrets. 

Sylvan Breadsmith – Located at the outdoor Covent Garden Market.  This is the best bread I’ve ever tasted.  This is organic artisan bread at it’s best (it’s almost a meal on its own.)  While you’re there, try to convince Penelope that she needs to make the cardamom snail pastries again….

London Ice Cream – Located at 43 Base Line Rd W.  This is the best ice cream in Southern Ontario.  Made onsite, it’s rich and tasty (and unfortunately very addictive.)  “Moosetracks” is their most famous flavour–but be sure to try the other ones.  Available as an ice-cream cone–or to take home.

Mike’s Meat Market – Located at 1866 Dundas St. E (just west of Clarke Rd.)  This is where to go for your fix of Dutch food (zout drops, cheese, chocolate, etc.)  plus a few Indonesian items. 

Latino Food Market – Located at 470 Dundas St.  This is the place to pick up Latin American food (chiles, horchata, candy, etc.)  If you can’t find it here, try Tienda Hernandez Variety at 267 Thompson Rd.

Sikorski’s  - Located at 1290 Trafalgar St (near Highbury.)  This is Central European food central.  If it’s Polish or German, you should be able to find it here.  Great baked goods and selection of imported products–but the real reason to come here is the sausages (try the weiss wurst or anything smoked.)

????? Middle Eastern Food - I can’t remember the name.  This store is located in a small plaza at the corner of Wilkins and Sandringham (just off of Wellington Rd.)  Best selection of feta cheese and olives around.

Indo-Asian Grocery- This store is located at in a small plaza at 689 Oxford St W. (at the corner of Capulet just west of Wonderland Rd.)  All the ingredients that you will ever need and then some.  Even better are the dessert treats that are just waiting to be eaten.

Other places to check out are the Covent Garden Market (downtown at Talbot and King St.) and Trail’s End Market (east of London on Dundas St.)  Both of these markets have an good selection of vendors and lots of interesting food.

After living in London for 13 years, I feel obliged to share a few restaurant recommendations with the world. 

Our restaurant tastes are fairly simple: we enjoy good food and we enjoy ethnic food. 

Below are the restaurants that we frequented regularly–or really enjoyed (but not as frequently.)

Billy’s Deli – Easily the best breakfast in the city (we’ve had breakfast there over a hundred times.)  The original owners moved to the Telegraph House/Pineapple Room (see below) but the menu is still good–and the posted specials are even better (especially when they incorporate seasonal ingredients.)  Recommended dishes:  Skillet Breakfast and any special.

Marienbad/Chaucer’s - Great food with an emphasis on central Europe.  Beer selection is great and constantly changing.  The beer dinners (held monthly) are very much recommended if you enjoy great food and trying different beer.  I normally recommend the Chaucer’s side (a more comfortable atmosphere–especially if the fireplace is on during the winter.) 

El Ranchito - Just good Latin American food (from Mexico and points further south.)   Recommended dishes:  Combo #1, Combo #2 and Fritanga Managua.

Telegraph House/Pineapple Room -  Easily the best breakfast anywhere (it’s actually located in Port Stanley and not London.)  If you love food then you need to visit.  Recommended dishes:  Anything–if it’s on the menu it’s good! 

Ben-Than – Vietnamese and Thai.  Recommended dishes:  Fruit smoothies, bbq beef fresh rolls, green curry chicken with green beans, black pepper pork pot (warning–it smells) and pho (in the winter.) 

Volker’s - Best high-end restaurant in the city (out in Hyde Park.)

 

and Honourable Mentions….

Shiki – Best sushi in London (in the south-end)

Jewel of India – The best in London (ignore the buffet and order from the menu.) 

Katana Cafe - Breakfast beside the runway at the London airport (make sure the weather is OK for flying otherwise it’s just another breakfast.) 

Manna Grill – Korean–it’s not fancy–but the bul-go-gee and kim-chee are good. 

Chancey Smith’s – Great patio and beer, and good food to go with it. 

Braywick Bistro – Great food–better than many of London’s better-known high-end restaurants.

Byron Pizza – It’s not wood-fired oven–but order it with a thin crust and extra oregano and it’s almost as good. 

 

For addresses/phone numbers for the above, use: http://canada411.sympatico.ca/

This is a neat website to show on a map the countries that you have been to.

The one’s I’ve been to are shown on the map below (in red.)  I’ve only included countries where I’ve spent more than a day (so stop-overs at Heathrow and Frankfurt don’t count–unless I add up all the different times.)

Based on the big white areas, it looks like I’m going to have to start traveling to Asia and Africa sometime soon….