[Giveaway and Promo Code] The National's Women Show Toronto

I will be attending The National Women's Show for the third time this year and am super excited! It's great for a girl's day out with your friends and family. You can find fashion, food, travel, career opportunities and more! Compared to other shows I've been to, this one is the most engaging out of them all. You get to sample tons of food brands, a chance to check out cool designers and watch live shows (including some firemen!). I highly recommend it and you can use my coupon code TOCAFE to get $3 off when you buy tickets online.

I am also giving away 1 pair of tickets to my followers to attend the Toronto show! The contest will end on midnight of November 2nd. Please reply within the first 24 hours or else a new winner will be drawn. The winner has to pick up the tickets at the entrance of the event.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[Upcoming Event] Eat to the Beat 2016

The 21st annual Eat to the Beat fundraising event presented by KitchenAid® is back and will be happening on November 1, 2016. This is a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation that will showcase 60 chefs who are supporting the charity. Tickets are $189 each (a tax receipt will be issued for the maximum allowable amount) and will allow ticket holders to sample an array of savoury and sweet dishes.

I got to attend the event last year and it was fantastic. You can click here to check out my post along with photos of the scrumptious dishes that were offered.

Photo provided by ETTB

To support this amazing charity event, you can purchase tickets on their website: www.eattothebeat.ca

Paese Ristorante

Restaurant: Paese Ristorante
Address: 3867 Bathurst St.
Phone: 416-631-6586
Operating Hours: Lunch 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM, Dinner 5:30 - 11:30 PM
Website: www.paeseristorante.com

Interior

Menu

Review

Paese Ristorante is a pleasant high-end Italian restaurant located in Wilson Heights. It's not in a location where you would typically find other fancy restaurants therefore stands out on its own. It's attached to L'eat Catering, the original parent company that provided food to local businesses since 1983. Afterwards, Paese Ristorante was created in 1989. L'eat Catering is one of the top 5 catering companies within Toronto,

I had the pleasure of sampling some items off of Paese's menu with my cousin. I tried one of their cocktails, which was the Paloma Italiana with pink grapefruit. I really liked it because I am a huge fan of sweet girly drinks. So it was a great choice for my preference. My cousin picked up their Bellini but found that the prosecco overwhelmed the taste of the peach nectar.

I highly recommend one of their appetizers, the Grilled Octopus. We absolutely loved the dressing mixed with the vegetables that came along with the octopus. It was a perfect blend of taste. Afterwards, we got to try a couple of their pizzas. We had the Pollo and Laabroni. I think their Pollo, which consisted of roasted chicken, smoked cheddar, eggplant, sliced tomato and basil, to be the best of the two. It had the best combination of toppings since I'm a huge fan of cheesy pizza and eggplant.

We tried pasta next. My cousin got one of their basic spaghetti dishes (I don't think it's on the menu) and I tasted their Ricotta Gnocchi. I liked the gnocchi in my dish but not so much of the chicken that was mixed in with it. The chicken was quite bland and was out of place in terms of taste. My cousin wasn't a fan of the spaghetti either. The two pasta dishes we tried were a missed for us.

Lastly, we made room for dessert. I got the Butterscotch Pudding and my cousin chose the Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait. When I took the first bite of the Butterscotch Pudding, it was perfect. The more I ate though, the sweeter it became, As someone who no longer craves super sweet desserts, it got overwhelming for my taste buds. I recommend this dessert, but only if you share it with someone else.

Paese has great customer service if that is what you are looking for in a dining experience. They also do private bookings.

Lucullus Bakery [CLOSED]

Cafe: Lucullus Bakery
Address: 31 Elm St.
Phone: 416-792-1886
Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30 AM - 9 PM Sun CLOSED
Website: www.lucullusbakery.com

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: None

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Vegetarian and gluten-free only

Review

My Order: Fried Rice with BBQ Pork & Small Drink, $6.50

Lucullus Bakery is a Chinese bakery chain with locations in Toronto, Markham and Richmond Hill. I never heard of this chain until I caught up with a university acquaintance who suggested meeting at the Toronto location. It is tucked away on Elm Street in an inconspicuous older building, making the bakery practically invisible if you weren't looking for it. I was told that lot of students liked to study here. My friend said she discovered the space when she couldn't find a study spot at Ryerson since our campus was so small.

I got some fried rice with Hong Kong milk tea for only $6.50. The price wasn't bad for the combo. I wouldn't say the fried rice was anything amazing but it made for a substantial snack. Lucullus Bakery makes an excellent study spot because they have a lot of seats on the second floor. This is definitely a great alternative work space for students overall. The price is affordable as well. Many customers come here to buy Asian pastries to go.