Pearl Diver

Restaurant: Pearl Diver
Address: 100 Adelaide St. E
Phone: 416-366-7827
Store Hours: Mon-Wed 12 PM - 12 AM, Thurs-Fri 12 PM - 1 AM, Sat 4 PM - 1 PM, Sun 11 AM - 12 AM
Website: www.pearldiver.to

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Review

Note: This is not a full restaurant review because I attended Pearl Diver for Yelp Elite.

Pearl Diver is a small seafood restaurant near Adelaide and Jarvis. During the event, I got to sample the oysters and they were great snacks. I don't feel I ate enough food to be able to comment on their menu though. However, I did get to try the Oyster Stout. If you are a beer lover and you love trying new beers with unique tastes, you should give Oyster Stout a go. If you are like me and you don't like dark and heavy beers, avoid it. I personally couldn't finish my drink because the taste was absolutely strange and gross for my taste buds. I have read that other people enjoyed this drink so it really depends on your beer preferences.

As a restaurant, it has a nice and intimate setting for a small group of friends or a place to take your date. It is perfect if you love seafood.

Aroma Espresso Bar (King St. E)

Cafe: Aroma Espresso Bar
Address: 250 King St. East
Phone: 416-365-7662
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM - 9:30 PM, Sat-Sun 8 AM - 9:30 PM
Website: www.aroma.ca

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Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all

See full menu here: www.aroma.ca/menu/download-our-menu/

Review

I had the pleasure of attending the Friends & Family Event at Aroma Espresso Bar for their King St. East grand opening. To my surprise, the event was actually for friends and family because everyone knew each other there! Another fellow foodie blogger and I sort of stuck out there, haha.

At the exclusive event, everyone could order anything they'd like. So naturally, the first thing I did was to try to order all the things I have not yet had from Aroma! With Aroma food, you can be guaranteed that you are pretty much going to be full from one meal (usually a drink and a sandwich for me!). I tried out their BLT Turkey Croissant and finally after so long, the Ice Aroma Float! I do not recommend the Ice Aroma Float if you don't like overly sweet things. However, if you like vanilla ice cream and just super creamy and rich drinks, then it's a must try!

The King St. East location is identical to the Queen St. West location. These are the first two Aromas I've been to that are identical in appearance (except the flooring). Overall, I enjoyed my first Friends & Family Event.

G for Gelato

Cafe: G for Gelato
Address: 75 Jarvis St.
Phone: 416-792-1761
Store Hours: Mon-Thurs 8 AM - 10 PM, Fri 8 AM - 11 PM, Sat 9 AM - 11 PM, Sun 10 AM - 10 PM
Website: www.gforgelato.com

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: No

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Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Coconut milk available
- Roasted coffee beans from Rufino Espresso

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Vegetarian only for regular food
- Vegan and gluten-free snacks available
- Offers snacks from Nutri-Health, such as brownies

View the full menu here: www.gforgelato.com/menu/

Review

Food of Choice: Funghi Pizza, $17

Gelato of Choice: Large Blueberry Lavender and Rufino Almond Fudge Gelato, $6.75

I first heard about G for Gelato when I was talking to an acquaintance awhile back. He raved on and on about the customer service and how awesome the gelato was. After that, I always remembered this particular gelato bar because of that positive review. I finally got the chance to try G for Gelato for the first time this week when they invited me out to their pizza party.

First thing I was able to do when I arrived was received a complimentary massage from Hand & Stone. I wished at the time there weren't so many people so I could've fully enjoyed it! Nonetheless, it was a great start off.

Shortly after, guests were presented with appetizers and their drink of choice as more people started to settle in. I enjoyed the variety of cheese and meat offered, though they weren't on the regular menu. Out of the two salads offered, I went for the Caprese Salad which had Fior Di Latte (a type of cheese). I learned on this very day that I did not like Fior Di Latte, or at least in full form compared to it being shredded on pizza (which I liked). Sadly, I couldn't finish the salad although it looked lovely on the plate. The Fior Di Latte cheese in my opinion was very bland and had that rubbery texture I did not enjoy. I preferred the cheese in the appetizer earlier. My friend actually liked the Caprese Salad and finished his plate. He said he had it at other restaurants and this was one of the better ones. So it's all about your preference!

All the pizzas made at G for Gelato are medium-sized and perfect for two people (or one if you are really hungry!). I tried out the funghi pizza, which consisted mainly of mushrooms and arugula. This was an awesome combination. The pizza had a great consistency and the combination of toppings were done just right. They also had spicy oil, which I added to my pizza and liked! Since I was full from eating a hearty lunch prior, I packed the rest to go.

The most anticipated part of the entire event for me was the gelato. I sampled at least half of their flavours so I could pick out the ones I wanted in the end. In the summertime, they serve 36 whopping flavours! 36! They have unique flavours such as Coconut Basil, Blueberry Basil, and Redbull (yes, Redbull). In the winter however, there's only 18 flavours available and usually the popular ones would be offered during the colder months. They have three cup sizes, small (1 flavour), medium (2 flavours), and large (3 flavours). I took about ten or more minutes to decide on my order so I ended up getting two flavours instead of three for the large cup. I got Blueberry Lavender and Rufino Almond Fudge (inspired by one of Baskins Robins' flavours). Out of the two, my favourite was Blueberry Lavender. I never heard of this combination before but it tasted amazing. I loved the lavender in the flavour. G for Gelato is indeed the place to be for gelato.

Towards the end of the event, I decided to jump in with Davindra from Goat Roti Chronicles to make some pizza! We tossed in a bunch of different toppings, like mushrooms, sausages, and olives. The pizzas made here only need about four minutes to be fully cooked! So you can guarantee your pizza will come out super quick. I ended up only taking a slice of the pizza we made home since I already had the Funghi. Nonetheless, I was proud of our creation. Not only did I went home with pizza but G for Gelato gave the guests some pretty awesome swag, including: a shirt from 1 <3 T.O. (I received the original!), gift card to Hand & Stone, and a pizza cutter!

Overall, I highly recommend G for Gelato if you wish to try a great assortment of gelatos. Do it now so you can enjoy it with whatever is left of Toronto's summer!

Thank you to G for Gelato for the media invite!

The Black Canary Espresso Bar

Cafe: The Black Canary (previous Bisogno Espresso Bar)
Address: 61 Sherbourne St.
Phone: 416-301-7633
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM - 7 PM, Sat-Sun 9 AM - 5 PM
Website: N/A

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: Yes

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Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Offers their signature nutella latte
- Roasted coffee beans from Rufino and Detour Coffee Roasters

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Vegan and gluten-free
- Offers vegan muffins
- Offers gluten-free cookies
- Baked goods from Desmond and Beatrice
- Offers bagels from Gryfe's Bagel Bakery

Regular Chai Latte, $4

Review

Drink of Choice: Regular Cafe Latte, $4

The Black Canary Espresso Bar was originally known as Bisogno Espresso Bar. One of the owners' love for comics had them open up a new cafe location attached to the comic book store, Silver Snail, at Yonge and Dundas this past year. The owner, Luthie, corrected me with the fact that Bisogno Espresso Bar's name change happened before the opening of their second location. And although the Black Canary is a comic book superhero from the DC Universe, the cafe was not named purposely after the character.

I personally like the new concept of the cafe in combination with the comic book store. I find that absolutely fun and it adds a uniqueness to the cafe. So once I am done my passport and if I have the time, I think I will drop by their Yonge and Dundas location to check it out and see how it compares to the old location.

For those who are familiar with Bisogno Espresso Bar but haven't dropped by lately, everything about the cafe is still the same asides from the brand change and menu board design (which I really like! Simple and clean but sleek). The cafe itself is set up with large windows, making it a great place to work during the day because I am a fan of having an abundance of sunlight. It has a large table that gives the ability for several people to sit at, along with a couple of small ones to the side. If you want to just chill out, you can lounge on one of their big comfy chairs or on the stools by the windows. It is a popular cafe, especially during lunch hour where people would be coming in non-stop for their cup of coffee. Overall, it's nice cafe downtown that has a comfortable atmosphere for a relaxing latte.

Fahrenheit Coffee

Cafe: Fahrenheit Coffee
Address: 120 Lombard St.
Phone: 647-896-1774
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM - 6 PM, Sat 9 AM - 5 PM, Sun 9 AM - 3 PM
Website: www.fahrenheitcoffee.com

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: No
Stamp Cards?: Yes, but a prepaid card

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Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Vanilla syrup available, 50 cents extra
- Packaged coffee beans from Te Aro Coffee Roasters are sold, 1/2 lb for $10

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Only vegetarian
- $7 paninis
- Vegetarian option for paninis
- Baked goods available but nothing vegan or gluten-free
- Muffin batters from Circles and Squares
- Croissants from La Bamboche

Latte, $3.75

Latte, $3.75

Latte, $3.75

Latte, $3.75

Iced Tea, $2.55

Americano, $2.35

Review

Drink of Choice: Cortado, $3.00

Fahrenheit Coffee is the one cafe I have frequent to the most thus far. This was my fourth visit, which is considered a lot because I am always at a different cafe each time. Sameer, the owner, loves his 90s-00s pop music. So you will definitely hear songs from N'Sync to Backstreet Boys to Justin Timberlake while enjoying a cup of coffee if you do happen to stay for awhile. Fahrenheit Coffee is not meant to be a cafe where you plan to sit down and do your work for hours due to its small space. It's a grab-and-go cafe that you would stop before work, during break or after work to get a snack and/or coffee. 

I wanted to try something new so I asked Sameer to give me a drink of his choice on the menu. I was given a cortado, which was made from Kenyan coffee beans, and I was guided through drinking it. The drink is extremely strong during the initial sip. But eventually becomes sweeter after with the milk once you get adjusted to the taste. However, it wasn't to my taste and Sameer had the barista, Benedictus, to make a complimentary cup of latte for my friend and I. Both of our lattes were adorned with latte art, a bear for me and a butterfly for my friend! You should have seen me squealing when the lattes were placed in front of us. The prettier the latte art, the happier I get.

For the coffee, roasted coffee beans from Te Aro are used. The beans are tweaked specifically for Fahrenheit Coffee and can be bought in 1/2 pound package for $10 in-store. All the drinks are made with high grade coffee beans to ensure for the quality. Muffins and croissants are brought in batters or half baked each morning to make sure that everything is baked fresh for the day. Paninis are made in batches every morning to sell. They usually run out by 2 PM each day. So if you want a panini, better get them early because they don't make them on the order. And for those who are used to stamp cards, you could buy a prepaid card for a set number of drinks ($31.50 for 9 lattes, $27 for 9 cappuccinos, and $18 for 9 americanos).

If you would like a chill cafe to hang out with a friend or a place to grab-and-go, Fahrenheit Coffee is definitely the place. It has amazing service and you can't help but become friends with the owner and baristas the moment you step in! I highly recommend.

Cafe 260

Cafe: Cafe 260
Address: 260 Richmond St. E.
Phone: 416-398-9222
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 6 AM - 7 PM, Sat 8 AM - 2 PM, Sun Closed
Website: www.cafe260.com

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: No

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Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Soy and almond
- Skim or 2% milk available
- Nutella and peanut buttercup flavoured latte available!
- Roasted beans from Savoury Grounds and Mountain View

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Vegan muffins and cookies
- Gluten-free cookies
- Vegetarian and meat chili available
- Paninis, sandwiches, melts and wraps available

Want the full menu? Download it here: http://www.filedropper.com/menusend

Medium Red Symphony, $4.45

Medium White Chocolate Latte, $3.95

Medium After 8 Flavoured Latte, $3.65

Large Maple Spiced Latte, $4.45

Meat Chili, $6.50 

Egg and Tomato Breggfast Sandwich, $4

Review

Drink of Choice: Medium Pumpkin Flavoured Latte, $3.65

A cafe I always tell people to go to whenever they ask for one located downtown is Cafe 260. Although this was my second visit, the cafe always stuck out in the back of my mind. Why? The first time I had their white chocolate latte, I was in heaven! The selection of coffee and specialty drinks here are absolutely phenomenal! (Take a look at the pictures of the drinks! Not only pretty but delicious as well, each and every one of them!). My friend who came with me could definitely back me up here.

The coffee beans are grind to brew at the moment of purchase, so your drink is always at it's freshest! For decaf drinkers, they use the Swiss water process, which has no chemicals, and has it tasting just like regular coffee. As well, in order to make their delicious lattes, they use the Pacific Barista Series for those who are curious.

Bob, the owner of the cafe, decided to open up Cafe 260 after his retirement in construction. He wanted it to be a place of comfort where people could come back to and enjoy their experiences there shared with friends or alone. Cafe 260 does just that and to add to the touch, sells the art adorned on the walls. One of the most popular series is by the artist Jen Masters (www.jenmasters.ca) called Dressed to the Nines (picture below). The series is a collection of sophisticated girls wearing dresses made out of the number nine! The art pieces definitely stood out to me when I was there the first time because I was contemplating on buying a piece!

For all the Starbucks lovers out there, I want you to take this challenge and visit Cafe 260. Then let me know if you have been converted! (Comparing Starbucks's Pumpkin Spiced Latte with Cafe 260's Pumpkin Flavoured Latte, I prefer Cafe 260's 100%!)

Regarding the holidays: The cafe is closed for the holidays and reopening on January 3rd. Also, if you are a regular, stop by this Friday for a drink on the house!