Stevie Jewel

London by Local

I have a wonderful friend who went to school in London Ontario and she recommended to me some of the best local spots in London.  Along with my own research I found my way to three places that are well kept secrets of London.  Here are my top 3 spots to eat in London.

1.  Thaifoon

This Thai restaurant is only open for late lunch and dinner, but it was worth the wait!  With some great originals and a few fresh takes on traditional thai food, I’d definitely visit this spot again.  It’s located downtown very close to Covent Garden Market, so it’s also convenient to get to!

  1. Early Bird

A restaurant with personality! This was featured on Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here” and once you walk in you can see why.  It’s bright and colorful with band posters all over the walls, four elvis busts painted with KISS makeup, and a tiki bar in the back! I had the “Pancake Stack” and my friend had the “Toad in the Hole” and both had fun presentations and were creative interpretations of breakfast classics.

  1. The Salad Bowl

This spot is in Covent Garden Market, which seems to be a bit of a hub for activity in London.  It has fantastic and highly customizable salads, with all sorts of variations for any diet restriction you may have.  The staff was friendly and helpful and the final product was delicious and healthy; the latter of which isn’t always easy to find when traveling with a hectic schedule! Forgot to snap a picture by The Salad Bowl, but it’s not far from this Chocolate Factory stand!

Convent Garden Market

I read before venturing out into London Ontario that this spot was a must visit, so I found my way to the Covent Garden Market and it lived up to the description! There was fresh fruit, great little restaurants, sweet treats, and my favorite, the Tea Haus!  We had an excellent salad at The Salad Bowl, and then a Green Tea Chai shake from Taylor Sue’s Cups and Cones.  As someone who loves tea, the Tea Haus was the real treat because of the many varieties and flavors and the fact that it was all natural ingredients!  Even just wandering through the market was a great way to spend an hour, it’s small but packed with interesting treasures. What interesting markets, indoor or outdoor, have you visited?

Golden Birthday

I had my golden birthday in July, and it was such a good time.  I got to spend the day in Toronto, one of my favorite cities and spend time with some of my favorite people. A few years ago my family and I started a fun tradition called“Christmas in July” dinner; on my birthday my mum makes my favorite dishes from Christmas and then my family comes over and we all have dinner together, just like Christmas!  This birthday was wonderful and I’m really looking forward the all the wonderful things coming in this next year of my life.

How did/will you celebrate your golden birthday?

Best Asheville Restaurants

I’ve been to Asheville multiple times, but only to see the Biltmore Estate, I never actually went into the city of Asheville.  A few weeks ago, that changed! A group of friend and I decided to take a little getaway trip to Asheville! It was such a unique city, we saw Lake Street Dive play, ate some great food, and generally soaked in the fun and creative atmosphere that is Asheville!  Here are some of my favorite eats from the trip.

Tupelo Honey

Early Girl

French Broad Chocolate Lounge

World Coffee Cafe

Montreal’s Best Bakeries

If you know me, you know my love of baked goods is nearing infatuation.  I love a good cupcake, cake, muffin, and a nice crunchy bread!  So when in Montreal it felt essential to sample a couple croissants and baked treats! I have to say, I was not disappointed!  Now I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another croissant outside of France and Montreal that could possibly be as good! (Although I welcome the challenge!)  I did a little research while lying in bed on the morning of our first and only day in Montreal and discovered some cult favorites were Boulangerie Mr Pinchot,   Boulangerie Les Co’Pains D’abord, and Boulangerie Guillaume!  We tried a few treats and I think the almond croissant was my absolute favorite!  Do you have a favorite baked treat?

Boulangerie Mr Pinchot

Boulangerie Les Co’Pains D’abord

Boulangerie Guillaume

Best Chicago Restaurant

I knew Chicago had a great food scene, and because I hadn’t been there before I was really looking forward to trying it out! We found some great spots and I can’t wait to share them with you, so let’s get to it!

Lou Malnati’s

I’ve been lucky enough to try different cuisine in some very food rich cities, but I have to say, Chicago did not disappoint!  I was hoping to find some deep dish pizza and stumbled onto Lou Malnati’s!  There was a wait, but it was worth it, especially the deep dish cookie! If you visit and love chocolate chip cookies and ice cream (who doesn’t?) you should definitely try this.

Eataly

I had known about Eataly from my trip to New York City, read about that here, but I didn’t get to visit until I found one in Chicago! I love the concept of a store, a grocer, and a gourmet restaurant all rolled into one.  Eataly has such an Italian feel, and has special stations from some delectable meals, snacks, and desserts.

Cochon Volant

Cocoon Volant was a restaurant I read about prior to visiting Chicago.  It sounded so good and because I would be there on a Sunday I was looking forward to trying the brunch!  We ordered the Salmon Benedict and the Monsier Foster.  They were both unbelievably decadent and so satisfying, especially for brunch standards! If you enjoy a serious brunch, this establishment should earn a spot on your Chicago list.

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