#Instaweekend | From the Streets to the Stadium

The weekend that was saw us everywhere from a new Harbord Street hotspot to an event to satisfy any Crave-ing. Check out the #Instaweekend recap…

Adam’s Eats and Treats | Instagram: amazerall | Twitter: @amazerall
After a long week, Nicki and I made a little stop into Trattoria Mercatto in the Eaton Centre. (Apple store + nosh + beer = good way to end the work week.) We ordered up an assortment of meats and cheeses to nibble on while talking shop… though analyzing the creaminess of the cheeses and the suppleness of the meats kind of took a front seat.

After a Saturday of errands, I joined a few notable ‘tonians over at THR&Co., the new restaurant from the peeps behind the Harbord Room. There’s a definite sexiness to the space – maybe it was just perfectly lit – and the menu is outside the realm of par-for-the-course. I immediately ordered a Negroni Sbagliato, one of my new go-to cocktails…

…followed by a rather interesting beef heart tartare with cured duck yolk and espelette mayo. We also tried a platter of cured meats, terrines, and pates that had a deliciously decadent foie gras mousse, and the nettle and ricotta pizza (dear THR&Co., loved the idea of the shears, but they need a serious oiling to be user-friendly).

And I couldn’t resist trying the braised oxtail cavatelli with broccoli rabe. Considering this was only the third day the restaurant had been open, it was already running on a 3/4 tank. Can’t wait til it’s on full…

I spent Sunday at the MOD Club eating my way through Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium in support of My Food My Way. What a great event: Four chefs – Rocco Agostino reppin’ Pizzeria Libretto, Matt Pettit showing what goes down at Rock Lobster, Matt Basile shouting “Ole” for Lisa Marie, and Bruce Woods bringing the flair on behalf of his newly opened Woods Restaurant – prepped two dishes each in an Iron Chef/Chopped inspired showdown using the Neal Brothers’ new line of chips (the day’s mandatory ingredient). I started with Matt Pettit’s Cowboy Corn…

…before trying everything from potato chip gnocchi (Rocco Agostino) to marrow and mash by the small guy with a big impact, Matt Basile…

…to Bruce Woods’ palate-punching donuts with a chip-crusted bacon slice. Alongside his BBQ chip/quail egg/duck confit/bernaise bite of bliss, there was no doubt that his Kitchen Stadium win was well-deserved. (Watch for the full recap and gallery of Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium coming at ya tomorrow.)

Nicki’s Eats and Treats | Instagram: viewthevibe | Twitter: @viewthevibe
Ms. Nicks spent Friday night listening to some jazzified live music over at 417 Restaurant & Lounge on the Danforth. Her and the VTV blonde duo, Tanja and Crystal, dined in style before calling it a (somewhat) early night.

She was pretty quiet on the soc-med waves the rest of the weekend, but did manage to #Latergram her Sunday night dinner of BBQ-grilled scallops and brussels sprouts salad. Here’s the thing with Nicki: Make her a meal she likes and she’ll dine at your restaurant any day of the week, but make her a meal she loves and she’ll one-up you nightly in the comfort of her kitchen. Case in point: This dish reminds me of two restaurant meals she and I have shared in the past few weeks…

Jason’s Eats and Treats | Instagram: finest_one | Twitter: j_finestone
Mr. Finestone had a fine Friday night at CraveTO at Brick Works. Eating his way through the green space, ceviche, a short rib sammy, and fish n’ chips were but a smattering of the amazing edibles on offer. (Stay tuned for the full recap and gallery.)

Drawing some inspiration from his favourite ramen shop in Toronto, Sansotei Ramen, Jay whipped up a batch of his own broth with some sautéed Japanese style eggplant and shiitake mushrooms on Saturday…

…before hitting the sunshine at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Sunday brunch was spent celebrating his mom’s bday with the fam jam. Luckily the whole clan knows how to cook and his cousin Lauren’s blueberry French toast casserole proves it.

Sunday afternoon saw him wandering about the no-wheels zone that was Kensington Market. The zoo of people could be seen from a distance, but Jay got up close and personal with some street performers…

…and street food. Gotta love the city on a Sunday!