21 Day #HealthyAroma Challenge

Over the past few years as a food blogger, I have been very fortunate in having the opportunity to try restaurants around Toronto and attend media events on a weekly basis. I attend food events often, sometimes everyday of the week and it has led me to develop some unhealthy eating habits. On top of that, I recently came back from a trip to Asia, where I went a little crazy with all the delicious food and I gained 15 pounds. I run a Physiotherapy clinic (Good Physiotherapy) full time in addition to food blogging- a busy lifestyle that has taken a toll on my health. One of my goals this year is to improve my lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise.

I have enlisted some help from my friends at Aroma Espresso Bar to help me achieve this goal through the #healthyaroma Challenge. For the next 21 days, I will be eating 2 meals a day at Aroma Espresso Bar locations around Toronto. I will be exploring Aroma’s extensive salad menu and some of their healthy soup and sandwich items. My other meals and snacks will be left open for home cooking or watching what I eat at food events. As a Physiotherapist, I always preach active exercise, and I will be incorporating a progressive cardio and strength training program to my 21 day challenge. During this time, I will still be covering food in Toronto, but with a healthier focus. Follow me on Instagram (@goodfoodtoronto) and Snapchat (goodfoodtoronto) for daily updates! 


Check out Aroma’s full food menu and nutritional information here.

Review: Francobollo Posto Italiano

Francobollo Posto Italiano is a modern Italian restaurant, just north of downtown Toronto. They have been open for 1 year and are the newest restaurant introduced by Substance Food Group. I had a great time reviewing Terra, Substance Food Group’s flagship restaurant, so I came into this meal with high expectations. We reserved a table with fellow food lovers Clara and Monica from The Food Sisterhood so that we could share and try more dishes! Francobollo Posto Italiano is located in the upscale Avenue Road neighbourhood. The restaurant’s decor is very sheek and has a clean, modern feel throughout the narrow building that also gives it a homely ambiance. They have a nice selection of wines that are proudly displayed on the wall, which is where we started the night. There was a wide variety of menu items including some classic Italian dishes and lots of great seafood! 

For appetizers, we ordered the Calamari Fritti, Buratta “Oscar”, Polipo Sottovuoto and the Cuori d’Anatra. Gotta love the Italian menu names! The Calamari Fritti was a crispy fried calamari with horseradish and sea salt. The Burrata “Oscar” was delicious and consisted of a giant piece of domestic Burrata cheese dressed up with charred asparagus, snow crab, roasted lobster bisque, dried tomato and almond pesto. The Polipo Sottovuoto was another favourite at our table- a 75° octopus dish with quinoa, butter lettuce, orange-red-onion-caper-mint salsa, all plated beautifully on a red endive. Duck hearts are rarely seen on Toronto menus, so we had to try the Cuori d’Anatra. This dish used pan seared free range duck hearts, roasted Brussels sprouts, guanciale and 10 year old balsamic. 

We decided to try more seafood for the mains, as a Grilled Whole Seabream and Filet of Mediterranean Sea Bass were both available as daily specials. Both were tasty, however the seabream was especially impressive as a whole fish dish. Very fresh flavours as both fish were well seasoned and were accompanied with local veggies. Francobollo has a wide selection of pasta, and we decided to try the Linguini Vongole, an Italian classic made with manila clams, fresh tomatoes, parsley, white wine and aglio olio e peperoncino. Again, fresh ingredients stood out in each bite. We also ordered the 8 oz Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak with Bone Marrow and Wild mushrooms. This was a really nice cut of beef with a big chunk of roasted Bone Marrow. 

If you like desserts, Francobollo does not disappoint. Their selection of desserts changes daily, so we had to try all the featured desserts. I really enjoyed the house made Tiramisu and the fresh baked Apple Turnover. There was also a Pistachio Cheesecake and 2 types of Tartufo- double chocolate and salted caramel. If you find dessert choices difficult, sometimes you just have to order them all. Treat yourself. 

Since we were dining with fellow bloggers from The Food Sisterhood, our cameras were out in full force! I couldn’t have gotten these bright shots without some creative lighting help from Clara. It’s always more fun to eat with friends, especially when exploring Francobollo’s extensive menu. Francobollo Posto Italiano is a great choice for all occasions, with top notch service and impressive modern Italian dishes, heavy on seafood.

Francobollo Posto Italiano 

1959 Avenue Rd 

North York, ON M5M 2M5 

(416) 481-3888

How To Make Tuna Tostadas from Earl's Restaurants

Have you ever tried the Tuna Tostadas from Earl’s Kitchen and Bar? These delicious bites are a favourite appetizer item at Earl’s. A spiced piece of Tuna sits on top of a crispy tortilla, garnished with a tasty jicama slaw. The recipe was created by their talented team of chefs (aka The Chef’s Collective), and now they’ve opened their kitchen doors to show you how they're made! If you’d like to make your own Tuna Tastadas at home, check out the full recipe and behind the scenes Tuna Tostada video, including tips from Chef Ryan Stone. If cooking is not your thing, you can always visit Earl’s Restaurants locations across Canada. 

We are also teaming up with Earl’s Restaurants for an exclusive Instagram Giveaway of 2 x $100 Gift Cards. Check out the full contest post and details on the @goodfoodtoronto Instagram page. Contest ends on Feb 4, 2016.

Cactus Club Cafe- First Toronto Location

Written by Rayanne Y. aka @goodfoodscarborough (Good Food Toronto guest writer)

I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the Cactus Club Cafe Toronto located at 777 Adelaide Street West during their media event this past October. Cactus Club Cafe is a well established restaurant in Western Canada so I was very excited to see what they had in store for Toronto. 

As I entered the restaurant, I was warmly welcomed by the hostesses. I was then ushered to the glass elevators that took me upstairs to the second floor. As the elevator doors opened, you can see that the area was tastefully decorated. The vibe is upscale, yet relaxed enough for a drink with friends or an after work visit with coworkers.

The friendly bartenders served the Cactus Club's signature cocktails which were thoroughly enjoyed by the guests. Their bellinis were delicious and on point. They served samples dishes from their menu that were created by Canadian Celebrity Chef Rob Feenie.

If you crave a lighter fare, the Tuna Tayaki is an excellent option. Seared Albacore Tuna, papaya slaw, pine nuts, yuzu vinaigrette and cilantro. The fresh ingredients really makes this dish very refreshing.

Rob's Crispy Chicken Sandwich was really tasty. Perfectly fried panko-crusted chicken with swiss cheese, sambal mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. This was my favorite item I tasted that evening.

After sampling the food and drinks I went to check out the third floor of the restaurant. This floor had a rooftop restaurant feel and an amazing retractable roof which will be prefect for patio season. The lower floor had a classy sports bar feel and would be a great place to watch games with friends. I had a great evening at the Cactus Club Cafe.

My overall impression of this establishment was that it is conveniently located in the heart of the Toronto financial district and is a great place to relax, mingle and grab a few drinks and food after work or on the weekends. They offer exceptional customer service along with a great selection of food and drinks. Thanks for a great experience Cactus Club Cafe Toronto, I will be back for that chicken sandwich.