Toronto
My first and sixth Canadian city: I lived in Toronto for 16 years. Born and raised! I moved back to my home city of Toronto in 2018 in lived there for an additional 1.5 years!
The best jerk in Canada is found in Toronto. This place does it the best. HOT TIP: The best location is the one in North York on Underhill Drive. It's the OG. Accept no other!
Must Try: Jerk Chicken Rice & Peas
The top of fine dining in Canada. The service is impeccable and the food (tasting menu only) is out of this world. Reservations are very difficult to come by but I highly recommend that you do what it takes to get in!
Must Try: Tasting Menu ~ The dining room offers a blind, multi-course tasting menu that features the best ingredients they can source. The menu is internationally inspired and prepared using classic French technique.
#2 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2023
The hottest ice cream sandwiches in town. You get to pick the flavour of ice cream and the type of cookie!
Must Try: PB'n Grape Jelly Ice Cream & Captain P'nut Cookie ~ Cara-melly & crunchy; salted Virginia peanut brittle, breakfast cereal.
Excellent and inventive Italian cuisine. Everything is crazy-delicious!
Must Try: Salumi di Buca + Gnocco Fritto ~ Selection of 5 salumi served with seasonal preserves + Tuscan spiced dumplings.
This is the place for amazing cheese in Toronto. But not only that, the whole shop (compound) is wonderful and full of everything that your gourmet heart desires.
Must Try: Their incredible cheese selection!
These are the best cookies in Toronto and some of the most unique cookies out there. HOT TIP: You can get a shot of milk for $1 to go along with your cookie!
Must Try: PB Explosion ~ PB cup, Reese's Pieces, pretzel, peanuts in a chocolate chip cookie.
This is the best pizza in Toronto. HOT TIP: Get a Vernors ginger ale to drink or else you're doing it wrong.
Must Try: "No Name" ~ Cheese blend, Ezzo pepperoni, housemade fennel sausage, tomato sauce, post-oven ricotta dollops, Mike's Hot Honey, fresh herbs, Pecorino Romano, calabrian chilis.
Quite possibly the best breakfast in Toronto.
Must Try: Salmon Jonny Benny ~ 2 poached eggs, house-cured salmon gravlax on jonny cakes, hollandaise, dill, fried capers. Served with home fries. OR Hot Smoked Trout Benny ~ House hot smoked trout on toasted rye with a cream cheese schmear, topped with 2 poached eggs, hollandaise, crispy capers & dill.
My new favourite restaurant in Toronto! Decidedly French but more specifically; Montréalais. Seasonal ingredients and impossibly fresh. Stunning from start to finish!
Must Try: Fresh Peas, Nice Eggs & Cantabrian Anchovies
#29 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2023
Great place for a delicious brunch!
Must Try: Emma's Benny ~ Warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit topped with house cured peameal bacon, poached eggs and smothered in mousselline sauce. Served with a side of griddled red skin potatoes.
A large and wonderful outdoor market with an impressive selection. Every Saturday, June-October.
Fave Vendors: Mateus & Sons (chicken, rabbit & duck eggs!), Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms who always has an amazing variety.
These are the best donuts that you're ever gonna eat! Their dough is beyond exceptional.
Must Try: Chocolate and Peanut Butter ~ Dark chocolate glaze yeast doughnut with a peanut butter drizzle topped with salted and roasted peanuts.
Open since 1967, this hamburger stand is a Scarborough institution.
Must Try: Banquet Burger ~ 4oz charbroiled beef patty with cheese and naturally smoked bacon.
A wonderful family-friendly cafe with really, really great food. HOT TIP: Mondays are Momma Mondays where all moms get 10% off!
Must Try: Son-of-a-Rise ~ Best of both Rises! Free-run egg, cheddar, Mennonite smoked bacon, avocado & tomato on a homemade buttery country biscuit.
This fast-casual Mediterranean street food restaurant was opened by Michelin-starred Masterchef judge Chef Eyal Shani. The idea is to take the flavour of each city that they're located in and to translate it into a pita. They nail it!!
Must Try: Toronto Smoked Maple Steak ~ Smoked brisket anointed in Ontario gold, garlic aioli, mustard, pickles.
The hot new ice cream that you need to know about. Tell them Erika sent you!
Must Try: Pistachio Dream.
My favourite patisserie in Toronto!
Must Try: The Donut by Nadège ~ Caramel chantilly, salted caramel cream, praline wafer, almond shortbread.
This is a Northern Thai restaurant and it's quite authentic and very good.
Must Try: Gaeng Masaman with Braised Beef ~ Braised beef in a peanut tamarind curry with potatoes and pearl white onions and topped with deep fried crispy shallots. Served with steamed jasmine rice.
One of the biggest must-eats while in Toronto is peameal bacon. (They call it Hogtown for a reason.) This is the place to get it! You'll find them in St. Lawrence Market.
Must Try: Peameal Bacon Sandwich
So funky and the most fun!! They make the best nachos in the world and I don't even like nachos!
Must Try: Kings Crown ~ Crisp corn tortilla chips covered with salsa roja, piled high with frijoles, ground beef, tomatoes, onions, mixed peppers, jalapenos, melted cheese, topped with guacamole & sour cream.
This little Thai place might be the most authentic Thai food that you'll ever try. Their Khao Soi is likely the best in Canada.
Must Try: Khao Soi Chicken
This might be the best bubble tea that I've ever had anywhere!
Must Try: Deerioca Puff ~ Brown Sugar Deerioca Series with puff custard.
This is the burger joint that you need to know about in Toronto! The Riggs and Murtaugh shake is amaze. HOT TIP: There's a secret menu online that you should brush up on before visiting!
Must Try: The Priest Vatican Style ~ Cheeseburger with The Option (two roasted portobello mushroom caps, panko crusted, stuffed with cheese and fried to perfection) on top. Sandwiched between two grilled cheese buns. With ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, & secret sauce. (I'm pretty sure that I made this burger up.)
Quite possibly the most "Toronto" restaurant in all of Toronto.
Must Try: Juicy ~ Patty of your choice stuffed with creamy coleslaw, Cheez Whiz, and green onions.
This is a bit of a bonus item because you'll have to go to Canada's Wonderland to get it. Tastes like childhood. Just as incredible as you remember it.
Must Try: Funnel Cake ~ Fresh strawberries and ice cream over their signature original and secret funnel cake recipe.