INSOMNIA 

563 Bloor Street West (The Annex), (416) 588-3907, Toronto On., M5S 1Y5 Open for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late Night 

Located in the Annex section of Toronto near Bathurst and Bloor, Insomnia is open from breakfast to late night.
The inside is funky but refined, with a large bar seating area and a variety of seating options. My son Mark, my wife and I came on a hot Saturday evening in June at about 7 pm and were seated promptly near the front of the restaurant.  Because it was hot the windows facing Bloor Street were open.

Mark and I began by having a cold Pabst beer while my wife had a glass of pinot wine.  We then ordered a couple of appetizers.  My son began with chicken tacos in a soft tortilla with avocado, picco de gallo, lettuce and chipotle aioli.

He enjoyed the tacos and would order them again.  My wife and I split an order of calamari fritti that were served with a juicy lemon and tzatziki.  They were tender and delicious. 

For his main Mark ordered the butter chicken with broccoli, roasted tomato and coconut rice.  It was delicious and filling.

My wife ordered the grilled salmon, potato kale hash, sugar snap peas, citrus beurre blanc.  She really enjoyed the salmon which was perfectly cooked and a generous portion.

I had the spice-crusted chicken supreme with garlic mashed potatoes and buttered broccoli.  The chicken was very tasty and arrived piping hot.

The meals were going so well we decided to order the evenings featured dessert.  A blueberry cheese cake with whipped cream and fresh blueberries.  It was delicious and light.

Our server who had a flower in her hair was very personable and efficient.  The food was well prepared and quite delicious.
They have a great martini and cocktail list, however they need to improve their wine list by adding some Californian, Italian and French choices.  Also, the room was quite noisy due to its acoustics, but it added somewhat to the atmosphere.

We will definitely come back to try some more of their dishes and enjoy the atmosphere.




http://www.insomniacafe.com/

TASTE OF COLOMBIA - FAIR TRADE COFFEE and GIFT SHOP 

67 Bronte Road, Unit #2 , Oakville On., (289) 837-3021, Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Located on the main street across from Bronte Harbour on Bronte Road is a Colombian Coffee shop.

The inside is quaint and homey.

They have a corner reserved for kids to colour and be occupied, while adults drink their coffees.  There is Spanish entertainment sometimes here for a very reasonable price.  They have Salsa nights on Saturdays.

We have been here several times for their cappuccinos - they are the best we have had anywhere.  Their small cappuccino is very large and strong in flavour not foam as most coffee shops make it.

We usually order an empanada to go with the coffee and it sometimes comes with a nice salsa or a hot sauce.  The corn covered empanada is delicious and spicy.

They serve a variety of coffees, teas, cookies and treats.  They also have a gift shop of Colombian themed fair trade gifts.

You will not be disappointed in the coffee and empanada.    We will continue to come here regularly.  

http://tasteofcolombia.wordpress.com/

THE GREEN BEAN COFFEE ROASTING 

210 Lakeshore Road, Oakville On., (905) 844-1286, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After having dinner at the Queen's Head in Oakville we decided to go to The Green Bean for a coffee.  It is a very chic but comfortable place.  We have been here before for their Americano - it is the best version of this coffee I have had. 

We also split a strawberry rhubarb torte and it was quite good.

It has a funky but comfortable interior.

And a lovely patio in Oakville Square.

This is a great place to have a coffee despite the fact that there is Starbucks across the street and a Second Cup around the corner.

http://www.greenbean.ca/

QUEEN'S HEAD 

118 Dunn Street, Oakville On.  (905) 842-3070, 

A true British Pub in Oakville, the Queen's Head feels very authentic the moment you step in.  The atmosphere, the clientele, the pints and the menu all feel British - you expect Prince Philip to come through the door at any moment.  We have been here for football (soccer) games and just ordinary Saturdays and the feeling is the same.  

We have had fish and chips and other dishes and find them to be very satisfying comfort food.  The dishes are not fancy but the prices are very reasonable.  

This visit I came with my son Thomas and we began with pints.  I had a Caffery's and he had a Fuller's London Pride.

Both are very smooth and delicious beers.  We then ordered our mains.  I had the fish and mashed potatoes with gravy on the side.  It was a very comforting meal.

Thomas had a grilled chicken on a bun with cheese, pickles, coleslaw and french fries.  He enjoyed everything.

http://www.queensheadoakville.com/

PIZZERIA LIBRETTO

221 Ossington Street, Little Italy/Portugal Village, M6J 2Z8 (416) 532-8000 Toronto On., Open for lunch and dinner. Do not take reservations.

We went to Pizzeria Libretto after a long walk from Dundas and Bay streets.  It was a very hot and humid Saturday on the first day of June.  We were famished when we finally arrived at Ossington Street.  Just around the corner was Pizzeria Libretto.

There is usually a very long wait, however we arrived at just the right time (around 6 pm).  We did not wait very long (they normally take your cell number and call you when there is a space for you because they don't take reservations).  We were seated at the window at a table for two, but even here it was a tight squeeze.

in a few minutes these seats were full

After we were seated we ordered a nice Ripasso wine and a bottle of filtered water.

The wine list here has a nice selection that is easy to select from.  We have  a habit of always ordering calamari if we see them in the appetizer list.  They were soft and layered on top of a sauce that was absolutely delicious.

After the calamari arrived, a nice plate of bread was delivered by our delightful waitress Sarah.  The bread was fresh and the olive oil and balsamic dip was scrumptious.  We followed the calamari with a bowl of warmed olives in a spiced oil.  They were fabulous!!

We decided to order the prosciutto and arugula pizza.  It did not disappoint.  The prosciutto was plentiful and the arugula was fresh.  This pizza is very similar to a pizza I have had in Oakville in a restaurant called Seven.  My wife did not like the sauce very much but enjoyed the pizza overall.  

We decide to split a tiramisu (which is house made).  It was melt in your mouth delicious.  Make sure you order it, even if you think you are full - it is not to be missed!

We completed our meal with a nice espresso and mellowed out for a while.

It is a narrow and tight place that can get very noisy, but that is to be expected.

By the time we finished our meal the restaurant was getting full.  We enjoyed our meal despite the cramped quarters and somewhat uncomfortable seating.  The food was fresh simple and delicious.  Our waitress Sarah was efficient and very personable.  We will definitely be back again to try another pizza selection.

http://pizzerialibretto.com/