Cheap Eats Toronto restaurant guide blog

WagJag Launches Instant Deals with WagJag Express

Yesterday WagJag announced a new approach to deals - WagJag Express is a buy-now, use-now, flash sale approach to deals.  In addition, August is $1 WagJag Express month with deals across the city for $1.

Today’s $1 deals (most of which run from 11am-2pm)  include: Thai One On, Second City, the {eat}ery, Kama, Ultra Supper Club, Cool Hand Luc, Jetsun’s Burgers, Herbal infusions Tea, Get Spun, Carido-Go, Marcello’s Market & Deli, deKEFIR, 5th Elementt.

If you download the app today – August 3rd – WagJag will donate $1 to The Stop. 

We haven’t talked much about deal sites and group buying, but it is certainly polarizing and there are many of them out there demanding our attention – WagJag, Groupon, TeamBuy, FabFind.  Some restaurants and vendors say it’s a great way to get new customers, others find the deals are

Food Trucks Eats!

In a bold move that is intended to remind Torontonians, and City Hall, that the world of good food need not be restricted to fine linens and riedel glassware, Suresh Dosh of Spotlight Toronto is elevating street food and food truck culture in our city for one short afternoon with Food Truck Eats!  (The first of three Ontario Food Trucks events!)

Farmer’s Markets in the City

AppleTree: All Year.

Days/Time: Thursdays 3 - 7 pm.

Intersection: Just West of Younge and Eglington.

Location: Vendors can be found in Eglinton Park, 200 Eglinton Avenue.  

Vendors: 23

Birch Cliff Village Farmers' Market: June 10 - October 7.

Days/Time: Fridays from 3 - 7 pm.

Intersection: East on Kingston Rd. just past Manderley Dr.

Location: Vendors can be found at 1512 Kingston Rd. in the church garden. 

Vendors: 20

Bay Adelaide Centre Farmers’ Market

by Guest Market Blogger Andrea Toole

On Thursdays Financial District workers are greeted by a new farmer's market in the Bay Adelaide Centre, Arnell Plaza.

A satellite location of the Evergreen Brick Works farmer's market, it's a new hub for the farmers, artisans and restaurants who feed hundreds at their market on Saturdays. Thursday's location welcomes a convergence of the usual farmer's market enthusiasts and food lovers with downtown workers, people of every profession seeking something tasty for lunch or something to take home.

In writing notes about the market for this piece I scrawled, tongue-in-cheek, "Pick up a sandwich or a stockbroker, bread or babe, cupcake or cutie".  "Apples or accountants"?  Not that it's a meet-market disguised as a meat-market. It's a gathering for people who want to try something different at lunch. It’s an excuse – no, a reason - to leave the desk and bask in the sunshine while connecting with local food producers such as farmers and chefs. It’s the Brick Works market, only much smaller than the grandiose Saturday market.

Interested in buying meat from grass-fed animals raised on Ontario farms without hormones or antibiotics? How about fresh salads? Sustainably harvested fish such as line caught haddock, rod and reel tuna or harpooned swordfish? Fresh lemonade?  Local honey? I wish I could write about each and every vendor.

The Village Market at the Toronto Waldorf School

                                                          by Guest Market Blogger Sandy Avvari

I have driven past this large sign many times since I moved to the area. The Village Market selling organic produce and food at the Toronto Waldorf School?

Hmmm… my vegetarian taste buds were intrigued! Finally, about a month ago I set my alarm early on a Saturday morning and drive down the street to check it out. I was greeted by the beautiful sight of the Toronto Waldorf School campus which sits down in a valley near Bathurst and Rutherford in Thornhill. The market opens at 8:30 am and by the time I got there at 9 am the parking lot was already almost full!

I walked inside and was amazed at the amount of activity early in the morning. The Village Market is a busy place with people of all ages rushing around to get first pick at the goods from the vendors. On average, there are 25 vendors at the market each week, selling organic fruits, vegetables, meats, baked goods and other natural products. There is also a small food court area which sells ready-to-eat foods and has a small sitting area.

Ottawa Farmers’ Market 2010

                                                           by Guest Market Blogger Vicky Weiss 

I grew up in Ottawa but haven’t lived there for many many years now (ok over 20 years) but my parents still live there and I try to visit as often as I can.

I not only see my parents, but now I meet my twitter foodie friends as well i.e @FoodiePrints and @cestboncooking. On a visit to Ottawa recently they suggested that instead of meeting for brunch, that we should meet at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market which is located at Lansdowne Park.

Naturally I agreed, seeing as I had never been and it was about time!!

The first thing that struck me about the Ottawa Farmers’ Market was the size of it.

There’s A LOT of vendors, scattered nicely on a huge parking lot.

There is also a nice variety of vendors.

I would like to take an educated guess and say that there is almost 50 percent fruit and vegetable (plus meat, cheese and bread) vendors and 50 percent prepared foods.

I decided to check out the prepared foods this visit. It wasn’t a hard decision!!

Port Credit Farmer's Market - Year Two Summer 2010

                                                             by Guest Market Blogger Jeff Gignac

It has been a long winter since the final days of the first annual Port Credit Farmer’s Market (PCFM) closed. But today, June 5th, year two begins.

The Port Credit Farmer’s Market is the newest in Mississauga’s Farmer’s Market. With the second year, there is more excitement toward this year’s PCFM.

I arrived this morning to see some familiar vendors from last year. Vendors such as Cheeseofcanada.ca, La Villa Bakery (http://www.lavillabakery.com/ ) and Desitnation Cafe (www.DesitnationCafe.ca) where I get more organic coffee from during the winter months. J & S Farms had a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Blyleven Farms is back with some great flowers and potted plants (for my mom). Evergreen Aces Nursery is also back with some nice plants. For my kids I picked up some fresh strawberries from Thames River Melons. Other returning vendors will be back in the coming weeks.

A Whole New Meaning for "Cheap Eats"

Check out this scan from last week's Zellers flyer. In it, you’ll find a wonderful, nutritious, calorie-conscious (not to mention delicious!) meal – all for less than $10! Now THAT's a cheap eat!

Plus, if you do eat this way on a regular basis, you’re sure to look like the model in the photo!

Okay, seriously though – how many things are wrong with this? “Quick, convenient and always fresh…”?! Hmmm, a new definition of “fresh” for those frozen fish sticks, freeze-dried corn, and "fruit" drink.

Evidently people just don't understand how simple it really is to create the same meal with actual fresh ingredients and reduce the salt and calorie content a ton. How hard is it to bread some fish yourself and bake it in your oven? How hard is it to cut and steam some produce that's grown locally? I mean, even in frigid Canada you can get greenhouse produce. And to drink - well, Sunny-D would be hard to replicate, but would anyone want to? I'm sure you could find something tastier and healthier.

Shame on Zellers for pushing this kind of nutrition on people.

Blue Gloves

Blue Gloves
Originally uploaded by LexnGer.

The CheapEats Photo of the Week is Blue Gloves taken by LexnGer.

Here's what LexnGer said when they uploaded it to the CheapEats Flickr Group

Have I mentioned how much I hate blue sanitary gloves? Don't get me wrong, I like my food clean and I don't really want to catch your cooties... but it really screws up my photos!

It also makes my food feel less personal, less honest and frankly less healthy. I always see gloves as protecting the wearer... so what's wrong with my sandwich that you have to handle it with gloves?
But maybe that's just me.

Oakville Harbourside Organic Market

Local + Organic = Sustainable

This simple statement sums up the mission of the Oakville Harbourside Organic Farmer’s Market up in just three words. As a project of the Oakville Harbourside Organic Farmer’s Market, this market features a variety of goods from farmers and artisans that live and work within 100 miles of Oakville.

I love exploring new markets. So I was excited to visit one of my favourite neighbourhoods to check out this new up and coming market. It's a small market, with only maybe about a dozen booths, but it's chock full of goodies. 

Your first stop at the market should be the Cinnful Twists booth, where they prepare fresh cinnamon twist buns on site. Made from scratch, these little gems of a bun are made a dozen at a time throughout the morning. It's either 2 dollars for one bun or 6 for $9.00, this is the perfect place for your Saturday morning coffee and nosh.