Thimblecakes, Part Deux

Today, I am literally eating my words. Some time ago, I wrote a pretty bad review of Thimblecakes (here) as I had experienced a few unpleasant GF cupcakes from there. Now, my mind has changed! Thimblecakes contacted me this summer saying they had made some changes to their GF recipes and wanted to make up for my bad experience. They offered me a dozen cupcakes – How could I say no?

I picked up a lovely box of three flavours: Mint Chocolate, Vanilla Love and Banana. The cupcakes were beautiful and tasted delicate, not-too-sweet, and had well-balanced flavours. I was impressed! And this, from a girl who takes her cupcakes seriously.

I was especially taken with the mint chocolate cupcake, while my good friend and backup taster was partial to the banana one. We were pretty happy with our treat!

As an added bonus, I was treated wonderfully by everyone at the shop on Bank street. I think it is great that this company cared enough to reach out to me and make the extra effort to win me back as a customer. It was truly a mark of fine customer service I will certainly be returning when I need a sweet fix!

Thimblecakes
395 Bank Street
(Also carried at The Candy Shoppe in Westboro)
613-695-0109

Pizza at ZaZaZa

Friends,

I have discovered gluten-free pizza heaven! ZaZaZa has the most amazing gluten-free crust I have yet to encounter. The crust is thin, chewy (in a good way) and tasty – not crumbly or dry by any means. I am hooked. It is truly a blessing and a curse that I live only a few blocks away. My soul is happy, but my calorie intake has dramatically increased. No matter – A happy soul is the most important.

For the last couple of months, whenever I have a craving for cozy comfort food, my mind immediately rushes to the “French Kiss”, a pan pie blanketed with asparagus, brie, fresh tarragon and other delights. Drizzle on a little chilli oil and you’ve got it made.

The service has also been excellent. The staff have been friendly, quick and attentive. They’ve also been very knowledgeable about any glutenous questions, which earns them bonus points.

You want to eat here.

ZaZaZa

143 Putman Ave

and

915 Bank Street

Bridgehead

Over the past few months, I've been noticing a slow influx of new GF foods trickling into my beloved Bridgehead. This warms my heart.

A few weeks ago, I noticed they added a GF spice loaf and GF biscotti to their repertoire. They are both good, but the biscotti is fantastic. I am hooked. I love having something sweet to dunk into my tea. The spice loaf is tasty enough, but tends to crumble apart a bit.

They also have a fruit and cheese plate with nuts and GF oat crackers. This makes a really great little lunch in a pinch. I like that they use Quebec cheeses and a variety of nuts in the pack. The oat crackers are also very tasty and oat-y, which I love. But, Bridgehead NEEDS to add one more oat cracker to the pack or make them bigger - I always run out of crackers before cheese, despite my repeated attempts at rationing the crackers. The cheese by cracker ratio is definitely off (I'm a nerd).

There are also a few other GF options in the salad department and I'm told the breakfast oatmeal with fruit compote and maple syrup is also made of only oats, though I suspect these may not be specifically GF oats.

If ever you see a gal dunking GF biscotti into Earl Grey tea, come over and say hi, will ya?

Bridgehead
Various locations

The Daily Grind

I am writing this post from the interior of The Daily Grind, a funky little cafe nestled in the heart of Chinatown. I am pretty happy here, steeped in great music, reclaimed furniture and interesting art. Also, they have a pastry case full of delicious-looking GF goodies. Not to mention a full menu of GF things. ALL food is gluten-free here. As a result, it took me an embarrassingly long time to pick out a simple sandwich. I am really not accustomed to so much selection anymore. This is nice.

I am munching away at a pear, onion and brie sandwich which came with a side of plain chips. The sandwich is nice and warm and the fillings are tasty and generous. The bread is good, but has a tendency to fall apart a bit. Good thing the melted brie is acting as a binder, holding the whole thing together. Somehow it works, and I am pretty satisfied with my lunch, despite the fact that it took a little long to make.  The flavours are really nicely balanced.  Not too much onion, just enough pear and lots of brie.

From my understanding, this place is fairly new. To me, it looks like it is experiencing a slight identity crisis, which might smooth itself over time. They have this indy-cool vibe and serve up beer and live music in the evenings. They also have all-day breakfast. And a tex-mex section in their menu. And a kid table with drawing supplies. All good things, but evidence of multiple personalities. I am wondering how this will work out in the long run. Maybe people will love it. Or, maybe it is trying too hard to please everyone, and it will end up pleasing very few. For my part, I hope it works out! I will be back for the excellent music and wifi, surely. Plus, I want to try some of their sweets and meet some fellow gluten-avoiders.

As for the service, it was really friendly and attentive, but I was asked to settle my bill in the middle of my meal because of a changing shift. The same happened to the table across from me. It was a bit annoying. I would have preferred to pay upfront or have the option of waiting until I was finished. Nonetheless, I think this place is worth a try and I recommend a visit if you're in the area.

The Daily Grind
601 Somerset Street W.
613-233-2233
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Thyme and Again

I happened to find myself on Wellington street today and made a stop at cute-as-a-button Thyme and Again. They had gluten-free almond bombs (they looked like big cookies), Florentines and chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons. They get bonus points for the awesome selection! Plus, I was swept off my feet by the sweet art-filled café with loads of fresh lunch foods being served up. Their menus even note which items are GF. This place makes me happy.

I treated myself to a Florentine and couldn’t have been happier. It was crunchy and caramelly, with a delicate chocolate drizzle to finish it off. Heaven.

If you want a bit more info, their website has a full page with details about all of their gluten-free foods and how they are prepared. Wonderful.

Thyme & Again
1255 Wellington Street West
(613) 722-6277
catering@thymeandagain.ca

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