After treetop trekking, we drove about 26 minutes to downtown Port Hope for lunch. Lunch reservation was made at Olympus Burger, so our table was ready once we arrived. Additionally, the burger joint was featured on an episode of The Food Network’s television show ‘You Gotta Eat Here’, and also topped Canadian Living magazine's list of best burgers in Canada.


 We were warmly greeted by Giorgos Kallonakis; the owner of the establishment. He was passionate about his products and business. I think it's always nice when owners take a more hand-on approach to running their restaurants. I also can appreciate the fact that the utensils here are environmentally-friendly. Olympus Burger is the first carbon-neutral burger restaurant in Ontario, as all of their straws and cups are made of renewable and compostable materials.



It's a very casual atmosphere, where customers would order the items and pay upfront at the counter. However, they provided table-service to us and our fellow bloggers that afternoon. The menu was a two-pager featuring a good selection of burgers. Given the branding, all of the menu items are themed around Greek mythology. Psst ... they also have a secret menu, which is available for viewing online.



I opted for the Zeus ($ 10.95) - Fresh beef patty, peameal bacon, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, aged white cheddar cheese, Olympus bbq sauce, lettuce, tomato. In line with their burgers, the beef patty was 6 oz, and was made fresh and in-house.




JJ got the Ares ($9.95) – Peppercorn beef patty, crispy bacon, caramelized onion, sautéed mushrooms and Olympus BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato.





Overall, we had a very pleasant lunch experience at Olympus Burger.


Address: 55 Mill St S, Port Hope, ON, L1A 2S7

Milestones Grill and Bar is a restaurant chain under Recipe Unlimited (used to be Cara) serving up Canadian cuisine. There are over 40 locations across British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. The one I frequent the most is the Queensway location, as it's centrally located in the same plaza as Cineplex Odeon Queensway Cinemas (my go-to theater). 

 Earlier last week, I was invited to check out their new "Cantina Menu Event", which is available until September 2, 2018. The new menu features several Mexican-inspired dishes that are perfectly shareable. 

 J started the evening off with an order of the Mayan Mule ($9.75) - Sauza Silver tequila mixed with blackberry purée and fresh citrus juices topped with ginger beer and served in a traditional copper mug. The Mayan Mule is a variation on the Moscow Mule, and has a nice balance since the tequila isn't too strong.

The Mexican Street Corn Dip ($12.75) - Fresh roasted corn blended with three cheeses, roasted poblano and serrano peppers, and a tomato tomatillo pico de gallo. Served with our classic tortilla chips was a great appetizer to start with. It was creamy, and a great combo of Mexican street corn and cheese. One of my personal favorites of the night.

Another appetizer on the menu is the Three Amigos Fish Tacos ($15.25) - Crisp fried basa on a soft grilled white flour tortilla. Each taco came with a nicely battered crisp fried basa and topped with melted Mozzarella cheese, napa cabbage jicama slaw, cilantro lime dressing, chili avocado aioli, pico de gallo, avocado and fresh cilantro. Good portion size too! You can also add an extra taco for another $5.50. 

 I love seafood, so my entrée option was the Honey Chipotle Shrimp ($26.50) - Jumbo shrimp covered with a honey chipotle glaze, alongside a cilantro crema for dipping. Served with fiesta rice and seasonal vegetables. The Chipotle flavored shrimp was topped off with crispy chips and had a nice blend of sweet & savory seasoning. I also appreciate that they didn't skimp out on the shrimp, as it came with 9 pieces of plump shrimp. However, the fiesta rice was a little soggy to me, but it was still an enjoyable dish.

If you're not into shrimp, then you can opt for the Chili Lime Chorizo Chicken ($22) - Grilled chili lime chicken breasts topped with chorizo sausage, roasted poblano cream and Monterey Jack cheese. Served with Mexican fiesta rice, seasonal vegetables and fried plantain.

One problem that I find with restaurant chains is location inconsistency, and you can't judge an entire brand if the service if off-putting at a specific location. However, I do go to the Queensway location as they're relatively consistent with their service. Our server for the night was attentive and friendly. I noticed that he was pretty much like that with other tables as well - so it was not just a media thing. The Cantina Menu Event at Milestones Grill and Bar is only here for a limited time, so hope you guys check it out soon!

There are no shortage of restaurants in Toronto, as the city offers an impressive range of international foods without needing to travel abroad. You don't have to travel far to have a taste of a Sunday Roast dinner, as you can now find it at Weslodge. Situated in the heart of King Street West is Weslodge, a modern saloon-inspired restaurant by Ink Entertainment. Weslodge is pretty distinguishable by its illuminated, slab-lettered marquee lights and large yellow doors. Once inside, you are welcomed into a large space furnished with cutting-edge design and decor.

I have been to the restaurant on two occasions for dinner, and a couple of weeks ago had the pleasure of trying their Sunday Roast Dinner. What is Sunday Roast? It is a popular traditional British meal that is typically served on Sunday, and typically shared with families and friends. The dinner concept originated from England, but is also popular in many parts of Ireland as well. 

The restaurant prides itself on their extensive selection of expertly mixed classic drinks, which I had the chance to try. My cocktail was mixed by one of the mixologists at the bar, and it was sweet to my liking.

Weslodge introduced their version of the Sunday Roast Dinner earlier this past December, and it's now available every Sunday from 3 pm to close. The dinner is $35 per person, and features roast meat (beef or lamb) served with the following accompaniments; Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, seasonal vegetables, a jug of gravy, and choice of dessert. 

I really enjoyed the Potatoes, as they were golden, crispy, and didn't taste oily to me. 

The meal also came with a dish of Seasonal Vegetables, which change often depending on the season. Personally, I found the vegetables too salty for my liking, so I didn't touch much of it.  

Yorkshire Pudding is an English food made from batter, and is usually part of the traditional Sunday roast. I have never had such a huge Yorkshire Pudding before, and as a carbs lover ... I certainly welcome its size.

For my meat option, I opted for the Roast Beef, which did not disappoint. The roast was cooked to pink, so it was medium on the outside, while being fairly rare on the inside. I loved it! It was tender, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. Although the gravy was very good, I didn't need to drown my meat with it.  

Another meat option is the Roast Lamb, which J got. He liked it too! 

For dessert, I got their Sticky Toffee Pudding - vanilla ice cream, which is also available on their regular dessert menu. It was a great ending to a wonderful meal.

Apple Crumble Pie - cinnamon ice cream 

Overall, the Sunday Roast at Weslodge was an enjoyable dinner. The service was attentive, friendly, and non-pretentious. Mondays are usually the worst, so the Sunday Roast Dinner at Weslodge is the perfect way to make your weekend feel a little longer. 

Address: 480 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1L7

We got the Grilled Jerk Shrimp ($14) containing jalapeño pineapple salsa as an appetizer. I was told that it only had a slight kick due to some regular clienteles complaining about the heat level. The jerk shrimp along with the sweet and juicy pineapple was a fantastic combo.  

The Fragrant Steamed Mussels ($13) - peppers, thyme, oregano, garlic, shallots, white wine was another stand-out appetizer.  The seafood delicacy come together with the help of white wine and various spices to create a lovely aromatic smell. The broth itself was light and savory, and there was a generous helping of mussels (big enough to share between two people). 

One of Holts Café's most recommended salad was the Chopped Salad ($19) - avocado, cucumber, peppers, chickpeas, sweet corn, red cabbage, romaine lettuce, French vinaigrette. The salad was a decent option, but there wasn't enough French vinaigrette, so it tasted too light to me. 

I opted for the Pickerel ($27) as my main, and it was a perfectly cooked dish. The fish was lightly seasoned and complemented the creamy Jerusalem artichoke and French beans. It was also topped with some shaved fennel, which didn't really seem to add or detract from the taste. Lastly, the pickerel was pan-seared, which resulted in a beautiful crust that added to the texture of the fish. A simply light main course!
 

For the main course, J got the Steak Frites ($27) - 8 oz petite tender, hand cut fries, wild mushroom ragoût, red wine jus.

Desserts has always been one of my favorite things, so I was looking forward to trying the Strawberry Shortcake ($10). It was made with shortcake biscuit, pastry cream, strawberry compote, crème Anglaise, Chantilly cream. It was literally a platter of sugar, which probably doesn't suit everyone's palette. It was very sweet, which I liked. However, I think that they could add a few more strawberries to balance out the sweetness of the shortcake biscuits.

The Chocolate Mousse ($10) - fresh raspberry, feuilletine hazelnut crust, coulis gracefully sat in a pool of coulis made from puréed fruits. It was definitely an airy and rich dessert.  

Brewed Coffee ($4.25)

Overall, our lunch at the Holts Café at Holt Renfrew Toronto was a very pleasant dining experience. Despite it being near 75% capacity, I noticed that all diners were being attended to appropriately, which I am not surprised considering the brand namesake. Furthermore, our server (Joe) was attentive and personable.

If you do come for lunch, they are are extremely limited parking spaces in the Yorkville area. So I'd recommend either using public transportation, Uber, or taking a taxi. However, if you do plan on driving, Holt Renfrew does offer valet parking for $25.

Address: 50 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A1

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Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

However, over the last two decades, much has changed, including the demise of arcade and game centers due the emergence of mobile phones and Netflix. The health movement over the last six years has also made Dave & Buster's traditional burger and fries menu far less appealing than what it was. With that being said, they have changed their food menu, and the options are now more diverse. The menu is rather extensive with items like shareable appetizers, side salads, beef steaks and ribs, pasta, sandwiches, and so much more.