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I had the pleasure of returning to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria to check out their new Spring/Summer menu a couple of weeks ago. The menu features two new pizzas and the return of a seasonal favorite. We opted to return to the Bloor Street West location, which opened its doors in 2012 and has become a local spot in the Annex. Famosa is best known for its authentic Neapolitan style cuisine, which makes no apology for their creative menu of fusion pizzas. Dean (the owner) runs two locations with his brother, and he is very passionate about the trade. He explained in details about the journey that they embarked on to bring us this delicate taste of Naples menu that we were able to sample.

We started dinner off with the Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque - roasted Campania tomato soup topped with feta cheese, and served with flatbread. This was one of the highlights of the evening. The bisque was rich with flavor, as the tomatoes hail from Pompeii, Italy. The body of these tomatoes taste stronger, sweeter, and have less acidity in them due to the growing conditions of the volcanic ash that makes up the significant content of the soil. With some added crushed peppers, and Parmesan cheese, the aroma of the bisque was brought to its greatest.

A post shared by Sandi ♡ Foodaholic! (@foodaholicblog_) on May 25, 2017 at 7:52pm PDT

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria offers a limited menu of seasonal pizzas, which changes every season. The first new pizza that we got to try was the Prawn Pesto ($16.95) - fior-di-latte, seasoned ricotta, sautéed prawns, roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, pistachio pesto, lemon wedge. In a departure from the standard pizza toppings, the new pizza is topped off with sautéed prawns, which remarkably makes a very delicious pizza. Out of the three new pizzas on the menu, I'd say that this one was my favorite.

The Mattina ($16.95) - parmesan crema, sautéed leeks, pancetta, prosciutto crisps, Grana Padano, Italian parsley, topped with a fried egg, was the second new pizza on the menu. I didn't like this one as much, but J really liked it.

We were quite stuffed from the two pizzas, but the owner (Dean) graciously brought out a third one for us to try. The third pizza was a returning favorite, the Don Andreas ($16.95) - crème fraîche, fior-di-latte mozzarella, roasted chicken, corn and chipotle salsa, avocado, cilantro, lime wedge, side of Valentina hot sauce. I could definitely see why it was a favorite among patrons. All of the toppings just came together well, and it was one tasty pizza.

Dean has some leeway when it comes to their drinks menu, and tries to be creative with the ingredients. We opted for the non-alcoholic options, which was the Strawberries Mocktail (comes with one free re-frill).

If you're craving pizzas with some creativity and fusion, then make sure you try out Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria. They do also have standard pizzas like the margherita pizza and pepperoni topped ones if you want safer choices.

Address: 386 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1X4

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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.

I had the pleasure of checking out Moxie’s Hard Lemonade Pop-Up at the 9th Wine & Spirit Festival this past weekend. The two-day event (presented by Sobeys) officially kicked off the summer season, and Moxie's Grill & Bar was part of the fun. If you missed out on their hard lemonade at the festival, don't fret! Moxie’s Hard Lemonade Pop-Up Patio will be popping up at select events in the GTA between June 16th to July 15th, 2017.

The idea was inspired by Moxie’s thirst quenching, crafted house-made hard lemonade (available in the restaurants). Since it's summer and everyone will be out and about, Moxie's Grill & Bar wanted consumers to quench their thirst with some refreshing lemonade this summer, and came up with the patio. The patio is custom designed with an adult lemonade bar, bright yellow lounge sitting and fitted with a large patio umbrella. Great place to socialize with friends, and hide out from the hot sun.

Moxie’s Hard Lemonade Pop-Up will be making an appearance at the following events.

1) June 24th - Port credit Yacht Club as part of the Toronto Area Hospice Regatta from 2 pm to 6pm. The event is put on by the Port Credit Yacht Club to raise funds for a great cause.

· 2) July 15th - In the beer garden of the GWN sports Regatta at Marylin Bell Park from 11 am to 6 pm serving our Moxie’s Hard Lemonade

Join me for some hard lemonade at one of the pop-up events this summer. The lemonade is handcrafted, and made-to-order to ensure that you cool down with every sip. The lemons are hand-squeezed, mixed with soda, and topped off with Tito’s Handmade Vodka over ice. Patio season has never been so freshly squeezed!

Check out their hashtag #squeezesummerhard for more pictures.

GIVEAWAY ALERT:

I am giving away a $150 gift card to any Moxie's Grill & Bar location in Canada, which you can enter here at https://www.instagram.com/p/BV0Qezng5Eh/.

A post shared by Sandi ♡ Foodaholic! (@foodaholicblog_) on Jun 26, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Moxie's Grill & Bar. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

A post shared by Sandi ♡ Foodaholic! (@foodaholicblog_) on Jun 21, 2017 at 9:18am PDT

We had the pleasure of visiting the Front Street location of Fionn MacCool's last month to check out their new #GoodFoodPromise menu. The philosophy that they instilled is that they believe in sourcing great tasting and quality ingredients from responsible Canadian family farms that they know and trust. Fionn MacCool's has several locations in Ontario, and their menu offers a variety of Irish-inspired and North American classics.

The Chicken Tacos - 3 tacos with fresh pulled chicken, cilantro-lime coleslaw and mango salsa packed into flour tortillas. Drizzled with fresh lime cream sauce and finished with a little Sriracha for some heat, was super filling and delicious.

I usually love calamari, but the Calamari - lightly dusted calamari tossed in salt, pepper and green onions. Served with our made-in-Pub fire-roasted red pepper sauce, from here was slightly too soft for my taste.

The beef used in Fionn MacCool's dishes are sourced from the proudly Canadian Beretta Farms. The cows are raised without the use of antibiotics, hormones, or steroids. For my main course, I opted for their Steak & Fries - 8 oz. Alberta top sirloin grilled to order with sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomato and fresh-cut fries. My steak was cooked perfectly as I requested - medium and the sautéed mushrooms really added to its flavor. As a steak lover, it was a highly recommended item for me.

Over-fishing is a huge issue, and Ocean Wise is helping consumers identify species that are caught or farmed in a way that ensure the long-term health and stability of that species. Fionn MacCool's is proud to serve Ocean Wise wild cod in their fish and chips and also fish tacos. My guest opted for the No.1 Fish & Chips - the only two food groups that matter. Keep it classic with a cod fillet fried to order in our made-in-Pub Barking Squirrel amber lager beer batter. It’s served with rainbow slaw, our Dungloe Sauce and fresh-cut fries. Unlike some of the other fish and chips on the market, the ones here was non-greasy. It was tender on the inside, and lightly battered on the outside. The fish are offered with hand-cut fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw (but you can substitute the fries for side salad).

If you are interested in reading about the sustainability and traceability in the seafood industry, please read my blog post on MSC.

In addition to sourcing the best ingredients, Fionn MacCool's is also deeply rooted in the community. 50 cents from every Mill St. Original Organic Pint sold goes to a local charity. So, don't forget to pair your food with a pint ... drink for a good cause.

Fionn MacCool's #GoodFoodPromise menu features many new items that I think people will enjoy whether it's with friends or casual dinners. It was definitely good knowing where the ingredients came from and the chain pubs' overall message.