Back In Toronto Part I: The Usual Spots

Back in my second home of Toronto, Ontario, which is almost triple the population size of Philadelphia, my first meal was this giant bowl of coconut curry with black rice, black sesame tofu, lettuce, and breadsticks from Urban Herbivore, a few blocks away from the Greyhound Station at the mall.

My friend, who cordially allowed me to stay over at her beautiful space with the most wonderful roommates (including a precocious ten-year-old), ordered a burger and fries wrap. The potatoes are inside the burger-- how amazing is that??? I'll have to try that someday. 

On a surprisingly beautiful Friday afternoon, I walked down to Bloomer's for mac n cheese with broccoli, an elderberry donut, and endless water. 

The mac n cheese has a thick, creamy richness that makes me unsure if they're using a housemade creation from nuts or a dairy free alternative cheese-- either way it is amazing, especially with the generous amounts of firm broccoli florets.

My friend and I walked down to Apiecollapse. She ordered a scrumptious looking big mac pizza slice and a blueberry donut. Their donuts are huge, bright colored desserts that remind anyone of cartoons, which isn't astonishing information that the Homer remains a favorite. 

The Homer, Peanut Butter, and Blueberry flavors. 

For old time's sake, I had their top notch mozzarella sticks.

Crispy, crunchy, hot, with mouthwatering ooze of cheesy goodness in the middle. 

We walked off our vegan fast food deliciousness, browsing the goods of the neighborhood, stopping inside a bookstore with a large comic book selection. I had looked through those many splendid Marvel graphic novels, searching for Black Panther in this impressive needle-in-the-haystack. Lo and behold, my friend found an issue, well hidden (which kind of makes me feel a little guilty for taking this person's comic). The cashier didn't even know it existed. 

A new kitchen store opened up and these gorgeously wrapped chocolates caught my eye. Plus, they're on the Food Empowerment Project Approved List. 

Kensington Bakery apparently has the best baked goods around. Owned and operated by Quang Dieu, a chef from originally from Vietnam, this bakery is also offers communal support to those who seek it. So it's definitely worth a visit. 

I also watched Black Panther for the third time-- here I am with the found comic book (written by The Boondocks creator Reginald Hudlin) and a Cineplex magazine with Chadwick Boseman on the cover. 

You can't hit Toronto up for a visit without Hogtown Vegan. It's a definite must. We split barbecue tofu wings with carrots, celery, and honeyless dip and the chili cheese fries with scallions, guacamole, "cheese," and sunflower sour cream. 

An incredible end to a Friday night.