Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Merchants of Green Coffee

Each time we drive along the DVP, I keep seeing The Merchants of Green Coffee, and I keep saying to my husband that we should check it out.  It’s been years since I’ve started saying that.  This time I had the perfect reason, we needed a spot to do some Europe trip 2016 planning.  We could have done it at our house, as we normally do, but I personally wanted a change of scenery, plus, it was my excuse for a good coffee as opposed to using the Nespresso machine at home.  Since it was a Saturday I knew my usual favorite coffee shops would be packed to the brim because they’re usually pretty small and cozy.  So while searching for good coffee, it had to also be big enough, and not that far deep into the downtown core.  So that’s how we ended up at the Merchants of Green Coffee. 


The space at Merchants of Green Coffee is pretty big, but yet very comfy cozy feeling.  I love the look of mismatched tables and chairs.  I ordered my usual latte and the hubby ordered a 2 cup drip coffee to share with the cousins.  The beans they chose was their own sustainable blend cafĂ© solar.  I found my latte a bit on the weak side, but the hubby enjoyed his drip coffee very much.  The cousin, well he had no opinion as he likes or doesn’t mind the crap, I mean inconsistency, served at Tim Hortons.  So if you need a break from working at home, drop by Merchants of Green coffee for some coffee and quiet time.
Latte & Drip Coffee











Merchants of Green Coffee
2 Matilda St.,
Toronto, ON
M4M 1L9

Phone:  (416) 749-5369

Hours:  Monday - Friday 8a -6p
             Saturday 9a - 6p
             Sunday 10a - 6p

http://www.merchantsofgreencoffee.com

Boar Sandwiches


Sandwiches, sometimes you just have a craving for a really good sandwich.  I’m not talking about a cold deli sandwich.  I’m talking about a piping hot sandwich.  I looked my trusty Yelp app, and initially all I could find was the Black Camel.  I know a lot of people who love the sandwiches at Black Camel, but I don’t know, I wasn’t a huge fan of it.  I then saw Boar.  Don't be fooled and think that Boar only offers pork options!  They have chicken, beef, pork and veggie options.  Pick your meat (or veggies) and your toppings to make your own sandwich, done.  

The decor is a bit lacking, concrete everything.  Kind of makes you feel like you're in an unfinished basement, or jail cell.  But the smells of barbeque made everything all better.  I chose chicken topped with tomato sauce and arugula.  The hubby got steak (I don't see steak as an option on their website, but I'm pretty sure he didn't order the veal) topped with arugula aioli and mushrooms.  We had to wait around 10 minutes for the sandwiches to be prepared, a sign the meat is only cooked after you order.  The bun was like a ciabatta bun, so it was crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy on the inside, which I loved.  The meats were grilled really well, had good char, and juicy on the inside.  I liked the beef over the chicken, just by a slight margin.  We also got a side order of the roasted potatoes.  They were AMAZING!  Super crispy on the outside and super soft and fluffy on the inside.  The only downside was that the portion size was a bit small for the price we paid.
Sandwiches and Roasted Potatoes











Boar Sandwiches
3 Glebe Rd. East,
Toronto, ON
M4S 1N7

Phone:  (416) 482-1616

Hours:  Monday - Sunday 11a - 8p

http://www.boarsandwiches.ca



Boxcar Social

Found another coffee spot!!!  Actually it was quite hard to find.  The first time I tried to come to Boxcar Social, we drove past it without finding it.  The second time, I made sure to Google Map it and street view it to make sure we don’t drive by it again.  The inside of Boxcar Social looks more like a bar than a coffee shop.  Along the wall, behind their bar is a huge display of liquor.  I think they do have a liquor license.   I ordered my usual flat white, and the hubby got a cappuccino.  We headed upstairs to grab a seat.  For a Saturday morning it was quite busy, all the tables were filled except for one.  Coffee was very good smooth, felt a bit on the weaker side at first, but left your mouth with a great coffee aftertaste. 
Cappuccino & Flat white











As I was about to post this blog post, I went on their website and just learned that Boxcar Social has 2 locations, one on Yonge St. (the one I went to) and a location in Riverdale.  Delicious coffee, with a comfy cozy surrounding, and an amazing concept:  Do what we love, do it with our friends, and do it really well.  This is something that we should all apply in our lives.  I can almost feel their passion and love behind Boxcar Social.

Boxcar Social Summerhill
1208 Yonge St.,
Toronto, ON
M4T 1W1

Phone: (416) 792-5873

Hours:  Monday 8a - 5p
             Tuesday - Thursday 8a - 12a
             Friday - Saturday 8a - 2a
             Sunday 8a - 8p

http://www.boxcarsocial.ca/home.html

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