Grand Electric, A taco fiesta with a hipster twist.

My buddy David has been dying to check out this new place since it opened…reviews have been good and apparently line ups are pretty intense if you don’t arrive before 7pm, otherwise it can potentially be a very long 2hr waiting list.

Bff and I decided to meet up around 4ish to grab some Nadege and then make our way over to Grand Electric to grab seats. Just as we were beginning our journey it was side tracked via shitty TTC as one street cart broke down,  meaning we weren’t going to be able to ride the cart to where we needed to go. So we decided to walk as far as we could…our starting point was from Osgoode subway station to far Queen West.

With wind chills hitting our faces at -12, we never looked more Chinese in our lives, with our mouths cringing and eyes squinting at the bitter cold…the walk seemed pretty damn impossible, but my encouraging words (not really) gave Jackie hope and so our frozen toes trekked onward.

It was pretty hilarious, the adventure took forever, roughly every 5-7 minutes we couldn’t stand the cold and ran into whatever store was in sight…to absorb as much heat as we could and went back outside to continue. We did check out some stores we never been to before so the walk wasn’t too too bad, though when the street carts were finally running back up, temptation to catch the cart struck our cold brains pretty often.

We finally made it to Nadege, like 1.5 hours later…we grabbed a pepito croissant (delicious) and some mini madelines  and walked onward to find the next Starbucks to get a latte.

Finally, it was time to head out to the restaurant and yes we took the street cart our toes couldn’t take it anymore, we had enough…we saw the street cart and waved that driver down like it we were on the sinking Titanic and he was our savior.

The place is very small, I don’t think it can even hold any more than 30 patrons…it has a very thrown together design but it seemed to work, very hipstery but alas I am in their territory, at least me and Jackie mesh in with everyone else me thinks.

Luckily for us, we did get the last big table situated right by the window. It was a nice spot until people start opening doors…

While we were waiting for the boys to arrive, we ordered Guacamole & chips, delicious and simple a good app to start.

Dave ordered some beer and a weird egg white bourbon sour cocktail, it was really strong otherwise tasty.

Let us move onto the main event…tacos!!! Grand electric sells fancy tacos for a very reasonable and good price. $3.50 each or 3 for $10. We ordered 3 of each off the menu :)

Fish taco

Pork and pineapple

Beef cheek

Spicy chicken

I’m not going to review each taco on their own because well…they are all fantastic..!!! I have no complaints what so ever with any of the tacos, all the meats were nicely flavoured, juicy and tender. These 3-4 bite (for a girl) tacos are sooooo delicious, I will definitely return for just the tacos.

The tacos are a bit small, but it will add up if you have one of each 4 tacos can definitely fill my tummy and easy on my wallet.

Shrimp Tostada, a citrus and creamy the shrimp is raw-ish and fresh so it leaves you without a fishy aftertaste.

Tuna Cheviche a tuna tartar dish where the raw fish is soaked in a vinegary lime juice that cooks it slightly. While we were having those spicy chicken tacos, we cooled down our palettes with this refreshing dish.

Pozole Rojo $12
So far everything is fantastic, no complaints…except this dish. The soup was bland and had no interesting kick to it, kinda reminded me of a watered down korean kamjatang, which while I was having this soup…really made me craved for some pork bone soup. I would not order this dish again.

This little pie in a jar was the finisher to our meal, of course it was a lime themed dessert, very refreshing and sweet, we were way too full to have our own individual desserts and having one spoonful each was perfect.

The bill for the night was very reasonable, we had our fill and the staff were all very friendly. The food came quickly and music was all over the place but it suited the place anyway.

Oh a funny of the night, since we were right by the window, we were graced with watching the many patrons struggle and be baffled by the door entrance. The door is a PUSH in, but trickery lies in the design as it has a long vertical bar that people will naturally assume it would be a pull to open. So after a few frustrated pulls, people think the restaurant might even be closed…but eventually their brain starts working and they decide to try another option and push their way through. haha.

Anyways, I want to go back already…I really wish they had lunch hours :(

NYC Quick Bites

Scott and I happily spent a few days in New York City, a late vacation trip that we have been eagerly waiting for, since our trip to Japan this year didn’t exactly go through due to the unfortunate earthquake evens.

Of course these are two very different places to compare to, but visiting this city two years back, we had lots of fun and was terribly short on time so we wanted to do it right this time and spend a few days to laze around and enjoy the food and city.

Ace hotel was the hotel we crashed at for a few nights, it was a great choice, the atmosphere was laid back and the hotel itself had a very eclectic and vintage vibe feel…hipster heaven I tell ya. Our room was cute and well furnished, the bed was very comfy and I had no problems falling asleep.

The location of our hotel was very convenient, we were in the heart of city so everything was within walking distance and for the majority of our trip we decided to trek as far as our legs could take us.

Location: 230 9th Ave, New York 10001

The first day we got to our hotel, we decided to check out my travel book recommendations for restaurants and settled for this cozy modern Italian resto called Co. (Company). After that long car ride to New York, I definitely did not want any fast food or anything microwaved, so we opted  for a simple delicious Margherita pizza, a favorite Scott and I always agree on.

The best kind of pizza always comes from a wood burning oven, fresh basil is what makes this pizza so delectable, simple ingredients but extremely satisfying. ($15)

Located: 482 6th Ave, New York, NY Website: http://www.ocafeny.com/

The following day we decided to hit up Soho, we didn’t eat breakfast yet but we decided to just stroll pass anything that caught our eyes. Scott picked O Cafe, a super cute cafe eatery we walked by on our way to Soho…good call on that too cus I really needed a latte fix.

A warm rustic feel, this cafe was everything I want my (future) cafe to be…the setting was perfect, the storefront relied on natural light that was brought in by the large windows, it was the right amount of light to give it that cozy feeling.

The cafe owner is sweet and friendly man who I think had some sort of European accent, he explained the daily specials and what they have baked for the day. I asked for their recommended sandwich and was offered a turkey sandwich ($5.50)…small in size, but delicious…thinly sliced pickles with a mustard grain spread, placed on fresh bread it was a fantastic balance. Not a heavy sandwich at all; light and savoury, I really enjoyed it.

Oooof course, I needed a latte ($4) fix for the long day ahead of me…let me tell you, the coffee is PERFECT. See that packet of sugar on the saucer cup? Did not need it at all, smooth and not too creamy the right amount of milk and espresso ratio…I was too happy…I really appreciate the baristas taking the time to make my latte look pretty, it made it all the more delicious.

The in store baked dessert looked all too tempting, I decided on this apple tart ($5), forgive me but I couldn’t remember exactly what type of tart it was…it has a sugary crispy pie like crust, sliced apples and interestingly enough, rosemary bits. I have never had this type of pairing before with apple…usually i’m not too fond of this herb, I find it too overpowering especially with my rack of lamb. Anyways, it paired super well with the apple tart, a touch too much rosemary (for my taste) but I will look into spicing up my apple tarts in the future with this herb.

I was surprised to find these little bits of rosemary in my tart, totally did not expect it.

The cafe was furnished with interesting tables, chairs and benches.

We sat in the front window, people watching while eating our breakfast/lunch is the best.

Wish I could just tear this store down and take it with me back home, I don’t have a cafe back here in Toronto that I can call my favorite..

It’s funny how in New York there is literally a Starbucks every 2 blocks (and their blocks are super small) Screw Starbucks, this is where the real stuff is…home made and warm there is no blueprint for this…a real cafe is different and has it’s own personality.

Everyone should support their local cafes…don’t let good coffee go to waste.

grind me a cup of bean juice any day.

Espresso with a bit of milk – I can’t remember what this was called, but the ratio of espresso is almost even with the milk I think…

Where would our lives be without the aid of our caffeine fix? Nothing would get done, work productivity would be an amplified low, or even some people could straight up not function in the morning (I know an unfortunate soul who has given her life to the caffeine Gods).

Luckily it’s readily available at your whim, coffee shops buzzing with all types of people…rich or poor, white collar, blue collar, whatever colour collar you wear, you share a common disposition; having a morning cup of caffeine to start your day.

It’s funny how caffeine is such a socially accepted form of drug use, it’s an addiction for some, but fortunately it’s a treat for me.

Latte – a shot of espresso with milk

I don’t drink coffee, but having lattes is my kind of kryptonite. The only issue here is where can I find the perfect latte for me? Everyone has so many different preferences as to how they enjoy their caffeine…Starbucks is a great example about how crazy people can get with their orders.

Personally, my expectations for my lattes are very basic imo anyways. I look for a smooth espresso that does not finish with a bitter sour note,I like the kick of my espresso but i’m not too fond of it when it overpowers the milk completely. Creamy and light, I like my milk to be 1% -2% pending on my mood that day, now a days I prefer 1%, it lets the espresso do it’s job without it tasting too fatty.

My perfect latte consists of no sugar, if I don’t need to add sugar that means the balance is perfect and I don’t need to buffer the bitterness with sweetening it.

P.s. I haven’t found the perfect cafe that serve this latte, at Starbucks they are so damn inconsistent, sometimes the shot pulls funny and my espresso comes out too weak or sometimes too strong…what the hell am I paying $4 for? Yet I still make a stop there out of convenience.

Espresso Crema – A shot of espresso with a splash of cold cream, it bubbles funny when the two opposite temperatures meet.

I don’t have lattes everyday which is a good thing, shelling out almost $5 everyday really adds up, but when I meet up with girlfriends or want a quick chitty chat with a friend, coffee is always a safe house for the sociable and I can’t help but love the atmosphere, everyone is doing their own thing, moving in and out, things to do places to go…these are the in between stops, our gasoline pit stops…gotta refuel those veins with sweet gold.

Photos: A sunny afternoon stop at Caffe Di Portici, a newly opened cafe that serves Italian coffee (a little on the strong side of espressos) located in Toronto, Yorkville. It is nestled under a condo that has a nice patio accompanied with friendly staff.