Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I'll be back in the new year with more dining delights and disasters.

Cheers,
Yvonne.

'Tis the season to indulge!

It's that time of year again, the time when holiday snacking is always warranted. Here are my top five favourite holiday snacks.

5. Red Rose Tea and a box of Lindt chocolates. The perfect snack for any student on a budget. Have some friends over, crack open the chocolates and let the smooth fudginess melt in your mouth with a much needed gab session.

4. Any pastry from The Frenchway (on Academy). If you can't get away this holiday season, The Frenchway is the place for you --dining in there feels like you're in Paris or Montreal.

3. 529 Wellington's maple creme brulee ($8). The best part is 529's creme brulee has a gingersnap stuck right in the middle of the dish so if you're sharing nobody will touch your half.

2. A caramel macchiato...and don't forget the whipped cream! It's warm, sweet and sinful --the perfect snack to stop for while Christmas shopping.

1. Baked Expectations' Tia Maria Torte ($7). Loads of whipped cream and cookies soaked in liqueur --need I say more?

Is Fazzo flipping fantastic?

Tired of the same old breakfast menu?

Try Fazzo. The bistro now serves Saturday and Sunday brunch from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

From the simplistic two egg combo ($6), to more authentic Italian style dishes like eggs pomodoro (two poached eggs on top a smooth and moist potato pancake with spicy marinara sauce and Italian sausage, $11), to adventurous ingredients like pork belly, Fazzo’s brunch menu is fresh, new and innovative.

I recommend the filling Fazzo frittata, an open face omelette stuffed with a blend of rich cheeses and topped with a creamy rose sauce ($9).

For any non-breakfast lovers, Fazzo has sandwich items on its brunch menu like grilled cheese with ham and asparagus ($12), a breakfast burrito (two eggs with avocado and tomatoes in a wrap, $10), a grilled chicken sandwich (spicy chicken thighs with lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli on a ciabatta bun, $11), and a denver ($9).

The denver was different from others I’ve had because rather than ham, Fazzo’s denver contained porchetta, a fattier ham stuffed with herbs. It is also uniquely dressed with a sweet roasted garlic aioli. The sandwich was tasty at first but lost its appeal throughout as it became too sweet and creamy.

The menu also features quick breakfasts’ like yogurt parfaits, fresh pastries and fruit smoothies that average $5.

The fruit smoothie is the most expensive quick breakfast item and beverage on the menu ($6 regular, $8 if you add Whey protein), but was not worth the price. The taste of plain yogurt dominated the beverage creating a disappointing un-sweet and un-fruity surprise.

The best part about having brunch at Fazzo is their warm and relaxing yet uncluttered environment. Fazzo has long, deep and sprawling tables making your visit seem private. The contemporary design has warm neutral colours creating a cozy clean feel as opposed to some places that have crisp white colours that make you feel like you’re in an over lit testing lab.

And although Fazzo was virtually at maximum capacity both times I was there, I felt like I was the only person in the room.

Their problem? The service.

If you plan to go, plan to wait. It took at least 10 minutes for our beverages to arrive, 15 minutes for our breakfast order to be taken, and then the server disappeared for over half an hour once we received our meals, even though we had no condiments on our table and we were in dire need of beverage refills.

Lack of attention is definitely a problem and became just as clear when the same thing happened again on my second visit.

Now don’t get me wrong, the servers were nice and were helpful in that they could offer recommendations and clarification on some of the rarer menu ingredients. But they weren’t there to entertain, so bring a good friend because you won’t have their company.

Nevertheless, I would recommend Fazzo’s brunch to others. The menu is exciting. The ingredients are fresh. The environment is relaxing. And the prices are affordable ranging between $10-15.

It’s the service that brings down the overall quality of the upscale restaurant.