Viking Bakery

Tiny Finnish bakery and deli on Laird Avenue, south of Eglinton.
Along with the tasty Finnish pastries and 100% rye (available in dense, dry, and drier), the house smoked chicken, whitefish, and hams are truly fantastic.

Winter 2010: they had a fire, as of the spring, not yet reopened.

Fall 2010: they reopened in Newmarket, 350 Davis Dr., Unit 2, Ontario.

@ Home: Tapas

Cava with Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

Roasted asparagus (tossed in olive oil, roasted @ 375 for 12 minutes)

Chickpeas & Chorizo (simmered in olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, thyme)

Orange and Fennel Salad (tossed with red onion, olive oil and geranium vinegar)

Garlic Shrimp (sauted in olive oil, white wine, garlic, parsley, paprika, basil)

Steak (pan fried with chili powder, thyme, and salt in grapeseed oil)

Green olives

Caper berries

Figs baked in Honey

Manchego

Calbra

Bread

All the best places are around First Ave

Another Chowhound gem

Nice jerk chicken (not too spicy)
Maccaroni and cheese in brick format with a half inch of melted cheese on top (yay)
Curry chicken on rice and peas

Brilliant homemade brown sugar lemonade and ginger beer.

Too tired to leave the room in Midtown

We had enough food for dinner and breakfast and lunch the next day: sopes, posole, spicy chicken and vegetable soup, chorizo burrito, al pastor burrito, pollo with verde sauce. Excellent value and super tasty and THEY DELIVER! I think we found this place on Chowhound.

Worthy of our last bottle of suryp

Al Di La
248 Fifth Ave. at Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
1.718.783.4565

We first went to this restaurant in the spring of 2008, and were so extactic at the qualilty of the food and the wonderful service that we took the chef Anna Klinger a bottle of home made maple suryp as thanks.

The ricotta fritters make me tear up. Pillowy perfection begging to be slathered in hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

If there is a stuffed pasta of some kind on the menu, order it. In fact get a second order to go so you can re-live the experience a couple of hours later.

The first place we go for breakfast in New York

This blog is named after this Puerto Rican diner in New York we wandered into 7 years ago by happenstance. And every trip since, even when we couldn't remember exactly where it was, we always managed to find that place we love on 8th for our first NYC meal . Assuming we can get there by 10am, since that is when breakfast ends: La Tasa de Oro, 96 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10011 nr. 15th St. 212-243-994.

If I get to have two of the cafe con leche, I know it is going to be a good day.