Madame Marie’s Weekly Roundup: Toronto’s Best Takeout, Delivery and Dining During COVID-19 – May 7, 2021
Azhar Kitchen & Bar
96 Ossington Avenue
647-503-1098
azhartoronto.com
Azhar is backed by two celebrated Toronto restauranteurs – Chef Stuart Cameron and Janet Zuccarini (Gusto 54 Restaurant Group). This newcomer, located on the Ossington Strip, is the perfect spot if you’re craving soulful Middle Eastern-inspired food and beverages. Azhar offers weekly takeout tasting menus (vegetarian option available), with many of the dishes kissed by the wood-fired grill. Dunk some fermented potato pita in the house-made labneh and hummus, and savour the satisfying flavours from 14-hour roasted lamb with potato galette. Don’t forget to stock up on extra dips and low intervention wine from the online marketplace. Tasting menus are $50 per person, and you most certainly will have extras!
Olivia’s Garden
569 Crawford Street
647-936-6663
oliviasgarden.ca/
As you enter Olivia’s Garden, you’re met by pleasing scents of lattes and florals. This hybrid bespoke flower shop and multi-roaster coffee bar is definitely a feast for all senses, and its whimsical vibe is so inviting that you might be tempted to move in. Stop in to make your own bouquet of beautiful blooms, or let the shop customize one for you. The café serves an array of sweet and savoury pastries, sandwiches, espresso-based beverages and loose leaf teas. For a floral-inspired beverage, try adding the butterfly pea syrup that’s crafted in-house. It always smells incredible inside the store, and the baristas are some of the cheeriest in the city. With a coffee in one hand and a lush bouquet in the other, Olivia’s Garden is guaranteed to perk up your spirits.
Planta Queen
180 Queen Street West
647-812-1221
plantarestaurants.com
Planta Queen, takes plant-based cuisine to new heights with its delicious Asian-inspired fare. Don’t let the word “vegan” deter you because the takeout menu is chock full of flavour. While the takeout menu has many similarities to the dine-in menu, the restaurant has prepared some special features, such as The Sushi Box, The Bento, and Queen Classics, a dinner package for two. Priced at $55, the Queen Classics package includes generous portions of shanghai slaw, XO tofu, fried dumplings, pineapple fried rice, Dan Dan noodles, coconut tapioca pearls with grass jelly and fresh mango sorbet. You also can’t go wrong with any of the sushi. With the Spicy Tuna Roll, for example, the ahi watermelon emulated the raw tuna’s texture to a T. Everything arrived piping hot, and there were plenty of leftovers. A lovely option for your next plant-based meal.
Bon appétit!
Bisous,
Mme. M. xoxo
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Operations are subject to change during this crisis so please contact each restaurant for the most up-to-date information.