To start, we both opted for the Iced Bloody Caesar Soup (Montreal steak spice, clams, celery), which turned out spicier than expected, but was still really good. As far as soups go, it was quite interesting in that: a) it was a cold soup, and b) it's a Caesar. (No vodka though!)
For the main, I went with the Roast Peameal Bacon Melt (Bannock sauerkraut, cheddar, smoked tomato marmalade), which was also excellent. Bannock uses thick slices of (Canadian?) bacon, it's great. The chips are always fantastic to have on the side as well. This was slightly spicy, but a good level of spicy.

D went for the Spelt Fusilli (mushroom fauxlognese, spinach greens, thunder oak Gouda) - he said it was fantastic as well.  
To finish it all off, we both had the O&B Artisan Croissant Bread Pudding (spiced chocolate, peanut butter, kaffir lime). The chocolate sauce was very fluffy, and complemented the texture of the bread pudding really well (although we were both confused about the croissant part). Neither of us detected the peanut butter either. The garnishing fruits were really fresh, and overall it was pretty yummy.

We also both really liked the decor; it has a very rustic/homey Canadian vibe. I thought the vacation moose with parasol figurines were hilarious. Another successful Summerlicious meal!

We both started with the Mango Salad to start with (mango, shallots, coriander, red pepper, mint, fish sauce and peanuts). I was a little surprised upon tasting peanuts in the salad, and S made fun of me for ordering by only looking at the titles, and not actually reading the menu. In my defence, I was hungry, okay. Luckily all the courses arrived in a very timely fashion.
Then we both had the Basil Beef Stir-Fry as the main (flat-iron beef, vegetables, chili garlic & oyster sauce, served with jasmine rice). Before ordering, we'd been joking around about how tears may or may not be involved, depending on how spicy the food was; it didn't end up being spicy at all (I'd asked for mine to be mild, not sure if both had been made such though).
On dessert we finally diverged - he went for the Coconut Tapioca and I went for the Banana Fritters. Both were pretty good. Overall, the food was decent; it wasn't spectacular or anything, but good enough to fill you up.

The decor was probably the coolest part though. The restaurant doesn't look that big from the outside, but once you get in, it's actually quite large. There are two primary dining areas: the front half is airy and bright, very appropriate for brunch. The back half is actually separated into two floors, a ground level and an upstairs balcony area, which is a bit more Thai regal in terms of decor and has ambient lighting. (Which is also why the photos above weren't captured in the greatest light.) Interesting atmosphere for sure, and with all the plants in front of the ceiling-level windows and the rain outside as a backdrop today, there was definitely a bit of a Thai jungle vibe going on.

This year Summerlicious is taking place from July 4th to 20th. With major food events in Toronto like Summerlicious and Winterlicious, it's always hit-or-miss. Sometimes you'll find a fantastic restaurant with great food (and for a great price!) that you may not have thought of trying otherwise; other times, you'll walk into a place expecting something delicious, only to be disappointed by a sub-par meal. Luckily, Midi Bistro (168 McCaul St.) definitely fell into the former category of being fantastic for us this time around.
C and I decided to grab some lunch before heading to an Irish pub for the FIFA World Cup Final match between Germany and Argentina, and ended up at Midi. To start, she got the Tomato Salad (mixed greens, tomato, bocconcini, olive oil & balsamic reduction) and I got the Beef Carpaccio (with caspers, Asiago, lemon & olive oil).

We were both really impressed by how well-prepared both appetizers were. The beef carpaccio was especially great; it was just the right level of thin (pounded?), not drippy with rawness, and the flavours blended together wonderfully.
On the server's recommendation, we both ordered the Seafood Pasta as the main - fettuccine with bay scallops, black tiger shrimp, roasted red peppers, spinach and white wine rosé sauce. It was good, for sure, but the appetizer and desert were spectacular, so...
We decided to order different deserts so that we could share and each try both. I went for the vanilla & cardamom crème brûlée, while she decided to tackle the poached* pears (served with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce).
Both were extremely worthy choices. The crème brûlée was perfectly crisped on top, and luxuriously smooth beneath. Probably one of the best crème brûlées either of us have ever had - absolutely divine. The pears were pretty close to perfect too - just the right degree of substance, enough texture to be interesting, and not overly sweet. The ice cream and chocolate were the perfect complement.

In addition to the scrumptious food, our server was very nice, and the atmosphere was decidedly cute in a quaint way. All in all, an awesome meal. Would definitely recommend trying Midi.  
*The menu actually lists this desert item as "parched pears" but presumably that's a typo...

July 12th fell on a Thursday back in 2012. L dropped me off at the train station after work (timing was tight - she had to run back to the office right as we were about to leave to grab some documents proving that she was single in preparation for her upcoming marriage to her German beau. #internationalmarriageproblems? - but luckily we made it with a bit of time to spare). As we zipped down the Autobahn, she told me about how nervous a bunch of the other people in the office were about her driving. Yeah...
The Thalys train takes just over three hours to reach Paris from Cologne. The bright red and pink seats were a little jarring. And because Thalys services France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, all the announcements were made four times: in English, French, German and Dutch.
It was already dark by the time we reached Paris Nord station, since it was past 10pm by this point. A few months prior to this, a few of us had been joking late one night about how it'd be pretty cool to spend Bastille Day in Paris. That toss-up plan was about to materialize - S and L were set to arrive in Paris the following day.
*Street art photo previously featured as part of this post.