Snacking Our Way North on Yonge St.

Walking along Yonge St. between Davisville and Lawrence, there are many opportunities to get a quick snack, without having to invest the time or money on a sit-down meal.  We have a few favourites that we frequent regularly, and also found a new place that we are waiting to try.

The pizza available at lunch time at Falasca reminds me of our experiences eating pizza in Rome.  Large square slabs of pizza with different sauces and ingredients are on display behind the counter.  A small number denotes which of the 31 different pre-determined pizzas from the menu are currently available.  For example, number 7 is the Arrabbita, a spicy pizza made with fresh mozzarella, scamorza cheese, garlic, chili powder, cherry tomatoes while number 23 is the Norcina, with mozzarella, black truffle, Italian sausage, and pecorino cheese.   There are no pre-cut slices to be purchased.  The pizza is sold by weight with a different price per pound for each type, depending on the type of ingredients found on it.  You can order as little or as much as you want from the various slabs and the proprietor will cut and weigh your selections.

The pizzas have thin, crispy crust, just like we found in Rome.  When we arrived, two new pizzas had just come out of the oven–number 6 is the funghi e Salsiccia (button mushrooms, Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella) and number 9 the funghi e provola (Button mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, smoked provola).  We chose these two since they were freshly baked and did not need to be reheated–and having mushroom (my favourite) as the main ingredient did not hurt!  It was interesting to note how many of the 31 pizzas (including our two choices) did not include tomato sauce, that staple of North American pizza.

Although Street Fish Market is a seafood store that sells raw fish and shellfish, it also offers some delectable prepared food options.  Battered haddock pieces are served on a stick, like giant popsicles, and come with fried potato wedges or an elaborate choice of salads such as the asparagus and mushroom salad that we chose.  Also available were lobster rolls, fish tacos, fried smelt, and more.  All the seafood is prepared on the spot using the freshest of ingredients. You can even purchase any piece of raw fish and ask for it to be prepared to your liking. 

Unfortunately, since the store was not designed for dining, there is very little seating available to eat the delicious food.  You have a choice of a few bar stools along a ledge adjacent to the cash register, or you could fight for the one small table at the back of the store, or jockey for position on the bench in front of the store.  The high quality, great tasting food definitely make it worth a return visit.  But we made a note to self to return on a week day, since the volume of customers on the weekend made for long delays to even order, let alone get your food served and find seating.

Finally, the store that we have scouted out but have not actually tried yet is called Douce France.  It is a patisserie, bakery, confection shop where all products are imported from France.  What caught our eye was the sign advertising authentic Angelina's Hot Chocolate from Paris.  We have had the hot chocolate from Angelina's when we were in Paris and it is out of this world.  The hot chocolate is so thick that a spoon could almost stand straight up in the cup.  This is accompanied by a bowl of beautifully whipped cream and a cup full of sugar, which the customer can add to their taste.  On the day we passed by, it was much too hot to contemplate drinking hot chocolate, but we've made a note to return once the cooler weather hits. 

 Falasca Pizza - 2059 Yonge St.
Street Fish Market - 2584 Yonge St.
Douce France - 2471 Yonge St