Springing Back!

Crawling out of my winter cave and onto a bar seat.

Hello, dearest reader!

It’s been a minute!!!

I’ve been painting and drawing (a lot) and hiding from the cold (more). It was such a long winter here in Canada. Everyone I know was touched by a little or a lot of the blues from November til, maybe, like, last week. But with the sun’s return came my will to live, which also coincided with my urge to take my vitamin-D-deprived self out to eat.

magnolia season is a darn blessing and reason enough to go outside

Sometimes, dining out is the only thing that can drag me off my couch after a day of staring at my screen. As a painter, I rarely have days where I do nothing but type and clack, but it was just one of those days recently, and I really needed a treat.

The thing I love about going out on my own, for a purpose as pleasant as a meal, is that I get to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, see Toronto coming out of her winter shell, after a rainfall, glistening in all her glory.

really good landscaping

I’m a recent-ish transplant here (just passed my 5-year mark!) and I am still in the honeymoon phase. The gardens, the quiet side streets, the big beautiful trees… I am still in awe of this sumptuous time when winter has been shaken off, and life returns to this little corner of Canada.

I popped over to Bernhardt’s because I couldn’t stop thinking about their Greenie Salad, one of the staples of their menu that everyone is obsessed with. It's covered in ribbons of this perfect chewy cheese, and I dream of it. And I mean, the thing comes with tongs!

MOOD

I was medium-chatty, I needed some inspiration, and I wanted to eat something that didn’t make me feel like I had consumed a stick of butter the next day. I figured a large salad and a side would be a good choice.

Lucky for me, there was exactly one empty seat in the whole restaurant!! tucked into the farthest end of the bar. I couldn’t have picked a better place if I tried! These are the joys of dining on your own.

i like a quiet place to wait for the WC. wearing my nikki chasin sweater and cos trousers.

FOOD

I ordered a small Greenie Salad- the server told me, “I’ve never seen it done, but I am sure you could do it” when I asked if anyone ever orders the very generous large portion to themselves - and a turnip dish with roe and labneh. I also had a glass of Hungarian red that tasted like strawberry jam. And, the small salad was a good idea, I would have felt a bit like a horse at a trough eating out of their giant-sized salad bowl alone.

i love a restaurant that brings out the bottles and lets you taste them all

A note about drawing at dinner: a good salad is one of my favorite things to eat, but I don’t really like drawing them. Nothing for me to grab onto, drawing-wise. So while I often order food for the sole purpose of drawing it (the reason I ate about 300 oysters and shrimp on my last trip to NY), this day, I opted for sustenance over inspiration.

A note about picking a seat: It’s fun to sit at a bar with a mirror behind it because you can watch (and sketch) everyone dining without being too obvious. I clocked a first date next to me, going quite well, I think, and some jolly tables behind me.

mirror sketch of a couple. she looked a touch bored

So I ate the good dinner, drew a little, chatted with the friendly staff, and started psyching myself up for dessert. The soft-serve at this restaurant is famous and joyful, but felt a little embarrassing at this moment. I mean, it felt like my first time out of the house! I wasn’t brave enough.

I wish I could tell you that I fearlessly ordered it and housed the whole thing, but I didn’t. I got shy, paid my bill and left.

the soft serve looks like this

But, because I am an independent woman, I walked in the mist to Honey’s and got some of their delicious ice cream to enjoy in the privacy of my own home.

Overall, I’d say it was a successful dinner. I got my chewy cheese, a glass of Hungarian strawberry juice, and watched Real Housewives of Atlanta afterward with my dog while eating vegan (so very healthy) peanut butter cup ice cream. Next time, I’ll be brave and order dessert out. Or I’ll at least try.

the bill comes in these produce baskets which i like to see stacked up behind the bar

I think the act of getting dressed and doing something nice for yourself can be really transformative. I hope you find a moment to give yourself a little gift this week.

Where are you taking your cute self for a snack this beautiful week/end?

xo,

Maxine