Bring on the Ice Cream! Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery and Sweet Olenka’s

Just like cupcakes, froyo, and macarons were popping up everywhere just a while back, ice cream sandwiches have been the biggest thing lately! So far, we’ve tried them from 3 different places: Moo Milk Bar (see this post), and more recently, Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery and Sweet Olenka’s. Let the ice cream sammie adventures begin!

Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery

Ginger Cookie + Bellwoods Stout Ice Cream; Birthday Cake Cookie + PB&J Ice Cream

Bang Bang has become really popular as of late, so Matt and I had to wait in line with the many others hoping to try their ice cream sandwiches. Luckily it was a nice night and the line moved fairly quickly. They make all the ice cream sandwiches on the spot and there are various options to choose from. In addition to picking between a half sandwich (1 cookie) or a full sandwich (2 cookies), you can also opt for a macaron ice cream sandwich or an ice cream puff. There are also a variety of ice cream flavours and cookies to choose from! Matt had the PB&J ice cream with a birthday cake cookie, while I went with the Bellwoods Stout ice cream and a ginger cookie. We also got an Everything cookie (chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, and oats) to go, which we had with some vanilla frozen yogurt the night after. Delish! 🙂

Sweet Olenka’s

Pear Caramel Ice Cream; Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich

The Queen West location of Sweet Olenka’s is literally around the corner from Bang Bang, so there’s plenty of ice cream goodness in the area! We went today, and the decisions were endless—they have handmade ice cream, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, chocolates, and baked goods! While their ice cream sandwiches are also handmade, they aren’t made-to-order. To be honest though, that really didn’t matter because their salted caramel ice cream sandwich is absolutely AMAZING! We shared that and the pear caramel ice cream, which was also really good (think refreshing and sweet at the same time). We’ll definitely have to go back!

Fine Dine-In Fridays: 3-Course Meal on a Budget

Work has been absolutely insane, and I’ve been starting to feel really burned out. Fortunately, home life has been the opposite—Matt has been doing a lot of little things to make my life easier and this week was no exception: he cleaned the house from top to bottom, and on Friday, he planned and cooked me a surprise 3-course meal!

Matt did his shopping at St. Lawrence Market (one of our favourite spots in the city), and the 3 courses x 2 people cost less than $40… not bad!

First Course: Gruyère, Duck Pâté with Pistachios, Roasted Bone Marrow, and Sliced Baguette

All of this cost us just over $20. The cheese and the pâté made up a good chunk of that, but the marrow bones were surprisingly affordable (under $6 for the 2!). This was the first time we made roasted bone marrow, so I didn’t realize how easy it was (Matt used this recipe). Obviously, we can’t eat all of this stuff all the time, but it’s good to know that we can make it at home for a fraction of what we’d be paying at a restaurant!

Second Course: Filet Mignon with Caramelized Onions and Figs and  Roasted Brussels Sprouts

The steaks were $5 each. After pan searing and baking them, Matt served them with caramelized onions and figs (yum!), as well as our easy roasted Brussels sprouts (see our go-to recipe here).

Dessert: Chinese Steamed Egg Pudding (燉蛋)

When it comes to Chinese desserts, this is one of my absolute faves, which is why Matt chose it! As desserts go, it isn’t too hard to make (I’m not sure what recipe Matt used, but here’s one in case you’re interested), but getting the right consistency can be tricky. Matt’s first attempt was unsuccessful because the heat was too high and the tops should have been covered, but the second try was redemption: they were perfect!

All in all, a great way to spend my Friday night!

Where We Ate: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen (Toronto)

When we were all at Western, my girlfriends and I had a lot of nights out. It’s gotten a little harder since we all started working, but yesterday was an exception: my close friends A and K were both celebrating November birthdays, so we all got together for a night out of girl talk, good food, and plenty of drinks!

Last night’s dinner was at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village, which I’d heard about many times over the years, but had never gotten to try. It turned out to be an amazing meal! The industrial loft-like space, which boasts an open-kitchen concept, has a very airy, comfortable vibe.

Our server was also very friendly and helpful, which added to the overall experience. I know this sounds obvious, but it makes a huge difference when servers and restaurant staff are knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely nice—it makes for a more memorable dining experience (which is why restaurants like Auberge du Pommier and Volos are among my faves).

What We Ate

I caught a cold earlier this week, so my tastebuds were a bit off (a stuffy nose = a lack of a sense of smell or taste) but I still thought that everything we ordered was really flavorful! A quick thank you to my friend J for supplying the food pics from last night!

To share:

• Gnocchi poutine: gnocchi, oxtail gravy, and cheese in a skillet… need I say more?
• Shrimp & crab cakes: crab cakes can be hit or miss, but these were super flavorful and perfectly cooked… so yummy!
• Mildred’s home-baked cheddar & thyme biscuits with pecan and apple butter: yum!

Our mains:

I had the bison short ribs, which were super tender. Everyone else’s choices looked amazing too!

• Bolly cauli: roasted curry cauliflower with quinoa, caramelized onion, spinach, and grapes
• Grilled flat iron steak: grilled steak with frites, cherry tomatoes, and herb-crushed peas
• MTK burger: a medium-rare burger with tomato relish and crispy onions served with kale salad
• Bison short ribs: bison short ribs braised in red wine with herbed polenta and garlic-sautéed greens

Dessert:

• Mildred’s famous profiteroles: these were soft, light, and delicious! They were also stuffed with Lindt milk chocolate ice cream and drizzled with chocolate and caramel, which definitely helped the cause. They were even nice enough to bring out 2 special ones for the birthday girls!
• Venus bar: I want to say that’s what it was called, but it’s not on the online menu, so I can’t remember exactly! This looks small but should definitely be shared… it was super rich and decadent. It had some banana marshmallow fluff, a chocolate and peanut butter center, and a taffy-like bottom.

What We Drank

As sick as I’ve been this past weekend, I was definitely ready for a drink after a long week. We had 2 bottles of wine to share, both of which were great choices!

• Belstar Prosecco: This prosecco was very light and not overly bubbly, which was a nice way to start off our meal!
• McManis Viognier 2011: I’ve never had a viognier, but this was really good! It was also very light and easy to drink. Best of all, our server informed us that it was available at LCBO, which is awesome because it always sucks when you have an amazing wine or beer at a restaurant that you can’t get at the liquor store. Will definitely try this again!

The Verdict

I would definitely go again! I now want to go back for brunch (which MTK is well-known for), so it’s now on my list of places to try. We all also had such a great time that we agreed that more get-togethers are in order, so we’ll be trying to set aside some time each month to hang out more often. More food adventures and good times to come!