Raw Aura

Rated this place:

94 Lakeshore Road East, Mississauga, ON

Eat, Drink and be Raw: If you are raw, you would like to try raw, or you have no idea what raw food is about, THIS is the restaurant for you. The space is mellow and beautifully charming. (If you are a big party, request the banquette/tables by the window). Clearly built on passion, they have mastered the art of uncooking at Raw Aura. The entire kitchen is plant based - fresh, organic, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. This review cannot be long enough to inform you why raw food is phenomenal in taste and look and the ultimate for you! (check out their website for more details). Enjoy teas, fresh juices, smoothies before, alongside or after your meal...and their team will (with enthusiasm) inform you what is good and why. Savour some appetizers including bruschetta, raviloli (parsnip noodles) or a Caesar salad which was a special (fresh dressing and eggplant "bacon"). The lo-mein in a spicy sesame dressing was absolutely out of this world - colourful and fresh veggie noodles with the most delicious celery based dressing (took an extra order for take-out - in a compostable container, of course). We also thoroughly enjoyed the "burgers", the un-grilled cheese, the mac n cheese and the manicotti (the cheese is cashew based...really...it's fantastic). It was fun eating tapas style and thrilling to enjoy so many different dishes. The desserts, especially the chocolate banana cookie cake, were also worth indulging in! We were told that they are giving their compost (all food "leftovers") to a farmer less than 3km away who will use it to grow organics for them in the spring - love it! Bonus points for beautiful presentation and friendliness. Raw-Aura is really proud of what they are doing...rightfully so. See Full Post

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Raw Food
• smoothies
• organic
• eco eating
• jucies
• lo-mein

Nota Bene Restaurant

Rated this place:

180 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON, M5V 3L7

Eat and be seen!: Nota Bene is an absolutely beautiful and large space, but it's not easy to get a reservation. For good reason at least. The service is outstanding, the menu offers something to every palette and lifestyle. The hot and sour soup with gogi berries was delicious and the rapini was prepared to perfection. At our table, 4 full meals and everyone was very pleased (no one ordered the VERY expensive read meat...never understood how anyone could!) They do support local and organic ingredients, but could do much better...but then, we all can. If you are lucky enough to be going to the theatre, try their very reasonable Theatre Prix Fixe Menu.

Art Gallery of Ontario

Rated this place:

317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON, M5T1G4

Art and Inspiration: The newly renovated AGO, is a fabulous destination for a date, an afternoon walk, time for thought or a family afternoon. Yes, there are beautiful galleries of old and new art plus quiet space, but also plenty of interactive exhibits, modern works and gorgeous architecture. Both the cafe and Frank restaurant offer fresh, clean, local menus for every palette and the gift shop supports many local artists and is great for browsing!

Royal Ontario Museum

Rated this place:

100 Queens Pk, Toronto, ON, M5S2C6

History, Culture + Fun: A great place to go with the entire family or all by yourself! Even after frequenting this beautiful building over my whole life, I still elarn each time I return. The interactive kids areas are great (just beware that unless your baby is sleeping in the stroller, they won't let strollers in, so plan accordingly!). The newer C5 restaurant is beautiful and celebrates local and organic cuisine, and the Food Studio (read: cafeteria) is trying to be more eco - compostable disposables and some healthier menu choices also. So learn about our past, and realize how important the history we are creating now for future generations is!

Ontario Science Centre

Rated this place:

770 Don Mills Rd., Toronto, ON, M3C1T3

Edutainment in Toronto: Your family will love the Ontario Science Centre! There are days and days worth of exhibits, and kids of all ages (and adults alike) are able to enjoy them regardless of their interest or ability. Even the multi levels in this building make it fun...the escalators are a "ride" in itself as your family can peer outside into the forest outside. Check for special exhibits, and their IMAX film schedule...lots about the earth, healthy eating, energy conservation and lots of other eco-ed, all delivered in an entertaining way that will keep you wanting to return often. (hint: get the family yearly membership).

Lile Design

Rated this place:

2-46 Dupont Street, Toronto, ON

Eco-Happy in Toronto: Lilë’s eco-happy line of scarves are made in Toronto with eco materials and are simply gorgeous and comfortable! It's so fabulous to learn of great people full of inspiration creating local eco fashion that suits everyone. Melanie Kushner, the passionate designer behind the line, knows that although scarves are not going to save the world, accessories can be lighter on our world AND be luxurious. We found Lile Scarves at www.goneshopping.ca , and their website lists their current retailers.

Kortright Centre For Conservation

Rated this place:

9550 Pine Valley Dr, Woodbridge, ON, L4L1A6

Celebrate the Great Outdoors!: Kortright is very close by (5 minutes from Vaughan Mills) considering it protects over 325 hectares of woodlands along the Humber River Valley. They offer fantastic environmental workshops and programs for schools and families also. It's a beautiful palce to go for a walk, to take gorgeous fall pictures and make sure not to miss their special events including their maple syrup festival!

Dufferin Grove Park

Rated this place:

875 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON, M5H2N2

Now THIS is FOOD!: The Dufferin Grove Farmers Market is one of the original and one of the most vibrant organic markets in Toronto. Every Thursday, year round this is where to go to get your grocery shopping done, spend time with your own family and friends, connect with others who connect with their food and even have a snack or full dinner. Organic and nut-free ice cream by Mapleton's scooped and smiles abound! (try mint chip - no, it's NOT green ice cream...phewff!). And, don't forget to take your reusable bags, bottles to fill with organic olive oil, and recycle and bring back your produce and egg cartons...they can be used over and over again!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• family outing
• Dinner
• organic market
• organic + nut-free ice cream

Victor

Rated this place:

30 Mercer Street, Toronto, ON

Celebrate the Harvest: Victor is a most beautiful space with comfortably calm and striking appointments. The focal table in the room is the harvest table, where you can sit and celebrate the harvest, served family style...they are touting social dining, which is a great way to connect and appreciate your food, but also to connect and appreciate those you are dining with. For this reason, I was most excited to dine at Victor (along with the fact that I had seen they had great sides to order including fried pickles - fun and yum!). The service was fantastic...friendly, informed and accomodating, even when I expressed concern that a restaurant celebrating local and sustainable food didn't have a single glass of Canadian wine on the list. The sommalier came over and opened a "special" bottle for us from Niagara. The menu didn't offer many vegetarian options, but they were pleased to accomodate for anyone at the table (including allergies). Each dish was presented beautifully although each was mediocre - slightly overdone and very salty without any other flavour to differentiate dish to dish. I do believe that Victor has a winning formula of ambience and concept and hope that with better value and better food, they will be another one of those spots in Toronto where it will be difficult to get a reservation.

Real Food for Real Kids

Rated this place:

41 Dovercourt Road, Toronto, ON

Catering to Kids in a whole(some) way!: Toronto kids that are catered to by Real Food for Real Kids are really very lucky - they get to eat REAL food everyday at their daycare, school or camp made from whole, natural and organic ingredients - "fresh from scratch, every day". The RFRK Team is comprised of motivated people whose bottom line is driven by their honest and sincere desire to have children and their families understand that eating well means living well...and celebrating their real food habits! Check their website for details of the many programs their offer including their Lunch Clubs, Snack Pantry and soon to be Family Dinners and line of products in store. Now, these are the ABCs of healthy eating that we all need...how wonderful to be able to give such lessons and health to our children! See Full Post

Sha Sha Organic Bakery

Rated this place:

20 Plastics Avenue, Toronto, ON

Cookies you'll LOVE baked here!: Sha Sha is an artisanal bakery using fine and mostly organic ingredients to bake delicious breads, pizza crusts and cookies. Sha Sha clearly made the right choice when choosing heart shaped for their bite sized cookies - spelt ginger snaps are my favourite, but long for the day when they start to make their cocoa snaps with organic ingredients! Their Ezekial bread makes the greatest toast and is one of the key ingredient to my SB & F sandwich (substitute for the PB & J banned sandwich). You'll be thrilled to know that Sha Sha is a guaranteed nut-free facility...so, everything qualifies as a safe and healthy pantry staple!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• nut-free
• ezekial bread
• spelt ginger snaps

JK at the Gardiner

Rated this place:

111 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON

Worth putting on display!: The Gardiner Cafe on the third floor of the beautiful Gardiner Museum, is a bright and beautiful space. It's slow, fast food menu features simple sandwiches, salads and sides (and of course Jamie Kennedy's famous fries) featuring local and seasonal ingredients. It's open only during the days for lunch, and is the exclusive catering outlet for private entertainments at the Gardiner Museum. Although the food can be kid friendly (including delicious cupcakes and squares for dessert, and there is plenty of space for strollers, they do not have highchairs). In the nice weather, enjoy a quick bite, linger with friends, or get respite from the shopping on bloor street on the terrace facing the ROM.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• local and organic ingredients
• bright, clean space
• fast and friendly

Inquisitive Kid

Rated this place:

178 Davenport Road, Toronto, ON

Simple fun makes for happy kids: In a world full of plastic, battery operated, branded and noisy toys, it's so calming to enter this store just steps from Yorkville and discover, simple, pure, quality objects that are critical to accelerating children's development and inspiring and stretching their minds and imagination! Do you remember corking? They have lots of the simpler (and therefore not expensive items). Try dustless chalk, beeswax crayons, or their larger, modern beautiful dollhouse. Regardless, don't expect to find BPA or lead in this store. Do expect to find Peter, the owner to share his passion with you, and of course be able to answer your questions.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• safe toys
• dollhouse
• beeswax crayons
• bedframes

Earth Child

Rated this place:

501 Eglinton AVE W, Toronto, ON

Clothing that's just out of this Earth!: If you want comfortable, healthy and stylish clothes for your kids (birth to size 8), this is the place to start. Considering that it's organic and made "fairly", it's fairly priced. Like anywhere, some things are more expensive than others, but it's certainly as affordable if not more than the Gap. And, it's great looking clothing. Make sure you ask for their two piece shirt/pant sets, which are a great deal. All of their clothing washes so well and lasts...so you can happily hand-me-down! BONUS: Earth Addict, their clothing label for adults is in the same store. Best. Sweatshirts. Ever. So, wear naturally beautiful clothes and do right by you and the earth!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• kids organic clothing
• sun hats
• adult organic clothing

Avalon Orchards

Rated this place:

3150 Fifth Line, Thornton, ON, L0L2N0

Pick your own organics!: It's worth the drive to Avalon Orchards! Just north of Toronto, you will find the friendly faces and amazing apples at Avalon. Certified organic, pick your own is so outstanding - it means when you or anyone in your family go "eye to the sky" and pick off the tree, you can actually take a bite into healthy and clean fruit! No toxic pesticides and insecticides etc. There is no entrance fee, there are lots of wagons to pull, but bring your own bags (like everywhere, they charge for plastic - although they have great apple picking reusable sling bags for $5). They have a small market store which does have their phenomenal fresh Apple Cider, local honey, and veggies from HOPE produce (great local squash), but not a huge selection. Pack a picnic and eat on a picnic table or spread on a blanket in their huge flat space adjacent to the orchard. And, to work off lunch, enjoy one of two short hiking trails that are easy and quick enough for kids too. Not commercial, not an amusement park, just good organics, promoting a healthy and happy outdoor time and a good connection to food. Go pick today...as "they" say, an apple a day....

Brick Street Bakery

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 3C4

Follow the Brick Road!: Don't skip this spot on your way in or your way out of the Distillery District. Brick Street Bakery bakes outsatnding breads and pastries, most with local and organic ingredients - some sandwiches also qualify as scrumptious and organic! The service really needs to be improved - if they served up a smile with their baguettes like they do at their leslieville location, their line ups may be even longer! Grab and go or take a seat on their sidewalk patio and people watch!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• organic baguette

Distill Gallery

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, the Distillery District, Toronto, ON, M5A3C4

Oh Canada!: Distill Gallery is easy to find once inside the pedestrian Distillery District. It is a small store that certainly earns it's title as a gallery...of canadian designed and made art, jewelry, accessories and clothing. There is a definite connection to the products since the staff at Distill can always tell you the story behind the product. Choose unique gifts for yourself or someone else - at any price. Faves of mine included the boiled wool bracelets, a decanter upcycled form a jack daniels bottle, bags made from recycled army surplus and lile eco-happy scarves (so soft!). Now only if they didn't want to wrap every purchase with all that tissue paper. Special note - open until 8pm on Saturday nights.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• jewelry
• Canadian designers
• lile design scarves

Lileo

Rated this place:

55 Mill St. (Building 35), Toronto, ON, M5A3C4

Gallery or Fashion Boutique?: Fashion scouting can be done here as many labels carried are unique finds, or just simply ahead of the Toronto fashion curve. One can easily walk the aisles, browse through the racks, unfold garments on the shelves and you would still find "new" things on a second or third, or fourth time through, there is such an extensive selection - make sure you engage knowledgeable and very helpful staff. They have a good and interesting selection of organic and eco fashion, and some locally made goods too. Don't come seeking affordable kids duds or great deals...it's mostly name brands which you'll pay for. Livia juice bar and books will take care of those family members or friends with you who may not otherwise have been so patiently waiting!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• helpful staff
• organic clothing
• livia juice bar

Mama Earth Organics

Rated this place:

1510 Birchmount Road, Scarborough, ON, M1P 2G6

Organics from the farm to your door: As someone who truly enjoys choosing my own produce, I have tried many delivery services and have been underwhelmed and at times even aggravated. Heather at Mama Earth was a pleasure to meet at the Vegetarian Food Fair and showed her passion and enthusiasm for "real" food. They offer a great online system, where, in addition to Ontario organic produce, and the produce that sadly doesn't grow here (read: citrus and bananas etc), you can order Millbank Cheeses, Glass MIlk Bottle service (hoping they add Hewitt's Organic Goat Milk!) and my personal favourite New Moon Kitchen cookies and granola (perfect school snack since it's also a nut-free line) among other goodies. My only complaint is that when the Field Cucumbers were not available, they swapped in for grapes plus included an Organic Chocolate Bar as an apology - a big one, and I ate the entire thing. oops. Hopefully the farmers will come through for me this week - i'm sure a whole cucumber is better for us than a chocolate bar!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• customer service
• Organic and Local Produce
• Millbank Cheese
• New Moon Cookies - Bite Me
• Recipes included

Organics Family Farm

Rated this place:

7550 19th Avenue, Markham, ON, L6B 1A8

So good and so close!: Depending on where you are in Toronto, this can be a very quick drive, so pile in your car (carpooling with as many as possible of course!) and get ready to visit and pick your own at this small family farm. It was in 2001 that they decided to go organic (so smart, we wish others be so intelligent and business savvy!), and they opened their gates to us in 2007. Check their website www.organicsfarm.ca for their crop updates and current hours as it changes often. Please note: their google map at time of review did not give accurate directions, although the address is correct...call first if you are not sure. If yiou pick or buy farmside on weekends, enjoy some organic breads, their organic pies (made with their own organic fruit of course) or their family favourite organic butter tarts. Are you in the car yet??

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• organic raspberries
• pick your own
• artisanal breads
• organic baked goods
• family fun
• fresh!

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Rated this place:

55 Mill St. (Building #47), Toronto, Ontario, M5A3C4

Worship Chocolate in Toronto: If you want to eat, drink, shop and breathe chocolate, this is the space in Toronto for you. Choose from bars, truffles and various chocoalte dipped cookies, dried fruits and nuts. Drink their "famous" drinking chocolate. Enjoy a cup of gelato made in their Gelato Lab daily. Watch through their viewing walls as their truffles are made - stand back so you don't make it fog up with excitement! It is apparent that there is a dedication and commitment to being "green" - all disposables are compostable and some of their chocolate is organic, however, disappointingly there are many conventional additions in their artisanal goods, like corn syrup and their staff didn't seem to be able to answer questions about the ingredients. Regardless, choose something (good luck...there is a really big selection!) and once you break into the cellophane sleeve, I doubt you'll make it out of the Distillery District with anything left for "later". You may want to buy more, although your body or your wallet may not agree!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• organic chocolate

The Harbord Room

Rated this place:

89 Harbord St., Toronto, ON, M5S 1G4

Hurry to Harbord: It's so important for us to be connected to our food, and thanks to The Harbord Room and those brilliant foodies behind the restaurant, as we order, we are privy to knowing where everything comes from. The servers are very well informed and understatedly enthusiastic (in a good way) about the menu. Each appetizer sounded delicious, the cold tomato soup (read: gazpacho) was simple yet outstanding. The presentation of each dish was great, and it was all smiles as the dishes were served. Around our table was, "best burger ever", "wow", "yum", "try this", the marniated honey mushrooms just as garnish were fantastic. The prices are very reasonable for what you are being served. The wine list included some good local labels, and it would have been nice if any of their cocktails had the same commitment to local, organic or fresh flavours! Please DO NOT pass on dessert, especially if they have Churros on the menu. Request the booth by the window, or get there early during patio season to grab a seat, eat, drink and savour.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• patio
• Burger
• Atmosphere
• organic dishes
• local eating

St. John’s Bakery

Rated this place:

153 Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4M2E9

The Grain that Nurtures!: St. John's Bakery not only bakes outstanding breads and sweet treats locally, artisanally and organically, but they also employ those who need the support in our society. Their website promotes this quote "Bread deals with living things, with giving life, with growth, with the seed, the grain that nurtures." Must haves include your favourite sourdough selection, a cheddar-chive scone and their oustanding banana bread. St. John's is available at many of the Toronto farmer's markets - you'll know it's them when you see the long queue (it's worth waiting in) - or at their location, and is the also the chosen bakery of many of the finest Toronto restaurants. Breaking bread has never tasted or felt this good!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• scones
• organic
• sourdough breads
• available at farmer's markets
• artisanal

Fresh & Wild

Rated this place:

55 MIll Street, Toronto, ON

Fresh Air on a Wild Patio!: Fresh & Wild has multiple locations, but this bright and clean space in the Distillery District is absolutely beautiful! Although they still carry plenty of neither fresh or wild foods, their organic and fresh selection still qualifies as good...especially since they have a good selection of the very excellent Mapleton's local, nut-free and organic ice creams! Choose anything from in store and enjoy kicking back on their large patio on the quiet pedestrian "streets" in the district.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• huge patio

The Fermenting Cellar

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, Toronto, ON

Exceptional Event Venue: In this historically important building that occupies space within the Distlillery District, you will certainly impress your guests. Each time that I have attended an event, the space has looked completely different serving it's purpose from the interior decor to the ease of parking. Qualifying as an "industrial chic setting", enjoy the wooden beams and trusses and stone walls as part as your very casual daytime, to your very formal nightime event.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• easy parking
• historic building