Live Food Bar in Toronto = AMAZING!

Rewind to Sunday, June 12th, 2011…

Live Organic Food Bar was another Toronto restaurant I was itching to try, thanks to Lisa‘s writings about it, so Matt and I headed there that Sunday morning, the day after the wedding, for brunch. I have to say, from start to finish, this was my favorite meal of the trip.

We took advantage of the mild weather and sat outside on their patio, ordering smoothies to start. Matt got a chocolate-coffee mocha smoothie (on the left), while I ordered the Butterscotch Ripple (on the right). (Doesn’t that name alone make you drool?!) It had almond milk, coconut milk, banana, dates, lucuma, maca, and vanilla—in other words, some of my favorite ingredients and flavors in one drinkable delight.

For his meal, Matt ordered the raw “AB+J”: raw cinnamon-raisin bagels sandwiched with almond butter, mixed berry-cherry jam, and sliced banana. It came with a small side salad as well.

Luckily, he let me have a bite or two, and it was excellent! The bagel took a little work to bite or cut through, but that’s because it had that characteristic “chewy” texture of a non-raw bagel.

I got a side of roasted fingerling potatoes with my raw French Toast: almond-walnut bread with mixed whole-berry jam and maple-almond butter inside, and cashew fluff and a berry cream drizzle on top.

OH.MY.GAWD. This was one of the best raw meals I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant, and definitely the best raw breakfast/brunch dish I’ve ever had. The whole-berry jam was tangy and lightly sweetened, the maple-almond butter was sticky and delicious, the cashew fluff and berry cream drizzle were light and luscious, and THAT BREAD! It instantly reminded me of baked shortbread—the delicate texture, the way it crumbled magnificently beneath my fork, the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavor! The whole thing was breathtakingly perfect. (Oh, and the potatoes were great too!)

I was stuffed to the gills by the time I finished it, but had there been more, I would’ve certainly eaten it. I’d kill for this recipe! I wonder if it’s in their e-books…

Inside Live Organic Food Bar, they also have a number of raw packaged products for sale.

Miraculously, I abstained from buying anything, even THESE.

This meal alone was enough to make me declare that I HAVE to go back to Toronto someday. Preferably soon. Very soon. This food belongs IN MY BELLY.

P.S. – Rachael over at Passing Daisies gave me a Daisy Award last week and made me her Feature Friday star. Go check it out! Thanks again, Rachael!