I’m allowed a cheat day once in a while, whether it’s adding a few extra calories to my day or ditching a home cooked meal for take-out. It’s all about moderation right? Who’s with me?
Cheers to Fam Jams and McDonald’s all-day breakfast!
#GotHummus? New Ottawa Restaurant Chickpeas sure does!
Chickpeas Ottawa just opened it’s doors and already they are getting slammed with crowds of Ottawan’s demanding all the chickpeas! If you’re looking for a healthy, made-from-scratch meal, that happens to be vegetarian, you may want to do yourself a favour and head over to Trainyards.
We had the chance to sample the multicoloured hummus tray, the falafel sandwich, the falafel bites and the piece de resistance… the falafel waffle!
The owner and head Chef, Omar, was telling me that he travelled to Lebanon on a quest to find the best authentic and made-from-scratch recipes. He worked with chefs and visited quaint restaurants that helped him develop his signature menu and learn the tricks of the trade. Omar also told me that he soaks fresh dried chickpeas every night and removes the skin off 15 Kilos of chickpeas every day to make the creamiest hummus in town!
Chickpeas is not a fancy restaurant. It’s a healthy, vegan/vegetarian friendly eatery with a simple, tasty and fresh menu. You can grab a quick bite to eat, bring the family or take your meal to go. I love that it’s located in Trainyards, only minutes away from my place. It’s nice to have a healthy take-out option in the area.
So here is what we ate…
Ding Dong Veggie Lady: Ottawa VeggieDrop delivers on fresh & local
I always get giddy when a fun, new, female owned Ottawa business starts up, and I get even more excited when I am asked to help promote it! This is the delivery I got on Sunday and I am so excited to tell you all about it.
Veggiedrop is Ottawa’s newest online grocery store providing high quality, organic, GMO-free produce and a vast selection of local grocery staples (like coffee, pasta, cereal and chocolate). And it all gets delivered right to your door! Talk about convenience.
The website is easy to use and organized in simple categories. I would recommend creating your profile first, then placing your order, but that’s just online shopping 101.
I was asked to spend $50, and had no idea where to start! The first thing I did, was peruse through the sale section. By doing this, I found delicious local shitake mushrooms. I also needed bananas, so I tripled my order on that. I did not need any more veggies because I still have lots of kale and tomatoes in the garden. I noticed the local section on the site and decided to splurge! I bought Equator coffee, Canadian made kamut pasta (to try it out), Alter Eco sea salt chocolate, nature’s path granola and some cashews. It was a pretty mixed bag of groceries, but I felt like stocking up my pantry. Overall, the prices are quite comparable to local grocery stores, and delivery in the Ottawa area is only $7. You can also pick it up for free.
I think Veggiedrop is perfect for a busy family who can place their order in advance and take advantage of the convenient delivery service, or pick up their order on the way home. I can also picture a university student who doesn’t have a car, but would appreciate some fresh local produce, totally loving Veggiedrop. I was a poor student once, and shlepping groceries sucks! I wish I could order my food online back then. Maybe this is the new “care package”, no more cookies for you… have an apple, a fresh local organic apple!
If you love a good deal like me, make sure you take advantage of this special and get 25% off on your first order! Use coupon code: vgfb25
Chantsy Eats: Getting social over dinner at Social Thai
Looking for a new restaurant in Ottawa, to add to your repertoire? Spice things up with Social Thai on Bank Street!
I hosted a media dinner at Social Thai a few weeks ago, to bring a little love and share yummy pics of the newly owned restaurant. We had the chance to sample a few things off the menu, including spring rolls, pad thai, green curry, Social Thai curry special, mango salad and fried rice.
The meal was epic! Some dishes, spicier than others, reminded me of how much I miss having authentic Thai food at my disposal. The flavours were deliciously authentic and presented in beautiful ornate dish wear, specially handmade for the restaurant.
I think what impressed me the most, was the short, but effective cocktail list! My favourite drink was the “Phuket Wave” (pronounced pu-ket… not &*@# it! hahaha.). It had Gin, Coconut Rum, cucumber, lemon, salt and pepper! So fresh and balanced, perfect for our summer heat wave!
If you decide to go, do tell the owner Chaw, that Chantsy sent you!
If you choose to stay in the comfort of your own home, Social Thai is also available on Uber Eats Ottawa! Use my referral code “eats-chantals293ue” if you order!
