Athens Bakery: from the people who gave us the Olympics

It's only fitting to visit a Greek bakery on the opening day of the Olympics. Aside from giving us a once-every-four-years spectacle, the Greeks also invented loukomades! These are fried dough balls soaked in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. And they serve them fresh every half-hour at the Athens bakery on the Danforth. I find that the best beverage to enjoy them with is unsweetened tea, otherwise the sweetness could be cloying. Athens bakery also serves spanakopita, or Greek pastries with cheese or spinach filling, as well as a choice of coffees.

Caffe Demetre: great desserts and more!

A friend of mine was raving about Caffe Demetre: "You just have to go there! Whenever they serve my order, I feel like crying because I'm so happy!". I've never seen anyone so passionate about their desserts before, so I thought I'd give Caffe Demetre a shot. It's just a few steps away from the Chester station, right in the heart of Greektown. If you''ve never been there before, it might take a while to swim through the menu. But, if you want to make it simple, all you need to decide is: do you want 1, 2 or 3 scoops of ice cream? Next, do you want it in a waffle, a crepe or a split? On a hot summer day, dessert shouldn't be too complicated. And it isn't at Caffe Demetre. They also have a cake selection if you're not into frozen calories. Once you've given your order, the next best thing to do is to lay back and enjoy the funky decor and do what people do in Greektown: watch people go by on the sidewalk.

Eating well on a fast food budget

Why settle for fast food when Toronto has a wealth of healthier, more flavorful food choices? I have personally enjoyed eating at the places listed below. Prices might have changed since my last visit, but they would still be comparable to a combo meal at your favorite fast food place:

• Jumbo Empanadas at Kensington Market. Your choice of beef, chicken or vegetable empanada. The place was put up by a couple of Chilean sisters who started out with a food cart. Get the salsa, it will double your enjoyment.

• Lucky Star Chinese restaurant on Queen Street East. Probably the best deal in that neighborhood. Ask for the Peanut Butter chicken when it's available.

• Big Fat Burrito at Kensington Market. Your first thought when you see your order might be: "how am I going to stuff that into my face?" Just take one bite at a time and you can do it. Extremely informal ambiance. You can park your bicycle outside and watch it while you eat.

• King's Noodle House on Spadina. If you're eating alone, you'll be asked to sit at a round table with other customers. Don't be intimidated. Tea is free and a single order of noodles with soup will leave you satisfied.

• Pho Hung Vietnamese restaurant on Spadina. It's so popular they expanded the place and took over the patio. There's always a crowd and that's a good thing. That means the food is always fresh!
  

Good, fast, no-fuss Korean barbeque

I've had good experiences with Korean food. Maybe it's because it was meant to be enjoyed communally, in the company of friends and family.

My favorite kind of Korean food is the barbeque. The table usually has a built-in stove with a built-in round grill in the middle. The waiter brings the raw, marinated beef, pork, chicken or seafood to the table and you do the cooking yourself. It reminds of me of that scene in the movie “Lost in Translation” when the Bill Murray character says: “What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?”.

The thing is, cooking your own food can be fun and gives you something to do while enjoying company. Just be prepared to come out of the restaurant reeking of cooked meat.

But what if you want to enjoy Korean food without all the fuss?

That is the simple appeal of Yummy Bar-B-Q Restaurant. If you need a fix of Korean food and you don't have much time, this is the place. You don't need to cook the food yourself. They'll bring it to your table within minutes, along with the obligatory kimchi.

If you're dining alone, you can watch Korean music videos on the flat screen tvs on the wall. Or you can chat with the gracious Korean servers and get more information about the food.

Last time I was there, I ordered the bulgogi. For eight dollars, I got a huge plate of tender marinated beef, two scoops of steamed rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and three kinds of kimchi. It was enough food for two people, but I was hungry. And it was great!

Yummy Bar-B-Q restaurant is at 552 Yonge street, near the Wellesley station.