By Anne Marie Bailey
Toronto skyline
Capital city of
Canada's Ontario province, Toronto offers a lakeside mecca of museums, shopping and dining. Shoppers cruise the street market of St. Lawrence for deals. Museums highlighting history, textiles and modern art dot the city. Don't forget a requisite day trip to Niagara Falls. Toronto's 2.4 million residents bring a variety of cultures to the table, resulting in restaurants that span the globe. Why not take a trip to Spain via Canada?
Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant
Embrujo Flamenco steeps Toronto's diners in Spanish culture. The restaurant serves classic regional Spanish dishes and entertains guests with traditional Spanish flamenco dancing. An array of giant paellas--a dish of saffron rice with meats, seafood and vegetables--are offered in addition to Embrujo's small-plate selection of Spanish tapas. Guests can try the famed Jamon Iberico de Bellota: "the caviar of all hams." This fresh sliced ham is a product of free-range pigs raised on a diet of acorns, giving the meat a rich flavor. Flamenco performances take place Wednesday through Saturday evenings and prix fixe menus are offered during performances. Check with the restaurant for showtimes.
Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant
97 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, ON M4K 1N2
(416) 778-0007
embrujoflamenco.com
Cava Restaurant
Cava sparkling
Cava--meaning wine cellar or a Spanish sparkling white wine--is Toronto chef Chris MacDonald's nod to Spanish and Latin flavors. The focus of this small-plates eatery is local ingredients--reflected in the seasonally changing menu. Guests of Cava Restaurant can munch on chipotle-caramel popcorn before diving into a plate of house-cured meats. Twenty wines served by the glass are offered to pair with guest dishes, as well as an extensive list highlighting Spanish and Portuguese wines by the bottle. Traditional Spanish-style sangria is also available. Dinner is served nightly.
Cava Restaurant
1560 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON M4T 2S9
(416) 979-9918
cavarestaurant.ca
Plaza Flamingo
Plaza Flamingo fuses Spanish and Latin flavors, music and dancing together. A broad menu features traditional tapas, paellas, grilled selections and pastas. Classic Spanish foods are served alongside Latin staples like quesadillas and Italian pasta primavera. Complement these dishes with Plaza Flamingo's wine list and cocktails and you have something for everybody. On Friday and Saturday evenings, guests enjoy Flamenco dancing performed to live classical Spanish guitar. Dinner and show combinations can be purchased that include a dance lesson. As dinner ends, the second floor heats up with a DJ playing Latin and Spanish dance music.
Plaza Flamingo
423 College St.
Toronto, ON M5T 1T1
(416) 03-8884
plazaflamingo.com
Resources
About the Author:
Based in Southern California, Anne Marie Bailey has been a freelance writer since 2008. She has been published in "EAT Magazine" and is a regular contributor to Trails.com and eHow. Bailey holds a Bachelor of Arts in cultural anthropology from the University of Colorado.
Photo Credits:
Toronto skyline image by Pavel Cheiko from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
glass of champagne image by Trevor Allen from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
