It’s that time of year again: Summerlicious!
Time to treat ourselves to some drool worthy food for drool worthy prices at Summerlicious. The great annual feast of restaurant sampling is already under way, and we’ve got until July 24th to savour it!
But let’s not get too crazy – we don’t want to eat dishes and ingredients that are going to cause our skin to breakout or flare up, do we? Better yet, we want to find some good lookin’ food that will help out our skin and make it glow!
So now you’re thinking “But where are the healthiest places to eat during Summerlicious?” Not to worry – I’ve sorted through all of the menus for you and found the three best options for happy skin.
Pukka
Indian cuisine is one my absolute faves, with the multitude of flavours, powerful spices and generally wholesome, unprocessed ingredients.
With such great online reviews, it’s hard to pass up Pukka and their modern Indian dishes. They’ve got some cool events on their website too – they just wrapped up a recipe contest (the winner of which will have their recipe featured on Pukka’s menu) and have been hosting some wine evenings – fun!
Side note: I’ve started obsessively cooking Indian food at home since I found Meera Sodha’s cookbook Made In India – OMG so good!
Here’s what Pukka’s serving up for Summerlicious dinner ($28):
Appetizer: Pukka Chaat Salad with chick peas, mango, apple, puffed rice, chutney and yogurt
Entrée: South Indian Fish Curry with lentils, curry leaf and tamarind (veggie curry is also available as a vegetarian alternative)
Dessert: Mango Mousse or Rice Pudding
Favourite skin friendly ingredient: Mango!
Mango is packed with vitamin A, the most important clear skin nutrient. It fights off pore clogging toxins with its antioxidants, reduces acne redness with its anti-inflammatory properties and reduces sebum production. Well thanks for all of that, vitamin A!
Insomnia Restaurant & Lounge
This great little spot in the Annex has a menu full of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options, and serves up a dinner and a late night menu (their kitchen is open until 2am every day!)
But during Summerlicious, try out Insomnia’s amazing lunch (aka: brunch), and maybe add one of their clever cocktails such as the Rye & Shine or Sunrise Mimosa.
Check out their tasty Summerlicious lunch ($18):
Appetizer: Seasonal Fruit Bowl
Entrée: Tofu Rancheros with corn tortilla, scrambled curried tofu, salsa, beans, roasted red pepper, sautéed onion and served with mixed greens
Dessert: Raspberry sorbet
Favourite skin friendly ingredient: Mixed Greens!
Being one of the most nutrient rich foods in the world, it’s no surprise that greens are one of our skin BFFs. Their high mineral content make them extremely alkalizing, helping to balance our body pH levels and in turn reducing the oily appearance of skin.
Bodega
On pretty Baldwin street, Bodega has a great atmosphere. it’s a cute French-inspired bistro in a gorgeous old Victoria home, and they’ve got a attractive garden patio (be sure to reserve ahead!)
Feast your eyes on this Summerlicious lunch offering ($23):
Appetizer: Salad of Sweet & Bitter Greens with heirloom tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, watermelon, radish, balsamic dressing
Entrée: Grilled Atlantic Salmon with quinoa, spinach, heirloom tomatoes (they love the ‘loom!), honey mushrooms, saffron-mint sauce, crispy potato sticks
Dessert: Lime Tart
Favourite skin friendly ingredient: Tomatoes!
Heirloom or not, tomatoes feed our skin lycopene which acts as an antioxidant and natural SPF (yes, they actually protect our skin from sun damage!) Lycopene is also found in watermelon and carrots, so this meal was made for sunny summer skin exposure days!
Where will you be eating during Summerlicious?
Leave comments about your Summerlicious eating adventures below, I’d love to hear about them! And please share this blog with your friends by clicking the social buttons under this post.
PS – if you haven’t heard yet, I recently released the second edition of my eBook “Food For Your Face: Clearing Your Skin From The Outside”, full of easy DIY beauty product recipes that you can make at home with food that’s probably already sitting in your kitchen. Food For Your Face eBook Sample and buy it now by clicking here!
Date With Your Plate 