After nearly half a day of planes and airports, I am finally home for Christmas. I can’t even describe how happy I am – it feels like forever ago that I woke up in my own bed with Stella next to me. All I wanted to do today was sleep in, but because I’m apparently…
Author: Denise Alba
Sushi and Stuff
It’s been way too long since I’ve had some good Japanese food. I miss gindara and mentaiko udon and agedashi tofu and spicy salmon and spot prawn sashimi. I miss block sushi at Guu and I miss ishi-yaki at Hapa. A little while ago I had Japanese at this place called Hoi on Wyandotte Street,…
A Sweet Tooth’s Logic
I think it’s perfect. I just had to share.
Contracts & Caramels
Against my better judgment, I decided to study in my room today. On my bed. This isn’t atypical behaviour on my part – it actually is very much typical and usually works out just fine. What’s concerning about it this time, though, is that exams are literally around the corner and my focus is nowhere to…
Girls Night at The City Grill
A week ago tomorrow, we had a memo due, and let me tell you, it was…something. I had plenty of time to work on it, but in typical Denise fashion, it didn’t get done ‘til Sunday night. I don’t do well with planning ahead. This reminds me of when I somehow ended up on the prom…
Apples & Pumpkins
When fall rolls around, everything seems to centre on apples and pumpkins: apple picking, apple cider, apple pie, baked apples, pumpkin pie, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, and the pumpkin spice latte made famous by a coffee giant we all know and secretly love. I’ll fully admit it – they do a legit cheesecake brownie. And…
Stella’s Halloween
This past Halloween was the first that I didn’t get to spend with Stella. My mom and dad took her to Three Dog Bakery’s Pooch Spooks. We go every year, and this year Stella went as a pink monster. It’s always a great time, and I really wish I could have been there. There’s always a…
Missing Trafiq Café
So October just flew by: Thanksgiving came and went, Halloween happened, and suddenly it’s November, we’re falling back an hour and Movember is in full swing. The temperature’s dropped, and it’s that time of year again: exams are just over a month away. And I am in desperate need of a quiet coffee shop to…
El Mayor
I was beginning to lose hope for the Windsor food scene until my good friend took me to El Mayor for a Middle Eastern dinner after we had worked up an appetite grocery shopping. I’d never had such good hummus – creamy and smooth, just garlicky enough, and perfectly swirled and drizzled with olive oil. And the…
Chocolate Cure
When they say chocolate solves everything, they aren’t lying. I can 100% attest to that fact, and especially if it’s a Beta5 chocolate bar. I don’t like the fact that I live 4000 km from Beta5, but thankfully I have parents who don’t mind being tasked with picking up my favourites and sending them over….
An LRW kind of Weekend
We have this lovely little class called Legal Research & Writing, and it took over my entire weekend. We had an assignment due today, so I lived and breathed LRW all weekend. While drinking my morning smoothies, while getting my nails done with some of my favourite girls, while eating some amazing barbeque (more on…
Sweater Weather in Vancouver
I’m in Vancouver for Thanksgiving, and fall is definitely in full swing: the leaves have turned, and it’s a perfect 7 degrees, just the way I like it. Perfect sweater weather on a perfect day, missing only a steaming cappuccino cup of Aztec hot chocolate at Thomas Haas. A warm chocolate mochi bun fresh out of…
Pup & Grub 