I’m broke! But I’m not Winterlicious broke…

Let’s face it, sometimes we get tired of going the cheap route and having to buy fast food. But this doesn’t have to be the case these next few weeks in Toronto because Winterlicious is finally here! Winterlicious is a food festival where participating in expensive restaurants offer affordable pre-fixed courses. That means you get to have an appy, main and dessert for a bargain! It’s usually split into lunch prices and dinner prices. The lunches prices range from $23-33 and the dinner prices range from $33-53, the bargain being that at these restaurants a three-course meal for one person would usually cost you about $60. There is also a summer version of it, called Summerlicious, that happens in the summer. This festival is perfect for people like me who love to live a bougie and luxurious lifestyle but the funds, unfortunately, do NOT match. Since I finally get to have the Instagram meal of dreams, here are the top three restaurants I want to try this Winterlicious.

N’awlins

Funny enough, Melissa’s mom introduced me to this restaurant… kind of. One day I was telling Melissa about how I wanted to eat New Orleans type of food and she told me that her mom had gone to this really a dope place with her coworkers. So I obviously had to research it. N’awlins is famous for its New Orleans feel and Italian/Cajun menu. The popular restaurant on King Street West is also a jazz bar. I’m looking to try the Jambalaya and make it extra spicy!

Oretta

If you live in Toronto and haven’t seen this restaurant on Instagram you definitely don’t follow any Toronto influencers or the wannabes. Known for their aesthetically pleasing interiors and bougie brunches, Oretta is the perfect place for a cute lunch with friends and tipsy-but-pretty dinner with best friends. I plan on going there to get my pasta-and-a-cute-cocktail-on, and you best believe the best Insta story + Insta photo you’ve ever seen.

The Carbon Bar

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnrv1M-BB0L/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=iq6tm0lgetof

The Carbon Bar‘s crispy fried chicken has been on my Instagram saves for some weeks now and I can’t way to get a taste of it IRL. The Queen Street BBQ heaven is known for its authentic juicy meats topped with classy drinks. This place is a super laid back and chill environment. If you’re ever craving a home cooked meal, apparently this is the place to hit up. The fact that I’m writing this and still haven’t tasted their crispy fried chicken really upsets me, so I will definitely be on my way ASAP!