milagro

i just love milagro! i could have an enjoyable time on a light spring day sitting on the patio or even on a wintery day inside. it always has great atmosphere, fast service and amazing food! i’ve been to milagro over ten times now and i’ve never once been disappointed. it may be because my taste buds are still jumping up and down from the flavours of mexican cuisine. one thing i never had the opportunity of appreciating while growing up in australia is mexican food. it just wasn’t a cuisine that was readily available but is although quickly becoming more and more popular recently. one of the perks about milagro is being able to walk right in and enjoy a freshly made salsa with homemade style tortilla chips immediately. best of all is that they’re complimentary. so if you’re super hungry and your stomach is calling out to you in desperation you need not worry here! you’ll be able to much on these tortilla chips for as long as you can but make sure you leave some room for the food ..

have a craving for a spicy plate of huevos racheros? we found this traditional mexican breakfast dish at milagro's in toronto. two eggs piled on top of a warm tortilla with tomato salsa, refried beans, potatoes and sour cream. it's a hearty and spicy kick to any weekend. wash it all down with a cold limeade agua fresca. milagro's does an excellent brunch on both saturday and sunday. we showed up at the mercer street location last sunday at 1 pm, there was no line-up and we were seated right away. a definite plus when you're grumpy and starving. check out the full brunch menu online. milagro restaurant, toronto http://www.milagrorestaurant.com

it is pretty evident that toronto foodies love their mexican food. it seems to be something we’re always striving to find. the next best taco, guacamole, or mole. but it seems as though toronto has not yet discovered the greatness of one restaurant which truly is a hidden gem. i’m here to share the secret of milagro cantina mexicana (5 mercer st) with you.

arturo anhalt (head chef and co-owner) opened milagro in 2006 with his brother. born and raised in mexico city, they grew up enjoying mexican cuisine at home, in the streets and in the restaurants and cantinas of mexico city. when they came to toronto, they wanted to bring those flavours to our streets, which can be found in their three locations across the city along queen street (783 queen st w) and yonge (3187 yonge st).

upon arriving at the restaurant, you are greeted with service that is beyond complimentary. delicious corn chips with salsa are left on the table while you peruse the menu. there is an adorable little warning on the menu that tells diners to keep in mind that items will be spicy and they are not wrong. everything from the rimming on the margarita to the guacamole is spicy, so be prepared – this food is not for the faint of heart.

we started our foray into the menu with a refreshing 2.5 oz oaxaquena margarita. shaken and poured over ice with mezcal, triple sec and agave , the drink paired wonderfully the two ceviches we indulged in: pescado tropical (marinated snapper, sweet mango, tomato, cilantro & onion) and veulve a la vida (mixed octopus, shrimp & crab with tomato, cilantro and serrano pepper). the ceviches were wonderfully executed. photographer yuli and i are huge seafood fans and could not get enough of the beautiful colours and flavours on the ceviches that were presented.

next up, we were treated to the equivalent of the mexican caesar, the michelada. a combination of the mexican beer, negra modelo, tomato juice, fresh lime and salt & pepper rim – it would be perfect for a hot summer day. paired alongside our al pastor tacos, which consisted of adobo pork, grilled pineapple and salsa verde, it was a winning combo that really had me yearning for a patio.

arturo came alongside to the table to chat with yuli and i about the origins of some of mexico’s favourite street food and brought with him a dish he remembers eating on the streets of mexico city. the dish, tostaditas dona flora, is crisp tostadas, chicken, refried beans, avocado and creama. the flavours were complex yet so incredibly simple. paired with a shot of beautiful tequila, arturo walked us through the proper way of drinking, “bite at the lime, sip the tequila and then sip at the chaser.” he told us. the chaser consisted of a tomato and orange juice mix, which cut down on some of the acidity. the tostada and tequila combo had me feeling like we were on the streets of mexico city.

milagro cantina offers up some spectacular food with an array of cocktails. for those looking for authentic mexican in the heart of the city, look no further than milagro.

the craze in the food industry in the past year or two seems to be all about tacos. it could get a bit repetitive, but the milagro cantinas offer traditional mexican e ateries inspired by mexico city - so you're looking at the good old authentic stuff here! we were invited to a dinner at their toronto flagship on mercer st., opened by mexican city-born brothers, autoru and andres anhalt, and it was unlike any other mexican food we had in toronto. upon arrival, cocteles - a selection of mixed libations from the cantina were placed in our hand - can't complain as it was a long day at work ;)  the restaurant space on mercer pretty big with lots of seatings along the window as well as bigger tables for groups.  the staff were super friend, fun and lively - it felt like we were at a friend's party... a friend who knew how to make some damn good mexican food, that is! after being seated, the food began to emerge from the kitchen - glorious sight, of course!   guacamole con totopos ($12.00) -

very friendly staff and nice place. the service takes very long, it took about 20’/30’ to get us a taco.
food i. general good, although a little greasy

good. went here for lunch with my husband, my parents and my brother. we all had something different and everything was good. i had the tacos rosarito with shrimp, avocado, and crema. it was great. my dad had the pollo con mole. he said the mole was excellent - spicy and rich, a complex flavor. my husband had the barbacoa burrito and he said it was excellent. my mom had the fish tacos and "it was so good i couldn't believe it." my brother had the vegetarian burrito. service was a little slow but since the tortillas were made fresh, i can excuse that a bit. the wait staff wear blue and white plaid shirts which is a little odd for a mexican restaurant but whatever.

tip: free wifi available, just ask for the password!

enjoyed a wide mexican fare here on cinco de mayo. love the ambiance here and the food even more so. they are always busy so making a reservation is recommended especially for the weekends. 
we started off with the guac and chips bowl. the guac had a subtle heat to it from the chopped jalapenos but was delicious and balanced well with the house made chips. 

then we moved on to the trio of enchiladas, the chicken tinga and the conchanita pibil which were all outstanding. also ordered a side of chorizo which went well with our enchiladas. finally, since none of our mexican meals are complete without tequila/mezcal we got the bloody maria and the oxaquena. overall a great meal. 

the only drawback on going there on cinco de mayo was the crazy busy lunch service and the food took a bit longer than expected but the taste made up for the wait!!!

the craze in the food industry in the past year or two seems to be all about tacos. it could get a bit repetitive, but the milagro cantinas offer traditional mexican eateries inspired by mexico city - so you're looking at the good old authentic stuff here! we were invited to a dinner at their toronto flagship on mercer st., opened by mexican city-born brothers, arturo and andres anhalt, and it was unlike any other mexican food we had in toronto.

upon arrival, cocteles - a selection of mixed libations from the cantina were placed in our hand - can't complain as it was a long day at work ;) the restaurant space on mercer pretty big with lots of seatings along the window as well as bigger tables for groups. the staff were super friend, fun and lively - it felt like we were at a friend's party... a friend who knew how to make some damn good mexican food, that is!
after being seated, the food began to emerge from the kitchen - glorious sight, of course!

guacamole con totopos ($12.00) - tortilla chips with house-made guacamole (aguacate, cilantro, serrano chiles, tomato, onion & lime)
salsas de la casa - three of milagro's famous salsas: mile, medium and spicy
milagrito 'ven a mi' mezcal reposado, warm syrupy with a smoky mezcal

ensalada cesar ($9.00) - romaine, egg, anchovy, parmesan & garlic vinaigrette

tostadita de pulpo ($8.50) - crisp tortilla with octopus & chipotle ceviche
sope plazero ($9.00) - corn masa base, pork carnitas, warm tomatillo-serrano salsa & crema
michelada - negra modelo, fresh lime and salt rim
conchinita pibil ($21.00) - anchiote marinated pulled pork, pickled habanero onions & fried plantains
pierna de cordero ($19.50) - braised lamb shank in chile guajillo & mezcal sauce

mole poblano ($18.50) - roasted chicken with poblano style red mole

natilla de cajeta ($) - creamy custard with goat's milk cajeta & brûléed sugar - fell in love with this!
glan de queso al caramelo ($) - homestyle cheese flan with burnt sugar sauce
i did had high expectations as this is actually one of my friend' favourite restaurants in all of toronto - now i see why! the food is spectacular with an abundance of cocktails and wine to pair them with. add the lively environment and staff and i am in mexican heaven. milagro cantina definitely became one of my top 3 mexican restaurants in the city and i can't wait to go back for more.

ps. please make sure you try the dessert we had!

with three very successful locations around the city, milagro cantina is one of the most widely-recognizable and respected mexican restaurants in the city. for a recent menu launch, i was invited to their original entertainment district location to taste my way through the authentic flavours of mexico. mexican-born owners and brothers, arturo and andres anhalt have worked tremendously hard to incorporate their love and passion for their home country into every facet of the milagro brand. a quick glance around the room and their commitment becomes immediately clear.from the tri-tone mexican-flag themed walls, to their traditional recipes and techniques, it’s obvious that milagro is about so much more than just fancy-pants tacos.we began the evening with introductions by chef arturo anhalt and a selection of fabulous mexican margaritas and cocktails from the cantina style bar. oaxaquena tlacuache mezcal, triple sec, agave rosa canela la pinta pomegranate tequila, bulleit bourbon, martini white vermouth, cinnamon, agave michelada negra modelo, fresh lime, salt rim milagrito ‘ven a mi’ mezcal reposado warning- these drinks, are so smooth they go down very quick- yep, even the straight up shots. be sure to pace yourself with a botana or two- that’s mexican for a snack! thankfully, the gracious staff at milagro were hot on that thought and brought out more than enough food to satisfy the crowd.-guacamole con totopos with three of milagro’s salsas de la casathe freshly fried flawlessly seasoned tortilla chips quickly disappeared from the basket as we mixed and married the different heat levels of the salsas with the lusciously creamy guac.-ensalada cesar romaine, egg, anchovy, parmesan and garlic vinaigrettea simple yet flavour-packed take on everyone’s favourite salad. who could say no to this?-tostadita de pulpo and sope plazero crisp tortilla with octopus and chipotle ceviche & sopa with pork carnitas, tomatillo-serrano with salsa and cremai love mexican street food, and this duo did not disappoint. the flavourful and tender octopus was light and refreshing topped with bright ceviche, while the sopa sopped up all the delicious juices of the pork. yum.-cochinita pibil achiote marinated pulled pork, pickled habanero onions, fried plantainsmake your own! i love interactive dishes, because i like food done my way and milagro lets me have that control. i really enjoyed the combination of the sweet plantains, the earthy beans, the rich pork and the sprightly pickled onions- definitely a homestyle comforting dish.-pierna de cordero braised lamb shank in chile guajillo & mezcal saucethe meat was meltingly tender and infused the potatoes and carrots with its aromatic and beautifully spiced juices.-mole poblano roasted chicken, poblano style red molethe mole poblano, also known as mexico’s version of curry, is truly a senses-stimulating dish. this recipe uses 32 ingredients to make the rich aromatic sauce, with chocolate and peanuts being some of the most prominent flavours. if the sound of chocolate on your chicken sounds unusual, i urge you to check out milagro’s mole.-flan de queso al caramelo and natilla de cajeta homestyle cheese flan with burnt sugar sauce and creamy custard with goat’s milk cajeta & bruleed sugar for me, this dessert-duo was love at first bite. okay, so probably more like second bites- i had to take separate spoonfuls of each dessert. the natilla de cajeta was satiny and sweet within but had a nice solid crunch of bitter bruleed sugar to balance it out. alternatively, the flan offered a more consistent delicate texture but its caramelized layer on top had me hooked.disclaimer: the food and drink featured in this post were complimentary, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.

been to the queen st location and the food was definitely tasty and well priced. the cucumber margarita is worth a try. recommended!

the manager told us it was margarita tuesday, but then went ahead and charged us for $14 margaritas, when we thought they were $4. he did the same to another table... too sneaky for me. don't mind spending dough, but not when it feels like i got played

good food..bad service. milagro on mercer food is as good as the other location on queen street. however the service is a quite contrast. i went there with my significant other for a snack and drinks. the restaurant was 70% empty, yet the host would not let us sit on a 4 seatertable next to the window with the excuse that it was reserved. i thought this was an insult to our intelligence since the restaurant was almost empty.
another thing that bothered me most was that the host decided that we spent enough time at the restaurant and brought us the bill without anyone asking for it and then after 5 minutes he volunteered to bring the paying machine to our table.
the host was not hospitable to say the least....when we paid and he did not like his undeserved tip, he threw the receipt on the table.
bottom line is....we left feeling we 've been kicked out and we will not be going there again

this one is so far the best... i must say, it was comparable to the mexican food i ate in mexico!

with three very successful locations around the city, milagro cantina is one of the most widely-recognizable and respected mexican restaurants in the city. for a recent menu launch, i was invited to their original entertainment district location to taste my way through the authentic flavours of mexico. - see more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/launch-milagros-authentic-flavours-aromas-mexico/#sthash.aclpurul.dpuf

nice spot with great atmosphere and friendly service. my meal was very tasty and a good sized portion. great selection of beers including a few mexican brands.