Out & About #221 | SOMA (Round 2), Visiting the "Birdman", and WVRST

I've come to the conclusion that sidewalks in metro Toronto will never all be at grade at the same time. With over sixty years of history behind them, there's bound to be some areas of severe settlement.

This simply means that there ought be to some degree of caution exerted when strolling along major arterials while distracted. That, or be prepared to suffer the effects of seriously painful ankle-rolling.

I suppose uneven sidewalk surfaces appear less fearful when the mercury rises, as even I became more willing to walk the streets when the sun made its appearance in the early afternoon.

One of our lunch hour missions to obtain gelato from Kekou's Queen West location was abruptly suspended due to our failure in reviewing their store hours beforehand. Armed with a decent knowledge of the shops in the vicinity, I suggested making a quick run to SOMA before our break time was up.

I've witnessed many reviewers raving about the chocolate shop's creamy gelato, but hadn't tried it firsthand until our impromptu visit. Their homemade selection wasn't nearly as immense as I had hoped though; it mainly comprised of milky or nut-based flavours.

We agreed on obtaining small cups of Roasted Hazelnut and Fior De Latte after a brief sampling, and took to the back of the store to savour the already-melting desserts.
As stated in my previous entries (1, 2), I despise ice cream and soft serves that fail to maintain their shape and consistency. The watery texture is unappealing - it forces the user to accelerate the consumption process, making it difficult to truly enjoy the contained flavours. The Fior De Latte gelato embraced similar properties, but a subtly sweet creaminess was still able to be perceived before my green plastic cup contained nothing more than a white, soupy mess.

In addition to indulging in sweet treats, warm days also call for the obligatory bubble tea run (I mean, it's important to stay hydrated right?!) and potentially Uncle Tetsu if the lineup is short.
Heading southbound on Dundas, I gradually found my way to the Birdman's pop-up shop at Queen and University.

How adorable are these wooden carvings?!? Between the larger, tan-hued ducks and tiny, light beige birds, I knew that resistance was futile; I picked one up immediately. "Birdman" was extremely friendly, and advised airing out the bottom part of the stump before resting the bird on other pieces of furniture as the wood had not yet completely dried.

He also offered to sign the bottom of his wonderful handcrafted creation, which he was charging a mere ten dollars for his extensive efforts.

In all honesty, I'm loving my little birdie more with each passing day! Its body is smooth, yet embodies strong, realistic features; its beak is sharp and sanded to a precise tip, and its gold, beady eyes inspiring yet warm to gaze upon. This masterpiece of a fledgling carving has now earned a permanent spot on my windowsill, acting as a source of tranquility and motivation.

Those looking to adopt one of these lovable characters for their own should definitely drop by the intersection! Each piece is unique, as well as absolutely lovely to observe as the sun shines down its back.

Another one of my lunchtime excursions led me further west to King and Bathurst, where I stumbled upon larger-than-life-sized Charlie Brown street art and a serene cafe that also sold pricey household decor items.

My point of interest lay just west of King and Bathurst: I was determined to try out WVRST's widely hyped savoury soft serve.

Declaring that the 2nd-floor restaurant to be "dim" would be an understatement; it was flat-out dark as could be, with only a net of incandescent light bulbs for illumination. Without the small amount of natural light peeking through the upstairs windows, the sausage-focused restaurant could essentially complete bar transformation during mid-afternoon.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of red meat. Nor am I particularly fond of sausages.

I was, however, very much intrigued by their deep fried Duck Fat-crusted Maple Rosemary Soft Serve. It didn't come cheap though - the ice cream itself sold for five dollars, and the fried "crumble" an additional twenty-five cents. In comparison to Sweet Jesus' inflated sugar-laden creations though, I guess I shouldn't be complaining. 
​The service at the takeout counter was a tad aloof, but nowhere near as downright rude as some other cafes I have visited.

Larger than expected, the cup was filled to the brim with maple rosemary soft serve. It was noticed that they hadn't skimped on the duck fat toppings either; their generosity had me dropping the crispy pieces on the streetcar the entire journey back.
While I couldn't taste any hints of rosemary, the sweetness of the maple was evident. Lending the savoury, crunchy touch of Miss Vickie's, the Duck Fat crumble rendered a unique, sweet-and-salty experience to the otherwise plain dessert.

Unfathomably filling and totally unexpected of a sausage hall, the soft serve creation is an item that I would highly suggest trying out.

And just to note: this opinion is based solely off of the small portion of their menu that I have tasted.

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