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| - As you can probably tell, I've been working out in Liberty Village recently; from what I understand, it's an up and coming neighbourhood with real potential for good, unique and friendly restaurants. "Merci mon ami" certainly fits the bill. A good place to grab lunch either in, or to go, this place calls itself a "Paris Bistro", but is frankly friendlier, brighter and more spacious than any bistro in Paris that I went to. The space has minimal, yet smartly chosen décor that welcomes its patrons to linger, and the big wooden tables are good for spreading out your lunch. There is a good selection of sandwiches presented in the window, literally tied up with bows (cute!). Most of the sandwiches come in a white or brown baguette, or white or brown wrap option. I chose the eggplant parm on brown baguette. I'm still new to Toronto, so sometimes, I don't know how much things cost - so, when my to-go order came to $12, I simply thought: "that's an expensive sandwich". My food was nicely packaged in a lunch box for me, which when I opened, was delighted to find: my hot sandwich, a skewer of fresh fruit, and a good sized mixed greens salad. The sesame vinegarette that came on the side is something I wish the Bistro would sell. I would buy it to use on my salads at home, no question.
My sandwich, while a bit thin on the actual eggplant, was delicious! It came topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms that had a great punch. I even ate the sundried tomatoes, which I usually hate; the flavours were just a great combination! The service was quick, considering the lunch box was put together fresh; the proprietor was super friendly, and seemed to know several regular patrons. The $12 lunch was extremely filling, and there were several other sandwiches that I want to go back and try. Overall, cute place with unpretentious, tasty food - Merci!
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