Guilt-free Dining

Have you evern found yourself sitting at a restaurant and contemplating or guessing between which entrée on the menu contains the most fat or sodium?  Or are you the type of person who just likes to splurge when eating out and doesn't give a thought about how much calories are in a particular dish?  Well, for those of you who are calorie-cautious, what if I told you that there is a restaurant out there where you can satisfy your tastebuds without worrying about your waistline?

Located on Bay Street in Toronto is Four, a trendy, upscale restaurant that has an artisanal approach to healthy dining.  Chef de Cuisine Craig Harding prides himself to commit to healthful dining by creating all of his dishes with under 650 calories.  

Even though the dishes may not be fat-ladened and you won't be able to find a deep fryer in the kitchen, you can bet that the flavour and palatability of the dishes are definately not compromised!  Four focuses on a seasonally changing menu with small plate varieties, using ingredients like spelt flour, ancient grains, buckwheat noodles and other complex carbohydrates. The dishes are inspired by the cuisine and cooking techniques (ie. broiling, grilling, steaming) of international countries and regions including the Mediterranean, India and Japan.  It’s at restaurants like Four that sometimes less is more.  
 
For those who would rather skip the entree and go straight for the dessert, I would suggest visiting Petit Four Bakery which is located right outside Four .  The French translation of petit four is "small oven" and the Petit Four Bakery offers the modern version of the classic petit four desserts (aka. small cakes).   This innovative bakery concept targets the downtown core by offering sandwiches, soups and desserts for take-out. 

Their multi-layered mini dessertes are served in shot glasses and are made freshy daily and sold individually for only $2.  Selections include the following & pictures correspond in the order listed:

• Bumble Berry Cheesecake
• Passion Fruit Salad
• Coconut Kaffir Lime
• Chocolate & Cherry Crunch
• Double Chocolate Creme
• Pecan Banana Caramel
• Tiramisu
• Carrot Cake

Aren't these desserts sooooo cute?  This is definately "portion control" at the finest!

Be sure to let me know which dessert you choose because I've only tried passion fruit salad and coconut kaffir lime, both of which are EXQUISITE!