Small Business Saturday is more crucial this year than ever. With COVID ravaging the population, so many of our favorite small businesses have taken a major hit and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.
Joy on York has been a favorite of mine since their doors opened over 2 years ago. The sister restaurant to Pine and Crane, Joy specializes in regional Taiwanese cooking. Their menu is inspired by the cuisine you would find in Taiwanese night markets.
While everything on the menu is delicious, today I chose the minced pork rice with an iced passionfruit green tea. The minced pork was so flavorful, with the perfect balance of sweetness from the five spice marinade along with the savory flavors of chili oil, green onion, a soy braised hard boiled egg and their house pickle spears.
Couldn't even wait for a photo, it was so good. Tender, minced pork and pickle spears. Not shown, Soy braised egg and 3/4 of the dish.
One of my absolute favorite drinks is Joy’s Passionfruit iced tea. They muddle fresh passionfruit into iced green tea and can add boba to the refreshing treat. Depending on the season, sometimes, nectarine or other citrus are added.
All the passionfruit hanging out at the bottom.
The sparkle of passionfruit deliciousness.
As a person who was bribed by her parents with donuts for most of her childhood, I am VERY particular about my donuts. The donuts from Donut Friend are in my top 3, which is saying a lot, trust me. When I visit the shop I usually have a hard time deciding what to get. Am I in the mood for the “Green Teagan and Sara”, the “S’morissey”, so many options.
Today I decided to go old and new school with the Youth Brûlée, a glaze donut with a creme filling the donut hole and then a hardened sugar layer over the entire donut and the Yellow Carrot , a carrot and spice cake topped with a cream cheese frosting. Both were delicious and the carrot was the best carrot cake I have ever had.
I know, I know, I started this post with minced pork, but hear me out. I eat a very flexitarian diet (75% vegetarian, 25% animal based diet) and its working for me. Bestie’s is great because they have so many great things in the store that I didn’t even know existed and they try everything before they sell it in the store, so they will always give you an honest opinion before you buy. Some of the things are better than the regular, animal or chemical version and usually better for you.
Let me tell you something, you try Nuggs and if you still want to eat a real chicken nugget after that, I’ll eat my hat. The BEST vegan thing that God has made. PERIOD. Bestie’s is the only place I can buy these in my area without having to ship them in bulk, so far.
These were my Small Business Saturday highlights for 2020. What are some of your favorite small businesses that you would like to share? Cannot wait to hear and support new businesses.
