Fiscal Sunday

End of the month. June is at last upon us.
Susan Boyle takes second - but that's not bad. She'll still get a record deal at least out of it.
She's still a media sensation.

Fiscal endings - tie up those loose ends. Get yourself ready with some goods from Hank's.
Like the cupcakes. Or the soup (Cabbage Bacon Soup, yum). Or the stew (Veggie Stew of Deliciousness.)

Or you could crawl back into bed for the Sunday afternoon.


See you soon,
Max

Is there anything a clear sky can't do?

A clear sky can't rain. Except for tonight for a while.
So, enjoy this awesome weather we've been given for the weekend.
No rain on this parade.

Hank's is serving up clear skies with bowls of
Carrot & Ginger Soup (Vegan Friendly!)
plus, Beef & Wild Rice Stew (A hint of pork, for delight).

Come on down to the market and say hello!

See you soon,
Max

Are there songs about Friday?

It's Friday and after a long week of decisions and battles, trials and triumphs, we all deserve a little love. Love comes in so many forms, but did you know you can find it in a soup? A traditional split pea with happy ham and tickled turkey simmering away on the stove right now, awaiting it's lunch debut. If you're more of a vegetale lover, a light stew of veggies and beans is just what will cleanse both body and soul. You are in luck my friends. This is love you give to your bod. Just what it deserves after carrying you through this week from beginning to end. So before you can uncork that bottle and throw on those bunny slippers, start the wind down of the week with a soulful little lunch at yours truly. See you soon!

Cold Drinks. Brr.

I've been getting a lot of questions about iced drinks.
Here's the Hank's low down:

We ice drinks!
We've got a selection of ice-able drinks.
Lattes, Americanos and Mochas (or flavoured lattes) are all available cold.

We are also making our own house iced tea.
It is unsweetened and we have simple syrup on the condiment stand.
You can make it as sweet or unsweet as your little heart desires.
It's delicious and minty.

We'll keep you posted on other cold drinks we've got in the inventing stage yet. Keep your eyes open. It's going to be a refreshing summer at Hank's.

Puppies and Kittens,
Max

At Hank's...

All we care about is great tasting stuff. Ever. Sure we put on a pretty face to do it with - but in the end, the taste in your mouth is actually, for real, all that matters. Ever.

So, to that end, this is hilarious to me. I was reading blogto.com this morning and now I feel that if you need a good chuckle this article and the comments are it. Wow. One dress can cause a lot of trouble.

If you want to fit into such dresses I recommend our
Canadian Onion Soup! Made with TONS of variatels of onion, a baguette crostini and sprinkled with a two-year aged raw PEI Cheddar this soup will make you sing the sun out.

Stew today is a fabulous combo -
Braised Beef and House Chorizo Sausage Stew.
Balenced with chucks of root veg this protien packer will fill your belly with warmth.

See you soon,
Max

Window Seat

Everyone loves the window seat. At Hank's we now have three bar chairs that look out into the Old York Toronto. Brick buildings, the CN tower peaking from behind trees and baskets of flowers - it's good to have a spring view, no?

Come sit in the window to enjoy...
Chicken and Rice Soup or
Vegetarian-Friendly Lentil Stew.

It's a rainy, beautiful day. Dance in it over to Hank's.

See you soon,
Max

Monday Monday

What a chill song for such a tough day. It's the beginning of a fresh week. Anything could happen from now till friday when the glorious spring weekend strikes again. Such strange folds these weeks are.

Soup today is a healthy little veg soup to boost your super powers. If you're feelin more meaty, we've got a hearty beef stew with the wildest rice bubblin away just waiting for your spoon.

We'll see you soon.

No News

No news is good news. Or, at least, me not posting news will leave you hoping the news was good.
I don't like to listen to the radio in the morning. The things I hear don't always put me in the right mood to help me put other people in the right mood.
So, in light of there being not so much good news in the world today - I'm leaving it to you to find your own news out - good or not so.

Good news on specials:
Braised Beef Stew - the yum.
Vegan-friendly Heirloom Bean and Tomato Soup - a dance in your mouth.

See you soon,
Max

Ida's not just a potato.

Cabbage salad: You hear a new word and suddenly you hear it everywhere.
Two days ago I was in a book store reading about a fossil named Ida and today it hits the news.
Don't know what you think - maybe it's good news, maybe it's no news.
It's just a weird monkey thing to me.

Don't feel so indifferent about lunch!
Cream of Happy Asparagus Soup
and
Chicken and Rice Stew

means there is nothing to feel "meh" about.

Hank's does the Wednesday dance. By tonight, the week will be half over. By this afternoon it will be a whopping TWENTY-FOUR DEGREES CELSIUS.
HOORAY.

See you soon,
Max

4 days to work in a week.

How exciting. With the May 2-4 weekend we really usher in the beginning of the summer season. It may have been a bit chilly out but it won't stop our barbeque spirits from soaring.
I attended my first wedding of the year. This is how I know that the warm weather will follow soon.

Toast up and hold out for the warmth to come with some specials.

Celeriac Soup is a Vegan Friendly Treat,
Lamb Stew keeps spring on the mind.
It's got a mushroomy tomato base and is quite lovely.

Come and tell us your weekend story.

See you soon,
Max

Thursday Eats!

Today the soup is Spicy Mushroom and we've got a lovely Lamb Stew bubbling away in the back. It's raining but it's nice at Hanks!

See you soon.

Food Spring is upon Hank's

I know it's actual real spring now because the local food is actually green again.
(Not root coloured like red, yellow, orange or potato-white).

Today we have
Wild Leek and Fiddle Head Soup (it's GREEN and DELICIOUS!).
Lamb and Wild Rice Stew (What's more spring than spring lamb?).

Lots of good stuff this weekend!
Hot Docs continues,
Colin James sings the blues,
We're Funny That Way kicks it off at the Buddies in Bad Time Theatre
and really many many more.

Get outside and pass Hank's on the way.

See you soon,
Max

Are you ready for Mother's day?

We've all had carrot ginger soup. Maybe it's the mood I'm in, but the carrot ginger soup I tried this morning was awesome. Fresh and spicy. If you miss your mother, the chicken and rice soup, is the bandaid on the scraped up knee. The forehead kiss goodnight. It's good.
If your mom likes treats, don't forget to pop by on your way for your visit to pick up a slice of carrot cake or some freshly baked cookies.

We'll see you soon!

It's Thursday!!

One more sleep till it's friday, and then ... for so many .. the weekend. Not that you can't add quality to your week. Taking yourself out for a soulful lunch is a good way to start. Why shouldn't the week be just as lovely?

Today's soup. Parsnip Pear
Bison and Beef stew is bubbling away as we speak.

See you soon.

Right on Reds

I have nothing against Red Lights or Pedestrians. I ride my bicycle all winter, walk when the bike lanes get too snowed in and drive a motorcycle in the summer.
I feel I have three good perspectives... From my experience it's pretty hard to get through pedestrians to make a right on a red anyway.
As for pedestrian safety - aren't most people hit when they are Jay Walking like the crazy Jay Walkers most Torontonians (how could there be 5 definitions) are?

Red Light Stopping Specials!
Cream of Potato and Cabbage Soup - so good it might make your mouth have some kind of space-related implosion.
Spicy Chicken Squash Curry Stew - light, refreshing, amazing. Sure to hit your chicken stew spot.

Come by to talk traffic with me. I do love discussing it.

See you soon,
Max

Tuesday of a Fine Cherry Blossom Spring

A regular this morning commented on the Cherry Blossoms in High Park.
I tend not to leave the very core of downtown and I feel I've been missing out.
Maybe you have to. I had no idea, so here's the low down:
2000 trees were given to us in 1959 by Toru-Hagiwara, who was the Japanese ambassador to Canada at the time.
This is the 50th anniversary of our cherry trees.
They are especially magnificent this week - so it's time to get out after work and check out the beauty our city has to offer.

Soup today is a terrific meaty treat - Bison and Beef Soup.
I've had a spoonful and it is awesome.

Stew is a vegan treat! It's Sweet Potato, Chick Pea & Peanut Stew.
Equally awesome if you forgo meat - I will probably have a cup of each for my lunch.
YUMMERS.

See you for lunch,
Max

Finally!

Check out pictures from Hank's Barista Jam.

A few big thanks -
To all the barista's who came out: Thank you! We had such a good time having you all over to play with us. It's nice to meet up and chat with birds of a feather.

Steamwhistle: Thanks for spotting us some cases of your fine brew. We all enjoyed it.

Intelligentsia: Thanks for the sweet swag and your awesome espresso. You made our friendly competition extra fun.

Detour Coffee Roasters, Kaelin: Thanks for letting us pull your brew, making us your single origins and spotting us a few pounds for some extra prizes. We love it when you come out to see us at Hank's.

Barista's of Toronto unite to brew the masses our best.

Here are some photos (finally).

See you all soon,
Max

Porcock?

To set you up for today's barrel of laughs I first have to tell you what ze specials are.
Soup today is a puree of Parsnip & Sunchoke with Roasted Root Vegetable (vegetarian friendly).
Our stew is Chicken, Pork Hock & Bean Stew.

The funny part is what you hear and what you know.
When I asked Dan D what the stew of the day was he told me it was Chicken and (what I heard) Porcock.
"What's a porcock? Is it like a cabbit? Like Cat-Rabbit only like Pig-Peacock?"

No. What he said was Pork Hock. (Pork hocks are cut from picnic shoulder and are similar to pork shank cross cuts. They contain two round shank bones exposed at both ends and are usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid.)

Not to be confused with the creature of many myths that is part Pig and Peacock.
I'm excited to go home and get out my crayons to draw it.
Har har.

Hope to see you today to try some myth-beast stew (if you are into meat).
Max

Fine May Day

Another Fine May Day is upon us and it looks to be a lovely one.

Hank's is treating you to a special Saturday pot of Cabbage and Bacon Soup
and a pot of Vegetarian Friendly Spicy Black Bean Stew.

Com'on down to the market and feel the glory of a sunny Saturday on your weary winter skin.
Soak it up!

See you soon,
Max