A couple years ago when we were filming our ZipCar segment we popped by Aroma Espresso Bar to grab a quick bite. That was my first Aroma experience and I was quite pleased when one opened across the street from us a few months after that first satisfying visit. We’ve since frequented Aroma Espresso for quick grab and go sessions and then a month ago the hubs told me that he and Baby Boy have a pre-playground ritual they’ve been engaging in for the last five months! I know…keeping secrets from me. How rude! Apparently Baby Boy LOVES the Aroma smoothies and the hubs has been fooling the kid into drinking juice that has veggies mixed in. HAH! Clearly the hubs has been taking tips from my kitchen antics!

 

Disclosure : This post is in partnership with Aroma Espresso Bar but, as always, opinions are TOTALLY ours.

 

When Little Monkey and Baby Boy were invited to be part of the AromaKidz launch both of them were pretty psyched! I mean, a place that gives chocolates with every purchase is hard to find fault with, right?  Lately Little Monkey has been coming home STARVING! I tried adding more items to her lunch box but that didn’t help because the extras came back home despite her being famished as soon as she entered the front door. The hunger becomes HANGRY and the child turns quite demonically rude. Last week was an insanely busy one for me and the hungry monster was the last straw that broke me down on Friday afternoon. I told the hubs I was is no mood to chop and prep snacks for her and that all four us (and her mini meltdowns) were going to Aroma instead.

This was my first proper sit down experience at Aroma Espresso Bar and I soon realized that not only do they have kids meals, they also serve cocktails and boozy coffees! OH HELLO!!! How did I miss that all these years? Little Monkey opted for the kids Pasta meal which not only came with a drink and the Aroma signature chocolate but also with a tiny cookie which our server was nice enough to check in with me for approval before plopping on the tray. That pasta dish was quite huge and came home with us for another meal despite Little Monkey and her white school shirt eating their fair share.

Baby Boy chose the Grilled Cheese Sandwich which also came with the cookie and drink but it also had chunks of cucumbers to make it a bit healthy. I liked that touch! I also liked that the kids meals came with a tray lined with a colouring sheet and a couple crayons which kept Little Monkey entertained while her pasta dish cooled down.

 

As for the adults, there’s plenty of healthy salads and sandwich options and what I realized was that having a small nibble at 4 p.m. ensured that I didn’t gobble any unhealthy snacks prior to our usual dinner at 7:30 p.m.! Now don’t get me wrong, Aroma is a fabulous bakery and so it’s hard staying away from the croissants and Alfajores but the all day breakfast options and salads definitely make it easier to look the other way as I walk into the busy spot.

 

The Shakshuka is definitely my favourite dish at Aroma. It’s a thing of beauty! What I like most about Aroma is that unlike most coffee shops, these guys bake their goods in-house on a daily basis and all sandwiches and salads are made to order which means things are fresh. Despite being made to order, things happen quickly here. Little Monkey was having a medium sized meltdown when we visited last week and I was fearful of the sit down meal taking long to arrive but within fifteen minutes she had food in front of her! The fact that we order and pick up the food at the counter means we didn’t have to wait around for servers. The perks of fast food service but with nutritious food options!

 

AromaKidz is a new program that has launch encouraging families to come in and enjoy an Aroma moment. In celebration of AromaKidz, Aroma Espresso bar has partnered with digital finger painter Chelsea Lundy to recreate a picture of your little ones! Each Tuesday between November 1st 2016 to January 3rd 2017 they’ll pick a winner who will win an 8×10 framed drawing by Chelsea Lundy. Go on and submit a picture of your little ones before November 10th and you could win a painting!