pixelbunny's picks

Hi everyone!

I just received word of the coveted Shiseido warehouse sale for fall 2014! Here are the details!

 

When: Saturday November 8 from 9am – 5pm | Sunday November 9, 2014 from 9am – 3pm
Where: 303 Allstate Parkway, Markham, ON L3R 5P9

 

They accept payment by cash, Visa, MasterCard, and debit. Also, no stroller and no children under 12 are allowed as this is their general rule. This sale is open to the public so no formal invitation required!

 

Unfortunately for me, I am working that weekend again so no warehouse shopping for me. If you do get to go, enjoy and have fun!

Pie, pie, pie! Who doesn’t love a good pie? Though it’s not usual fare for me, I was curious enough to try it out. The Mr’s coworker regularly visits this place for lunch (every week I hear) and raves about it. I figured it was high time to try it out myself.

 

The Atmosphere

Finding this place is somewhat tricky, as what you see when driving on The Queensway is actually the back of the place. You need to drive around to the back which is where the entrance is. For ease, their website has a nice little map so you can see exactly where you need to go to get your pie fix.

The place is small, with only a small bar with 3 stools to sit on if you decide to eat inside. Outside, there is a picnic table with an umbrella over top, as well as some seating space along the steps and ramp (this place is definitely wheelchair accessible!).

 

What specials are there today?

A chalkboard outside lists their current special and sweet pies.

 

The Food

I will admit, that I have eaten this 3 days in a row. *sheepish look* The first time, I went with a friend to try it nice and hot from the oven. While I was there, I bought some of their pies to take home (plus I knew Mr Pixelbunny was dying to try them too).

The first pie I ate was The German Pie. No picture of this pie because I was famished, however I can describe it as Oktoberfest in pie form. The pie contains Wageners bratwurst, smoked pork, cabbage, apples, and brickworks cider. Seriously, some really good pie.

 

Pies to take home

The pies you get to eat later come in a box of 4 and are comprised of your choice.

The next day, I heated up two pies for me and the Mr for dinner.

 

Braised beef rib pie – $7.95

Just look at that golden crust.

 

Inside the braised beef rib pie

The crust is so buttery flaky and crispy that it is an absolute shame you cannot buy the crust on its own. I honestly would just eat the crust by itself if I could. The braised beef rib pie is the only pie on the menu that carries a $0.50 premium over other pies, but it’s totally worth it. This pie is full of slow braised beef in veal stock, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. So absolutely delicious.

 

Beef ‘n beer pie – $7.45

The beer ‘n beef pie get a little pinch of pepper to distinguish itself from other pies.

 

Inside the beef ‘n beer pie

This one contains ground beef and onions in an awesome beer gravy. You can smell a bit of the beer, but not really taste it. As you can see, there is a lot of ground beef in this pie. The Pie Commission does not skimp on their pie fillings!

 

Today, I heated up the last two pies for lunch.

Butter chicken pie – $7.45

The butter chicken pie is identified with the little fennel seeds on top. Again, that buttery, flaky crust just beckons you to eat it.

 

Inside the butter chicken pie

The curry inside is pretty awesome. You’ve got chunks of chicken, cauliflower, onions, carrots (or is that sweet potato?) in an awesome butter chicken curry sauce. The menu warns that it packs a punch, and it sure does! It’s not enough to make you run for water, but it definitely has enough for your taste buds to sit up and notice it.

 

Chicken cheddar bacon mash pie – $7.45

The chicken cheddar bacon mash pie is identified with one little piece of bacon on top.

 

Inside the chicken cheddar bacon mash pie

Now imagine a double stuffed potato, but with less potato. This is basically what this pie is. Although heavier in the salt compared to the other pies, the flavour is great with lots of bacon and chunks of chicken. I couldn’t quite taste the cheddar, although maybe it’s melted in with the potato mash. This pie was also devoured in a short period of time.

 

The Verdict

As their catch phrase goes, bloody good pies!!! I would definitely recommend you to come try this out, and to definitely get pies to have for later. I for sure am coming back for more, especially to try out their special pies!

 

The Place

The Pie Commission
935 The Queensway
Etobicoke, ON
416-848-7424

Lots of goodies this haul around!

The L’Oréal Fall warehouse sale is ongoing right now and thanks to the Mr, I snagged a ticket to go. Every time I go, the layout is a little different or there’s some different rules being applied. The most noticeable difference this sale in comparison to the past is that there were no shopping baskets you could carry around – you either carried it in your hands or you had to get a little shopping cart. The other noticeable change is that they no longer accept cash.

Here’s what I picked up from the sale:

• Maybelline Baby Lips – $2.75 each (orig. $5.49)
• Lancôme Bienfait gift set – $39.75 (orig. $60)
• Lancôme Liner Design in Uptown Brown – $6.75 (orig. $30)
• Vichy Homme Normactiv Cg – $17.50 (not made anymore but orig. $29)
• Kiehl’s Facial Fuel – $28.25 (orig. $47)
• Matrix Biolage Full-Kift Volumizing Shampoo – $7.50 (old formulation but orig. $30 I think)
• Matrix Biolage Full-Kift Volumizing Conditioner – $7.00 (old formulation but orig. $30 I think)
• Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Soothing Lotion – $2.00 (orig. $7.79)
• La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP – $15 (orig. $35)
• Lancôme Genifique – $93 (old formulation but orig. $155)

Total value = $440.26
Total paid = $225! (with taxes, it came to $254.25)

I love going to these sales because I can always stock up on skincare goodies that I know I’m guaranteed to use, whether it’s old goodies or new ones to try. And of course, the Mr gets to benefit from the sale too.

Other things I noticed that was not there last year was the presence of Shu Uemura cleansing oil hair products. They had shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, and hydrating oils. I was tempted to try but couldn’t justify $40 on a bottle, even if it was the sale price.

Did you go to the sale? If so, what did you get?