bunnylicious's Profile
Where to find Mille-Feuille (Napoleons) in Toronto?
We enjoyed a millefeuille recently from patisserie 27 on Jane near Annette recently. Filled to order.
Thank you! Fabulous weekend in NYC -report
Last weekend I had a fantastic time in NYC! While I didn't post any questions prior to my trip, I did do a lot of reading here and I want to say thanks for all the great suggestions.
Started off with some treats at the Bouchon bakery. We loved the TKO cookie as well as the blueberry macaron. Didn't try anything else but I was definitely pleased with what I got.
On Friday at lunchtime, we stumbled upon Toloache, which I remembered reading about. My husband fell in love with the variety of tequilas while I enjoyed a refreshing watermelon juice (it was a scorcher out there!). Guacamole and tacos were good and service was fantastic. Great start to our trip.
I wanted our Friday night dinner to be a special one and for days prior to our trip, I was checking to see if I could get a table at Eleven Madison Park. I had pretty much given up and booked Tocquevillle as my back up. As luck would have it, on Thursday night, somehow, I managed to get a 6:00 reservation for EMP for Friday! I cancelled Tocqueville though it is on my list for next time. EMP was simply fantastic. I think there are already a lot of opinions of different kinds on the board regarding this restaurant so I won't go into detail, but I will say that our food was delicious, we loved all the little extra treats, and service was phenomenal. We were lucky enough to get a tour of the kitchen followed by a complimentary bottle of cognac in the lounge. Truly one of my most memorable dining experiences.
Saturday morning, we headed to Smoargasburg. I realise this is not in Manhattan, so I won't comment on it too much other than to say that we loved the vibe and the variety. Hubby loved Shorty Tang's noodles and we also enjoyed tacos, empanadas, and a lobster roll. Great suggestion from a fellow EMP diner we had chatted with the night before.
Saturday evening, we wanted to have pizza. We ended up at Keste. I understand this is more neapolitan than NY pizza, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and there was not much of a wait, unlike John's across the street. Guess I will have to try real NY pizza next time!
Sunday morning, we stopped by Momofuku milk bar for some treats. Crack pie and blueberry cream cookie were both yummy although I don't think I will find myself craving either one anytime soon. Glad I tried it, and would like to try one of the restaurants in the future. Just wasn`t blown away.
Sunday`s meal was more tacos at la Esquina. I realise NYC isn`t known for its mexican food, but it`s better than what we`ve got in Toronto, so we tried to satisfy our craving :) I absolutely loved the potato, chorizo and nopal taco and am seriously thinking of making some myself at this point. Everything was tasty and I liked that the horchata wasn`t too sweet.
So once again, thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I am already looking forward to another trip to try so many more things!
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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019
Toloache
251 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019
La Esquina
106 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012
Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
Simply Mexican - has anyone been yet?
Sounds similar to my experience. Had a takeout lunch yesterday and I really didn't enjoy it. Ordered sopes with beef and green salsa. the beef was hard and dry and not tasty. I expected the meat to be pulled/shredded but it was cut lazily in chunks. The green salsa was served at a really hot temperature which seemed to mask the vibrant flavours tomatillos normally have. Service was friendly but I was disappointed with the food and doubt I will go back, unless there are reports that the food has improved.
Atlantis Pavillion-Reviews wanted
Hi minifoodie. The event planner I refer to in my previous post is actually employed by Atlantis. Basically when you book with them they assign you one of their own planners to help out with details related to the venue. The first person I worked with was great, but the second one, as I said, did not really click with me. A lot of the stuff that the first planner had told me would be fine suddenly became impossible with her. Luckily, I had a lot of the stuff in writing, but not everything...
The vendor I refer to who helped make sure the food and service were excellent is a preferred vendor, though I'm not sure she attends all the open houses held by the venue, and her name wasn't on the list they initially gave me. She is indeed a wedding planner, though I only hired her for day-of services. She was really excellent, I loved working with her, and I'm confident that I owe the great food and service I had to her. Plus, she really made the day stress-free.
When I went to the tasting, nothing was to my liking. For example, the chicken had that subway-esque texture. Duck was rubbery. Beef tasteless. Cheesecake itself was ok but came garnished with fake fruit "coulis" in colours fruit don't come in. Hubby and I were really horrified. The venue planner didn't seem to understand our concerns, or perhaps didn't care. Also, the venue allows you to bring in some food for the late night table. Venue planner said that they couldn't reheat anything and that they would not go out to accept a delivery for us. I expressed my concerns to my day-of coordinator, who really seemed to care and promised to talk to them on our behalf. I'm not sure who she talked to or what she did, but on the day of the event, the food was great. As I mentioned, not creative, but certainly better than a lot of wedding food out there. We had hors d'oeuvres, an antipasto platter, tortellini, beef tenderloin, and cheesecake. Everything was well-received and people were even packing up their tenderloin leftovers ( i think it was 8 oz and perfectly medium rare) . Service was excellent and they did heat up our late night food and receive our delivery with pleasure.
So I think that if I had (begrudgingly) gone along with everything the venue planner had said, I would have been disappointed. But because the external day-of coordinator got involved, food and service turned out great.
Hope this helps... Let me know if I can answer any other questions!
$16 for $40 Worth of Premium Local, Traditionally Raised Meats at Medium Rare Premium Meat Boutique
I quite like medium rare. I haven't tried too many of their prepared foods but the meat has always been great. In particular they have great creative sausage .
Atlantis Pavillion-Reviews wanted
I had my wedding there last summer. I had been told by several people that the food there was good, and my husband and I really wanted something both easily accessible and on the water. Overall we were very happy with our venue. We had a lot of guests from out of town and they really loved the place, and the location was perfect. Parking distance was not an issue as they have golf carts for people who can't or don't want to walk. I dealt with two event planners. The first one was great but she left , second one was ok I guess but I don't think our personalities meshed well.
Onto the food. My husband and I had a terrible experience at the tasting. We found that everything tasted processed and kind of synthetic. I was really mortified at the thought of serving this food to our guests. I expressed my concerns to the event planner but I didn't feel she understood quite the extent of our disappointment. Anyway, as luck would have it, another one of my vendors was very well-connected to the venue; she totally understood my concerns and I guess she worked her magic with them because the meal on the day of the wedding was fantastic. It wasn't particularly creative or anything, but it was good quality food properly executed. Thankfully, it was nothing at all like what we had at the tasting. Also, contrary to the tasting, portions were huge and some guests actually packed up their leftovers and took them home! Service was truly excellent, well above my expectations. The event planner had led me to believe that certain requests couldn't be accommodated due to policy, but the team who worked my wedding did indeed accommodate all those requests. They were also very accommodating as far as dietary restrictions.
So, overall I was happy with the venue. But if the food had been anything like what I was served at the tasting, or if the service had been as the second event planner had led me to expect, I'm not sure I would have been so happy.
Macarons in Mississauga?
She had told me she brings them from point g and the flavored were the same as point g. This was a few months ago though.
Dark Chocolate - Your Favourite?
Awwww that's too bad, I was hoping there was a source here! :)
Agree with rec for soma - fantastic and love that they're bean to bar.
Lindt Ecuador is my quick dark chocolate fix. Ecuadorian chocolate is some of my favorite and seems underrated. El Rey from Venezuela is also fabulous though I've not seen it much in Toronto.
Where does one buy Thomas haas chocolates?
ANYTHING even remotely good in the Finch/Steeles - 400/Weston Road quadrant?
Mi pueblo on bradstock (south of finch and just east of Weston) has great pupusas! Mama Mia empanadas on islington between finch and steeles is also good for Chilean food. These are both slightly outside the area but I enjoy them more than what I've tried at milvan.
Dark Chocolate - Your Favourite?
Is the Cacao Sampaka bar a souvenir from a trip to Spain/Europe or are they actually selling it in Toronto? I love that place, particularly their cold chocolate passion fruit drink...
The Best Healthy Muffin in Toronto
I'm a fan of the superfood muffin at delica kitchen on yonge south of st clair. Full of quinoa, flax, nuts and dried fruit!
Authentic & Charming Colombian Pastry/snacks (Yorkdale/Dufferien)
Their pandequeso (cheesebread) is great, and I love the chicken pastry with their hot sauce. The pastel gloria pastry with guava is great too.If I could just find some ajiaco I'd be set...
Where can I find champagne vinegar?
I've bought it before at Max's market in bloor west village. Not sure if they'd still have it but it may be worth a shot if you're in the area.
Rehearsal Dinner ideas
They rearranged the tables for us and we took over the whole front part of the restaurant. There may have been a couple of tables occupied at the back but we didn't really notice. We were really comfortable in the space and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have taken too many more people to buy the place out. We had the dinner on a Thursday night. They prepared menus for the guests without the prices which was nice too.
The other places we had considered were sidecar (prix fixe certain weeknights, same owners as negroni), terroni on adelaide (booked a private room for 15 people a few years ago, minimum consumption was $500 so about 33$pp and it was also a success overall though there were some minor service issues), and one other that I can't seem to remember. Ultimately, we chose Negroni because it was most budget friendly, we knew everyone would enjoy the food, they were easy to deal with, and the casual atmosphere lends itself well to a group of people who don't necessarily all know each other.
Rehearsal Dinner ideas
I don't know that it would meet your requirements in terms of private space, but we did our rehearsal dinner at Negroni last summer and it was a hit. We had most of the place to ourselves. Service was great, I think we were in there for 4 hours eating, drinking and chatting. We were about 25 people. We had a somewhat tight budget and Negroni really did the job. We ordered a few shared appetizer platters and desserts from them in advance, and we let everyone choose their main course and beverages. I can't remember exactly how much it was but I'm sure they could work within your budget, especially if you limit the alcohol selection. If you're enough people, as someone else mentioned, you may be able to buy them out for the evening.
Brussels and Amsterdam around Christmas
Thanks! I have contacted them. Also in the process of contacting a few other places. They are closed Dec24-26 and Dec 31 to Jan2.
Also contacting some other places, will keep posted!
Brussels and Amsterdam around Christmas
Thanks!
The challenge will be finding places that are open, especially considering my very limited internet access from now until then... I will share my findings in case anyone else is looking for ideas. :)
Brussels and Amsterdam around Christmas
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll do some more research to confirm which places are open.
turducken were can I buy one for X-mas in GTA
Medium Rare at Dundas and Kipling. Doubt it would be cheap though...
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Medium Rare
5241 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M9B, CA
Brussels and Amsterdam around Christmas
Hi everyone,
I've done a search on the boards but would like some more recent info if possible...
Hubby and I will be in Brussels Dec 23-24 and Amsterdam Dec25-29. Looking for great places that will be open on these days. We would like to try moules frites in Brussels and Indonesian in Amsterdam, but no other specific meals we are looking for. We're on a bit of a budget, up to 35 euros pp before alcohol.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!
Where to find Turkish mantı in Toronto?
Taste of Afghanistan does indeed have delicious mantoo. However, I think there are some nuances between the Turkish and Afghan versions of this dish. The ToA dumplings are generally much larger and served with chickpeas/lentils, whereas the Turkish and Armenian versions I've had are much smaller and not served with legumes. Certainly worth trying if only to appreciate regional differences :)
Something Unique in Niagara Falls Canada
Second the recommendation for Stone Road Grille... really nice intimate but casual atmosphere, wonderful foods with a local touch, great service... I believe reservations are necessary.
And if you need a daytime snack, the Pie Plate has yummy pies made with local fruit :) down the road from Stone Road Grille.
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Stone Road Grille
238 Mary St, Niagara-ON-the-Lake, ON L0S, CA
The Pie Plate
1516 Niagara Stone Rd, Niagara-ON-the-Lake, ON L0S, CA
Messini - What am I missing?
I generally enjoy gyros at Messini, but I think there may be a slight consistency problem. Every few visits, I find, like you, that the chicken is excessively fatty, greasy, and gristly. If you have that on your first visit, I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to try them again.
I've only been once, but I really enjoyed the chicken gyro at Folia grill, may be worth a try if you have a craving.
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Messini
445 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K1P1, CA
Best macarons in Toronto?
Ok, since I had an errand to run in Mississauga today, decided to check Sweets Pastry shop out for myself. There are several tables to sit and enjoy a coffee and pastry or light lunch. Nice looking pastries and macarons on display. The macarons are 2$ each. I bought a dozen and though a few were a bit sweeter than I recall, overall we enjoyed them. The texture and freshness were both fine, perhaps not quite as they are when purchased right at the source, but in my opinion better than most of what you get around Toronto. I also got two croissants, one plain and one chocolate, and thoroughly enjoyed both.
I chatted with the owners for a bit and they seem like lovely people. I wish them all the best!
Best macarons in Toronto?
Would you happen to remember how much it was for 6/12 macarons?
Thanks!
Best macarons in Toronto?
When I went to Montreal last Christmas, I spoke to the owner of Point G. He is from France and if I'm not mistaken, he learnt from Pierre Herme. He mentioned to me that they supplied the macarons to David's tea in Montreal. I find Point G`s macarons to be quite nice enjoyed fresh from their store; I`ve really enjoyed the chocolate sesame, raspberry rosemary and apricot-tea. But I`m not certain how well they travel (frozen is one thing, but macarons are pretty delicate!) and how good they would be here. Certainly willing to sacrifice myself and give them a try :)
Another good place for macarons in Mtl is Maison du macaron - alas, I have not managed to convince them to expand to Toronto!
Local place for lunch within walking of Kipling subway station
Are you continuing on to a final destination past Kipling station or is that it? You may have more success in other parts of town, depending on what you're looking for. Around Kipling station, there are mostly chains. That being said, here are some suggestions.
- Apache burger: A lot of people swear by their burgers. Not my type of place, but it's definitely a popular spot.
- taste of Thailand: pretty good thai food and a decent lunch special. Haven't been in a while so don't know if it's still good.
- souvlaki hut: run of the mill greek food
- pho house: run of the mill "pan-asian"
- medium rare: this is not a restaurant, there is no seating. it is a butcher shop. while I haven't tried their prepared foods, if they're anything like the meat they sell, they should be enjoyable.
-bake sale: if you have a craving for a dessert that tastes like homemade, this is the place. Think lemon squares, cookies, etc.
If you're willing to walk about 20 min east along dundas (I have done this with luggage myself, but then I walk pretty much everywhere), there a re a few places. Paul and Sandy's bbq is pretty good. Oregano by Cirillo's is there too, it was just redone so I don't know what it's like but it seems nice.
That's all I can think of for now...
in search of a birthday gift for a chocoholic
Another vote for Soma. You could prepare a lovely package with their chocolates (pecan butter crunch is my favourite), bars, almond toffee, cookies, hot chocolate mix... You could even prepare a mini sampling by the country of origin of the cacao beans (off the top of my head, I know they have peruvian and costa rican, and I'm sure they have others). I really don't think you can go wrong.
Origin for birthday lunch?
While I haven't been for lunch, I went for my birthday dinner a few days ago. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal there and would go back. My only minor quibble is that some of the dishes were a touch oversalted.
We ordered:
- deviled eggs: gremolata was a nice touch
- tostones with guacamole: I loved these, they reminded me of the ones in Bogota (called patacones there) but smaller
- olives: good but nothing particularly special
- spanish fries: fabulous, with chorizo and manchego sprinkled on top and chipotle aioli
- tuna handroll with apple: nice and refreshing
-bangkok beef salad: loved all the different flavours,a playful dish
- manchego rice with chorizo: this was good but we were stuffed and didn't enjoy it as much as we should have!
For dessert, we shared lemon tart and cheesecake. Both were great. Lemon tart was nothing specifically creative but the yogurt was a nice touch. Cheesecake was lovely, with pineapple and coconut.
