jollyinebriate's Profile
The Perfect Bar...
My perfect bar will be long and narrow with the bar running along the entire side of it and deuces running along the other side. The front will have a window with a stage where karaoke can happen or bands can play. There's a patio on the roof and the bathrooms will be in the basement. There will be two bartenders, one guy and one girl and they should be a couple but it's okay if they're not.
The spirits should be heavy on whisky and gin with decent options for tequila, rum and vodka. Liqueurs are marginally represented but they should at least 20 different kinds of bitters. I'd like to see 10 beers on tap with 6 standards and 4 rotating seasonals. Bottles should have the same split but be different than the draught. Wine should be whatever caught the bartender's eye at the store that week.
The clientele should largely skew local but allow for the influx of interesting newcomers and the both the staff and regulars should welcome this. The jukebox should be old and have everything from country to punk.
There's no food but you can bring in whatever you want to eat and the bartender has a list of good take-out.
Summerlicious 2010 edition
I work there. It's the Yonge St. Grill, not Diner.
Glad you liked the lunch, I think it's much better than the dinner but they took off some of the best parts for the latter.
New burger joint opening at Jones and Gerrard
I'd argue they're still doing well. At least three days out of the week, dinner's packed.
Is anyone eating steak at the Tulip on Queen?
Overpriced and they don't season adequately.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
Paradise, north of Carlton and on the east side of Parliament is fun. Go for karaoke on Wednesdays and watch fights break out between songs.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
I'll take your word for it. They're not sketchy anymore but I happen to patronize them now for that very reason.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
Been to many, many diver bars on most of the main drags in the downtown. Nearly all of them are run by Chinese. Simple as that.
I have no idea why, maybe you should ask one.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
I've lived in this city for eight years and at no point has either joint had a whiff of danger or sketchiness. Lately, more-so 'cos they're full of hipsters.
To qualify, a place has to be depressingly blue-collar or upper-class bum. If you're not harassed or approached with a half-assed proposition within half-an-hour, it's not a dive bar.
Almost all dive bars are run by Chinese.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
Not at all! The Grasshopper is tame. Paradise up the street (just north of Carlton) is much more apropos.
W Burger Bar, Yonge & College
Unfortunately, they won't cook your burgers 'medium' anymore. Must've got caught..
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
A great strip to check out would be Queen East between Church and River. By my count (never stopped for a good reason) there are at least four dive bars on the north side of the street.
The ones around Sherbourne look especially bad.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
Clinton's doesn't count and neither does Bistro 422. Grossman's is a bit more like it.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
He doesn't need to go to Hamilton. Like Aser said, plenty of dive bars in most neighborhoods in Toronto.
Cheap and Dirty: Thrifty Dive Bars of the GTA
Karaoke machine's gone. It has a new owner (fourth one in five years!) but it's generally pretty quiet now.
Date Night - Help?
I second Harlem as well as their sister restaurant, Harlem Underground.
Where to get great hummus
Nobody's mentioned this yet but I the hummus they sell at Rowe Farms is really good. It was mentioned in Toronto Life awhile back but I can't remember the name.
Toronto: Best Dive Bars?
I know she did, I was replying to her mention of the Ossington strip.
Caplansky's: What the @#$%^&*?!!!
Peter's right, I got my bartenders mixed up. The gist of what I said still stands.
Caplansky's: What the @#$%^&*?!!!
Ryan's the head bartender. I've always had fantastic service from him but I find you generally get good service at any bar. I don't like most servers.
Old Monk Rum - anywhere?
You can definitely get it at the Queen's Quay location. Do a search on their website and it will tell you which stores sell it near you.
Toronto: Best Dive Bars?
It's never closed and has experienced something of a resurgence as of late. Last time I went there, it was full of rock scenesters.
W Burger Bar, Yonge & College
I really enjoyed it and have been going back regularly for a month now. My favorite item on the menu is the beef burger with the suggested toppings (chili, sour cream and swiss cheese although I often substitute monterey jack). It reminds me of chili burgers I had when I was younger.... delicious, nice and pink in the middle and with some kick.
The onion rings are the best I've ever had in the city! I was told they're made to order and it tastes like it. The Panko breading is light and crispy. The fries are meh.
The chicken tenders which use the same breading are pretty good and the boozy milkshakes make me wish I wasn't so sensitive to dairy.
The service can be up and down but I always sit at the bar anyways.
Toronto: Best Dive Bars?
Most of these suggestions are not dive bars.
A dive bar is dirty and old, has cheap beer, questionable clientele and usually has a Chinese owner.
On the other hand, if you mean that you want a bar with a bit of grit and an in-the-know crowd, some of these suggestions will suit very well.
Most of the suggestions that fit this gritty vibe are college student hang-outs like Sneaky Dee's, Bistro 990 or Bovine Sex Club.
The Victory, C'est What, Castro's, Bar Volo are all rather nice pubs.
