dancingTimmy's Profile
All-Clad Cookware - Where to buy at the best price in Toronto, or mail order in Canada?
Junors in Bayview village carries all clad. I think they have 2 other locations, but i can not find a website. I have no idea about how competitive the prices are.
-----
Junors
2901 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M2K, CA
Houston First Timer - need recs..
We spent Easter weekend in Houston (we live in Toronto) and enjoyed:
Feast: 219 Westheimer
MockingBird Bistro: 1985 Welch
Au Petit Paris: 2048 Colquitt
Mockingbird & Au Petit Paris are both very good but not special. You will find similar restaurants elsewhere. Feast was very special and for the more adventurous eater. I had the veal sweatbreads as a main.
You can actually take a cab. We stayed at Lovett Inn (Westheimer & Montrose) and took a cab to Mockingbird. Be prepared to know how to get to your destination. None of the cabbies knew how to get us there. Cab fares for our destinations were cheap, under 15$ 1 way.
(14 Ladies) Fri/Sat eve, Nice 3 course meal $40-60 pp. Downtown Toronto, great food, hip ??
a little further north == mirabelle
Stock: do's & don'ts
Any golden rules about making stock?
I have just recently started and have not yet established any definite boundaries. I have been freezing left over vegetable peeling's (onion, carrot, potato, tomato, red pepper, mushroom stems) and dumping them into a big pot o water with some left over meats (chicken, lamb, or beef)
Generally observe the following extremely short list:
a) don't use salt (add this later when using the stock)
b) toss in a very small amount of bay / thyme / rosemarry / pepper
I just tried adding some citrius to the last batch (left over lemon) that really gave it a tang (oops?) and i am wondering if this will provide too strong a flavour?
comments / ideas?
Bean expiration dates
Dried beans live forever - but do you really want to eat them?
Everything has a shelf life. The longer the life, the less vibrant they are.
For $1.79 I toss any of my beans at any point when I can not remember buying that package. The local supplier has a huge turnover. Their beans are the freshest I can find.
So in general I do not worry about shelf life. I think of a recipe, check my larder, if I find something that is a suprise, I toss it and buy "fresh". Beans are too cheap to sweat!
Your favourite AYCE in GTA
Smaller dishes & communally == tapas?
I do agree with your observation, but my tapas conclusion seems to go in a very different direction>
Pistachios
General cooking warning == they seem to turn black?
We are used to cooking with many other nuts/seeds (pine, sesame, hazel, pumpkin, almond) but were side swipped when we tried pistachios. They turned the fry pan black. Other nuty we roasted before tossing them in and life was fine. Several time we tried cooking pistachios as an ingredient and they just went black. Made the meal very un appealling. Maybe we did something wrong? The recipes did not want us to roast / cook separately.
Now I am a little gun shy.
What's Your Favorite Seafood Dish?!
On vacation in the caribbean == catch of the day!
Nothing beats walking down to the beach / pier and snapping up fresh catch of the day. Well, okay, it is way better if the local restaurant has done this for me.
Seafood == fresh. Who really cares what it was!
All I want is firm flesh with a fresh neutral flavour, prepared quickly & simply.
What should I put on my fresh sourdough bread?
Olive oil & a whole wack of rosemary!
I don't like rice
Risotto?
We all hate plain white rice. But then 1 day my wife made me order risotto. I claimed I was not going to pay good money for italian rice! Glad she did it!
Risotto is now on the top of my list! There is so many different tastes you can add to it.
Uncle Bens sucks! But real grown up rice is just fine.
The Best Cognac
I hate it all! But my wife claims that is really my own little problem.
I can not seem to get over the "wiff" of alcohol that burns my nose hairs. So I did some research and am now perplexed that the best cognac seems to come from a place labelled "Grand Champagne". Can't those french guys get anything right?
Checking the booze locker reveals we currently have no cognac and are limping along on some stuff called Armagnac de Montal.
It still burns my nose hairs.
Long live bourbon!
Your favourite AYCE in GTA
AYCE vs AYCS? (all you can stomach!)
I claim I am torn on this concept. I grew up as poor farmers and hence latched onto quantity versus quality concept very early in life. Bigger is better! I think I have shaken that? It is still very hard to convince my father (and siblings) that a "large" buffet is not a "great" buffet. So the general AYCE concept now tends to revolt me.
My turning point was in first year university when I visited my roommates family in Chatam and we hit the local surf&turf for a AYCE friday night. My roomates father steadfastly stuck to crab legs! No potato, no veg, no steak, no bread. He understood that he was not there for quantity: he was interested if a few well cooked crab legs. He did not over eat. He picked out the special offerings and enjoyed a reasonable quantity.
Later in life I mirrored the experience: we were in Virginia beach and hit an AYCE that had crab legs. I remember watching patrons heap crab onto their plates in a feeding frenzy. Heeding my university experience, I grabbed a single set of hot legs. I ate it hot. Yum. I waited until a fresh serving came out. I watched heaping plates travel by. I grabbed 1 more set of legs. I ate another hot set. I looked around the room and saw many patrons with stacked plates of cold legs that they were picking at.
Catham rules! I had actually learned something.
BUT: My blind side is Indian buffets. I seem to love them. I recognize the food, but do not know the names, nor the ingredients. I load my plate. Shame on me. I can not get enough!
How do I go about learning the actual names, ingredients & cooking style? I claim there is a conspiracy! Seems like the Indian restaurants in T.O. don't want me to know.
Bigger is better!
Where can I buy hazelnuts in Toronto ?
loblaws at bayview village had loose hazelnuts in shell yesterday.
Need a restaurant near the Belk Theater in Charlotte
try Arpa's Tapas Wine Bar for something different. It is located @ 129 West Trade Street (just around the corner from the theatre, google maps claims it is 267 feet away). It is part of a group of restaurants: see http://www.harpersgroup.com/arpaTapas.html for a web site.
We had dinner there once when flying through via a 5 hour layover. Took a cab from the air port and jumped out downtown.
This really is a tapas style restaurant. Lots of varied "small plates" meant to be shared among the group. They also have flights of wine available.
Very enjoyable experience. Selection and quality of food & wine was great.
new Pho 88 at Yonge/Empress Walk
Pho88 is a chain. Have not been to that location. Was recently to the spadina location. Stay away.
They seem to have lost their viet roots and have sprouted a way too large menu.
If you really crave pho, then head to the steeles vic park area for a larger selection of better quality.
Tasting Menus
There are many (many, many!) restaurants in toronto that feature tasting menus.
Maybe you can provide a few more details on your "limits" & "preferences". The Splendido comment gave us a hint at your limit, but we do not fully understand your preferences. Some more limits are provided below:
Splendido == $135
Susur == $?
Thuet == $85->$125
Perigee = $135
Lucien == $65->$95
Dinner at _______ and Dirty Dancing....please fill in this blank!
The Fat Belgian. (115 John street)
Just did this combo on thursday night.
I loved The Fat Belgian, my wife loved Dirty Dancing (well i liked most of the dancers!)
In general stay away from the cluster of restaurants on king west of the theatres. They get a steady feed of "tourists" from the theatres and hence have no reason to even try to be adequate.
This and the closeness of the financial district makes it a challenge to find a decent restaurant in that area.
Le Papillion
This has made it onto our "don't go" list.
We are normally only in the area before an event (ACC, Mirvish, etc...) and have been under whelmed as they try to jam as many people as possible through in the shortest time possible. Always reminds me of the King street west gang.
In general i head north 1/2 block to wellington or colboune street and pay a little more for way better food and service.
Maybe the sunday experience is different? Pre-theatre crowd is always a bad time to hit a restaurant.
lounge for drinks and nibblies?
a) Mirabelle
(http://www.mirabellewinebar.com 2112 Younge south of eglinton)
It's a "wine bar"with a good selection of starters and share plates. They have a casual lounge area with a few sofa's (how many friends do you have?) that you can park in. They actually do understand that you just want some drinks & nibbles and do not want to sit down for a formal meal.
It is about 2 blocks south of eglinton.
b) Resevoir Lounge
http://www.reservoirlounge.com/ on wellington east (about 50?)
This is really a lounge and not a bar or a restaurant. Only been once, before the theatre & they looked at us a little funny when we said we would be gone by 7:30. Food & service was still very good.
Hottest/Spiciest Dish in Toronto
I claim this is easy: Salad King & choose how many chillies you can handle.
Seems like they have stepped things up or my memory is faulty. Only been there once, was always too full on return visits. I choose 12 chillies out of 15 (seems like it goes to 20 now?!). Both the waitress & my table mate looked at me like i had 2 heads (or maybe like i was stupid? - you choose).
It was very hot, but the flavours & freshness of the food still came through.
This in on my "goto" lunch spot list.
Best Indian restaurant toronto suggestions??
Spices Indian Cafe on Temperance street? Lunch ONLY!
Had lunch there on friday. Place looks VERY run down, but the food was great. This is a small lunch spot, not a dinner destination. $14 got an appettizer & chai tea followed by a 7 portion meal served on a steel platter - i am used to buffets at lunch so this was very different.
Appettizer was 2 types of chopped apple, chopped orange segments, pomagranite seeds sprinkled with curry powder. Very different (for me), very good. The meal was 7 portions, either 7 veg or 2 meat & 5 veg.
This spot is not the "best" as the nicest, but it was very interesting & well prepared food.
My best is Tabla followed by a new comer: Earth Indian Restaurant & Wine Bar (5949 younge north of finch). No they are not a wine bar, it is just part of the name - i wish they would stop that!), but the food & presentation reminded me so much of Tabla that I asked if they had the same owner / chef. Answer == No!
List of eateries -- your opinions? (Good/average/score out of 10.)
Seems like the top of your list is a google match for "toronto jerk". Have been to a few so here goes:
1) Soul food - not visited.
2) Alberts: 2 locations, been to the 542 St. clair west location - good take out, not really a sit down 7/10
3) Island foods: a local chain: 6 /10 again not a sit down place
4) Bacchus Roti: not visited: I claim it closes early around 6pm so i have never made it in time (but many i am wrong? could have been the wrong day of the week?)
5) Irie Food Joint: Best of the list! 9/10 interesting menu, actually a real restaurant as opposed to a take out food bar. I highly recommend it over all the others listed.
6) Ritz Caribbean: 4/10 stay away
You can also add some other jerk spots:
a) Mr Jerk: 6/10 again a take out chain: i used to frequent the peanut plaza location (approx 8 ft x 20 ft) for jerk pork. Always consistent, but never blew my socks off
b) ackee tree: 8/10 spadina just north of queen, more varied menu almost as interesting as Irie food joint.
c) Diners Corner: 7/10 loses some points for trying to be both chinese & jamacian (3 gloucester near yonge & wellesly)
d) Pablos Jerk & Fish Caribbean: 6/10 this is way up north on 1344 kennedy south of ellsmere. A sit down restaurant that turns into a bar at night
e) Julies Cuban: never been: again it was closed the 1 time i tried
f) Planet Crystal Sports Bar: 7/10 225 church street: yes it is a Jamacian sports bar.
g) The Real Jerk: 4/10 Its a bar. Oh, it also thinks it serves "island food". Stay away.
h) The Jerk Hut - 6/10 - its on lower sherbourne just 3 doors south of front street. Mostly lunch style take out as it only has 3 tables.
i) Cravens Caribbean Grill: 7/10 7270 woodbine (north of steeles) a good sit down, but they got flooded several years ago and re-opened with a cafeteria style.
(okay - so i like jerk pork)
Looking for a reasonable change on King W near the theatres
The Fat Belgian http://www.thefatbelgian.com/ just up john street. Moules and Frites available 6 different ways and the Miso Mushroom salad. Wine list is small but useful. Lots of belgian? beers available, about 6 on tap.
Tutti Matti has great food, but attitude requires that we all stay away. The menu actually indicates "no substitutes or alterations - respect the menu!". Give me a break please. AND when they say they open at 6:00 for supper, they mean 6:00. The front door remains locked until 6:00 - even if you arrive a few minutes early and are standing outside in the rain!
Best Italian within 15 min drive of Yonge/Steeles
Should also add:
Rosa's Place: http://www.rosasplace.com/ (finch & 400) It is larger with an attached banquet hall so be prepared for some large parties.
Best Italian within 15 min drive of Yonge/Steeles
Going west on steeles gets you 2 choices 1 enjoy:
La Risata http://www.larisatarestaurant.com/ is great for PESCE DEL GIORNO and always has a "pasta of the day".
Ristorante Trimonti http://www.tremontirestaurant.com/ is more upscale and always great.
I rate both of these above Paese & Tutto Bene.
Chez Victor - Hotel Germain - REVIEWS???
Was there last saturday for the first time. It is still empty. I claim it will remain that way.
The bar saw some "younger crowd" traffic waiting for the nightclub across the street to open. We had a table for 2 & only 1 other had traffic - it was a birthday party of 8 people for a friend of the waitresses.
Food was interesting & tasty, wine prices were insulting - $125 for an Italian Barbera seems excessive & wine service was odd, table service a little spotty. (birthday party took all the attention).
The menu (current version availble on their website) provides wine recommendations for each item, but then they do not actually stock all of the recommended wines! For example: the bison tartare carries a recommendation for either a Shiraz or a Zinfandel, but there were none to be found of either wine. Of the 4 sparkling wines offered by the glass, only 3 were available. We attempted to order wines by the glass as recommended by the menu, but were persauded to simply purchase a single bottle of wine.
Glad I went because i did enjoy the food, but i will not return as they did not provide a complete package. Bill was expensive due to us each trying a glass and a half of sparkling wine - $60 total for 3 glasses of bubbles.
Sushi in Markham or Downtown?
Tokyo Sushi on woddbine above 407 is my fave in the woodbine / steeles area.
They are much smaller than Taste of Japan and Maison du Japan and seem to provide better quality.
BUT: No seaweed in the miso & no cucumber in the sushi. So maybe they are not properly authentic, but I like my sushi that way.
Wines by the glass is cultural?
This is sort of a follow up posting to my request for Toronto Wine bars.
Basic observation is that North American most restaurants seem narrowly focused on selling wine "by the bottle" only.
I am happy to report that this fascination is not universal!
On a recent trip to Copenhagen, I attempted to locate Danish wine bars (okay I also seem to be narrowly focused). To my disappointment, I could only find a single establishment claiming to be a wine bar. But to my amazement, every restaurant (8) we went to was willing without hesitation to provide ANY wine on their list by the glass, including sparkling wine. The wines in question ranged from $20 to $200 a bottle with a cheap glass going for around $10. Purchase by the glass was considered normal, not the exception.
For example: We were the only patrons (in a very small 20 seat resturant) one evening and a $80 bottle of champagne was opened to provide me with a single glass.
Hence all of the restaurants met my criteria for a Wine Bar.
Any observations / similar experiences?
Any ideas why they can do wines by the glass and we can not?
Toronto Wine Bar List?
Had a chance to hit Cafe Taste a few sundays ago. It gets a "just okay" rating. My impression is that the owners are fairly new and still learning about wine, but they seemed to have the right attitude. They had a good selection of Ontario wines, but then really did not give the rest of the world much coverage (nothing Italian or Australian).
The menu was interesting and good, but you need to remember it is a cafe so food choices are relatively limited.
Atmosphere is definitely casual.
