Apple's Profile
COSTCO treasures [Moved from Ontario]
I buy the fresh ones - the haddock and cod seem reasonably priced (IMO). I haven't had a quality issue. I know the side of salmon is actually competitively priced - but I have been trying to buy wild fish only.
I can't remember if the farmed trout has skin on - I seem to think so...
Also, my husband likes the falafels - they are the "fresh" ones near the fresh pasta.
And how could I forget the wedge of parm... we've been working through it for a LONG time... and the maple syrup.
COSTCO treasures [Moved from Ontario]
The San Marzano tomatoes in the glass jars are gone, I think. I was at the Costco on Warden this past weekend... it had been reported with different canned varieties but the jars are gone.. I didn't buy as a result.
I hope they come back.
Or Costco go tos are... the Balderson 5 yr cheddar; Liberte Greek Yoghurt, TruRoots Quinoa, Del Monte grapefruit cups, Liberte Greek Yogurt, the frozen mini chicken cilantro wontons, brocolini, french green beans, Stone Mill sprouted bread, kirkland ev olive oil, maille mustard, and the wild cod or wild haddock is a must for our household.
ISO of Gua Bao Buns aka Taiwanese hamber buns in the grocery store
I am thinking of making eddie huang's chairman mao's beef bun and I can't seem to find the folded white buns needed for this dish.
I checked the fridge area of Cherry St. T&T where other white buns await hungry shoppers, but these are not the ones...
I do not want to make these from scratch... help a girl out. thanks
Delivery in the East end/Beach?
You've come to the right place! Nothing gourmet - but will hit the spot.
our go to places are Seaspray on Kingston / Main for Canadian Chinese - large chunks of white chicken breast in their chicken balls - very fast (during the week within half an hour usually) high quality ingredients.
Diamond Pizza - hit and miss - generally not bad - we used to order there regularly (weekly) but now it's every once in a while
Thai Grill on Queen Street - it's pretty good - the satays are amazing. Curries are so flavourful and rich.
Siddartha on Gerrard St - stratches our Indian itch - garlic naan and butter chicken - yum
Enoch Turner - wedding caterers (Daniel et Danile et all are duds)
we had our wedding there in 2008 and it was catered by Herrera's - are they still on the list? They are located literally across the street. The menu wasn't fancy - standard but delicious - we had beef tenderloin and it was perfectly cooked. the vegetarian / vegan meal (for the life of me - I can't remember it!) was the talk of the town. our friends still tell us it was the best vegetarian meal.
Finally coffee at Gerrard & Woodbine - Bandit Coffee Group
After years of waiting for this corner to gentrify (for me, that's a good thing!) - a little indie coffee shop opened on the south side of gerrard just west of woodbine.
Bandit Coffee Group - awesome bright, industrial but still welcoming space. Had a nice coffee bar menu, some small pastries, coffee and tea for sale (don't recall the brand - sorry for the lack of detail - I had a toddler in a foul mood) and an ABM in the corner. We ordered two coffees. Didn't chat up the owners this time (I am presuming it was them.)
It's nice to have decent coffee in the 'hood. We'll be back.
Open 7-7 / 7 days a week.
BBH & area chowhound report
We just returned for a week long trip to th BBH area which also included some cooking at the condo we rented.
Lobster Dock - highly predictable and delicious - - we ordered, fisherman's (seafood platter), shrimp platter, twin lobster dinners, lobster rolls, and chowder. Nicely breaded, fried goodness. This is how fried seafood should taste. Lobster rolls were delicious - but it was our first one. Nice view - good service.
Kalers - if there was one meal i could take back - it would be this one - service was indifferent. Our server handed us the bill before we even finished our meal. We ordered - shrimp platter, lobster roll, hamburger (yes, hamburger), chowder (tasted like campbell's chunky), crab cakes and onion rings (served raw). The food was not the worst, but not nearly as good as the other places we found in the BBH area.
Dunton's Doghouse - BBH - take commercial street all the way to the end and it's on the right - wow - we only found this place the day before we left - excellent roadside eating. The fish sandwiches are delicious and the right price, also had french fries, BLT (we have a non-sea food eater), and hot dogs. The price was right, the music was good and the location was nice. It seems this place is the go to spot for the locals.
Oak Street Provisions - we stocked up on beer here (Dogfish IPA) and wine here. As well - we picked up a blueberry pie from Sweet Dream's from Southport, ME - at a heart stopping - $16. But after eating the pie, it was worth every penny - wild blueberries, tender crust. Delicious.
Chase Family Farm - we purchased a wild cherry pie at the Thursday farmer's market in BBH Common - it was delicious. Very different from Sweet dream's - packed with sour cherries, the filling overflowed onto the crust. The crust was excellent, but with the overflowed filling - some bits had a burnt taste.
Red's - of course - reading all the reviews and the 90 minute line ups - we went for an early lunch and only had to line up for 15 mins - we arrived just before they opened and there were a few people ahead of us - We ended up eating there twice - as we were driving by Wiscasset and saw no line up for dinner (at 6pm on a Friday) so we decided to go again. We ordered lobster rolls, french fries, battered shrimp, crab cakes, and BLT. Of course, Red's is as advertised. Delicious, moist lobster rolls - bigger than any place else. Also - nice quality pieces - including a full tail. (One a side note, despite the crazy line ups - we felt as customers - the service was excellent. They remembered us from the previous day and even gave my son a little toy. They talked to us as if no one else was in line. I supposed this also contributes to the long line!)
During a visit to Pemaquid - we planned to hit Pemaquid Fisherman's coop for lunch - but it had just closed for the afternoon. The man directed us to Shaw's. The food was decent - we had steamers, steamed lobsters, chowder, lobster roll, and a hamburger. Not bad at all - awesome scenery. We watched the fishermen bring in the lobsters for the afternoon - and our little guy thought it was the most awesome thing.
We ended up doing groceries as well - Hannaford's in BBH - is not bad for basics. We hit the Shaw's in Bath - excellent. (This coming from an urban dwelling Canadian - our grocery stores, even the large ones, don't normally had the same level of selection that American ones do - eg. butter, dairy, meats, etc.) Decent selection of international food, organic, etc. The Shaw's in Wiscasset - as friendly as the service was - was not as well stocked - but this may be due to the different clientele(?)
Unfortunately - we ran out of time but we wanted to hit - Boathouse Bistro, Bet's Fish Fry, and Ebb Tide as well.
We enjoyed our Maine vacation. We will be back.
Thank you Maine for your hospitality!
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Lobster Dock
49 Atlantic Ave, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
Ebb Tide Restaurant
43 Commercial St, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
Sweet Dreams
164 Village Rd, Smithfield, ME 04978
Lobster Rolls in and around Boothbay Harbor
yep - that's what we did this past week.
We tried the lobster rolls at the Lobster Dock in BBH - pretty good - standard
Hot dog stand - freeport - not bad tor the price - mostly rubbery puny leg and claw meat
Shaw's in New Habour - no complaints - reasonable size
Of course, all of this changed when we hit Red's. We actually planned to go on weekday lunch - waited 15 mins in line - and had the most massive, delicious, moist lobster roll. the next day we happened to be driving by and saw no line up. So we stopped in with no wait. Red's is a head above because no other lobster shack included tail meat in the rolls. It was teeming with lobster which needed to be picked off and eaten before even attempting the lobster rolls. (also liked the fries with their cocktail sauce.) yum. we'll be back next year.
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Lobster Dock
49 Atlantic Ave, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
Where to buy mirin in Toronto?
Where are you located... it's actually readily available.
T&T supermarket (on Cherry St.)
Downstairs in the dry goods store in SLM
Sanko on Queen Street
I never looked but I wouldn't be surprised if Metro or Loblaws had it at their larger locations
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Sanko
730 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
i'd love to see that. I used to work in the neighborhood and I wished it was there when I was. Now that I work downtown, I have to take a day off work to investigate Goody's for myself. (I have other errands to run, but this is on the to do list!)
(BTW - I am all for work life balance - if that's what they have - but as other posters have suggested - could be the weekends are not for rest but the other part of the business.)
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
I contacted them - no plans in the immediate future for weekend hours. But they did say never say never.
Montreal to Maine (Boothbay Harbor)...anything to eat?
Since it's a long drive to Boothbay - we are likely to leave early - likely taking the same route as the OP - so we probably would want to stop for an early lunch - thtat could put us near the border or just beyond. Our only constraint (also joy) is our toddler. We don't want anything too fancy but good eats. We need to keep on moving to get to Boothbay before dark.
Although now that you have pointed out that King Arthurs is in the area - I may suggest a different route to Boothbay.
Ontario Corn...is it at the markets yet?
Picked up the sweet ridge farm corn yesterday at the corner of kingston and markham.
Yep, the ears were a little small but definitely sweet. I bet they will be bigger in the coming weeks.
Beef Stroganoff Recipe?
I made the Cooks Illustrated recipe tonight. It was marvelous. Really simple and amazing flavour. The only thing I would consider changing is making a side of dilled butter egg noodles. That would probably send it over the top.
Montreal to Maine (Boothbay Harbor)...anything to eat?
I am bumping this thread as I will be travelling from Montreal to Boothbay next month and I'd love a recommendation or two.
Need suggestions for a 4 cheese course (wedding)
(Love Beemster! A mild blue might be a cambozola...)
I know what you mean about not looking for anything "too" out there... How about considering some of the " local" cheeses - a Niagara Gold? semi-hard but it's mild (when it's young - the website says.), chevre from Monforte, or cheddar from Black River ? (I haven't tried anything from Fifth Town - but that's also another option.)
Oh and before I forget - I once had an amazing triple cream brie (can't remember who made it) I purchased from Vineland estates.... it was mesmerizing.
Toronto Ch'er Review of Chicago (Downtown) Visit
My husband and I visited your wonderful city last week based on recommendations posted on this board... (we didn't post, we just researched all the posting on this board. We were fortunate enough to book 3 months in advance and were therefore able to get reservations at both restaurants.) And here's our report back.
We stayed at the Ritz Carleton by the Water Tower Plaza and we didn't have a chance to venture too far from the downtown area.
Day 1 - First meal was hot dogs at Downtown Dogs. Not horrible. Scratched the itch and it was near our hotel.
Girl and the Goat - ordered 4 dishes plus sour dough bread. Pan roasted halibut, octopus salad, scallops in XO, and goat belly. Had two "best of three" cocktails and my husband had 2 beers. Overall, very nice meal but found the service spotty. Roasted halibut was our first dish and we agreed it was the strongest. Perfectly cooked fish, incredible flavours and contrasting textures. The warm octopus salad with fava beans and radishes was very tasty and unexpected. The vinegrette was incredible. The baby octopus was actually hard to find in the dish as they were cut into tiny pieces. Goat belly was crispy and delish. The scallops dish tasted very velvety and rich and I would preferred to have that as an earlier dish versus the last one. As a result, we probably didn't appreciate it as much as we could have. The big downside to this meal was the service. The wait staff and the kitchen appeared to be slammed. Our server was friendly enough and there seemed to be alot of coordination on the floor. Water was refilled frequently and empty glasses and dished bussed immediately. However, we waited about 30 minutes between our first two dishes and our last dishes. (we ordered everything at once.) We ordered a 2nd round of drinks in between but we waited and waited and waited...
Day 2 - we ventured out to Taste of Chicago in Millenium Park but nothing peaked our fancy... we headed back and we stumbled onto Gold Coast hot dogs out of fatigue on the way back to our hotel for something quick.
Dinner at Topolobampo. We were greeted by an older gentlemen - Rick's dad - who was very chatty and cordial. We felt very welcomed. Again the restaurant was packed but we had a prime seat in the corner banquette. I had the Baja tasting menu and my husband had the Topolo tasting menu. The service was excellent. (I won't go into the specifics of the meal - since there are so many postings... and the tasting menus probably change frequently.) Polished, attentive and organized. We don't have that much experience with Mexican cuisine and we thought Topolobampo was an excellent education.
Day 3 - We originally had planned to eat at Dave Burke Primehouse, but having never tried a deep dish pizza, we cancelled the reservation so we could tuck into a supreme at Gino's East. meh. I know it's an institution, and the pizza wasn't bad but I wished I had saved the calories and eaten some place else. In the evening, we ate and had a couple of drinks at Deca, the bar / restaurant at the Ritz. We split a shrimp cocktail and other little nibbles.
Day 4 - we finally found a half decent breakfast place closeby in the gold coast - Feast. I ordered a poached egg. chicken and apple sausage and toast. My husband ordered a large breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, toast) Not expensive - and it hit the spot. It was delicious and fresh (not like the other breakfast places we dined in.)
Chicago is an awesome food town and I look forward to eating here again!
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Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610
Downtown Dogs
804 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611
Baja Restaurant
10749 Randolph St, Crown Point, IN 46307
Gino's East
2801 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Girl and the Goat
809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661
Ottawa (Byward Market) with kids
Hi - What does "suitable for kids" mean... ?
When we went to Ottawa with our young son, we went everywhere. We adjusted our expectations slightly (ie. early dinner) but managed to hit all the restaurants we wanted to try.
Two places I would recommend are Play and Benny's Bistro. If your children are "well behaved" (can sit down, wait patiently and not strike terror in the hearts of other patrons) - I would recommend having the "nicer" restaurant meals at lunch (if that is on your to do list) when the kids are less impatient and tired... Play was a "little business lunch crowd" but they were very accomodating wtih us. (But I would call first in case that has changed...)
enjoy ottawa.
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Benny's Bistro
119 Murray St, Ottawa, ON K1N5M5, CA
Cannelés
okay - I am inspired... where can I find beeswax in the city? Would a bulk barn have it?
Rhubarb plants
In previous years - I have purchased them at the Home Depot by the fruit plants (blueberry/raspberry bushes...)
Where can I buy fresh lavendar in TO?
If I recall correctly, I remember buying the dried version in the bulk food place in the north SLM. I have also purchased it from RIchter's Herbs in Goodwood.
Why do you need it fresh? I have used dried lavender in cooking with fantastic results.
Japanese box lunches for high park
I don't know if they still have it (as I haven't been recently) but on the weekends, Sanko used to bring in these delicious looking Japanese lunches. Not a "proper" Japanese bento lunch, but authentic nevertheless.
I would call first before making the trip there
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Sanko
730 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
Taco bell hot sauce!!
What? Cholula is sold at Loblaws? Which one? I discovered it on my honeymoon to Mayan RIveria and when the bottle got low, I convinced my husband that a vacation to Riveria was in order. All for the love of Cholula.
Starbucks, corner of Gerrard and Jones - wow
We stop at that Starbucks on our way to the 401 on our way to Montreal. It's always busy and has a friendly neighborhood vibe. Go figure.
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
It is a VERY minor issue. And at least, I can say I have had Shake Shack burger washed down with an Arnold Palmer.
(PS - I plan on calling Alinea on Friday to get a reservation for the end of June. I'd wait for that!)
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
I love burgers - all kinds. We have a new place in Toronto, Burger Priest... and I was comparing SS to it. since they look so similar. (It is a thinish, full beef flavour, fall apart goodness type of burger.)
Thanks for the recipe, BTW. I happen to have yuzu in my fridge... I will be making it this weekend. Thanks so much!
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
I guess my recall of SS reviews was less than stellar. (ha!)
You're right about our reaction to food... but i always try to keep an open mind... I had been spying the lines for a couple of days at the SS... so I was intrigued to see what the fuss was about. I guess i was hoping for a juicy, beefy flavour burger. I remember eating the burger thinking, (wait for it) - Wendy's tastes better. But that's just one person's impression.
Obviously SS doesn't need me as a customer - they do plenty fine on their own! (My colleague who dined at ma peche with me - loved SS... so go figure!)
the Seven Spice Sour - is subline. Yuzu juice! Genius.
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
Thanks NY Chowhounders for the excellent recommendations - here is my post trip review:
Marea - excellent choice! I had a seat at the crudo bar... and I was alone. It was slightly depressing, as a result... no view of the room. Just stared out at the fence in between courses. But regardless, it was an excellent choice. But had a delicious and memorable meal. Started with the Lobster Burrata - creamy smooth burrata, perfectly cooked lobster, crunchy sea salt & lightly pickled eggplant for an acidic note. Basil oil to finish.
I know the recommendation was for the fusilli but when I saw the spaghetti with uni - it had me at uni. Not bad - beautiful coral colour, rich, but no distinctive uni flavour. Also the menu indicated there was crab in the dish, but I didn't really detect any. Topped with a pangrattato.
Stopped by Milk Bar for dessert - a slice of crack pie & compost cookie. For those who are familar with tarte au sucre. That is what the crack pie reminded me of. Delicious but 1 slice was plenty. Compost cookie was tasty and different.
Next day - had dinner at Ma Peche. I had the seven spice sour cocktail - had a big of kick. Delicious. Started with the beef tartare and had the cod in coconut broth as the main. Both delicious and solid choices. (I wasn't wowed or blown away but nevertheless, solid!) Shared the bone marrow carrots. Delicious and I will be making them this way at home! My colleague had the summer rolls and the duck with spaetzle. She thought it was amazing.
Overall, Ma Peche was a hit. Awesome atmosphere. Very cool vibe.
Tried to hit up Fika coffee - it was just closing up (hours 7-7) when I arrived.
For a burger, my plan was to hit up 5 napkin burger - for a quick takeout burger. But I think it was a 10oz burger. That's way too big. Despite the warnings on this board, I had myself a Shake Shack burger with fries. Sigh. Burger wasn't anything special. No great flavour, not particularly juicy... but boy does that place have long line ups.
Unfortunately, I came down with the flu and had to order roomservice for the rest of my stay. Thanks New York - I'll be back!
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Shake Shack
Madison Ave and E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010
Fika
407 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10016
Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019
Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
Scandinavian bent - sounds interesting - we don't have that here (outside of Ikea of course ;) ) Of course the chocolates would be a great little gift for my team.
Weekday Solo Dining in the Times Square district - Help me choose.
I should move to NYC - there are not enough days to eat...
Maybe if I am feeling brave (read - not lazy) - I will hop on the subway and try another neighbourhood. I will check it out. Thanks so much for the suggestions - everyone!
