Strongbad789's Profile
NEW CONSOLIDATED Thread: Best Chicken Wings in GTA
Have you asked for them well done? I don't personally prefer them that way, but my friends do...that might fix your undercooked skin problem. You're probably not going to be convinced, but thought I'd try... :)
ISO Roasted Chili Oil
I'm somewhat addicted to the chili oil they have at Pizzeria Libretto, but despite my many requests, they refuse to sell me some for home use.
Therefore, my question is: does anybody know where I can buy a similar oil somewhere in Toronto? The Libretto version has a complex roasted chili flavour without too much heat that I haven't been able to find anywhere else (including in my attempts to recreate the oil at home). If I can find it in the city (or, alternately, if someone has a recipe they can share) I'll be a happy man.
Thanks in advance.
NEW CONSOLIDATED Thread: Best Chicken Wings in GTA
It certainly doesn't take a genius to make a super-hot wing (and frankly I find duffs' armageddon far too hot for me...I usually go with super hot, which is two steps below armageddon), but I have noticed that the wings at most wing places in the city aren't hot enough for my tastes. I routinely order the hottest heat level at any wing place I go to and I almost always find that they're not hot enough (although I've also been surprised a few times with inedibly hot wings).
NEW CONSOLIDATED Thread: Best Chicken Wings in GTA
Yeah...say what you want about Duffs, but I can't think of another place in the city with hotter wings than their Armageddon.
Where's the best fried chicken in the GTA ?
I've had Stockyards fried chicken twice. The first time was a while ago, but I remember liking it. The second time was maybe a year ago, and I remember finding it under-seasoned. Perhaps they do sometimes have consistency issues (although it looks like the majority here seem to like it).
On a related note, I ordered the Popeye's 8-piece meal the other day ('spicy', which isn't really that spicy but is somewhat interesting at least) and it was quite good. The batter was quite thick (which I like) and very flavourful. Also good reheated the next day.
NEW CONSOLIDATED Thread: Best Chicken Wings in GTA
I'm going to disappoint you and say that Duffs is my favourite. If you prefer them crispier (which I don't, although a number of my friends do) you can ask for them well done. You can also ask for more or less sauce. If you don't like the flavour of the sauce, then I guess you're out of luck.
I'm also just going to go ahead and say it: I like Wild Wing better than pretty much anyone else except Duffs (WAY better than St. Louis). I generally don't like 100-flavour places, but I really like some of their flavours, like Hawaiian, Snakebite, and Smoked Jerk (I also don't like a number of their flavours, including most of their non-sauced wings, but I get around that by just not ordering them).
I've been to quite a few wing places in the city and Duffs is still my go-to place (with Wild Wing a respectable second).
Best Burger - Walking distance from Entertainment District
You can get your burger cooked however you want at Grindhouse (which would also be my recommendation - the black and blue burger is delicious, as are the onion rings). Most places cook them well done (this definitely includes big smoke and I think likely includes BQM, although I could be wrong).
Yours Truly - new restaurant on Ossington
Ate there on Friday and had a similar so-so experience.
First, when we got there at about 6:10 or so we were the only ones there (even though it opens at 5:30), and after seating us at the bar (which was somewhat inconvenient, since the only place to hang your coat was on hooks under the bar, meaning that long coats drag on the floor) and taking our drink orders (only two beers on tap, Steigl and some sort of Bock...not my favourites), the wait staff basically just hung out in a group in the back of the restaurant chatting. We finally managed to flag someone down and put in our orders (two of the meat tasting menus).
The meal started with a ridiculous number of amuses...the aforementioned spinach leaf on a plate (which I thought was pretty tasty, mainly because of the red salt which had an interesting sweet/roasted sort of taste), some other cheese on a cracker (also good), a small cup of (I think) parsnip (or turnip?) soup (quite good), and something else on a small carrot round (meh). They ranged from just okay to quite good, so we were off to a good start.
The next course was the turnip, and as mentioned above it was quite bland without the honey to tie it together. As I was eating it I mentioned that fact to my wife, and her response was: "what honey?". They had forgotten to add the honey to her dish. When we pointed that out they took the dish away and squirted some on which was fine, but it was just somewhat amusing that the ingredient that tied the whole thing together was missing. Even my dish could have used more of the honey.
The next dish was the trout, which I really enjoyed. The hazelnuts went really well with the bok choy and the crispy skin. Definitely the highlight of the night for me.
The next dish was the violet chicken (identified as such on the menu - no confusing chicken/duck issues), which, while nicely cooked, was really fairly one-note. The chicken was moist and the skin wrapper was nice, but I couldn't taste anything violet-y (or anything other than chicken) other than perhaps some pickled spears of something like carrot. It was my wife's favourite dish, though, so it gets points for that.
The dessert was the real let down. As described, it was a large bowl of off-tasting yogurt (buttermilk, apparently) over some dense cake and muesli. The buttermilk overwhelmed the rest of the dish...not appetizing. Agreed that there should be far less buttermilk and perhaps served on the side. Too big, also (to her credit the waitress did ask if I'd liked it when I only ate a few bites).
All in all, I was disappointed after the rave reviews I read on here. I'll probably give it another chance because I think the food had style and the price point was good, but if it continues to be hit and miss (with a bit more miss than hit), my second visit will be my last.
Burgers in Toronto
Grindhouse at King and Peter could seat 12, and does a great burger (I like the black and blue) and equally great onion rings.
Il Mulino Restaurant ?
I went about a year ago and loved both the food and the service. Wish I lived closer.
Cheesewerks - Grilled Cheese at Bathurst and Wellington
Went last weekend with my wife. She had the regular gilled cheese (the original), and I had the Beijing. I liked hers...you could taste the smoked cheese although it could have had a bit more of it (she didn't like the smoke flavour). The Beijing had three good flavours (hoisin, pork, and green onion) that, in my opinion, did not go with the flavour of the asiago cheese at all.
Also, we waited at least 15 min for our food, despite being the only people there and being outnumbered by staff by about 3-1. I might give it another chance if I was around, but probably wouldn't go out of my way.
Cornbread in downtown TO?
I bought a great bacon cornbread (I think it was) from a vendor in the North St Lawrence Market one Saturday. I don't remember the name of the vendor (sorry), but their booth was on the left side of the rightmost aisle if you walk in the south door, at the first cross-aisle (if that made sense).
Best Burger- Walking Distance from Eaton Center
Grindhouse also has some great onion rings; breaded, not battered, and delicious.
Best Burger- Walking Distance from Eaton Center
Although Grindhouse is maybe a tad further than I might be willing to walk from the Eaton Centre for lunch, I completely agree that it's the best burger you'll find within walkable distance. Their black and blue burger, cooked rare, is my favourite burger in the city (and I've tried BP, craft (now big smoke), bymark, Q&B, and a variety of others).
Best Leafs-wings combo (and I don't mean Detroit) east of Yonge?
Duffs is my favourite (it's not a "sports bar" per se, but it has lots of tvs), but Wild Wing would also be a good option. I tried the wings at C&D once and wasn't a big fan.
Colbourne Lane
I also second the tasting menu...went a few years ago and it was absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure exactly how much it was (and the website seems to be down now for some reason), but maybe around $200 per person?
Who is planning to attend Picnic at the Brickworks 2011?
I went. I wish I could remember more (or really, any) specifics about the food, but I just remember that I liked almost everything and really liked a number of things.
Other than the weather (which is clearly not their fault, and they were equipped to handle it anyway), and the ridiculous lack of organization when checking in (which was their fault, and should definitely be remedied next year), it was an amazing event. I'm not a big eater, so my wife and I basically split one of everything (or as many things as we could stuff in) and it was great. Got to try a lot of the wine, too, and found a number I liked.
I will definitely be returning next year (my wife got me tickets for my birthday, and joked that it looks like it'll have to be a permanent gift from now on...I certainly won't complain).
The Bowery new to Colbourne Lane?
Ate there with some people from work a week or two ago for lunch and I have to say, I wasn't impressed. The octopus appetizer was pretty good, but the others (which I believe included the lamb and a charcuterie platter that was part of the "stuff with stuff" appetizer) were somewhat forgettable (and included an almost inedibly tough piece of beef jerky from south africa).
My pizza main was not good. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the Librettos of the city, but I was really disappointed with the pizza. I can make far better at home, and I'm not a chef by any means. Feelings around the table ranged from 'meh' to 'okay' for the various orders, but at the prices they charge I wouldn't go back. It was also empty when we went (literally...I believe we were the only table there for the whole time), and the service was slow (although enthusiastic).
I was really prepared to like this place, but unfortunately didn't.
Bravo! Winchester Kitchen and bar
I echo the above sentiments. I ended up going to this place partly by mistake (I used Opentable on my blackberry and I thought I was making reservations at the stone grill next door...whoops) and was a bit nonplussed when I got there (it looks more like a bar than a restaurant). I was completely won over by the food and service, though.
We started out with an amuse bouche of smoked pork with babaganoush; I was first really surprised that they even served an amuse bouche (given my thoughts that it looked like a bar), but it was great and started the meal off very well. We went during their "lobsterfest", which included a three-course lobster dinner for $35 (which is a great price for what you get), so we all got that. I had a lobster crudo appetizer (sort of like a lobster ceviche with a tomato water sauce, sweet pea and basil) which was fantastic and also had a ton of lobster. Two others at my table had a lobster salad (again, large chunks of lobster mixed with cucumber, strawberries, and endive with some sort of vinaigrette); I didn't try it but it got great reviews. The only slight disappointment was the lobster bisque with seared scallop, which had a slightly strange taste to the broth (this was a very minor flaw in what was otherwise a great meal, though).
Between courses they brought a palate cleansing sorbet, which was appreciated. For mains three of us had a lobster linguine with squid ink pasta and cherry tomatoes, which everyone thought was fantastic. Someone else had a lobster and shrimp dinner (again, very well done).
For dessert I had the kaffir lime leaf panna cotta which, though not particularly lobster-esque, was delicious (although the avocado slices served with it weren't ripe enough). Two others had the maple bacon ice cream with lobster salt, which got good reviews, and the last person had the lobster salad (it was available as an app or a dessert, assumedly since it had strawberries in it).
Service was attentive (although we were the only table there for most of our meal, and one of only two for the rest) and helpful with food descriptions, and as I mentioned the prices were very reasonable. A fortuitous accident that we even ended up there, but we'll definitely be back (doesn't hurt that it's right around the corner from us).
Toronto's Best Chicken Wings
I love Duffs and it's my favourite in the city...it's vinegary, so if you don't like that you won't like Duffs. But I personally love it. I've also had Anchor bar in buffalo and I personally prefer Duffs.
That's not the point of my post, though. I haven't liked any of those 100-flavour type places at all (I'm looking at you, puck'n'wings) until recently...but I actually really like Wild Wing. As I said it's the last place that I thought I would like, but the flavours are really bold and I've managed to find a number that I like (and some I don't like (lemon pepper and any jerk-based wings, I'm looking at you), but that's to expect with so many flavours). The only problem is that even the hottest wings aren't very hot, but they've still got a bunch of great flavours. Some I particularly like are Snakebite, Hawaiian, and She's a Hottie.
Anyway, just thought I'd put my vote in for Wild Wing as a great option for wings in the city. They don't seem to need my help (based on the number of new franchises I see opening up), but if this is the default chain option in Toronto, then I think we're doing pretty well.
huevos rancheros, huevos divorciados, eggs lola or other spicy egg-based brunch dishes 2011
Possibly not what you're looking for (they're not spicy at all, from what I recall), but Origin does a good take on Huevos Rancheros for brunch.
Duggan's Brewery
I used to really like Duggan's when it first opened...the beer was great (especially the #9), the food was good (not stellar, but much better than typical pub food), and while somewhat expensive it wasn't crazy.
I went back recently with a group of friends and it seems that they've decided to fairly significantly raise prices while not really increasing quality (it might even have gone downhill...the jerk wings were really not very good at all). Most mains there now are in the upper teens/lower 20s range...even sandwiches (I got the steakwich which was good but pricey at $19 I believe). And really, an extra $4 to add more shredded mozzarella to your pizza? Really? I should also note that the menu on their website is hopelessly out of date both with respect to the items listed on it and the prices. It's also annoying how you can never count on them having any particular typs of beer available (other than the #9).
I just don't know about Duggans anymore. It used to be a solid choice for good food and generally great beer, but it seems that they're trying to go too upscale (price-wise) without having the food quality to back it up. If they knock the prices back to where they used to be I'll be a regular customer again.
Khao San Road Review
Are any of the wines offered by the glass? We ate there last week and were told by our server that none of them were (which really surprised us...at a place with mains averaging around $15, we have to buy a whole bottle if we want wine?)
M:brgr [moved from Quebec board]
Agreed. Grindhouse is actually my go-to burger place in the city...the black and blue burger is great (you have to get it at least medium-rare, though). And you can get a regular burger (no sides, though) for $7 (tax included). I was thinking of trying M:brgr but given the reviews I doubt I will now.
PC Montreal Smoked Meat
I just tried this for the first time about a month ago and I was really impressed. I don't get out to Costco often (or ever), so I doubt I'll be able to try the Dunn's. The PC one is really quite good, though, so I'm more than happy with that.
Khao San Road opens tomorrow
We ate there last Saturday, and we seem to have had a very similar meal to yours (and a similar experience with the spiciness level).
We started with the squash patties, which as you mention were amazing. I'd order them again in a second. Not too greasy and the dipping sauce was a perfect accompaniment.
On ordering our mains, the waitress explained the heat levels up to 'Thai Spicy', and although I like spicy she said that it might be good to try one level below Thai Spicy and add more chilies if I needed them. On receiving my dish it really wasn't very spicy at all, so I added the dish of chili oil she brought and that livened it up (although it still wasn't what I would call 'extremely spicy'). That was a fairly small quibble, though.
For my main I had the massaman curry with beef, and as mentioned above it was pretty perfect. Wonderful flavour, well cooked, I loved the peanuts as well. My girlfriend had their special pad thai and she loved it as well. I'm ecstatic that there's finally a great thai place in my neighbourhood.
Food Deal - $20 for $40 at Grindhouse (King/Peter) - must buy on Feb 8, 2011/ no expiry for voucher
Done and done. This is my favourite burger place in the city. Their black and blue burger is amazing.
"The One That Got Away" fish'n'chips...any thoughts?
I went on the weekend...I really wanted to like it (it's in the neighbourhood and I can get fish & chips while my gf gets a grilled fish sandwich) but I wasn't a big fan. My fish (pickerel, since they were out of halibut) was okay and the batter was crisp and not too thick, but as I ate more of it I started thinking that neither the fish nor the batter really had all that much taste. The fries were good.
My girlfriend got the grilled arctic char sandwich and didn't like it at all...she thought that the fish was dry and not particularly tasty (I didn't think it was as bad as she did when I had a bite, but I definitely agree that it's not as good as the sandwiches at the fish store on college). Anyway I'll probably go back again to try their halibut and to give another grilled fish a chance, but it'll have to be a significant improvement for me to become a regular.
BBQ Pulled Pork Parfait - Royal Winter Fair 2010
I also had it at the fair and thought that it was great (with the possible exception of the mashed potatoes as you mention...they weren't bad, just nothing special). I also thought that it might not be enough food, but when I got to the extra pocket of pulled pork at the bottom I couldn't finish. My only complaint was that it should have more beans (mine had hardly any).
Interesting dish, though, and the pork was great. Definitely one of the more interesting dishes in the food court (except for that german food-in-a-bag place...what was up with that?).
The arrogance of the owner at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar Queen West
My girlfriend and I ate at Local last night, and while the service was fine (attentive and very pleasant) the food was definitely worse than I was expecting, given the reviews.
I started with an anchovy appetizer that was basically an anchovy on a small piece of toasted bread, drizzled with olive oil. It was actually quite good, and for $5 wasn't a bad deal (although it was quite small - about two bites - so some may think otherwise). For my "main course" I had the berkshire maple-smoked pancetta...now, the waitress did try to tell me that it was basically a "big plate of meat" so I can't really fault her, but I guess I expected something more than about 20 thin slices of pancetta on a board (I was envisioning a more susbtantial piece of meat). It was also quite tasty, but I really think that they should be offering it as more of an appetizer for sharing (for $25 it would be a bit of an expensive appetizer at Local, but it just isn't a main course and I think that that should be made clearer). That being said, it was tasty and I would have been happy with it as part of a shared appetizer.
The rest of the food, though, was a letdown. My girlfriend had the whitefish, and she commented that it was dry and that the tomato sauce tasted like it had come from a can. She isn't a fan of fish skin, which is a shame since I tasted the skin and I think that it was the best part of the dish, but even with the skin the dish just wasn't very good. She left at least half of it on the plate (given how small the portion was, this was definitely noticeable), and when the waittress asked if she hadn't liked it she said that she hadn't, really. It was still on the bill when we got it (not that I necessarily expected them to take it off, but I had thought that they might have done something, like maybe comp us the $5 for the anchovy appetizer).
Since we were both still quite hungry, we then ordered an appetizer-sized portion of the gnocchi to share, given some of the good reviews I've read on here about it. I thought that the taste was nice enough, but the texture was terrible (almost mushy) and the presentation was also very poor (like it was just thrown on the plate). My girlfriend didn't like the taste or the texture at all, although she ate some since she was starving.
All in all, not a great experience. The room itself is cozy and charming and the service was nice, but the food just wasn't on par. I may try it again, but given how many good restaurants there are out there I more than likely may not (and if I do, I'll have to go with someone else since my girlfriend refuses to return).
