jayseeca's Profile
The Chickery - Spadina South of Richmond (David Adjey's new casual spot)
went late friday afternoon. shared the 6 piece with 2 sides, and it was quite underwhelming.
highlights were that the chicken was very tender and juicy and had good spicing, the ranch sauce had some great tang, and the Chickery slaw was tasty.
low points were that the actual chicken wasn't very flavourful, 80% of the tenders weren't crispy, the gravy was flavourless, and the mac and cheese was extremely bland and dry. there was almost no cheese flavour...
not sure why i had higher hopes for this place.
Karine's in Grange Mall- not so much
i used to go there all the time, mostly because she's so sweet, and for the fresh fruit with a meal. but the fruit is mostly unripe, and the food isn't made with love anymore. i can't even order a wrap without it immediately falling apart into a soggy mess after one bite. last year they also changed the fries, and now they're thinner and always greasy.
the only place i can think of that's close-ish for a sit down breakfast is O&B canteen.
Black Hoof..what happened??
Exactly. The sweetbreads tasted like fried chicken, and my brain ravioli was lacking brain. I can't remember what else we had back in the day, but those stood out as disappointments.
Also make sure to save room for dessert! The past few times they've served up refreshing, light desserts which were a great finish.
Black Hoof..what happened??
Badly wanted to try the custard!
I think Grant did great things for the food scene in TO, but I went a couple times when they first opened and was disappointed with some dishes.
I've been back several times since Brandon became the head chef, and i love it now. To me it went from over-rated experiments (for certain dishes) to delicious love! There are still some dishes that aren't my favourite, but its because they push out a lot of really damn creative and wonderful ones.
Holy Chuck... Priest has nothing on this place.
Had BP yesterday. It was a little cold by the time it got to me, but it was really really tasty, except for the meat texture. i agree with everyone, the patties fall apart when you eat them. Love Holy Chuck burgers, but their chili cheese fries left a lot to be desired.
Hey Meatball on College - Sandwich sizes
sounds like the guy who was helping you was confused. i'm sure he charged you full sandwich price for a slider.
new Hoof items?
loved the tartare. same with the tuna crudo. when i was there it was tripe and chorizo, which was absolutely delicious! the only thing we had which was amazing was the foie + morels. they were drenched in butter and there was nothing to cut into the fattyness of the dish.
oh, and the dessert was sublime. maserated strawberries, rhubarb curd, vanilla sorbet, white choc crumble, basil and mint. beautiful and mighty tasty. was very pleased with the meal!
Khao San Road Review
totally agree. someone ordered 'mild' and she couldn't eat it because it was too spicy for her...
"The One That Got Away" fish'n'chips...any thoughts?
also found the coleslaw too oily, but other than that, i loooove their coleslaw. full of flavour, with a nice punch but also a little creamy. i haven't had a coleslaw like theirs anywhere else.
Porchetta + Co
they shouldn't serve the skin if its that hard, it should be obvious to whomever is cutting up the meat. or, learn how to consistently cook it well!
Chuck's Day Off - what knife?
Not totally sure but they look like the ones that we rent at work from Nella Cucina, with different handle colours (green,blue, black, red). I think that's it, but is there a Nella in Montreal?
Villiage By the Grange Mall
most of the places in the grange are pretty awful. i avoid eating there at all costs, but have given into manpuku and karines a couple times. i think manpuku does the best food there, but i love how amazing and passionate karine is, and her food is fresh.
Anyone know about the BIG walnut on bloor?
i was wondering too... if it is a bulk food store, i'm excited!!
Where can I get Faygo in Toronto?
BP Variety on the NE corner of Lansdowne and Wallace... love the black cherry.
Disgraceland - Eggs Benny DISAPOINTMENT?
My favourite place in the hood is Yasi's Place. Its small, and only known by people in the neighbourhood, so lineups aren't too bad. It's on Wallace, west of Lansdowne and west of the Black Tower lofts.
It definitely has a homey menu and feel, but I will always go there before Bloordale Pantry and Starving Artist.
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Yasi's Place
299 Wallace Ave, Toronto, ON M6P3N2, CA
The Bloordale Pantry
1285 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H, CA
Worst/Slowest/Most Disappointing brunch ever at STARVING ARTIST!
Also, if you guys are in the area, it wouldn't hurt to hop on the bus on Lansdowne going north, then catch the LRT to St.Clair and Christie for an awesome brunch at Stockyards.
I think its only on weekends though, if thats when you're planning to go. I'd double check.
Worst/Slowest/Most Disappointing brunch ever at STARVING ARTIST!
i think they're waffles are pretty disappointing..
i went to watch a game during the world cup, and sat at the bar so got to see them work.
and although they don't use microwaves (the beeping are their waffle irons), i did see them replenish their pot of hollandaise with only a stick of butter and ripping open a mysterious white packet of powder and throwing it in.... voila? thats pretty nasty.
Angelo's Hot Table - Yonge & Harbour
Really?? Had to buy my lunch one day, passed by this place thinking I'd rather go here than go to Subway with my coworkers. I didn't have the meatball sandwich, but the veal was the worst veal sandwich I've ever had in my life.
It actually looked like the woman at the counter was filling my bun, but when it came to eating it, sparse amounts of overcooked/dry and flavourless veal. The toppings were ok, but the veal was just so awful, and most of my bites were pure bread.
J-Town Ramen
Sorry, yes the one in NYC. It was mainly the broth, thought it was too light and not flavourfuland pork-y enough. Also, the chasiu was a little dry, but thankfully the broth helped combat that.
Also, they put a huge topping of pickled ginger on mine, which I thought was kinda gross, did not do anything for me and tainted the ramen... although I just don't like pickled ginger.
J-Town Ramen
How do they compare? I had the ramen at Ippudo, and was seriously underwhelmed and disappointed... I'm thinking there's no point in ever trying the one at Niwa-Tei...
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Niwa-Tei
3160 Steeles Avenue East, Unit #2, Markham, ON L3R 4G9, CA
Barriada Churrascaria - Discusting -Can anyone suggest a nearby alternative?
My fave place, which I think is wayway better than Sardinha or Barriada (I've only tried a handful of places) is O Barradino Cantenhede at Wallace and Lansdowne.
Its more of a takeout place, with lineups out the door daily. Its closed for the month until August 6th, but I've always loved the charcoal flavour of their chicken, their cuttlefish, and their pork and clams. There are a few misses, but just thinking about their chicken makes me salivate...
I can't say its the best in the city, but I think its worth a try.
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Sardinha
942 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H1L4, CA
And what about Master Chef?
Ramsay is no more loveable than his jerk self on kitchen nightmares, and hells kitchen.
I was sad to see he was chosen as the main host, but can't say surprised.
and YES, every other version of Masterchef in the world is about cooking - not pulling your heart strings.
Almost everyones "signature dish" containing sickening amounts of cheese. This show is about entertainment and the homecook, not someone who really wants to work in a kitchen. In the "prizes" all I heard about was $250,000, no cooking experience.
This show sucks in comparison to the other Masterchefs! I hope I don't give in and waste more time watching this.
Duffernin Grove Market Dinners
I agree... the menu always sounds decent, and all their ingredients are from the farmers market at Dufferin Grove the previous day.
This sounds extremely promising, but I feel as though they are inexperienced cooks that follow recipe books and the integrity of the ingredients is lost in an effort to make a mass quantity of affordable food. Mains go for $6, so its still a fun experience.
Two days a week (Sunday and can't remember the other) they have wood-fired pizza ovens. Dough is $2.50 and you get free reign of the ingredients growing in their garden. Love this idea too, but haven't made it out for some reason.
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Dufferin Cafe
2917 Dufferin St, Toronto, ON M6B3S7, CA
Ceili Cottage: Irish Breakfast? My Uncle Fenton.
I lovelovelove me a big breakfast, English or Irish, and I've had some pretty poor ones. But the version at Ceili Cottage was underwhelming.
Your experience was quite similar to mine, when I was there this past February, except I got the slice of black pudding and wished I didn't! Extremely crumbly, it literally fell apart from being dry and really lacked any substantial flavour - the worst thing on my plate.
I was underwhelmed by their teeny menu, and although I really wanted to love it, I'm definitely not planning a trip back.
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Ceili Cottage
1301 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L, CA
Where can I dine near Dundas and Brock that isn't Lula Lounge?
Haha, well he is a little aloof and crazy, but he has moments of yummy brilliance, but yes, our meal definitely had its flaws.
Never been to Naco, I heard good things from a few friends who don't know anything about Mexican cuisine - but according to them the black bean soup and the tostadas were tasty.
Must agree with tochipotle above... went to Bairrada years ago and had an extremely underwhelming meal. The back patio is great, but food was mostly overcooked and dry - of all the Portuguese restaurants around I don't see why people keep going to this one.
Haven't been to Pho Phuong recently buts its definitely gone down hill... the one thing I would go back for though, is their crispy shrimp crepe which you tear apart and wrap in lettuce, can be a hit and miss but still good!!
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Pho Phuong
1603 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K1T9, CA
Where can I dine near Dundas and Brock that isn't Lula Lounge?
Second this. Although when I went, food was coming out pretty slowly, and I thought needed some tweaking. The reviews I've read never mentioned this, so I think it might have been an off night.
But the highlight was his olive oil poached halibut with braised cabbage/morels and beurre blanc! Very generous with the fish portions.
Otherwise, Naco Gallery is an option as well.
Openings 2010
Parts & Labour - 1566 Queen Street West, right next to Cowbell
A resto-rocknroll bar opened up by the guys behind the Social, with Matty from Oddfellows acting as head chef.
Its supposed to serve food within a broad price range to be available to different clientele. Sounds interesting, but I've never been a big fan of the food at Oddfellows...
The Bloordale Pantry
Stopped here last night.
Its a really good change for the neighbourhood, I would say its a local place. I wouldn't travel from a different hood, but the food is simple and more than decent.
Had the burger, and the boaca (slow cooked pork with avocado and cheese).
Burger was cooked pink, and had a good beefy flavour and flavour from the grill - the only problem I had was the burger to bun ratio, and that the burger could've used more fatty cuts of beef. They say its 100% ground chuck, but it'd be nice if it was a little juicier. It wasn't dry, but juicier is always better. We topped it with mushrooms which were flavourful and buttery.
The boaca was a panini, with tender pork, and generously filled with cheese and avocado. This was definitely tasty, but needed a tangy sauce or something.
The fries were crispy and hand cut. The coleslaw was vinegar based and exactly the type of slaw I like, fresh but not too tangy.
I thought it was a little expensive for what it was for dinner, (about $12 each) but would definitely make this a lunch spot when they're about $8 or $9.
Also, they have a daily fresh pasta! Didn't try it, but hope to soon.
Great service, super friendly, a very relaxed atmosphere, and a good choice of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
Caplansky's - You have got to be kidding me!
My only experience with the smoked turkey was horrific. They were out of smoked meat, so 2 of us opted for the turkey.
Two pieces of bread with hardly any turkey in them arrived, and were dry as heck! Right after we ordered, we heard our neighbour ask for the turkey, but apparently we got the last sandwiches - I suspect the turkey was sitting around somewhere drying out, and they took turkey that should've fit into 1 sandwich and spread it out to 2.
Have also had bad experiences the 3 times I've been to the new location and have vowed to not waste my money anymore.
