Thanks all! I (or at least someone in my family) will likely end up at Cayne's to do some Christmas shopping, so I'll stock up then.

Hi all. I have been buying parchment muffin tin liners from Summerhill Market for a while now, and they are absolutely wonderful (peel off the muffins without a single crumb sticking). Unfortunately, Summerhill doesn't seem to be carrying them anymore. Does anyone have any idea where else I might find these (ideally midtown-ish)?

Thanks!

Thanks!

Going tonight for the first time. Can anyone tell me how casual/dressy it is?

I second the brickworks recco. We have a one year old, and it's great fun. Good food, nature trails, live music.

I second Epi. My fave is the walnut bread, but they're all good.

http://www.lawyersfeedthehungry.ca/to...

It's been almost two weeks since our trip, and I still haven't posted to report back... Don't have time for a lengthy/detailed commentary now, but thought a short post would be better than nothing.

Thursday night had a very late pizza dinner. We decided to go to Gino's because it was so close to our hotel and the hour was late, but alas they closed at 10 so we just missed the boat. Instead, we went to Lou Malnati's. Had no problem getting a table, given the hour (almost 10:30). Service was excellent for a pizza joint. We didn't hate the pizza (one with sausage, and one with spinach and mushrooms), but were somewhat underwhelmed. Not sure if we would have felt the same about deep dish at another restaurant (it's not something we get at home...we're more accustomed to Neapolitan style). Also had a salad, which was okay (especially the little crispy salami bits, which were really yummy in a gross kind of way) but the dressing was way too sweet. I'm not really complaining though, because I don't think I'd expect much better in a pizza joint.

Friday lunch was the Purple Pig after doing an architectural river cruise (note to other tourists: PP is very close to where the boat docks). It was my favourite meal of the trip. I wrote down all the dishes we had (and there were many!!) but I'm not sure what I did with the paper. One of our faves was the crispy pig ear with kale and egg. SO delicious. Texture was lovely, as was the level of acid in whatever it was dressed in. We also loved a salad we had - asparagus, arugula, and hazelnuts. Again, beautifully dressed. We had a slightly spicy house cured pork loin, which was delicious. The worst thing we had was the meatball slider sandwich, which was by no means bad, just a bit too ordinary. Pretty good service, considering how busy they were (perhaps not quite as attentive as they could have been, but not bad, and very friendly/helpful).

Friday night was the Publican (not the best choice, given that it's a bit similar to PP, but it just worked out that way). I hesitate to say this because it gets so much love, but I felt a bit like the emperor had no clothes. The only things that we really thought were great were the ham, and the cheese we had at the end of the meal, neither of which were actually made in-house. Practically everything we ordered was oversalted (and believe me, I love salt, so if I think there's too much, there's really too much). Again, I'm blanking on most of what we tried (and can't find my list) but I do recall thinking that the best dish we had would have been the squid, if it weren't for the excess salt. Oh, actually, I just remembered another one -- the boudin blanc, which was actually quite nice, and salted appropriately, so I guess I'd say it was my fave after the ham and the cheese. Service was competent, but less than enthusiastic.

We hit Frontera Grill for Saturday brunch. Got there about 20 minutes before it opened, and had no trouble getting a table. The service was fantastic, and so was the food (it was my husband's favourite meal, and my second-favourite). We started with the sopes rancheros (little crispy corn boats filled with slightly spicy beef, tomato, avocado and cheese), which were really delicious. We then shared the enchilada with steak and eggs, and a "Sapitos" trio. The enchilada was really good, but very spicy. Our waiter had warned us about the level of heat (quite emphatically) and I sort of wish that I'd listened and ordered something else. I enjoy hot/spicy food, and while this didn't totally blow my head off, it was a bit hotter than would be my preference. The flavour was great though. The sapitos were little corn cakes - one topped with egg, the other with chorizo, and the third with chicken. They were fantastic. Really, really nice flavour. Overall, a great meal.

Saturday night was dinner at North Pond. Chicgail, we thought long and hard about whether to change our reso to Tru and I really wish we had. North Pond has a lovely atmosphere, but neither the food nor the service were consistent with the fairly high price. Both of our mains came out lukewarm, in fact. We shared an artichoke soup, which was kind of ho hum, and a crab/avocado salad, which was quite nice, to start. Both of our mains came out lukewarm (which I find unacceptable anywhere, let alone a restaurant of that calibre). We shared a beef dish and a halibut dish. Both were good, but by no means great or memorable. Our waiter seemed a bit too self-important and preoccupied, in spite of the fact that the restaurant wasn't very busy. Oh well, live and learn...

I guess this turned out a bit longer than I planned....

Thanks again to all of you for your input/suggestions. I'm really looking forward to another trip to your great city at some point.

Wearing a jacket isn't a massive problem, but it's just a bit annoying as a) we really need to relax on this trip and we (particularly my husband, who hates dressing up) won't feel as relaxed in that kind of atmosphere and b) it's just one more thing to pack. Naha does look good....another thing to decide!

On another note (and at rather the last minute), I'm trying to figure out pizza for tonight (if we can even make it in time for a very, very late dinner). Seems that people have incredibly varied views as to which deep dish is the best in Chicago. We're considering Gino's East, as a lot of people seem to like it and it's close to our hotel. First of all, please let me know if you think we're making a mistake trying to go there -- although Gino's is the closest to us (which is nice, as it'll be late and we'll be tired), Uno, Due and Lou Malnati's aren't too far. Secondly, if we call ahead to order, how far in advance should we call? Are we likely to get stuck waiting for a table at about 10:00?

Thanks!

We didn't want to wait too long to decide and risk not getting a reservation at either place, so we've decided to go with North Pond. We just aren't in the mood to get super-dressed up (maybe it's because here in Toronto, you can dress somewhat casually at even the best restaurants). I know that the food won't be as stellar as Tru would be, but I'm hoping that it will still be excellent. If anyone thinks we're making a big mistake, please let me know.

Thanks. I'm an idiot for not having noticed that (given that I've been on its Open Table page).

New questions...

My Fordors Chicago book says a jacket is required at Tru. Is this accurate? While we wouldn't go in ripped jeans, we had planned to wear something "smart casual" (for lack of a better term).

Also, we're now considering North Pond instead of Tru. Am torn... Like the sound of the atmosphere at NP, but sounds like food is less exceptional than at Tru. Thoughts?

Thanksdanimalarkey and chicgail! I just called and made a Friday dinner reservation at Publican, no problem. Funny, BTW that their Saturday and Sunday brunch menus are different...I like the Sunday one better, but we'll be gone by then.

Unfortunately, I called Bayless's restaurants and they're both full -- even Topolobampo (I think that 5:30 spot must have been a cancellation). Think we'll try to hit Frontera at lunch on Friday for a walk-in, then perhaps Purple Pig on Saturday for lunch and Tru for dinner.

My husband and I will be visiting Chicago at the end of April. We arrive relatively late on Thursday night, and leave on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, we've left our food research and reservations until quite late in the game...

At the risk of sounding overly vague, we love most kinds of food, and aren't super-limited by budget (though don't want to spend all of our retirement savings either). We'll be staying in River North, though are willing to travel within reason (we won't have a car but are open to taking the subway or a cab). We'd like to have one or two "fancy"/high-end meals (preferably dinner) but would also like to check out some more laid-back/casual places.

I think that on our first night (if we even have time to make it out for dinner after our flight and checking into our hotel) we'll try to hit one of Chicago's deep dish pizza places (eg. Uno, Due) as we won't have a lot of time, and we'll be tired.

At some point, we'd like to visit one of Rick Bayless's restaurants, but aren't sure whether to go with Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, and whether to head there for dinner or lunch or brunch. Right now there's only one table availalable at Topolobampo (Sat. at 9:15). Am I correct to assume that if we go to Frontera, we'll be waiting ages unless we show up right when they open? Is lunch a better option than dinner?

We're thinking of having dinner one night at Tru. Will it be worth the hefty price tag? If we opt for the 3-course prix-fixe menu, how filling will it be (ie. will we be safe to have a substantial lunch on the same day prior to going to dinner...we have pretty healthy appetites)?

Another spot that appeals to us (and seems to get a lot of praise on this board) is the Publican. I wish they were open for lunch... The only available table showing on Open Table is at 5:30 on Friday, which is not our ideal dinnertime. Can anyone tell me if they set aside tables for walk-ins? If so, will it be a crazy-long wait? Will it be worth it?

We're also interested in going to the Purple Pig. Will it be a long wait for a table at lunchtime?

Am I off base with these restaurant ideas? Is there anywhere that we shouldn't miss that I haven't mentioned? I know that Alinea is supposed to be amazing, but I've left it off the list because, to be honest, the menu doesn't appeal to me that much (especially considering the price). It's a bit too precious for my liking (not sure I'm choosing the right word, but it's just not my cup of tea).

I've done some general Chicago restaurant research on CH, but given time constraints haven't been able to do an exhaustive search. My apologies if I've asked questions that have been covered well in other threads. Thanks in advance for any assistance you Chicago 'hounders can provide.

Rocco's Salad at Libretto Danforth is SO good: brussels sprouts, butternut squash, Pingue prosciutto, heirloom beets, pine nuts, ricotta salata & crispy egg. Mmmm....

My husband and I went there for the first time a couple of months ago, and were underwhelmed. Not awful or anything, but it just didn't live up to the positive reviews and the fairly high price. Sorry to not be more specific re dishes, but I've forgotten the details by now. One real complaint of mine was the service -- it was one of those situations where multiple people were serving our table, and they didn't seem to communicate well with each other at all. We were left waiting for too long at times, and they messed up the delivery of certain items (eg we asked for the guacamole to come out ASAP, ahead of the apps, which the first waitress was fine with, but the second waitress didn't get the message, and it took AGES and came at the same time as the other apps.

Got some really nice ones at Summerhill Market on Sunday.

Haven't been to Globe Earth (the one on Yonge) for brunch, but Globe Bistro (on Danforth at Broadview) does a really nice brunch, and does take reservations.

I think there's a thread somewhere on here about tipping when you do take-out, but I haven't seen it lately.

When I eat in at a restaurant, I generally tip 20% on top of the tax -- sometimes a bit more if the service is exceptional, sometimes less if it's poor. My philosophy is the same as Beevod's (that the server probably needs it more than me) though I appreciate that this reasoning wouldn't apply to everyone. I also generally tip delivery people about 15%.

Having said all of that, until I came across the aforementioned thread about tipping when taking out, I was the same as your husband and never tipped when picking food up. Upon reading people's posts in the thread (which I probably should dig up and link but don't have time) I decided that I was wrong. I now tip a modest amount (a few dollars - not necessarily a percentage of the bill) if I'm taking out from a restaurant that has table service. If, however, I'm picking up from a restaurant that exclusively or almost exclusively focuses on take-out (eg. where they have dedicated staff at a take-out window, as opposed to a waiter who is taking time out from serving tables to get my food ready), I'm not inclined to as I don't think there's much of an expectation of a tip.

To answer my own question, it's a Starbucks going in. I do love Starbucks, but am kind of sad that Mount Pleasant is getting another big chain business. Am also sad that that great patio won't be used for a real restaurant; there are too few restaurants with patios in the 'hood.

New question: does anyone know what's going in where Lai Toh Heen was? Looks like renos are well underway.

I'm pretty sure I saw them at Summerhill Market recently -- but not the mushroom ones (my faves).

I concur re Cumbrae's. The chicken pie is fantastic. I'm not crazy about the chicken with bacon though...the bacon kind of overpowers the other flavours.

Love Summerhill, but not so much their chicken pie. A bit gloppy.

I was really excited to try Belly after reading about others' exeriences in this thread, but ended up being quite disappointed... I picked up the Maple Ripple flavour from Summerhill Market. The flavour was decent (though not outstanding) but I found the texture/consistency to be really off...it was somewhat granular and too light/airy. Not nearly as creamy and delicious as it ought to have been. Definitely not worth the $12.49 I paid for it (when I bought it, I thought it was $10.99, and then noticed the actual price on my bill when I got home...I'm not one to bargain shop for good food, but that price is a bit obscene, especially for the quality). Or maybe I just picked the wrong flavour??

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Summerhill Market
446 Summerhill Ave, Toronto, ON M4W, CA

Anyone know what's going in there? Looks like they're doing some work on the place.

I love Summerhill Market, but (for more than the last year) I've found their chicken pie to be not so great...quite "gloppy". For take out chicken pie, I far prefer Cumbrae's.

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Cumbrae's
481 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

Summerhill Market
446 Summerhill Ave, Toronto, ON M4W, CA

I think I might have seen it at Metro, but I could be crazy...definitely call first if you're trying there.

They don't have a tortiere, but Cumbrae's has great beef pies (large or individual sized available).

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Cumbrae's
481 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

Campagnolo was very loud when I was there.

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Campagnolo
832 Dundas St. W, Toronto, ON , CA

They had mini pumpkin cakes at Flaky Tart the other day -- mini bundt-style cakes sliced through the centre and filled with cream cheese frosting. Quite delish. Not sure if they have these all the time at this time of year.

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Flaky Tart
711 Mt Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S, CA

Another to add to the list: Zucca.

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Zucca
2150 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4S 2A8, CA