scarberian's Profile
Scarborough To-Do List - What have I missed? What SHOULD I miss?
Yup it is, but it is going to reopen soon so it's temporarily out of service for now. However once it opens it will still be one of the better Italian restos in Scarborough. They have a killer grilled octopus and the grilled calamari is tasty as well.
Good quality ice cream to take home?
The original Ed's is in the Beaches on Queen St. E. about a block west of the Fox Theatre on the north side so not in the heart of the Beaches. This is the one closest to Scarborough. The Leslieville location would of course be further away. I usually have no problems finding street parking near the Beaches location and further east (about 2 - 3 blocks) is the excellent Life Is Sweet cupcake shop.
Toronto Life's 25 best burgers
First of all I'm not sure why Goody's wasn't mentioned as they have awesome "meatloaf style" burgers.
Secondly when they judge the burgers they can't compare a plain cheese burger to one with bacon. C'mon you have to judge the burger for the burger taste alone i.e. which has the superior fresh beefy flavour. I would've put TBP's double double in the top 3. Maybe it should've been titled TL's 25 Most Favourite Burgers instead of "Best".
Scarborough To-Do List - What have I missed? What SHOULD I miss?
I've had High Street F & C and I still prefer, by a wide margin, Malt & Salt F&C on Lawson. Mind you High Street has the best chicken and beef pot pies in the city, but for strictly fish and chips, IMHO, (Haddock or Halibut) Malt & Salt beats High Street for flavour.
I'm not sure where foodyDudey is hailing from, but it sure sounds like he/she hasn't traveled much around Scarborough. "...very little to eat in Scarberia..."? Seriously?
Favourite diner : hands down.... Goody's.
Lets not forget all the Shawarma take out joints as well along Lawrence Ave. E.
How about all the authentic Chinese restos especially those on Sheppard Ave. E. or along Midland just north of Finch.
Fratelli's for Italian and wood burning oven pizza.
The Real McCoy for burgers, fresh cut fries, pizza and steak sandwiches.
Diana's Oyster Bar and Grill for awesome seafood and fresh oysters (that won't break your bank!).
Oxtail with beans and rice... Not Just Patties in Highland Creek Village (same side as Fratellis). Their beef patties are excellent too.
Black Dog Pub for well done pub fare and very good atmosphere.
Scarborough Gems
Alas, some sad news regarding Fratelli's. A fire gutted the resto last weekend. Luckily it was in the wee hours of the morning so no fatalities or injuries. A friend of mine is close to the owners and said Sal is vowing to get the place up and going again.
David's Tea at Yonge and Eg
My favourite is the chocolate chile blend. I believe it's a rooibos, but I'm not quite sure. I just know that it's almost like drinking a nice cup of cocoa.
I have also tried the teas at Tea-o-pia and they had a very nice chocolate mint iced with milk. Very refreshing almost tasted like an After 8.
Best cupcakes in T.O.?
I wish Trophy (I think they're from Seattle - that's where I had them) would expand here. They were the best cupcakes I've ever had, better than Swirls (by just a slight margin). However for Toronto I have to rank Swirls and Prairie Girl tied. No they're not the same, BUT both gave me the same amount of pleasure/satisfaction that a cupcake could give.
Scarborough Gems
BTW the dressing for the salad reminded me of the dressing for the salad at Peter's On Eglinton in Mississauga.
Scarborough Gems
You couldn't get away from the salad since it comes with the meal. I wish you had the choice between it and the one you're talking about. Anyway it was still good and you also get a complimentary plate of pickles and olives. The fried calamari was nice, not chewy, good flavour. The grilled octopus, although not as good as Fratelli's, was very nice and as I said, I really enjoyed the octopus salad.
Scarborough Gems
Well, I did a resto search on these forums and this thread popped up for "Arkadia", but I couldn't find the posting. Anyway, one doesn't need to go to the Danforth to get very good Greek food. Arkadia is an institution in west Scarborough on Eglinton just west of Birchmount on the south side. This place has been around God knows how many years now. I was there on the weekend celebrating my brother's birthday and I enjoyed my meal.
I started with a salad (typical North American "Greek" salad - with feta, regular greens, one olive, etc. that comes with your meal) that had a very nice thin creamy dressing. Then I had a cold octopus salad which wasn't chewy at all, generously served, and quite delicious with a simple marinade of lemon, olive oil, celery and red peppers. For my main I had the beef souvlaki dinner with rice and vegetables - nicely done, but nothing extraordinary. It's better than what you'd get at most of the Greek restos on the Danforth.
Diana's Seafood opening restaurant
I'm at that age where my body just can't handle too much grease that's why I stick mostly with the grilled stuff. I know what you mean with that feeling when you eat heavy, fatty food.
Whitby/Durham restaurants that don't suck
Seriously, you folks were getting your sushi from T&T and Sushi Mountain?! As Tex says, Kobo is really your only choice AFAIK in Durham. I may be mistaken, but very good quality sushi is hard to find in Durham and Kobo just does it right all the time. However, for even better sushi head west to Zen on Eglinton and Danforth Rd. in Scarborough right beside the bowling alley.
Diana's Seafood opening restaurant
Ate there again today, but this time we took my dad and brother. They loved it. From the service to the presentation of the food, it was all very well done. We had to sit in the sheltered and heated patio, but it was warm enough. Sitting in the patio on a windy day may not be to other's liking as I was seated next to the plastic wall and every now then got bumped by them on the arm. I, myself, didn't mind, but for others it may be annoying. I could see the patio becoming a very popular area on a nice summer evening, but on a night like tonight, umm... no.
This time I started with the oysters (Cotuit from Cape Breton). I ordered 6 and I mostly used the marinara and, what I really liked, freshly shaved horseradish. These were excellent oysters with a nice "liquor" and a slightly sweet flavoured meat. I also tried one with the scotch bonnet sauce, but instead inhaled the sauce first before the meat. Um don't do that.
For my main I had a thick piece of grilled striped bass on a bed of sautéed green beans, sweet potato cubes, parsnip cubes, carrots and leeks. Very nicely done. The fish was moist and with a slight char flavour. The vegetables and the sauce complimented the fish. For dessert I shared the poached pears with my dad and I had an espresso.
My wife had the clam chowder as a starter and the mixed platter for her main which had 3 large grilled scallops, 3 medium grilled shrimp, sautéed vegetables and a grilled salmon. She enjoyed it, but couldn't finish the salmon. For dessert she had the creme brule.
My daughter shared the clam chowder with my wife and for her main she had the fish and chips.
My brother had the smoked trout salad and the grilled salmon and then finished the evening with the apple and pear crumble.
My father had the baked halibut and shared the poached pears with me. I never had poached pears before, but now I'm a fan. They were poached in red wine and served with crumbled blue cheese and pecans. It was was very flavourful.
Cost of dinner for 5 (with a tea, ice tea, apple juice, 2 coffees and an espresso) came to ~$255. Diana's opens at 5 for dinner and we got there just before 5:30. The manager said we usually would be able to get a table inside at this time, but they had an unexpected large party come in early. By the time we got out ~7:00 there was a lineup. Remember no reservations on Fridays and weekends.
Diana's Seafood opening restaurant
I took my family to Diana's just yesterday after a long trip back from the in-laws (damn you 401!). It was one of those spare of the moment times when we happened to be passing by the joint and decided that 7 pm is too late to start cooking at home. As others have mentioned the dining area is tight, but we did see a building notice that they are expanding the dining area in the near future to include what is the outdoor patio section. Anyway we got a table for 3 right away and my wife felt the place was cozy in a good way. I found the tables to be a good enough size for dining and I'm a big guy. My wife ordered the clam chowder (cream based) and the grilled swordfish. My daughter had the kid's fish and chips. I started with sea urchin and for my main I had the grilled bream. The service was slow at first (just having our order taken took some time), however once our order was in it went pretty smoothly from there (there were 3 servers last night, but there was a steady stream of customers once we got in).
I never had sea urchin before, but it was very nicely presented. I got 3 servings, each on a crisp lotus root chip which was on a thinly sliced piece of cucumber. There were also micro greens which had a nice peppery flavour and a thick sauce streaked across the plate. Altogether the ingredients on the plate made for a very flavourful appetizer. I really enjoyed it. My phone died so I had no camera for pics (sorry folks!).
My wife's clam chowder was devoured by her and she enjoyed every drop. She said there were lots of clams in it and it did have a bacon flavour in the background.
My kid's fish and chips were nicely done. You could tell the fish was freshly battered and I never saw my child eat so quickly. She devoured the fish and scraped her plate. I believe her fries were home cut, but they were cut into wedges. She liked them, but couldn't finish her portion.
My wife's swordfish was nicely prepared and presented. It was grilled and had a sweet teriyaki sauce drizzled over it. It came with sautéed green beans and carrots. It was thick steak so she could only finish half of it.
My sea bream was excellent. I got the whole fish, butterflied, with the head. It was simply grilled, well seasoned and presented with undressed greens, sautéed green beans, radishes, and carrots. I got a half lemon to squeeze over the whole thing and the fish was delicate melt in your mouth good. One of the best seafood meals I've had. Simply done but done well.
Dinner, without alcohol and including tip, came to $109.
We will definitely go back and this time take my dad who loves his seafood. I will try their oysters next time.
Best Food Films - any new additions?
That trailer just makes you hungry watching it.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that we can call BOTH hamburgers. Michael N's example is the traditional, griddle top, slider or regular 100% pure beef patty. No fillers and spiced with just salt and pepper. It's your classic American burger. I can see his point in calling the Goody burgers as "meatloaf". I myself have described them as such, but they belong to that other burger camp where, like a meatloaf, you use breadcrumbs, egg for binding and spices. You usually grill them, but they can be fried on a griddle. Goody's is one of the best examples of this style. I do wish they try their hand at the "purist" burger, just thin patties of 100% beef. Sometimes you just want a classic burger.
Scarborough Gems
Are you sure it was The Butcher Shop? The one at Markham and Kingston Rd.? If it is I gotta pay attention the next time I go in and look for those lights. Were they in the display cases or where the meat was being hung in the windowed cooler? Very interesting...
Best and Worst Cooking Shows
Yes I did and thanks for reminding me and informing others! =D It's a detail that's unknown to most and lost to many Stones' fans.
Scarborough Gems
A show at The Butcher Shop? When I go every other Saturday I don't ever recall the servers behind the counter describing the meat. They usually just ask you what you want. I also don't recall any special lighting although I am no expert in these matters so if they did have any I wouldn't know if it hit me on the head. To me the The Butcher Shop has their meat lined up in the case with, what looks to me like regular lights. I know they like to chit chat with regulars, but it's usually more of a personal nature like "How did that (whatever) go?" or "How's your back feeling today?" etc.
As for Highland Farms they are my other goto place for meat. Since they are right at the corner from my house and they are one of the few butchers left that sell medium ground. Gotta have medium for those burgers!
I haven't been to Montmartre yet, but I usually get the baguette from Cliffside and it's not expensive (The Butcher Shop carries their baguettes).
Best and Worst Cooking Shows
Hey what about that local Buffalo PBS cooking show where the local PBS hosts don an apron and cook... you know I haven't the foggiest what the hell style they are trying to showcase.
That aside, PBS was my goto channel before we got the Food Network for cooking shows especially on Saturday mornings to mid afternoon. I remember being a regular viewer of The Frugal Gourmet (I actually bought his book which is more like a paperback novel in size). I also used to watch America's Test Kitchen because I used to buy the magazines "Cook's Illustrated".
Best and Worst Cooking Shows
My all time favourite "show" is ( it was merely a short series that was an accompaniment to a popular cookbook) "Delia Smith's Christmas". I managed to find a hardly used copy through ebay and then I found a company in Toronto that could convert this old PAL VHS tape to North American standard DVD. It just brings back memories of when my mom was alive and we'd watch it together. I own a worn copy of the book and use it every year to prepare turkey or goose. I find her recipes do really work well.
Best and Worst Cooking Shows
Was it called "Red Hot & Ready"? I found this link:
http://www.redhotandready.tv/about.html
when I Googled "Halifax cooking show".
Belfiero - A great addition to a foodie's wasteland.
Don't know Tex, I drove past it so I don't know if they were still in business or not. I never saw the place before so I assumed they were new. Well if they did close down then oh well.
Belfiero - A great addition to a foodie's wasteland.
Taking one for the team. That's just like you Googs =D. Now what's piqued my interest recently is another BBQ joint but the name escapes me! It's on the seedy side of the Danforth (think east of Victoria Park and even east of Pharmacy, yeah that seedy section). I remember their sign was all black with while letters.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Hey Googs see what ya started?! 328 posts from one review and Goody's is just slammed with business. Great for them, but I hope it doesn't get too much for them where the quality starts to dive. I haven't been back in awhile so I'll make it a priority during the March break when my little one and I are on vacay.
Belfiero - A great addition to a foodie's wasteland.
Interesting... O'Connor and Sunrise? I used to live at the Sunrise apartments. I'm trying to picture where it would be situated. I gotta drive by and see. As I recall the neighbourhood wasn't the friendliest when I left. In fact a friend of mine was almost car jacked in that area, but that was 15 years ago. I'm guessing it's changed? Hopefully gentrified in some aspects?
Best Food Films - any new additions?
Thanks for that correction! For some reason I thought it was Napa and Giamatti's character mentioning it. I did watch it after a trip to Napa so maybe I had Napa on the brain! =D BTW amazing tasting trip that was...
Whitby/Durham restaurants that don't suck
Interesting pics on the site. The fries look home cut and even though the burger does look home made, it doesn't look like it's 100% beef but maybe with some filler like a meatloaf. I'm just saying just by the looks on the site. I could be wrong. However I prefer my burgers cooked on a griddle, smashed thin with cheese. Still I will give them a shot and report back.
Belfiero - A great addition to a foodie's wasteland.
"I haven't been to Fratelli's but would you say Belfiero made a mistake trying to open right across the street (almost) from them?" - TexSquared
I wouldn't say right across the street or even the next neighbourhood. There isn't any competition for them at all considering what they are offering. Fratelli's further east and north past the Highland Creek Overpass. Also the menus were different enough that even if Fratellis was quite close both restos could exist side by side with enough customers. Wow, what a difference 9 months makes. I and others in the neighbourhood were so optimistic about this place. If and when they do pack it up, it would be really nice to get an authentic bbq joint in it's place. Now that would really garner business in that spot. Mmmm... real pulled pork and brisket right out of the smoker... (drool, drool).
Belfiero - A great addition to a foodie's wasteland.
It sounds like the hurting is already affecting their bottom line and service. When we went last year the portions were generous and the food tasted fresh. The tiramisu was served on a plate not a mug. It's too bad that it sounds like they are struggling and with that the quality suffers. The locations doesn't help as much of the traffic speeds right by aching to get home.
