Grand Electric

my friend and i came to check it out this wednesday (apparently, first day after the christmas break). we drove up at approximately 5:50pm, saw the place was empty and chatted in the car to wait for 6pm to hit so we could pay the meter (my apologies to those driving by at the time since it's a no-parking betwene 4-6pm).... paid the meter at exactly 6:01pm. when we got to the door, every single table was full (!!!) no biggie, we grab the seats at the short portion of the bar and take our time ordering. we were in no hurry. and the wait for food wasn't noticeable (although, it probably took 30 minutes for the first dish to arrive).

ordered the Dieu du Ciel - Corne du Diable and a pale ale (great beers, reminiscent of those i had at the quebec city beer festival this summer).... and a glass of chardonnay for the lady.

tuna ceviche was awesome! large, fresh pieces of tuna

soup special was yum. reminiscent of korean gamjatang (with added avocado!)

3 tacos: fish, beef cheek, and pork ... favourite was the beef cheek, but the fish was quite good as well. i couldn't tell the pork was pork belly, but they were all tasty.

the asian-inspired chicken was decent, but probably wouldn't go back for this.

overall, we had a good time, food was good, beers were great, conversation was not hampered by the increasingly louder music (i'm down with rap in this setting), and service was attentive/friendly for the vibe. looking forward to the patio!!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Au Pied De Cochon Reservations

to add to this, i left a msg this previous sunday around 11pm. i emailed them my details immediately after.

they took about 2 days to call me back. as i was at work, i missed the call at 4pm EST and called back to no avail. the following day, they called again at 4pm EST (i missed it again) and called back around 6pm. i got through this time and spoke to them in English. confirming my reservation for sunday, aug. 21 (no saturday spots were available that weekend)

i was surprised they tried again, but am grateful! i guess it`s good to monitor your phone around 4pm EST if you`ve left a message for reservations! hope that helps!

msprnt in Quebec (including Montreal)

5 Guys coming to Erin Mills Town Centre

where is the woodbridge location going to be?

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Blood Sausage / Black Pudding in Toronto?

nota bene had it on their menu about a year ago (when i last went). It was quite delicious along with its accompaniments! .... but i'm not sure if they still have it. it is of the more "sausage-like" variety (european?) .... rather than the cube-like/smooth/runny variety (asian?)

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

The Burger's Priest - Queen and Coxwell

i went this saturday with a few friends and they had the "secret" high priest available ... it was essentially a big mac as jamesm described it above. lots of other people were ordering it alone or in combos

unfortunately, none of us tried it since it was our first time there .... but we were very very satisfied and happy with the double double and priest burgers! most of us thought it was the best burger we've had in toronto too! the chili cheese fries were a little disappointing, but that's fine... either way, still a little pricey ..... but in line with the burger prices we've seen lately in Toronto ... reminded me of the Five Guys burger i had in downtown Philly (which was considerably cheaper)

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Ichimoto In richmond Hill

I've been a few times over the last few years. They're typical of the AYCE japanese places in markham/RH - maybe slightly better. I've been told that they do not use MSG or other additives. My father, who has reactions to such additves did not have any reaction after his one meal there (and we didn't "hold back" from ordering what we wanted.

Pricing is pretty standard for those parts, but i can't remember exactly what it was. If i were to choose an Japanese AYCE in markham/RH, i'd go there (although, i try to stay away from them in general). They were faster than most at getting food out, but no single dish sticks out to me, but I remember they have some grilled chicken hearts, liver, etc.

Hope that helps!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Chicago Pizza Shack (Hamilton)

Just for a picture of time and direction, there's a GO station right at the base of the "mountain" (i think at james, south of Main?). If you get a cab ride up the mountain from the GO station, it'll take about 10-15 minutes to get to the restaruant ....depending on traffic.

I went a few weeks ago on a Thursday and they had their small stuffed pizza with 3 toppings for $15.99. Which is quite the deal considering their plain small stuffed pizza with one topping was just a bit less. One of these small pizza's can comfortably fill 3-4 people (with some salad/apps while you wait).

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Toronto Gourmet Brunch suggestions

thanks! i'm thinking about the swine and dine!! ... but i'm also thinking about the sandwich since i've read that it's is quite generous in size....

good to know that the sides are huge! ... looking forward to this, haven't had brunch on a sunday in a long while! i'll call to make reservations soon

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Toronto Gourmet Brunch suggestions

What would you recommend TorontoJo? A group of friends and I might go this Sunday!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Osaka - Koyoshi Sushi (where Bourdain had Sushi in Osaka on No Reservations!!!) - Perceptor's Photo Report

sorry to bump this, but i was looking up this place for a friend in hk and realized i never followed up after visiting!

anyhow.....the search for this place took about 15-20 minutes of walking around because we had only a vague idea of where it was .... the photos from the OP really helped because that's how we found it! i don't recall exactly when we got there, but it was likely around 6pm and we were SUPER fortunate to have gotten seats together for the 3 of us immediately ... we were also fortunate to have a japanese doctor there who was translating for us and i was able to get into a real conversatoin with him about his time in canada, etc.

i forget exactly what we ordered, but we each had about 7 pieces of nigiri and a few cooked items for roughly 5000 yen (could be less?) ... the chef couple was very nice and took pictures with us .... and the middle-aged women who were there tried to talk to us, but we couldn't communicate... the doctor said they were saying how happy we were...haha

the fish here was probably the best we had in japan....but only compared to that which we had in tsukiji, one keiseki/omakase in tokyo, supermarkets and conveyor...hahah

when we left, a small line had already begun to form...

anyhow, i miss this type of intimate eating style in canada.... oh! and i met someone from my hometown there who was visiting as well!... small world!

msprnt in Japan

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

Thanks for all your recommendations! We’re back in Canada now after a great (long) weekend in the states. We made it to fewer places than we had hoped, but mostly due to a ridiculous amount of time shopping…. Haha

The first day, I had a conversation with someone in our hotel lobby about dinosaur and he said that he didn’t see the reason for waiting an hour or two for decent food. In essence, he was saying he didn’t understand why anyone would wait for that amount of time for food quality that you would expect anywhere. Point was taken, but we still tried to go before the Thursday tournament games around 4:30pm. When we got there, the wait was over an hour so we left because we didn’t want to jeopardize missing any of the games. Luckily, from your recommendations, we went to Kitty Hoyne’s which wasn’t too far away. The kitchen was slow, but it was filling up fast with cornell fans. We weren’t in a rush, but it took a good while anyways. Here’s my take on the food we got there. We all got sandwiches except for one person who ordered the fish and chips, at the server’s recommendation. The open-faced steak sandwich was good, but is what it is….a steak sandwich. Would have liked it hotter in temperature – the steak didn’t even melt the garlic butter on the bread it was on, but it was cooked med. rare as I had ordered. Larger steak than a Canadian would typically expect on a steak sandwich. Overall, the portions were generous given the menu price (but is what I’ve come to expect eating in the states). The opinion on the fish and chips, reuben, and blue cheese burger was that they were all fine, but nothing to rave about. There were different types of whole grain mustards so that was nice. The burger was cooked well-done when asked for medium-well (but that’s easy to mess up). We had some IPAs which were quite hoppy and which we enjoyed! I had some racer#5 and someone else had burning river….never had these before, but I typically like india pale ales.

The next day, we met up with a friend from the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls and had some sandwiches there at a place called Zuzu’s café. Good grilled sandwiches and good seafood chowder! Lots of shrimp and clams! Good feeling to that place. We had a group of 5 and they had a family-sized dining table near the back! Haha

We tried to go to dinosaur around 10pm on the Friday, expecting a long wait and it was so. We decided to get takeout and ordered 4 different meals. From the menu descriptions we expected to get 1-1/4 chicken and 1-1/4 racks of ribs. However, we only got the equivalent of 1 chicken and 1 rack of ribs. We didn’t find this out until we got back to our hotel, but that was a little disheartening (not that we needed all that food, but we felt a little misled ….and taken advantage of because of the takeout situation). Our overall impression of the chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork was that this was all good stuff, but not something that is truly amazing! My favourite of the bunch was probably the brisket. The sides were good too and the cornbread is something I always enjoy, but again, nothing we felt was worth the hype that dinosaur receives. Regardless, we were more than stuffed with the food we had and it was satisfying. It could have been a different experience had we eaten in the restaurant, but we were in no mood to wait an hour for our table and likely 30 minutes for our food.

We went to Heid’s the next day and liked the classic feel it had. Everyone had a coney’s and a frank. Consensus was that we liked the franks a lot more than the coney’s. There was more “hotdog” flavour in the franks. We likened the coneys to the tubular breakfast sausages and their white flesh. Fries were typical and the birch beer from the soda fountain was good! Never had it before, but it was like a cross between dr. pepper and root beer. We couldn’t understand what the reason was behind the “white bread” buns, but figured it was a tradition thing? In Toronto, our street dogs are actually larger than Heid’s and they have different types of buns, ranging from eggy-poppyside buns to large sausage buns. Perhaps, we’ve been spoiled since they only cost $2-$3 at the stands…I’d say the actual (hoffman’s) frank itself at Heid’s is better than your typical hot dog though.

I guess we weren’t expecting to be blown away, but the local food we did get to try was satisfying and up to expectations. Coming from Toronto, we wouldn’t think twice about trying ethnic foods, so we knew that we’d be eating typical “American” food. Come to think of it, eating out in the States or Canada is usually accompanied with very little vegetables. The main form of vegetables really only comes in salad form…..whereas in asian cultures (at the least), there is typically just as much (if not more) vegetables than there is meat…. Just a thought!

thanks again!

-----
Zuzu Cafe
107 Fall St, Seneca Falls, NY 13148

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

perfect!..thanks!.... we were going to explore the campus one day.... and these places nearby sound perfect!....

i'm not sure if my expectations are high, but i'm ready to get my eat on regardless!...hahahah.... looking forward to some great games too! (perhaps more upsets to come!)

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

whoa, that's unfortunate the building collapsed!

but thanks for the tips!!... keep the recommendations coming!

curly's is on the way!!.... fish fry sounds great too!... i was dreading the outlet food courts....hahahha

maybe we'll go to dinosaur on the thursday before the first semifinal game!

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

oh, why is rt 81 closed? i'd imagine we'd head to heid's after the games one night, or on the way to the waterloo outlets .... would it be closed next week as well? we'll be bringing a gps nav, so we should be ok to get around ....

nice!....thanks for recommendations!....we'll make sure to go to dinosaur when we're hungry....is there a "best" time to go? or are lineups inevitable?

also, i read something about white casing sausages being a unique syracuse item....anything particular about those?

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

thanks for your responses!

i'm pretty sure we'll try to make it to heidi's and dinosaur!...is there a "down" time to go to either of these places?

a quick look at the heidi's website says that there's free fries after SU games! do ncaa tournament games count? hahahha...also, what would you recommend to get there?

similarly, there seems to be a tonne of options at dinosaur (esp. on the appetizer side of things)....do we even need to bother with apps? i'm thinking the bbq dishes are heavy enough accompanied with all those sides! but is there a signature item? ribs perhaps?

thanks for the bar tips catnip! we might try to get around to them in the evenings!!

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

March Madness (syracuse + nearby)

Hello New-Yorkers!

A bunch of friends and i are going to be heading down to syrcause for the sweet sixteen and elite 8 rounds in syracuse from toronto and kingston (ontario, canada). The main group is all male, but we may meet up with some ladies we know who are also going down separately.

Are there any ncaa-specific food (or even non-food) events that happen in the city during the weekend (thurs-sat)? We'd totally be up to join in! We're staying 10-15 minutes away from the Carrier Dome and plan to go the outlets in Waterloo during the day Friday.

Some past search of recommended food in the syracuse area include: empire brewing, dinosaur bbq (http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/), heidi's of liverpool - roadside hotdogs (http://www.heidsofliverpool.com/), sandwich/polish food (http://www.gwibch.com), Alto Cinco - more bbq, Sal's Birdland - fried chicken in sauce! Any comments about these places? other suggestions are welcome because we'd eat pretty much anything at reasonable prices!

This was a past thread i found: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/537383

We're pretty amped up for that week!!

msprnt in New York State (exc. New York City)

Caplansky's: What the @#$%^&*?!!!

yeah... maybe it's the new industrial/commercial smoker?... i don't know anything about the specifics of the smoker, but maybe i'm expecting some smoke to hit me really hard... instead of subtly.... i really like (or remember) bold/strong flavours much more!.... i think i'd still prefer the sandwich to be warmer though

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Caplansky's: What the @#$%^&*?!!!

So 8 friends and I went on Saturday night around 7:30pm. Parking was easy on Brunswick (although it’s a one way, north of the office building). We were greeted promptly and seated within 10 minutes. The place was full and those who arrived after had a wait a bit. Overall, service was much better than I had expected after reading so many unsatisfactory comments. They brought our drinks rather quickly, but the beer glasses had a bit of leftover water in them. I’m assuming they were hand-washed and not dried (I tried briefly to flag someone down, but I gave up….so I poured the tiny bit of water on the floor….eek!). Nonetheless, I really appreciated the microbrews and we all enjoyed the no.9 IPA and the Oktoberfest Ale. I think Zane even offered to pour the tables’ glasses, while he chatted briefly with us! We were asked several times (by various servers) how things were and if we needed anything like drinks and mustards; so we asked for some additional rye for the deli platters. Most servers were friendly and helpful. The food came within 10-15 minutes of ordering, so that’s acceptable to me. We ordered the poutine and knish to start, but they came a minute or so after our sides of soup and fries came. Not really a big deal for us.

On to the food, the majority of the table ordered medium sandwich combos with borscht. From my one visit to the monarch the summer of ’08, I remember the meat to be much more moist and actually warm. This time, my sandwich felt like it was at room temperature and a bit dry (maybe it’s because it’s hand-sliced ahead of time so it dries out sitting in the big tray?). The food did arrive rather promptly, so I suppose you win some and you lose some….there’s gotta be a way to find the perfect balance though (more hands at the briskets?). I don’t recall much smoke in the meat (anyone have similar thoughts?), but it may be due to the amount of mustard(s) I was trying…haha. I also remembered the sandwich to be much larger. I was still full, but I vaguely remember them being a bit larger in width. The deli plates were enjoyed by those who ordered them and I particularly liked the tongue (which was nice and tender) and liver (in paté form, which has typical liver kick). The poutine was quite tasty and the amount of smoked meat gravy and curds was generous. Could have used more fries though. Everyone also liked the smoked meat knish, but none of us have ever had one before (so that’s not really saying much). One of the girls ordered the smoked turkey and she said it was moist, but didn’t say anything about the smoke.

We all had a great time, and the atmosphere felt appropriate; albeit definitely of the “hipster” crowd (not unlike some other small joints in the area). When we were leaving around 9:30, it was about half full (but maybe it gets busy again later) I felt the price was a bit steep, but not ridiculous. I understand the reasons for the adjustment, but it also means the prices will only continue to rise as the business expands. As others have mentioned, I don’t think I’ll make extra effort to visit anytime soon unless someone who hasn’t gone really wants to go or I’m in the area and hungry. Anyhow, I wish this deli all the best as it moves forward and continues to work out the minor (imho) kinks!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

PigRoast - Caterer?

just to follow up.....

we ended up getting a pig from the chinese bbq shop at hwy 7 and valleymede .... the pig was about 50-60 lbs before any cleaning and innard removal ....we ordered it about a week in advance and paid a total of $65 for it ...

the day before our roast, we picked it up with a van and lined the floor with a few garbage bags ... we then cut straight down the belly (butterflying the entire pig) ... and marinated it overnight (with some ice to keep it cool) in a plastic tub....

cooking the pig without a spit, we essentially bbq-ed it on a large homemade grill.. and used 4 ppl to flip it over (after about 2.5 hours..for a total of 5 hours of cooking) ....make sure u watch out for flames!! (that burn the skin!) ....

the pig fed about 30 ppl and we didn't even touch the hind legs (there was that much meat) ... the meat was really moist and tender (even the lean parts) and the ribs were fall of the bone...the belly and cheeks were full of fatty goodness....

anyways, thanks for all those who responded....we'll probably get a much smaller one next time!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Best macarons in Toronto?

does anyone know where to find the basic ingredients required to make macarons? i haven't looked too hard, but bulk barn doesn't seem to carry any ....

i'm thinking of egg white powder, almond flour, vanilla sugar (is this icing sugar?) ....

and this recipe: http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/search?q=macarons .... perhaps there are other successful recipes u'd like to share?

thanks!

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

PigRoast - Caterer?

Does anyone know where you can get a RAW and prepped (i.e. organs and inedibles removed) suckling pig in the GTA? Preferably Richmond Hill / Markham area? Any prices as well? ... if a roasted suckilng pig is about $110, i'd presume a non-roasted one would be about $50?

I'm planning to cook it throughout the day in the ground, on hot rocks with a smoldering fire and lots of insulation on top.... has anyone tried this in the city and have any tips?

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Food at Caribana?

so food's at Harbourfront Centre and Queen's Park.....i never made it last year, but i'm planning to go on saturday during the day ....

if i had to go to one place (for good/reasonably-priced food), where should i go?....

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Travelling Outside Tokyo Requests

thanks ninisix!.... unfortunately, today is our last day in tokyo.... and i didn't see your response until now... some of us don't have much money left...hahah...(and we can't read japanese)....but whale bacon sounds amazing!!

we did try nihonbashi yukari for keiseki lunch (from an old rec on another thread)....and we loved it!...we sat at the counter and watched/chatted with the head chef (in broken english)....we did feel like it was a bit favoured towards foreigners, but it was still a great meal and good value too!....we also got photos with the chef after since no customers were left by the time we finished...

hopefully, i'll make it back to japan in the future and be able to try more eclectic foods!.....(maybe on a business expense account??)...hahah

msprnt in Japan

Travelling Outside Tokyo Requests

hi ninisix! i actually didn:t get a chance to go to omura or anything special in kyoto... my group wanted to try a keiseki at a place called uomosa for lunch, but they only offered dinner... and that didn:t fit our schedule becuase of its location....

we:re actually in tokyo right now, so anything here would be much appreciated!..... we:ll be here until saturday

msprnt in Japan

Osaka - Koyoshi Sushi (where Bourdain had Sushi in Osaka on No Reservations!!!) - Perceptor's Photo Report

Can anyone shed some light on prices? I would think this is a la carte, so would there be any difference in price? Also, would lunch/dinner have any affect on the # of customers? I realize it's a TINY place... haha

Would one be able to have a satisfying variety of food for lunch for say 2000 yen? Any help would be great!... 3 of us are planning to be in osaka June 24-25!!

Also, any suggestions on what to order? We'll eat anything! (or just about)

msprnt in Japan

Wood Chips For Smoking

whoa, that's perfect!! .. i hope 16" is big enough ..... i'm planning to do whole fillets of 9 lb salmon .....

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Wood Chips For Smoking

not to take away from the original post, but what about cedar planks?.... for salmon?...

i've seen them at loblaws, but are they always there?..... and is there a "better" place to get them?

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

La Bella Managua

so our group went on sunday and we ordered multiple dishes that consisted of a simple crispy coleslaw, plaintains (fried or roasted), rice (brown or white), and a meat (chicken, beef, pork) prepared in various ways ... i'm not sure how "authentic" the meets were prepared, but they were good ...the plaintains were sweeter than i remember ever having

we also ordered casava (?), which resembles a cross between chinese "jung" and tamales, but much larger than both and made of mashed beans, chicken/pork, and vegetables... wrapped in a leaf (banana?) .. served with a tortilla... this was steamed i believe....

the nicaraguan breakfast consisted of brown rice with beans, plaintains, scrambled eggs, and fried cheese!!!.... we gobbled that cheese up quick! .. other than the cheese and plaintains, nothing really unique about it...

bill came to 135 + tip for 12 (with a few juices/pops)... and we were STUFFED.... lots of spanish speaking ppl there after 3pm .... when we left..... so it seems to be a local mainstain .... one in our group is fluent in spanish, so she ordered for us all ....

the food came out much quicker than i'd expect for one person in the kitchen, so that was great! ... overall, i'd say it's decent ... but i'd only go back if i was in the area (although, there are so many more options in the area as well)

msprnt in Ontario (including Toronto)

Travelling Outside Tokyo Requests

hello toronto chowhounds! ... based on all the posts you guys have, i'm definitely not in the same "class" ... being only 2 years out of university and with lots of food/cultures yet to experience....

but some friends and i just booked a trip to japan for the last 2 weeks of june!!....we're super excited and we've never been to japan before (nor do we speak any japanese) ....we're hoping not to spend too much time in tokyo as well, so any recommendations outside of tokyo would be awesome!....

we're relatively money-conscious, but we know we'll have to spend on this trip....so thrifty or moderately-priced eats are perfect! .... we may splurge on one or two dinners tho!! ....(if u could even give me a CAD conversion for typical meals, that'd be great!) ...

msprnt in Japan