Latest Charlie Burger

I like the concept - the rarity of the event is part of what makes it fun. Yes, it's expensive, but if it's your kind of thing, you find a way (I spent $900 for dinner for two at Alinea last year, and that experience - the food and the service - was worth it; and yes, I ate pb&j sandwiches for a month after that!). That being said, not everyone wants to spend that much money on dinner, which is cool.

Also, some people don't like or get the whole moderist cuisine movement - which is fine - and at times I'm sure the techniques can get in the way. Ultimately, to me, it's about how the food tastes, more than anything else.

As for going, anyone can be on the email list (you just go to the website and submit your email address), and ostensibly each meal is filled on a 50% first come first serve basis and a 50% random draw for spots, which is pretty egalitarian in the grand scheme.

Obviously you wouldn't go if the meal doesn't interest you (and the invitations for each dinner include the menu so you know what you're getting into). Yes, sadly, these kinds of events are fraught with the potential of douche-iness (but, really, no more so than going to any restaurant west of Spadina on a Friday or Saturday night). Luckily, though, not everyone who wants to spend $295 on one meal is a douche. And if you go with someone whose company you can stand for five hours - someone who can hold their alcohol (there's lots of wine), someone who has more than a passing interest in food, and someone who's going to make a good time better - a good time will be had.

The last CB dinner I went to was great (Matt Blondin was the chef for the night, and it was a great night). I'm looking forward to this meal - I love the ambitiousness of the menu (Marc Lepine, having recently won the 2012 Canadian Culinary Championships, clearly can cook). There's no expectation that we'll be served 100 homeruns (that's just not reasonable); but even if the ball's kept in play for the whole evening, it'll be a successful night. And you have to appreciate that the chefs for this meal are swinging hard for the fences.

And really, will there ever be another meal where you'll eat 100 courses at one sitting?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Zee Grill - (relatively) kid-friendly?

So, definitely kid-friendly enough at 5:30 pm, even on a Saturday (the place was practically full by 6:00). The servers were accommadating and great overall.

Interesting what my kids like - the older one was all over the lobster fritters (my lobster fritters) and the frites, the younger one ate half my wife's crab cake, as well as some of her steak - so the little ones ate well enough (they also had ice cream). As for the adults, it seemed to me that the appetizers - the aforementioned lobster fritters, the panko-crusted soft-shell crab, the oysters - were much better than the mains, which I found came out too long after they were ready (the steak and scallops weren't hot enough), and none of it tasted as good.

That being said, I agree w/ peppermint pate in that most restaurants are kid-friendly enough at 5:30 pm, even on a Saturday.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Zee Grill - (relatively) kid-friendly?

I'm thinking of trying Zee Grill w/ the kids (5 and 3) for an early Saturday dinner (like, 5:30 pm early). I've neve been, and I'm curious if the vibe is kid-friendly enough. No high chairs / boosters are needed, and we should be out of there no later than 7:00 pm / 7:30 pm.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

2011 Food and Resto CLOSINGS

What's up w/ Fare Bistro on Queen East? Website is under renovation - "New Website Coming Soon" is never a good sign - and the last couple of times I've gone by the place looked closed (no lights, chairs on tables, etc.).

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Fare Bistro
1097 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M1K7, CA

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

APDC or Joe Beef or Les Deux Singes

Looking for some advice.

Out of these three - Au Pied de Cochon, Joe Beef, or Les Deux Singes de Montarvie - which would you pick for a mid-week dinner (and why)?

Thanks.

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Au Pied de Cochon
536 Av Duluth E, Montreal, QC H2L1A9, CA

Joe Beef
2491 Rue Notre-Dame W, Montreal, QC H3J1N6, CA

2 cents in Quebec (including Montreal)

Dash Kitchen shuttered?

Went past Dash Kitchen on the Danforth this week, noticed that the window was all papered up. Anybody know if it's closed, or just renovating?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Downtown dinner

If I had to choose one downtown restaurant for dinner, what's my best bet - The Gorbals or Lazy Ox Canteen? Or, are there others I should consider? I'm looking for good food in a casual atmosphere.

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Lazy Ox Canteen
241 S San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Gorbals
501 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

2 cents in Los Angeles Area

2011 Food and Resto CLOSINGS

Huh. Thought this series was about 2011 closings, not it-just-happened closings. Silly me.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

2011 Food and Resto CLOSINGS

Really? I thought it just closed at the beginning of the month. Huh.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

2011 Food and Resto CLOSINGS

Both LPQ locations in Toronto are closed now, I think.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

2011 Food and Resto CLOSINGS

Trapezzi on the Danforth was dark last night when I walked by at 7:00 p.m. (which is usually not a good sign). The website is down too (www.trapezzi.com).

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Trapezzi
505 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P5, CA

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

What's to eat in Kincardine?

Renting a cottage for a week near Kincardine (on Lake Huron, in Bruce County). Does anybody have any recommendations, advice, tips, etc.? Thanks.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Queen Margherita Pizza

I made a reservation for tonight (Friday) via the website on Tuesday (before I read all the above posts), and feared the worst. But, I got a call that afternoon confirming my reservation, so it appears that there's now a better (more efficient) system in place. Will add another post if tonight's dinner is notable.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Two Nights in Chicago

Thanks for the insight and the heads-up re: reservations at Alinea. We're probably going to be in Chicago for less than 48 hours all told, so we'll stick to downtown - I'm thinking lunches at Cafe Spiaggia and / or Mercat a la Planxa should fill out the itenerary nicely (and the whole trip will also drain my wallet nicely too, I suspect).

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Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

2 cents in Chicago Area

Two Nights in Chicago

Planning to be in Chicago in November, hoping to get a reservation at Alinea one night; how far in advance do they take reservations?

The other night hasn't been decided upon, but am leaning towards Graham Elliot. Throw in a Saturday brunch at Frontera Grill.

The question is, are there other restaurants I should be considering? And how about lunch - what are some good lunch places.

Any advice would be great.

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Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Graham Elliot
217 W. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60654

2 cents in Chicago Area

Fraser Cafe in Ottawa

Have you been? Is it good? Should I go?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

One night in Ottawa - where to go?

One night w/o the kids, and I'd like to eat at someplace memorable. That doesn't mean the most expensive place, but it's got to be good (and good value). Some thoughts:

Bectka
e18hteen
Wellington Gastropub
Whalebone
Kinki
Murray Street
Atelier

But I'm open to suggestions too.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Need dinner recommendations - Broadview & Gerrard

Leslieville is close by, and here are some of the better places:

Batifole (Gerrard East near Logan) - http://www.batifole.ca/portail/
Table 17 (Queen East near Broadview) - http://www.table17.ca/default.asp
L'il Baci (Queen East near Logan) - http://www.lilbaci.com/
Edward Levesque's Kitchen (Queen East near Greenwood) - http://www.edwardlevesque.ca/
The Real Jerk (Queen East and Broadview) - http://www.therealjerk.com/
Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant (Queen East and Leslie) - http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/gioranas

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Lynn Crawford buys The Citizen

You mean Lora Kirk:

http://www.chefdb.com/nm/6106/

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

ISO petits fours

Does anybody know of any bakeries or patisseries in Toronto that make petits fours (the little cakes covered in fondant)?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Meyer Lemons in Toronto?

If you are going to cook with it, In a pinch you can just substitute equal parts lemon juice and mandarin juice (that's all a Meyer lemon is - a cross between a lemon and a mandarin).

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Late lunch / tea in Yorkville

I'm looking for a good spot for two of us to have a late lunch / tea on a Saturday in Yorkville (sometime between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.)

There seems to be no shortage of places around Avenue / Bloor that will feed us at that time, but are any of them any good and / or worth the money:

One (Hazelton Hotel)
C5
Lobby Bar (Four Seasons)
Annona (Park Hyatt)
MoRoCo

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Wakefield (Gatineau)

I've never been, but I'll be nearby in a couple of weeks. These are the places I've read about or heard about, but the question is, which ones are really worth visiting:

Chez Eric
Cafe Molo
Kaffe 1870
Pipolinka
Aplengruss
Bistro Aux Mille Délices
Soupcon
General Store (for Cuban sandwiches?)

2 cents in Quebec (including Montreal)

Weekly Lunch Series with Jamie Kennedy

Has anyone been to this Wednesday lunch since it was launched?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Are there any (good) French restaurants in Halifax?

Where would be a good place to celebrate Bastille Day in Halifax?

2 cents in Atlantic Canada

Mariposa Duck Farm - east of Ottawa

Has anyone had the Sunday lunch at the Mariposa Duck Farm (it's located about 45 east of Ottawa along Hwy. 17)?

http://www.mariposa-duck.on.ca/default_eng.htm

What's it like?

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

JKWB -- for sale

What makes a no-reservation policy arrogant? If anything, doesn't it level the playing field (i.e. anyone can eat there, anytime)? And, I don't think the phrase "what comes around goes around" makes sense in this case. Just because a restaurant doesn't take reservations (and is accused over over-salting it's frites), it should then go out of business? IMHO, I hope that JK rides this all out. I love the wine bar concept (yes, the food, but esp. the egalitarian concept that anyone can eat there, and stay as long as they want).

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

New Thai BBQ place on Danforth. Comments?

Has anyone been here (Mong-Kut Thai Gold) since September? Obviously the place is still open, and it seems Chatto likes it (see the June issue of Toronto Life).

I can't believe no other Chowhounders have been here since September, let alone one or two who may have actually enjoyed this place.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)

Which bakery makes the best burger buns?

Brick Street Breads on Logan @ Queen (you can buy 'em from Rowe Farms around the corner). Soft (but not too soft) and big (but not Gigantico big) - in other words, a good vessel for ground meat and condiments.

2 cents in Ontario (including Toronto)