stapler's Profile
With thanks from Toronto
many thanks to the great boston hounds and your tips for eating in boston.
let me start by saying what a beautiful town full of friendly, interesting people. some highlights: the gardiner museum, the waterfront for chowder and lobster rolls, the old original town hall and the christian science church.
turns out i didn't reall;y have much time to spare to eat out. but the wonderful boston film festival volunteers sure were great and the sculpture garden behind the theatre in cambridge was wonderful. had some great burritos and barbq that was also great and enjoyed the diner, which name i can't remember but it was a great place for beers.
visit us in toronto anytime and i'll set you up with a wonderful eating tour!
thanks again.
Toronto chowhound first visit to Boston/Worcester
Fried pickels and beer? I'm in! Apparently we're staying in harvard square, which sounds v. posh. Leaving tomorrow morning and can't wait to experience all things Boston. Know it's going to be a great trip and you boston hounds are the best. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Oh, and will report back.
Toronto chowhound first visit to Boston/Worcester
My mouth is watering. And i'm getting pretty excited. I'm gonna surprise my boston buddy. come to the movie, we'll be having a party afterwards. thanks for everything. don't hesitate to post on toronto boards if you need any help.
Toronto chowhound first visit to Boston/Worcester
Hey, thanks! And do you mean is Fred Not Here still her in TO? i tend not to go to that part of town (v. touristy!) but last i saw it was still there. but like i said it's been a while since i hit that part of town.
Toronto chowhound first visit to Boston/Worcester
Heading for BIFF (check out my friends movie at www.pontypoolmovie.com), my first visit to Boston. A serious fan of local, fresh, seasonal food at fair prices. Not necessarily organic. I own a restaurant in Toronto (www.alicesrestaurant.ca) and am very interested in diners, out of the way hidden gems, small, unpretentious and really interested in seafood (i'm guessing they do it right in Boston), breakfast joints, sandwiches and what i think of as all American food (burgers, dogs, chili and the like).
Any recommendations? I'll have a car and most days free (i hope).
Also, good pubs? In the sense that they're unpretentious, cheap-ish and feature good, local beer and American wines by the glass. Or a joint that makes a mean martini/manhattan!
Thanks in advance, hounds!
Where to go in NOTL?
In grimsby/beamsville, check out Angels Gate Winery (but don't eat there) and Hidden Bench. both fab. eat at 13 mountain street bistro.
in virgil, eat at the pie plate and not anywhere else.
in notl, the "old winery" (it was actually a frame shop) is average italian food. srg is nice but quite predictable. the epicurean usually has something nice going on for dinner (but the lunches are mediocre to bad). i like the hot turkey sandwich at the stagecoach (i think that's what its called, on the corner of queen and ? near kennedy's general store.
don't eat in the falls, unless you can find the one thai/buddhist rest i kept hearing about but could never find (and i lived there for 10 years). oh, the exception is the flying saucer, which is a hoot. i usually had the french fries with chili and cheese and a strawberry shake.
i find stratus to be massively pretentious. jackson triggs has gorgeous architecture. definitely visit both Lailey and Marynissen. Frogpond underwhelming, NCT expensive for what you get. oh, don't miss Henry of Pelham, the wines are fab and they used to have a cute sandwich shop.
enjoy the best of niagara and report back!
Rehearsal/out-of-towners dinner
you have so many options! price point being the first question. that will determine my recs for you. how much per head?
Great Mexican in Toronto?
right, know i'll get smacked for this but i do really like chimichangas on yonge just north of eg. great service, nice room but most importantly they make carnitas like maria taught me, slow cooked, tender, delish! guac's pretty good, too.
Looking for Valentine meals "to go"
it has been my experience that any rest worth it's name will do take out for you. just call ahead to order and you'll be good to go.
What is your favourite upscale Saturday lunch location?
Celestin, Coquine, Quince, the Park Plaza hotel, four seasons, One.
Niagara pub breakfast?
Having lived there for 9 years, i am sorry to tell you that there is not a single, decent pub breakfast to be had in NOTL. Even in St. C there isn't anything decent. For years i couldn't get a plate of home fries! The Prince of Wales does a v. nich brunch, expensive but well worth it.
What restaurant would you gladly spend $500 in?
Truffles at the Four Seasons. Sushi Kaji. Kaiseki Sakura. Imperial Dynasty.
Wedding catering at various venues in TO
I second JennaBean. I too plan events for a living and have always had a good experience with those caterers. Also, if you have a fave restaurant, you can ask the chef if he'd cater for you.
Great Mexican in Toronto?
Hiya. Having trained under a mexican chef for one year, the best mexican i have found in to was at dos amigos (aside from the carnitas and posole i made).
Where to buy Kitchenaid Stand Mixer?
Always check Tap Phong on Spadina near St. Andrew. I bought an ice cream maker there for the rest that was literally half the price of Williams Sonoma. Great deals to be had there. And the staff are so nice!
Restaurants for breakfast/lunch/dinner near Great Wolf Lodge
OK the Japanese rest is called Sushia Garders, (yes, Sushia). You can Google map it cause it's nowhere near anything touristy, totally off the beaten track.
Great fall drives + great food
Consider Twenty Valley/Beamsville Bench/Jordan. The latest issue of Food and Drink from the LCBO has a great article. This adds a wine component to your day! Also, it's a bit further, but Perth County has some wonderful food destinations in and around Stratford. Both would make for a lovely day trip, or better yet book a b&b and make a night of it.
Where can I find Japanese Chef's Knife in GTA?
I believe the one sided knife you are referring to are actually sushi knives, made for slicing only. My guy has two, left handed no less! There are also regular chef knives, cleaver, turning, boning etc made in Japan.
Where in GTA to buy pans?
Try Tap Phong on Spadina, it's got a constantly changing stock of pots and pans. Good for you for getting rid of your non stick, it's really only suitable for gentle cooking, not frying or sauteeing. Nicolau has good stuff, but it's pricey. And quirky. Copper is not really necessary unless you are doing quantity cooking (ie 150 people at one time) and on a restaurant quality stove. Consider cast iron, it's a dream to cook with if you season it properly.
Yonge and Eg?
Thank you all! It looks like I'll be ok up north. And I know there's a good bookstore and probably some good shopping, so I'll be ok. And the new place is dreamy! I'm excited....
Yonge and Eg?
I'm moving with the kids and hubby to Y&E. I'm a total downtown chick and need oxygen if I go north of Bloor, but this is going to be a good move.
Where do I eat? I'm totally lost in that hood. Family friendly, but my kids are v. good in restaurants, I've trained them well. We eat real food, not poorly prepared, precious or pretentious. I've heard there's a nice french place...
Where can I find decent Vol au Vent?
By vol au vent do you mean what I call gougere's? If so, they are a snap to make and I'm sure there's a recipe on Chow if not everywhere else on the net. You could try to new pastry shop in Kensington, I forget the name maybe something like Cat's Pastry shop? It's v. good.
Restaurants for breakfast/lunch/dinner near Great Wolf Lodge
Right, we lived with our two kids in NOTL for 10 years...so here we go.
The Flying Saucer diner is just great. On that same strip there is the usual suspects of chain rests, which my kids do tend to love, to my chagrin.
There's the Rainforest cafe, which is awful and expensive, but the kids love it.
The Parks commission runs a bunch of restaurants and Table Rock has recently been renovated so it might be ok to eat at. It has a stunning view and buffet. Expensive-ish.
Betty's family restaurant is pretty good. There is a fantastic Thai restaurant in the Falls, but I can't remember where! The hotel should be able to help or maybe someone else from here can remember.
There is a fun Japanese place in a slightly shady part of town, can't remember the name, will search my memory and write back.
In the Fallsview casino, their fancy restaurant is v. fancy and v. expensive but fun if you can get a sitter at the hotel and have a date with your husband. There is also a good Japanese rest in the casino.
Across the street from the bus station is a hole in the wall Chinese rest that does dim sum. Not up to my standards, but it's pretty good.
My friend is the GM at Great Wolf, so track him down, say hi from me (K&J) and ask him, he's got young kids. Enjoy your visit and report back! Oh and whatever you do, do not miss the Maid of the Mist. It's fantastic.
Sky Ranch Argentinian restaurant
I was driving by on Sat and noticed it and so glad you posted! I'm def going, is it a good place to take the kids?
Where to find Upper Canada Cheese Company in Toronto?
You can always try La Fromagerie on College West or Alex Cheese at St. Lawrence market...
Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Port Sydney -- where to buy the best cottage food?
Hey, report back and let us know what you did...
Poblanos?
You can always get poblanos on Augusta in Kensington. Stuff them with roasted pork and drizzle with an almond cream sauce...
Favourite LCBO in Toronto? Setting up full bar
I like the one at Bayview Village. And they have cooking classes. And really, really nice staff.
Ontario 2007 Vintages
Yup, 07 is shaping up to be almost as good as '97 and '98. The whites and reds are both fab. To compare our rieslings to Alsace is not fair, as the French produce ridiculously good wine which no one can compete with. Our wines are uniquely ours and we should celebrate them for what they are. By the way, I believe they can stand up to the best of France, but to do that you have to buy really expensive ones. But you can buy the next v. expensive ones and still have a great, great bottle of wine.
Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Port Sydney -- where to buy the best cottage food?
sorry, yes, i do mean huntsville. they're easy to find. also check out a cool new rest called soul sistas (yes, a goofy name) but lovely honest food, coffee and tea. and the northern bakery, i believe it's called, has great breads and butter tarts and other lovely treats...
