thatank you for this! i also found El Federal underwhelming, but I'm looking forward to exploring Palermo!

Ola!! I just landed in Buenos Aires - a last minute trip on my own! First time in South America. I'm scrolling through the history but I would love love love suggestions for local eats - street food, small local eateries, and maybe even a nicer place to spoil myself near the end :)

1. I'm staying in San Nicolas
2. I like to be adventurous with eating!!
3. I'd love to try things that are unique to Buenos Aires :-)
4. Suggestions for foodie gifts to bring back to Canada would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks everyone!

Erin

+1
If you really don't want to try, you can eat something moderate / small beforehand and just get a small salad. No shame in that :-)

You can also try Molly Bloom's on College - I held an event there with ~50 people and was able to book the top floor. Cheapish drinks and they have (had? it's been awhile) a group appetizer menu.

Thanks :-)

The board looks soooo different now!

Kom Jug for BBQ Pork! Cheap + yum :D

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gA3wtg4v6w...

After travelling almost non-stop for the past 2 years, I appreciate Toronto a lot more!

PROS - We do mid-range pretty well, IMO. Pretty diverse offerings, a chatty community, and things change relatively often so it's not hard to network and find new gems to try on a regular basis. I wish there were more 'underground'-esque dinners, food trucks, and other creative outlets - but I don't think we do a bad job overall so I'll slide this into the PRO column. Lastly, I appreciate the quick-and-healthy options that we have!

CONS - I agree about the bread and dairy...but by North American standards, I don't think we're doing so bad. On a global scale - we need improvement. I feel like the great vs. not-so-great ratio has been slipping (but I've been pretty out of touch, compared to before, so that's definitely debatable).

I pick mine up at Loblaws - I can't remember the price off-hand. I'll make a point to post the next time I grab one :). They're locally raised.

I went for dinner the other night - I didn't notice any changes in quality. I didn't even know that Nuit and Jeff left until after I ate (so out of touch /w TO)!

+1 with PCFP - great atmosphere and food. Went for a group outing and was very happy! reasonable price point too!

hmm..good to know! the space is BEAUTIFUL though...I'm debating between this place and Gracie's

aw thanks G :-) Shows how often I creep these boards these days...

I took your advice. Also went to the shop next door - ended up buying songpyeon and getting some buldak :) Thanks!

Hi KaimukiMan!

A. Any of those would be a fun new experience. I've only done ice fishing, river fishing, ocean fishing, lake fishing.

B. We only have ice fishing gear...not appropriate for Hawaii >_<

C. No, but we don't have a kitchen in Calgary since we're there for work..would be happy to gift it to someone :)

Thanks for the speedy replies, chows :)
Fantastic news - I'll walk over there after work.
I'm assuming you mean buldak? If so...yum!
Thanks for the tips. I'm a 2.0 Korean kid, and it'll be nice to meet some locals. Quickly accessible Korean food in the dt core has been absent in my recent stint in YYC...I tend to gorge whenever I'm back in TO or travelling to the West Coast (not meant to offend YYCers, I've been enjoying other parts of your city...I'm just a sucker for nostalgia)

I wouldn't be chopping up trees - just pulling needles off the branch :) i'm going to a very traditional thanksgiving dinner (or so it seems - with pumpkin pie, turkey, cranberry sauce, etc.) so I thought it'd be fun to mix it up a bit.

Thanks!

Hi there,
I'm looking to make Korean food for my an American Thanksgiving dinner (we're getting a mix of cultures!). Is the only Korean grocery store in Nose Hill? I'm guessing I'll find some ingredients at T&T...in particular, I'm looking for mugwort and mungbean powder for songpyeon (Korean cakes for Thanksgiving).
At the risk of sounding like an idiot on a food forum - are there pine trees somewhere near the downtown core? I'm not from here, and rarely venture out of downtown because I'm stuck between my office and my hotel most days. I dont recall seeing them in Prince' Island Park, and I'd like to steam my cakes with them.

Hello! My friend and I are going on a crazy short trip to Hawaii in December. Long story short, we stumbled across an opportunity to pop over from just December 16-18 and we could not pass it up, even if is such a short time.
We pretty much only have the the evening of the 16th-18th. Our main goal is to try to go fishing! Any recommendations? It won't be our last time in Hawaii, so we don't feel a need to cram too much into our stay. A good fishing trip and maybe a hike...bonus points if we can combine the two. And delicious food, of course :)

potato burrito!!!

Hello again Chows,
I am going on a 3 week trip that will include a roam around Germany and the Netherlands - possibly a hop down to Paris.
I was hoping for a nice group gift idea to bring back to work (as a thank you for picking up my slack for 3 weeks :P) - I was thinking that I wouldn't go wrong with a big pack of chocolate! I will finish in Amsterdam.

Cheers,

Erin

Man - Excessive travelling made a major delay in my visit to Marcellos. They actually took down the salad bar by the time I got there, and I was only able to grab a quick sandwich since it was near EOD. Thought it was a bit pricey, and Fast Fresh makes a better quick sandwich - but I still want to try their salad :-). I spotted a Marcello's in the +15 in Calgary earlier this week - I might have to see if they make a killer tabbouleh here!

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com

ah! Here's hoping it won't - YYZ does a poor job at food trucks, I'm rooting for Calgary to pave the way

O&B is taking over!
Canteen does a good almond croissant and their butties aren't bad for a quick nosh. Dinners are not so great, but I'm guessing that the O&B cafe will be sticking to coffees, pastries, etc? :-) I won't be in TO for awhile, I'll see how good it is in a month!

They've definitely taken a nose drive over the past few years - here's hoping that we get a good replacement!

Hi Chows,
Will be landing in Frankfurt at 11:20AM this Friday and then making my way to Dusseldorf.
I can either stop in between at Mainz or Koln, will be taking the longer/cheaper train there to save a bit of dough for lunch :-)
Where should I stop for lunch? I think my choices are:
- Pick something up at the FRA airport (I believe that the grocery store there is my best bet?)
- Pick something up around the train station Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf [street vendors nearby?)
- On my stopover in Mainz/Koln grab a bite near the train station
- Eat on the train (pictures don't look bad)
- Wait until I get to Dusseldorf if I can

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

Erin

nice space indeed. There are some spots that I'll go to just for the space, even though the food isn't fantastic, such as Woodlot, and even Brasaii
Origin's space isn't enough to justify the boo-factor though, imo

+1 for Braserie! I went there recently during Stampede!

I haven't gotten a sense of whether or not this board likes or dislikes foodblogger posts, so I've steered clear, but I wanted to toot their horn. Feel free to give the food blog posts the boot ;)

Pics for the post: http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com/201...

We started with the Foie Gras Poutine and the Foie Gras Potato Skins.

We sat by the bar and watched the plating as we waited for our table. Recent Australian travels had made me grow fond of ciders, and I ordered a couple while waiting. I much prefer Sir Perry over Magner – mostly because Sir Perry had a light, sweet flavour as it’s a pear-based cider. I think it’d be the perfect drink to have on a patio when it’s hot and sunny out. Noted for the future!

Like many of the spots I’ve tried in Calgary, the interior is bright, beautiful and pristine – grunge is not a word for many places in YYC, as it’s a booming young city. We ordered:

Foie Gras Poutine
Truffle Oil, Duck Gravy, Parmesan
Da-yam. Calgary, you’re trumping Toronto in the poutine-realm – but how?! You’re much further from Montreal and when people think Calgary they think steak. Whether it’s Stampede ground carnie-food or a fancy poutine, you’re making some mean poutines. Squeaky curds, fresh fries, delicious delicious gravy and of course – foie gras. More please. With extra duck gravy.

Foie Gras Potato Skins
Herbs, shaved gruyère, lardons &amp; black truffle essence
We struggled between this and the poutine – I mean, what sounds better? Potato with duck gravy and foie gras or potato with gruyere and foie gras? Why bother with the debate?! This was also put in the category of pretty foie good. Between the two, the duck gravy poutine is the definite winner.

“Reginas” Fried Veal Weisswurst
Pomme frites, mustard &amp; sauerkraut
I suppose a weekend of calf-roping rallied my stomach when I saw veal weisswurst. Mmmm. From the Saddledome to my plate to my belly – this was surprisingly fantastic. I honestly don’t know what compelled me to order this – recent efforts to eat sensibly due to the utter halt in running are always ruined by random cravings from menus.

Anyway – this, my friends, was a fantastic, delicious win. The veal was wonderfully flavourful and juicy, not too fatty at all, with a fantastic texture. Highly encourage you to try this tasty treat.

Roasted “Noble Farm” Duck Breast
Cassis jus &amp; salad
I knicked a piece of duck from my neighbour – another pleasant surprise! Okay, Calgary, I’m regaining faith in your food. This duck was wonderfully juicy and flavourful – not with the awful aftertaste that poorly cooked duck can have – perfect.

High Country Bison Dip
Gruyère grainy mustard, crispy onions &amp; Lobster “au jus”
Across from me, my second choice was enjoyed by my friend – I did not take a bite, nor did I try another friend’s Driview Farms Lamb Burger, but both said that they were happy with their choices.

I had a great time at Brasserie – it’s at a good location in Kensington where you can happily people-watch outside of the big window (if you’re lucky and get the table there, anyways!) and the staff was very friendly. We told them that we had changed our reservations specifically for the large window-side table, they accommodated us and we didn’t mind the extra wait because it gave us a chance to peek at the kitchen.

Erin :-)

I'll be a jerk and tease you with a delicious poutine I had in Calgary... :3

I was not a fan of Caplanky's poutine...
There's Smoke's on Queen west as you said - I don't find it particularly good. It's more of a fun novelty.
My friend swears by the blue truck at NPS, but I can't personally vouch for it..

+1 for Stampede Bison!.

I super enjoyed my gnocchi from Woodlot, which is in Little Italy. Fantastic flavour and consistency, love the restaurant's atmosphere. It was one of the few standouts that night :-)

A thumbs down for O&B Canteen's gnocchi (and their dinner in general).

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com

If you go - then Underdog Rally (:))) hi!!) made a good rec
However - I am really not a fan of the food. The only thing that I tried when I went that I enjoyed was the Bangkok Salad. I personally found the Origin Burger to be quite terrible (the server agreed that the fries were very badly done so they took those off the bill) and the "float" that came with it was awful.
That being said - I'm part of the boo-on-Origin minority :-)

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com

Hi chows,
My cousin just gave birth to her first child! I was looking at some online gift stores, but everything seems horridly overpriced. I was wondering if someone could please direct me to a website I can use to send her a present in celebration? She loves food, and if it's something good I'm willing to spend around $300-$500 real but (basing this on the English websites - so the prices are probably way out of proportion)

For example...is this place a good option? http://www.emporiosantamaria.com.br/m...

Thanks