rsvp7777's Profile
dining in Stratford, 2011 season
Had an excellent bout of dining during Stratford's opening week.
Best news is that The Church and The Belfry have abandoned their fling with molecular gastronomy and have returned to some of the dishes that made them famous: rack of lamb, cold lobster, pavlova, etc.
Also became addicted to Simple and ate there numerous times. The cod and chips is a fave, but the lobster mac-cheese is pretty impressive and a special one day of a sea scallop and asparagus risotto for $14 blew me away.
Downie Street Burgers is a nice place with friendly service and quality "fixins", but they dont grind their own meat so you can't get a burger with any pink in it, alas.
Dinner at Bijou remained a highlight, as always.
Pizza at Pazzo always pleases. But I wasn't all that impressed with their new bakery next door.
Can a croissant be TOO buttery? Theirs are.
Haven't tried the new management at The Old Prune yet. Next time!
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Old Prune
151 Albert St, Stratford, ON N5A3K5, CA
Pazzo
70 Ontario St, Stratford, ON N5A, CA
Downie Street Burgers
107 Downie St, Stratford, ON , CA
Best Breakfast and Brunch in Manhattan, 2010 Version
I agree this is an awesome list, but I have one specific question.
Taking a young friend to NYC for his 19th b'day and would like to take him to a place for Sunday brunch that would knock him out not just for food but for ambience, service, (possible) view, etc.
Price no object. Buffets are an option.
What's your suggestion?
Quattro Ragazze - anyone been there lately?
Thanks! I'll wait and try again and report.
Quattro Ragazze - anyone been there lately?
Used to love this place, then it seemed to be going through some owner-staffing weirdness in 2009.
Haven't been back in over a year.
But I'm jonesing one of their veal parmigiana sandwiches.
Anyone been lately? How is it?
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Quattro 4 Ragazze
1792 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C1H8, CANADA
Has anyone tried Sophie - Logan and Queen East
I have to agree with all the above. It's a nice place, with good quality top to bottom.
Smallish portions, but lower prices and who needs to be a glutton.
My wife and I love their tourtiere, too!
Scarpetta at the Thompson Hotel
Same here. We had dinner Wednesday night. Conant all over the place. Food tremendous. The signature dishes like spaghetti pomodoro and polenta with mushrooms were as good as in NYC. Nice pheasant ravioli, super duck breast entree, fine desserts.
I feared that he'd run into a bunch of haters who cant stand a "celeb chef". The man knows his food and the place is worth visiting.
Jacobs & Co. for first time tonight! Recommendations?
Thanks for the advice. We had a great meal, shared two Caesar salads (with the yummy white anchovies!), a large bone-in rib-eye, the smaller bone-in strip loin, ducky fried taters, spinach and onions. Everything wonderful, but we favoured the rib-eye over the strip-loin.
Loved the service, loved the room, loved the food. Will be back again.
Jacobs & Co. for first time tonight! Recommendations?
Going to Jacobs & Co. tonight for the first time.
Have read the past posts, but wonder if there are any recent recommendations, favorites, things to order, things to avoid etc.
Thanks!
Bonjour Brioche - open boxing day?
They're closed on Dec. 26. Open on Dec. 27. Saw the sign when I was in on Dec. 24.
Our version of Calvin Trillin's famous "Chairman Mao" Dinner???
A Western US foodie and travel writer friend of mine is descending on Toronto for a short visit this weekend.
Has her high-end restos for 2 dinners and one brunch picked out, but wants to do something special during the day on Saturday.
Do any of you remember Calvin Trillin's famous "Chairman Mao" dinner? he fantasized about the Chairman coming to New York and wanting Trillin to take him to a bunch of the city's most varied eateries for ONE dish at each place.
What would you suggest if it were Toronto?
She's looking for as varied ethnicity as possible and would like places to be on the low-end of the price spectrum. Remember, one dish. Food to eat on the run especially appreciated.
I'm thinking of things like the Smoked Meat Poutine at Caplansky's, the Cha Ca La Vong at Hanoi 3 Seasons and the obligatory peameal bacon at Carousel in SLM. (Know it's a cliche to us, but seems startling to most Americans.)
We'll be driving her around, so distance - within reason - isn't a big issue.
Love to hear some suggestions.
And Happy Thanksgiving!
Leslieville Diner
If you Google "Leslieville Diner 416", you get a bunch of entries with the number:
(416) 778-4040
McEwan's - ripped off!
I just went there for the first time yesterday and have to agree with the negative comments.
After a while, my wife and I got tired of spotting stuff we buy at the SLM or Sun Valley (or even No Frills!) being sold for anywhere from a 50% to a 100% markup.
Sure, there are some things that are a bit hard to find elsewhere, but if you're a real foodie, you could probably get hold of 85%-90% of the things in the store for way less than is being charged.
It looks lovely, sure, but like the old saying has it: "You can't eat atmosphere."
BTW, had an iced Americano on my way out. YIKES! Bitter, bitter, bitter.
48 Hours to Eat in Toronto
Best high end, hands down: NOTA BENE. And it's a five minute walk from either hotel.
City Grill Closed
I agree with Googs. Good patio near shoppping was the draw. If your ordered carefully there were a few less than mediocre things on the menu, but it was a bit pricey.
Still I'll miss the location.
City Grill Closed
Tried to go for brunch today but City Grill was gone.
Anyone know when it happened? or why?
Bistro Bibiche - I don't get it
Okay, for several years now, I've been reading the largely glowing posts on Bistro Bibiche when it was on the Danforth and meant to go.
I finally headed down to their new home in the Beaches over the weekend with my wife, son and a friend.
The restaurant itself is small, but cozy and the service was very attentive and friendly. The menu looked great and the four of us all ordered different apps and mains.
It was the food that was the big letdown:
Apps: Vichyssoise - thick thick thick, but not in a good way. Bland, too
Avocado Palm and Pear Walnut salads - giant and good looking, but again, blandly dressed.
Caesar Salad - surprisingly the best thing.
Mains: Lamb Shank with Lentils: Meat was dried out, an overdose of rice mixed with the lentils killed their effect and the seasoning again was blah.
Pecan Chicken and Pistachio Chicken - Adequate, but dull. Sauces tasted like they came from an envelope (although I know they probably don't).
Duck Confit - the one winner. Nicely done, with excellent red cabbage.
Desserts: Probably the best part, with a great chocolate bread pudding and a fun homemade ice cream cake.
My wife hit the nail on the head when she said it all tasted like it had been prepared by an enthusiastic but not terrribly talented amateur chef.
The check was $200 including tip with one bottle of wine, but for the same money I could have eaten three times as well at Batifole.
I don't think we hit a bad night. Does anyone else feel the same way about the food here?
Anyone been to Batifole lately?
Haven't been in several months now and I believe the chef has changed. How is it holding up?
Still as good as before? What's on the menu these days?
Ed's Real Scoop Opening in Leslieville
The funny thing about Ed's is that the stranger the flavor, the better it is. For example, I think their vanilla is deadly dull, but I'd kill for Pumpkin, Creme Brulee, Mercury Espresso and many of the other slightly different ones.
But all in all, it remains an awesome place. Especially in your neighbourhood!
Spaghetti and meatballs
Second vote for Quattro Ragazze. Great "red sauce Italian". Shows up best in the spaghetti and meatballs and their awesome sandwiches which are among the best bargains in the city.
Best Gelato in T.O.?
I agree with the Ed's Gelato recommendation and plug the Leslieville location, but Il Gelaterie is really the best in the city, hands down.
New burrito place at Queen and Greenwood
Went there for the first time on Friday and loved it. What friendly people and what a jampacked cooking area! Three of us had the fish, the pork and the chicken.....stuffed with chow mein. Loved it all. We ate there, but it's a little crowded. In the future, I think we'll phone ahead and pick it up.
But the flavors will really zing you and the quality of the ingredients is first-rate.
Ed's Real Scoop Opening in Leslieville
I agree on two things. It's become a great foodie neighbourhood and we're in trouble that Ed's is so close.
The new store is great: big, bright, friendly. Everybody was really welcoming on Saturday and I see it being a major stopping place on an ongoing basis.
If you've never had Ed's Pumpkin Ice Cream, try some.
Toronto Hound Needs Philadelphia Recommendations!
Hi there, Toronto hound visiting for first time in three years on business.
Staying downtown on Market. Business around Walnut St. Theatre.
Need two hot new recommendations, one for lunch, one for dinner.
Possible problem: it's Saturday. Anything great open for lunch?
Love any type of cuisine.
Thanks in advance!
Sound Of Music
Tutti Matti is great, but it's a Sunday and they're closed. So is Nota Bene which was going to be my next suggestion. As is La Fenice, my third. If you really want Italian in that area, Verona and Pizza Rustica are OK, but not much more. Romanza on Richmond also jusy OK.
Maybe look outside of the 'hood or try some other cuisine? It gets thin in that area on Sunday.
weezie's vs. starfish
Weezie's is your choice as the more romantic. Also you didn't mention price point, but it's way cheaper. And if you and the other person aren't seafood freaks, Starfish would be a waste of your time. I like Weezie's overall vibe better and the food is great: simple bistro-ish cuisine. Except for the superb raw oysters, I don't find Starfish as swell as many posters here do.
Pazzo in Stratford
Their pizza is great and you can customize it to your taste using any ingredients. They also have some vegetarian pasta options.
It will be very cizy down there on a winter night!
Toronto Hound Needs Dinner Recommendation for Tonight
Toronto chowhound on the final day of a business trip. Have had two excellent dinners so far at Water Grille and Takami Sushi.
Any thoughts on where I should go this evening? I'm staying at The Marriott (4th and Fig) and would prefer it to be someplace I could walk to.
Ciudad? Noé? Not a big steakhouse fan, but open to any other options.
Zees or Stone Road Grille
No question, Stone Road Grille is the best in the area.
Zee's is handy and does good things like burger, fries, mac-cheese, but Stone Road is a winner.
