gnuf's Profile
Finding Meyer Lemons
My colleague bought one at Terra Greenhouses in Burlington. He said they get something like 150 trees per year.
The Cook's Place on the Danforth
My cousin told me they are offering an increasing discount over the next few weeks to sell off the inventory. It was 10% when I went in this weekend. While at the store, I overheard one of the staff (likely the owner) say they had been there 14 years. Also, something about banks not offering loans when inventory is involved.
What's happening to Patris on the Danforth?
Just to bring closure to this thread, The Works, a burger place, is coming. More here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/830295
pandoro and panettone
I'm curious about the $49 (?) pistachio one available at Longo's (saw it at the Maple Leaf Square flagship). It comes with a jar of pistachio paste for spreading. Has anyone tried it?
Patisserie La Cigogne opening on Danforth?
Yes, the croque madame had a runny, fried egg on top.
Patisserie La Cigogne opening on Danforth?
We walked over yesterday during the Grand Opening. By the time we got there (around noon), all the free croissants were given away already. There's plenty of indoor seating and an outdoor sidewalk patio with a retractable awning for shade.
I think I recognized Juan Li from the Leaside location making sure things were running smoothly behind the counter. They did _not_ have Tarte Flambee available on this day, but plan to once things are settled down. The display cases had many fancy cakes and individual pastries as well as chocolates. No ice cream yet, but there was a freezer with empty metal tubs, so maybe later this summer?
We tried the croissants which were warm and flaky. I loved that the almond ones were split in half and spread with a warm almondy filling. The pain au chocolats were coming out of the oven as we left, so I'll have to try that next time.
My wife's smoked salmon quiche was decent, but a little overbaked. The creamy raspberry vinaigrette with the mixed greens seemed a little out of place and cliched. My Croque Madame was dull, with slices of an unappetizing grayish, pink ham and rubbery cheese.
Still, a good quality patisserie in the neighbourhood is welcome. Now I have to get up a little early so I can make a a trip in the opposite direction from work to buy a morning pastry!
ISO Chinese Restaurant for baby's one month celebration
Our son was born a few weeks ago, and we're beginning to plan the one-month celebration (彌月, moon yuet in Cantonese). This is a banquet held to celebrate the baby turning a month old.
We expect anywhere from 50 to 70 people. I want to be able to customize the banquet menu (e.g. no shark's fin) and be able to make per-table subs or additions (e.g. to accomodate vegetarians and one person with a black pepper allergy). I don't want to empty my wallet, but want good quality food at a reasonable price. We're aiming around $600 per table of 10. We'd like the restaurant to be able to provide the red-dyed eggs, and possibly the sticky rice cakes. A bonus would be a private room, but that's not absolutely necessary.
I've had banquets in the past at Ambassador in Richmond Hill and liked both the food and service. Their website shows a bunch of set banquet menus, but not sure if these include taxes and gratuities, nor whether they will do.
Best locations are North York, Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill but we'd consider Mississauga as well.
Can anyone recommend a Chinese restaurant they've been to for a moon yuet, or one that will be able to meet my criteria above?
What's happening to Patris on the Danforth?
Sometime in the past week, the outdoor dining tables have been removed at Patris (888 Danforth Ave), and the kitchen has been ripped out. We've never had a good meal here so maybe it's finally closing. But there's no sign on the window.
Anyone know what's going on?
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Patris Restaurant
888 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4J1L7, CA
End grain Maple butcher block/cutting board?
Have you looked at Ralph K's boards at http://www.choppingboards.ca/ ? He's got a couple of end grain rock maple boards right now on his site. I've bought several boards from him before (not end grain though) and they are superb. Free shipping if you spend $80 as well.
CSA`s in gta, any help (communityt supported agriculture)
We subscribed to YUFCSA (http://yufcsa.com/) this season. They are a new CSA that partners with homeowners within the city to grow produce in their backyards.
Where to get corn husks and masa flour for tamales in Toronto
Lively Life, in the basement of St. Lawrence Market (south side), sells both husks and flour.
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St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CA
Thai food on the danforth?
I gave this place a chance and have gone two or three times since moving to the Danforth a year and a half ago. Ho-hum food.
However, I haven't been to their sister location, Mong-Kut Thai Gold at 471 Danforth, which, according to Toronto Life at least, offers more variety at the back of the menu. You might want to give them a try and report back.
ISO Great Sushi and Sashimi, Omakase Style
A friend and I decided to try omakase at Mikado this past Tuesday after reading comments in this thread. Since they were closed on Monday, I called at noon on Tuesday to book a reservation. They had no problem with doing omakase for us and I was quoted about $50 per person after inquiring about the availability of soft-shell crab. We arrived around 19:30 and, after reading about the cramped alley, decided to park (for free) on the east side of Laird and crossed the busy lanes of traffic to the restaurant.
We were seated in the back tatami room and discussed the meal with our server. I was looking forward to soft-shell crab and we agreed that they would prepare it by simply deep-frying it. I also wanted anago (saltwater eel) which they obliged, and I requested no amaebi (not a fan) nor a green salad. The server informed us that the meal would begin with a series of appetizers. We also decided to get both sashimi and sushi, which, as we would find out later, probably accounted for a much higher bill than anticipated.
I'm not going to describe every dish in excruciating detail, nor am I going to compare it with what I think is "best", but will offer comments when I think something was noteworthy. Here were the courses:
* wakame salad with cold pickled salmon -- this was a bit like gefilte (!)
* deep fried soft-shell crab -- the chef had purchased it live that morning. The crab was incredibly juicy and sweet. We were hoping to get one each, but we had to share one crustacean.
* miso soup -- lacking in both salt and umami
* red snapper neck braised with gobo
* nasu miso -- basically, eggplant chunks with a sweet miso glaze, almost like candy. I loved this item.
* ika (giant squid leg) tempura -- very tender pieces
* chawan mushi
* sashimi -- yellowtail, salmon, abalone, otoro, hirame (possibly one or two more I can't recall). Abalone was thin, chewy slices, perhaps dried abalone that had been braised, didn't like this. Hirame was served rolled up with yuzu-pepper sauce in the centre.
* sushi -- fatty tuna, Spanish mackerel, scallop, salmon, uni, tuna and green onion maki, yellowtail, King crab with special sauce, anago. The scallop and King crab were sweet and tender. Fish to rice ratio was generous, but the rice tasted a little dried out to me. They ran out of uni (!) so we only got one portion of it, but was quite fresh.
* black sesame ice cream and mini creme caramel -- Intense, sesame oil flavour in the ice cream, really enjoyed this.
Total price was $90 each, plus tax and tip. We were initially shocked by the discrepancy compared to my initial expectation, but afterwards, felt it was a fair price for ten dishes, considering the items that we got. Service was fine, and we got explanations of everything we asked about. The room is traditional Japanese, light Miles Davis in the background.
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Mikado
114 Laird Dr, Toronto, ON M4G3V3, CA
in search of cape gooseberries
Seeds for groundcherries (Cossack pineapple variety) can be purchased via mail-order from Terra Edibles (http://terraedibles.ca/). They were also at Seedy Saturday/Sunday at Wychwood Barns this year, and I've seen them at the Green Living Show too.
If you do try to grow the from seed, be patient as they took 3 weeks to germinate.
They turned out quite well for me last year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnuf/3847838753/in/set-72157622118573164/
Double Zero Flour for Pasta Making
You're thinking of Maselli's, and, yes, they do carry 00 flour.
Help Identifying an Item on Rolsan's Dim Sum Menu?
Were they kind of football-shaped? If so, then it's very likely the item that FoodCad mentioned.
DOUGH-a new bakery on the Danforth
I too dropped in last weekend and was not impressed by the single croissant that I sampled. Not flaky or puffy enough. I chatted with the woman behind the counter who said they'd be focusing mostly on breads. The shelves were a little bare (this was around 14:00 on a Sunday) so perhaps it will take time to work things out.
Danforth Entertainment Book
Hmm, we live practically next door to Patris and haven't been back since the day we moved into our new house. I'm always on the lookout for things that aren't common in restaurants, so perhaps we'll give the restaurant another try and report our experience here!
ISO high-quality pizza stone
For those of you with pizza stones, can you tell me how thick they are, and where you bought them from in Toronto? I just bought a Big Green Egg smoker/grill and am looking for a thick (at least 1/2"), round pizza stone, no bigger than 16" diameter. The GrillPro one at Home Hardware looks quite thin; same with the one I saw at Placewares in St. Lawrence Market. There were reports in this thread about ones purchased at Nella and at Sasmart, but not much detail as to dimensions, etc.
Madras Masala ?? next to Banjara....
There's a "Dosa Festival" going on there right now until May 15th, with $4.99 dosas from a separate menu. Among the more unusual ones were honey dosa and chocolate dosa.
Last night, we tried two: the chettinad and the spinach-roasted garlic. Aside from a thin smear of spice paste and spinach, neither had much flavour. The potatoes inside were nicely seasoned though. I like the chettinad dosa better because it was much crisper and browned than the spinach one. We really enjoyed the outstanding dips that accompanied them: one was a thick, reddish tomato-coconut chutney, one was a coconut-garlic-chili dip, and there was also a tablespoon of a brownish, salty paste that had what resembled little pieces of eggshell.
Upon asking the kitchen what the sauce was made of, they replied with "gunpowder". I recalled seeing a gunpowder dosa on the regular menu and a Google search from my BlackBerry revealed that the sauce might have been "milagai podi", a South Indian ground-lentil and chili sauce.
We also tried the Chicken Xacutti, a delicious dish with a sauce of coconut and onions. Very well seasoned, with tender chunks of chicken.
If I had one complaint it would be that everything was a bit too salty. I would definitely return here again, especially after reading all of the other reviews now.
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Madras Masala
Toronto ON, Toronto, ON , CA
Vegetarian Dim Sum
I was at Lotus Pond a few months ago and, based on this one experience, would not recommend it. Everything was oily and gooey, both dim sum and noodle dishes. I've had excellent Chinese vegetarian cuisine before and this place does not produce it. I have yet to try Graceful Vegetarian or Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant for their dim sum.
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Lotuspond - duplicate
Midland Ave, Toronto, ON , CA
Where to get Nissan or Zojirushi coffee thermos in Toronto?
Cayne's Housewares sells a Thermos 14 oz model for $15; the picture has "Thermos Nissan" on it:
http://cayneshousewares.com/product.php?productid=2377&cat=0&page=2
They are up in Thornhill, off Yonge, north of Steeles.
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Cayne's Super Housewares
112 Doncaster Ave, Markham, ON L3T, CA
Peter Street location no longer Burrito Boyz?
I was there just over a week ago, and I believe the poster on the wall said the prize was $500 in cash, or equivalent value in burritos.
locavore
Our party of four ate there last night at 20:00. We had reservations, which was a good thing because they were very busy, even on a snowy night. My partner and I arrived a little late, and there was already a nice plate of olives, mushrooms and almonds in warmed olive oil on the table. Big pieces of cut-up foccaccia helped to soak up the herbed oil. I had a nice, lemony Caesar with double-smoked bacon and caramelized onions to start. Others at the table had caponata (served in a tiny Mason jar) and fior di latte baked in a half lemon. My main was the pork brochette rolled around an herb filling accompanied by apple butter. The tender meat and thick layer of fat was delicious. Sides are extra, but I only tasted the rapini. None of us had room for dessert, but there wasn't anything I would have wanted. The only choices were apple crumble, cheese plate, carrot cake and one other item which I forgot. Total, with a bottle of wine, tax and tip, was $200.
dal makhani recipes?
Sigh, our instructor didn't even tell us what the name of the dish meant. A lot of people in the class were concerned with dumping in the 35% cream at the end, so the "if desired" in the recipe above was my own, naive editorializing.
dal makhani recipes?
This is a recipe we used in a vegetarian Indian cooking class at George Brown College in Toronto. I remember it being very tasty and enjoyed the lentil-bean contrast, but we haven't made it since. You can also just use canned kidney beans.
250 gm black gram (lentils), dried
50 gm kidney beans, dried
1 tomato
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste (or minced garlic and ginger)
1/2 bunch fresh coriander
5 gm red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt, to taste
60 mL ghee or clarified butter
cream, for garnish
1. Soak black gram and kidney beans separately overnight in water.
2. Boil kidney beans for about 1 h 15, until they are half-cooked. Add the black gram, and continuing cooking until both are almost done, about another 45 minutes.
3. Heat half the ghee, add cumin seeds and fry until they pop. Add sliced onions, sauteeing until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic-ginger paste and stir.
4. Add turmeric, chili powder and chopped tomatoes, frying until tomatoes are cooked, about 1 minute.
5. Add dal (beans and lentils), and half of chopped coriander.
6. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, about 10-15 minutes.
7. Add remaining ghee and take off heat.
8. Garnish with remaining coriander and drizzle with cream, if desired.
Messini on the Danforth
What makes it the best horiatiki, phoenikia? I chose Messini last night with my GF solely on the basis of this comment :-) but couldn't notice anything that made it stand out.
On another note, the loud dance music played over tiny speakers is annoying enough that we probably wouldn't return for a sit-down meal (even after asking the waitress to turn it down).
Need Italian Resto in Mississauga for Big Event
Some suggestions for Italian restaurants that could host a large group:
La Sem Ristorante
Alexandra's Place
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La Sem
1275 Eglinton Ave E, Mississauga, ON L4W, CA
Alexandria Place Ltd
5555 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON M9C, CA
matsutake (AKA Mattake/pine mushroom)
You don't say whether you're looking for fresh or dried. But dried mushrooms might be perfect for a camping trip. Forbes Wild Foods (http://www.wildfoods.ca/) sells packages of dried matsutake mushrooms, and many other varieties. I saw them at the One of a Kind Show on Sunday, and their website lists other stores around the GTA that carry their products.
ISO non-toxic and non-stick pans in GTA
According to an article I saw online, GreenPan makes cookware that uses Thermolon technology (http://www.thermolon.com/) and are available at Home Hardware, The Bay and Home Outfitters. The Thermolon website has articles and papers that present the case against Teflon in excruciating detail.
You may want to read this thread from the Home Cooking board before buying:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/430267
