tigerlily104's Profile
Quick bite, driving through TO
My partner and I find ourselves driving through Toronto, on our way from Waterloo to Muskoka, nearly every weekend. It seems like such a waste to grab fast food when we could duck off the 401 and be somewhere amazing (our spontaneous highway exit this Sunday took us to Kumai Sushi, about which we had mixed opinions). We do get out to Summerlicious and such, but I'm wondering more about great cheap eats and tiny take out places that lend themselves to a quick detour off the 401. Please save me from the unending drive-throughs!
Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, St. Jacob's and area
There tends to be a lot of griping about the food in the KW area, especially since we're so close to Toronto that it seems a shame not to pop by for a really great weekend dinner. We also hear a lot about the same old places-- Charbries, Charcoal, Wildcraft, Hannah's, Janet Lynn's, Verses, Bhima's for the upscale, and Ye's, Benh Than, Malasa Bay, The Grill, Angie's, Caesar Martini's, Morty's for the more reasonably priced. All of these are good (or great, or awful according your opinion), but I think we're missing out on some less well-established places. Plus, I've seen so many brand new places opening up this summer that I'd love to hear what people think about them.
Here are a few of my choices, which I haven't seen discussed before:
The Homestyle Diner:
at Albert and Philip, this non-descript little restaurant makes all their food from scratch. You'll usually see quite an elderly crowd interspersed with a few students. The great fish and chips (ask for it breaded!), rolled ribs dinner, and fabulous array of homemade pies are all reason enough to check it out, but the fantastic reuben is the shining star of this neighbourhood place. The owners, a pair of chatty older ladies, seem to know all their customers by name and they painstakingly decorate the restaurant for every holiday and season (it's so outrageously cheesy and over-the-top that you can't help loving it). Huge portions, low prices, great atmosphere, home-made food-- it's a gem.
Casa Salsa:
A new addition to the University Plaza by The Mongolian Grill. I was so glad to see a decent Mexican place in Waterloo (finally!). Once again, all the food is made fresh and from scratch. Amazing fresh tortilla chips, which are never greasy, and a range of different salsas (possibly made in house?). The guacamole and pico de gallo are also excellent. I've tried the quesadilla, burrito and soft tacos-- while the tortilla and toppings were all good, I found the meat occasionally underseasoned. A small quibble, but something I think they'll work out as the restaurant grows. Also, the pineapple and mango "Mexican pop" are completely addictive.
Melitsa's:
another new arrival to Belmont Village this summer, though I believe it was previously the Acropolis Bakery. The almond and walnut baklava is just superb. I've also tried the mousaka, tyropita, spanakopita and the fresh bread-- all of which I reccommend heartily. The place is still working out the kinks of the service in their new location, so be prepared to wait a little while for hot food during the day. Their tatziki is quite good with a lemony zing (I think I prefer mine more garlicky, as at the Al Madina, but still). One of the reasons we moved to Belmont Village is because it's full of great food-- Vincenzo's, The Village Creperie, Casa Rugantino, even the John's sub place is delish. Melitsa's looks like it will fit right in. If anyone has tried the new Thai Bistro (which replaced the Swiss Bakery across from Vincenzo's), please please tell us about it!
The pita place at St. Jacob's Market:
Easily my favourite foodie experience in the area. The tantalizing smell of sizzling meat lures you to an open-air grill wagon, at the very back of the market, piled high with "chicken, steak, lamb on a pita" (the perennial shout of the man behind the grill). For 6 bucks, I always get a hot pita filled with grilled onions, peppers, the most succulent and well seasoned ground lamb kebab, and positively dripping with tzatiki. At this time of year, when Ontario produce hasn't quite ripened yet, we go to St. Jacob's just to get a lamb pita and a huge cup of lemonade topped with strawberries. Afterwards, we grab some calabrese bread from the delightfully eccentric Portuguese baker across the way (just look for the man holding listeners spell-bound in the midst of mounds of fresh-baked bread) and it's pretty much the nicest imaginable way to spend a Saturday morning.
What are your tri-city foodie haunts?
Marble Slab Creamery (Waterloo)
We tried it on one of our rare sunny afternoons this past week. I had a mix of cheesecake and raspberry with chocolate chips, which was lovely-- fresh, subtle, not too sweet and very creamy. Boyfriend had the double dark chocolate and maple with graham crackers, which was also very good but probably a bit too rich for the huge portion size. Two standard orders came to about $15 after tax.
On the positive side, it's nice to have a new place at the U Plaza, especially one that focuses on fresh and "real" ingredients. You can definitely taste the difference between it and say, your regular grocery store fare. I work by the the DQ on Westmount, and Marble Slab didn't have that slight artificial aftertaste that you come to recognize in a lot of DQ stuff. I'd have to disagree with the comment that it's only "worth it" with lots of toppings. The toppings are a nice extra, but it really is very very good ice cream.
I'm not sure if the price suits the student budget of the area, but I hope it manages to stick around. My only complaint would be that the standard order is just too massive-- I appreciate good portion sizes as much as anyone, but perhaps a sampler size would make the place more accessible?
We're definitely going back, but will probably share one next time.
