Brunch recommendation - for a group?

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, folks. Ultimately, a few guests have dropped out of our little shindig, which means that we are no longer required to go with the private dinig room option and Le Select is affordable again. I am kicking myself for not thinking of the Drake on my own -- definitely going to do that, or Frank, next time (maybe for my own birthday!)

FYI, for under 20 people, Le Select will put on a lovely $39 set menu with choice of french toast, eggs benedict, steak and eggs, grilled salmon, or scrambled eggs. Includes juice/coffee/tea, fruit salad, crossants, and dessert -- quite lovely.

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Le Select
432 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V1E3, CA

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Brunch recommendation - for a group?

Argh, hit "send" prematurely. I'm ok with spending around $50 per person, but once I include the set-up fee and charge for a dedicated server, Le Select has quoted me over $1300. That's starting to cut into the gift budget, if you know what I mean.

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Le Select
432 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V1E3, CA

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Brunch recommendation - for a group?

I'd like to keep it under a grand, if possible.

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Brunch recommendation - for a group?

Hi there,

I've been tasked with finding a brunch location for my mother-in-law's 60th birthday party. There will be 20 people, and wheelchair accessibility would be a bonus to best accommodate 90-year-old grandfather (he can manage a step or two, but not much more than that and we're probably renting a wheelchair for him for the day). Any suggestions in the downtown area?

I was looking at Le Select, but for a group this size we have to go with the private dining room option which is beyond our budget.

Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed!

Vivienne.

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Le Select
432 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V1E3, CA

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Duck in a Can in Toronto?

On a recent pilgrimage to Montreal, we hit up Au Pied de Cochon and I have discovered a new addiction: Canard en Conserve. At APDC, this marvellous invention is a tin can opened tableside to reveal a roasted duck breast, some foie gras, and braised vegetables. The whole thing gets dumped onto a plate over a crouton and some mashed potatoes and it is *heavenly*.

Someone told me that you can get this in Toronto, too. Anyone have any idea where?

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Back from Trinidad... craving doubles

As the originator of this thread, i think there is only one logical answer to your question, Connoisseur. I'll have to get out to ACR and Roti Hut myself and deliver the verdict! :D

I just came back from *another* Caribbean business trip -- this time to Barbados, where there was a doubles stand right across the street from my hotel. Not nearly as good as in Trinidad, not quite as good as Ali's even to be honest but there's just something about doubles and coffee and a cool Caribbean sea breeze in the morning.

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Back from Trinidad... craving doubles

OK, we hit up Ali's this morning and I am very happy! The barra was not quite as tender as the doubles we had in Trinidad but no complaints at all. The tamarind sauce was really awesome and the pepper sauce has a nice lingering burn to it.

Going to try Caribbean Roti Palace too and will report back. Thanks for all the tips!

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Back from Trinidad... craving doubles

Hi folks,

I'm just back from a business trip to Trinidad, and am craving doubles something fierce. Where can you go in Toronto for really good doubles? As a reference point to anyone familiar with Port of Spain, I keep dreaming about the doubles sold by the guy at the side of the road across from Long Circular Mall. Those were definitely my favorite.

I've had the doubles at The Jerk Spot on Queen -- before my trip -- and really liked those. Now my eyes have been opened and I realize that those are to *real* doubles, as canned no-name black olives (like you get on crappy cheap pizza) are to genuine Kalamatas. That is, I love the real deal enough that I could still eat the fake ones... but there is really no comparison.

Any recommendations for really good doubles? Maybe even with pepper and mango?

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Where to eat in Regina?

Oh, by the way... when in Regina definitely check out the Globe Theatre, it's very nice and the play I saw last night (The Clean House) was excellent. Alfredo's is a good pre-theatre dinner choice for proximity, I considered it a functional dinner and it was fine from that point of view.

vivsuen in Western Canada Archives

Where to eat in Regina?

Here's how my trip to Regina went, from an eating-out point of view:

Sunday night -- too tired to do anything but fall into bed and mourn the loss of my luggage.

Monday night -- exuberant at having been reunited with my luggage, but totally exhausted and unable to do more than order room service at the Delta. A bottle of Yellow Tail Cab Sauv elevates pretty much any meal, as does a Saskatoon cheesecake to finish off. Saskatoon berries are GOOD.

Tuesday night -- pre-theatre dinner at Alfredo's (which I'm positive is the "Italian" spot you mentioned, Bob). Bread is awful. Olive oil unmemorable. Linguine with spicy rose sauce and shrimp edible, but nothing special -- better than East Side Mario's, but nothing to write home about. Waitress sweet, friendly, and attentive, but could not help being vaguely amused by her mentions of "basmatic" dressing and chocolate "terrain". Chocolate terrine intensely-flavoured, perhaps too densely-textured, and needed more raspberry sauce than chocolate as a garnish (I would have preferred no chocolate sauce, just raspberry, but now I'm quibbling).

Wednesday night (tonight) -- Who knew that Regina has a good tapas bar? La Bodega is cool, kind of funky, decent wines by the glass and quite tasty. Smoked duck breast salad with saskatoon vinaigrette --> top marks. Wasabi tempura prawns very tasty, and quite reasonable at $11 for the number and juiciness of prawns. Lava Pot dessert was terrific: not quite a cake, not quite a pudding, a hint of espresso cutting the richness and sweetness of the chocolate and a fantastic caramel "pocket" inside. I actually sent the following text message to my boyfriend two bites into the Lava Pot:

"DESSERT OF GODS!! Regina good!! Ha ha all for me!"

Sorry I won't have another evening here to try their fig-port cheesecake, or the "Russian Ice Breaker" plate featuring gravlax-style salmon, blinis, caviar, and two chilled vodka shots. Then again, considering I'm travelling solo, this is probably just as well.

Did not make it to Creek in Cathedral or Willows on Wascana. Interestingly enough, my cab driver tonight told me that the same people own Alfredo's, La Bodega, and Cathedral Free House.

Vivienne.

vivsuen in Western Canada Archives

DanDan Noodles in Toronto

Hmm. The visit to Chinese Tradtional Buns was a success, but the dan dan noodles were not quite what I was looking for. Tasty, but a dryer variety. What I'm hoping for is a great big bowl of noodles swimming in tasty peanut sauce. I think I will have to check out some of the other Szechuan places in Chinatown, or trek out to the burbs. :(

Vivienne.

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Ottawa - dinner on a Sunday night

I second the suggestion of Whalesbone. They source the oysters for Beckta, the last time I went my companion and I had a dinner of basically oysters, a foie gras appetizer, and dessert (hey, most of the food groups were represented!). Surprisingly, the steak frites appears to be one of the most popular dishes there, so it would seem that this oyster bar also does up a mean steak!

Vivienne.

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

Where to eat in Regina?

I'm off to Regina for a business trip September 17-21 and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations? I'll be staying downtown at the Delta, and I believe my meetings are all downtown as well. I eat pretty much anything, but am a particular fan of Italian food -- good, classic Italian food will get me any time. Ditto a cool wine bar with good food.

Any recommendations? I'm on a $46 per diem, but don't mind paying some out of my own pocket for a really great meal.

V.

vivsuen in Western Canada Archives

DanDan Noodles in Toronto

OF COURSE!! I'd forgotten that Traditional Chinese Buns has so much more than buns! Thank you, I'll drag the boyfriend out there after work and report back!

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)

TORITO - Hits and misses

Oooh, definitely go back to Torito and save room for that Chocolate Flan. It's not a dessert for the calorie-conscious or faint of heart. Both chocolate and caramel flavours are intense (and the caramel is suitably "burnt", not sickly-sweet syrup that you sometimes get). Tell your dinner companions to order their own -- you won't want to share!

vivsuen in Ontario (including Toronto)