pouletsecret's Profile
ISO: Kimchi near Dundas & Keele
There's a dep at the corner of (I believe) Grenadier and Roncesvalles run by a Korean couple, and they make killer kimchi. Enjoy!
Found: GREEK YOGHURT in TORONTO!!!!
FWIW, I found pressed yogurt at the Select Bakery up on Donlands near O'Connor, and it's insanely rich and delicious. It's packaged in-house, so I can't say which brand it is, but it's $5.50 for a 500 ml tub.
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Select Bakery
405 Donlands Ave, Toronto, ON M4J, CA
Last meals in NOLA - with transportation restrictions.
I already know I have to come back, but missing Boucherie nailed it for me. FYI, I supped at (of all places) R Bar tonight (Friday), where they had an amazing jambalaya (of the tip what you want variety). Highly recommended, though I don"t know if it's jambalaya every week.
Thanks again for your help! I'll post some reviews when I get home.
Last meals in NOLA - with transportation restrictions.
HH - Yes, it would have been perfect (but even still, things here in your lovely town, even when things haven't worked out perfectly, they've been lovely enough as to make no nevermind!). I think I'll try Clancy's tonight, Boucherie for lunch, and ??? for dinner tomorrow.
Wish me luck!
Last meals in NOLA - with transportation restrictions.
Lordy! I'm afraid Galatoire's will have to wait until my next trip (and yes, of course there will be many, many more), because I've just eaten (and Fridays seem a little overwhelming).
Thanks for the Boucherie tips - is that somehow related to the purple truck? I did hear about that, but somehow Boucherie was completely off my radar.
Silly me, I did Liuzza's at the Track today - but there's no racing on Thursdays. Oh well. The price you pay for disorganization, I suppose.
I probably should also have mentioned that I'm a solo traveler, and for me personally, slightly more informal dining (or bar seating) is always more fun. Can anyone tell me what Clancy's menu is like?
Thanks again! You've been stellar. When my trip is over, I'll provide a highlights version of my eating experience here.
Last meals in NOLA - with transportation restrictions.
I'd like to start by thanking the many knowledgeable and gracious posters who make this city such a welcoming place to visitors like myself. Thank you. (You know who you are!)
I've been here since the cold snap earlier this month, and have eaten at (in approximately chronological order:
Café du monde, Café Amélie, Joey K's, Mr. B's (x2), Two Sisters, Cochon,
Acme, Cochon Butcher, Luke, Boulangérie, K-Paul's, Bozo's, Antoine's, Red Fish Grill, Commander's Palace, Lucky Dog, Stanley, Parkway Bakery, Rivershark Tavern, Walker's Southern BBQ, Today's Ketch, Ignatius, Herbsaint and Camellia Grill.
I'm here until Sunday, but Thursday and Friday will be my only two real eating days. That said, I'd prefer to eat lunch someplace that is open for lunch (this has proved challenging!) and off the beaten path (I'm tooling around by bicycle), and I'd like dinner to be accessible by bus or streetcar. I was looking at maybe Elizabeth's and Liuzza (either) for lunch, and Brigtsen's, Mila, August, Clancy's or ... for dinner.
Of course, as with the rest of my trip, I expect my plans will fly out the window and I'll wind up playing everything by ear, but I thought I'd solicit a few thoughts.
Any takers?
Weekend TO visit-recommendations for party of one?
Do you like Ethiopian? Have you ever tried? There's a great place called Nazaret west of Ossington on Bloor, or about a dozen fabulous places on Danforth around Greenwood. I've dined solo at most of them, and it's never a problem: Rendez-vous, Blue Nile, Ibex and the eastern location of Lalibela are all great.
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Lalibela
869 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G, CA
Blue Nile Restaurant
1260 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4J1M6, CA
doubles?
I highly recommend Danforth Roti House. It's at 2844 Danforth (out near Dawes). It's strictly bare bones, mostly a takeout joint, but doubles are fresh to order and delicious.
So is Island Foods at the Grange really gone? They were my downtown favourite...
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Island Foods
1182 King St W, Toronto, ON M6K1E6, CA
Danforth Roti Shop
2844 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C1M1, CA
BBQ & Breakfast in Buffalo?
For the record guys... Donnie's is NOT OPEN SUNDAY. OR MONDAY. OR TUESDAY.
Ask me how I know...
Sniff sniff. I don't want the same thing to happen to anybody else.
Go Saturday.
Indian food, Unusual and delicious
I second the aloo gobi at Banjara. I had it last night (again) and can assure you I have never had mushy cauliflower there. Plus, they're very open to spice specifications (even salt specifications for salt lassis).
For what it's worth...
Chalres Yu secret Chinese menu dinner?
I was avidly (if clearly too shyly) following the discussion of a possible chow meetup to eat all sorts of arcane dishes that remain a secret to those not versed in Cantonese script.
It was supposed to happen in September, if I understood correctly.
Did it?
No write up?
You do know we're all hanging on the edge of our seats (and kicking ourselves for not joining in), right?
If anyone wants to report, I'd love to hear all about it.
Withrow Park Farmer's Market
The Mennonite's (whose name escapes me for the moment) withdrew from East Lynn mid-way through the season for personal reasons. I believe they also sold at Withrow and maybe elsewhere. Hopefully they'll be back next year (their summer sausage was killer).
The best club sandwich in TO?
I personally HATE when the mayo comes on the side. You have to disassemble four quarters of a triple-decker sandwich - that takes time, folks! - while your food is getting cold. Or dip, which is uneven and a bit gross. I absolutely require the mayo to be on my club (though I have no problem with people ordering it 'on the side' if that's what suits them).
And my 2 cents re cheese vs. tomatoes:
Tomatoes are mandatory.
Cheese - now that's odd. I don't think I've ever had cheese on a club. It would probably be good, but I can't see how it's necessary.
Toronto: North Pole bakery--explain the appeal please.
Have you had their bread? It's excellent. I've never had their lunch specials (it is a bakery after all...) and haven't even bothered with their pastries. But I love their bread.
What to eat at The Keg? . . . I've had no luck in the past...
Can I actually add a tag-along question? I agree with everyone here who's replied, "Prime rib, prime rib, prime rib." That's all I ever order (with the odd app). but here's the weird thing: Until recently, I had never been disappointed. Until recently. But the past two times I've been (Keg Mansion, both times), the prime rib has been, well, less than stellar. In addition to being extremely gristly, there was next to no flavour.
Now, both of these times were very early in the evening (say somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30 maybe). Could that have anything to do with it? I know next to nothing about meat, but I was speculating that maybe the cuts nearer the mid-section (?) would be better, and that it would be a worthwhile endeavor to aim for a 7:30-8:30 start next time.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Best place for French-style pastries?
I haven't had croissants from any of the other places mentioned, but when you bite into a croissant from Pain Perdu, you will be instantly transported to Paris. Or Montreal, depending on your points of reference. It is a very, very, very dangerous place. I am glad that I live far away. Their croissants are flat-out addictive.
Restaurant Beaches Question
After being dragged to a Fox and (insert alliteration here) for lunch and experiencing about the worst service ever (more than an hour and a half for a business lunch with no lingering over drinks), I thought I could hardly do worse.
I was wrong.
A friend suggested that we meet at Michelle's Beach House (it was during the ridiculous early June heat wave). Sounded good, but I think a brief recap will suffice:
We're told it looks unlikely we can get a seat on the patio, but get the last one (the patio fills up at no point during our stay).
We are ready to order drinks and dinner at the same time and do so, asking for water (it's forty degrees outside).
The waters come.
...
My friend's dinner (an appetizer, to be fair), arrives solo. We still don't have our drinks. My dinner is nowhere to be seen, and neither are the frites that I ordered to complement her mussels. I mention that we are waiting on drinks (assuming that it is self evident that we would like to eat together).
Our drinks arrive with some 'charming' joke by the server, but no apology. I mention I would have liked to have eaten with my friend (she has finished). I also mention that he can cancel the order of frites, since they were a side for the mussles, which are now gone.
My friend's drink has curdled cream in it. She sends it back. No apology is forthcoming.
My Caesar has no horseradish in it (should have, as per the menu, not a special request).
My dinner comes. It's fine. My friend sends back her drink.
The frites come anyway. "They went through," says the waiter. We're charged for them.
My friend orders a Caesar, since she has to wait on me. Hers does have horseradish.
We tip 15%, but we shouldn't have.
Never, ever go there. It's complete bullsh!t.
Also, let it be said that service is low on my list of restaurant requirements. But service that bad at a place that clearly bills itself as top-drawer is kind of insulting.
Best Indian in TO
Couldn't agree more about Banjara, patches. I live almost in the Gerrard India Bazaar, but head across town when I need a serious fix. I've been about a half dozen times over the past year and, while they are somewhat inconsistent, I've never had a bad meal, and my last visit was superlative. I'll give Sher E Punjab a try, based on your rec. Thanks!
Best Poutine in Toronto? Anyone?
Duck,
I can only speak for myself, but on my poutine quest, I would guess that the blue truck you mentioned is the best poutine Toronto has to offer (though I don't remember it being called Steve's, so maybe I'm wrong--they definitely advertise as being halal, for what it's worth).
CAVEAT: It is not a classic poutine. They use mozz (not curds, as you mentioned), and their gravy is beef-based (not chicken--the classic). That said, and speaking as a die-hard curdie, given their stellar fries and their delicious, albeit non-traditional, sauce, I am willing to cut them a lot of slack, especially considering what else the city's poutineries have to offer.
Can anyone else weigh in?
Pupusas
There's also an amazing place on St. Clair W (El Sabor de El Salvador). The woman who runs it is amazing and hilarious, but the pupusas (and her homemade sauces) are the highlight. Don't forget to ask for the special hot sauce on the side.
Newly opened: La Tortillaria
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
All I can say is, it's about time.
Chinese New Years - Lai Wah Heen - What to order?
It'll be brutal. Don't even ask. That's why I'm trying to get some kind of idea of what to order...(His birthday just happens to fall on Chinese New Years, so it's a great present for him - that just also happens to be something I would never splurge on for myself. Convenient, eh?)
Chinese New Years - Lai Wah Heen - What to order?
Hi all,
I'm taking my sweetie to LWH for Chinese New Years, and it's really a splurge for us. So we want to make the most of our experience. Does this sound like the right thing to order?
-Rainbow chop of sun-dried oyster & water-chestnut in a golden-fried wonton fold
-Rich Seafood bisque soup swirling with shreds of shark’s fin & fresh crabmeat
-Braised Japanese dried abalone, oyster mushrooms & vegetable
-Deep-fried Cornish hen flavored with truffle sauce
-Butterfly-cut lobster steamed with garlic sauce
-Shrimp fried rice flavored with salted duck egg yolk
-Traditional New Year pastries
It's their "Deluxe Innovative New Year Menu."
Would it make more sense to order à la carte? Or one of their regular prix fixe menus? If so, what would you recommend?
Thanks for any suggestions.
chinese new year dinner
I just made reservations for New Year's at Lai Wah Heen, and there was no problem. They said they had lots of room. That said, can I piggy back this request and ask if anyone has recommendations? Like, there's a special New Year's prix fixe menu. Is it a good idea? Better off ordering off the menu? If so, what do we choose?
We're a party for two, so I don't think we'll be having the Peking Duck. Or should we?
Philly Cheese Steak - Where in TO?
Sorry, chouchou, I have to say go to Philly. They're available at tons of chain-type restaurants, but they generally have very little in common with what you'd get in Philly. My best suggestion is to find a place that makes great bread (you won't find Philly-style bread here--something about the water?), grab some sliced fondue meat, sliced Provolone (I prefer American myself, but it's not available here), chop yourself an onion and fry that puppy up.
Don't forget the cherry peppers (or long hots, if you can find 'em!).
Authentic Mexican purveyor needed
People keep saying that To can't support its own tortilleria, but somehow Montreal has an excellent one that is thriving. The Tortilleria Maya makes and sells fresh corn tortillas as well as flour ones, and all the permutations (nachos, tostadas, etc.). They also have a mini-taco stand and make their own salsas. I honestly don't believe that Toronto couldn't support such a place (they sell their products at their location on St. Laurent and also wholesale to other retailers - grocery stores and restaurants).
If this is giving anyone any ideas, speak now.
SOUP
I just went recently for the first time, but Esther's Soup Kitchen (in the Cumberland Terrace at Yonge/Bloor) is amazing. I had the mulligatawny, which was absolutely delicious, and my boy had (I believe) squash and roasted red pepper soup (also amazing).
They're only open something like 10-4 during the week, but for the holidays, they're open Saturdays (days) too.
Tomatoes
But that's what's so weird to me. At the Jean-Talon market, when the real field tomatoes come in, you're buying them from producers who know what they're talking about. That said, half of the vendors are importers, so they can't tell you, but they're selling, you know, bananas and mangoes, not sweet corn and ground cherries.
So who is actually representing at the market? I know the peach vendors I talked to all knew what they were doing, but tomatoes? Peppers? Forget about it.
Sigh. Next year, I'll have my own community garden, with any luck.
