rufuskink's Profile
Elle m'a dit on Baldwin
The restaurant seems a bit confused. Was there for the first time on a Sunday night dinner a week ago - the server informed us that the plates are for "sharing", and recommended ordering approximately 2 per person. While it makes sense to share things like the Flammenkuche (the "original" was tasty but tiny), it makes no sense to share an Alsatian beef and potato casserole served with a green side salad ( the casserole, by the way, was pretty bland). The choucroute garnie was good, with good portion sizes, and at 20-some $, would be a reasonable main. The seared tuna on a lentil salad was delicious, and was ok to share (in a large appetizer size kind of way). The food comes out of the kitchen as its ready, which is why they recommend sharing plates, apparently, but some dishes on the menu definitely seem like mains and others like appetizers (surely it makes no sense to have a hot mean'n'potato casserole with a side green salad before a dainty and flabourful bison tartare???) Overall, the food is tasty, but the place needs to figure out a plan, and redesign it's concept/ menu.
New Korean BBQ place on Bloor - Miga
Went last friday night - party of 3. Waited close to 1 hour to be seated, and an additional 45 minutes for food (not relaly sure why, as we ordered BBQ, so all they had to do was bring out our raw meat an light the grill). Despite the extremely slow and inefficient service, the foo was good, and the beef top-quality. Definitely worth the few extra dollars in terms of quality... but they have got to get better service!
Sushi delivery in etobicoke
ISO decent affordable sushi joint that delivers to North Etobicoke (Islington/401). Would appreciate any suggestions, even for pick-up in that area, or relatively close.
ISO - Choice Brand Russian Caravan Tea
Russian Caravan tea made by Choice Tea (an organic tea company from US) is one of my absolute favourites - and it seems to have disappeared from store shelves. Anyone seen it lately (preferably in the annex or somewhere downtown)?
Phoenix downtown - no car
I will be at a conference staying at the Wyndham downtown, with no car. Looking for good lunch and dinner options (maybe breakfast, too), low-mid range price-wise. Especially interested in mexican and fusion food... any suggestions are welcome!
Chai-spiced nuts recipe
I recently came across a recipe for chai-spiced roasted nuts and had every intention of making these for an vent next week. Now I can't find the recipe or remember where it came from! IOt involved using bags of chai tea to spice the nuts. Anyone have the recipe, source, or any suggestions?
Middle Eastern grocers downtown?
You might also want to try the little grocery store attached to Momo's Middle Eastern Restaurant on the corner of Robert and Harbord (1 bl W of Spadina). They carry a small selection of middle eastern groceries and spices.
Russian Recommendations?
The trick to Russian food is to stick more to appetizers than mains. There are wonderful salads (potato "olivier" salad; cooked vegetable salads; egg and fish salads - most are mayo-based and yes, rather heavy), then there is a plethora of varieties of smoked, pickled, and salted fish. Pickled vegetables (tomatoes and cucumbers) are popular, and the meat- or vegetable-filled pastries ("piroshki") are definitely the highlight. Mains are meat and potato-based, and relatively boring. The highlight, however, is "Pelmeni" - meat-filled wonton-like boiled dumplings (they are also called "manty" in more Uzbek-style places).
There are lots of Russian restaurants in North York. There are some at Bathurst/Finch or Bathurst/Steeles, as well as west on Steeles towards Dufferin. I don't have any names, but I think they are all relatively similar. Hope this helps a bit!
Where to buy confit duck legs for home?
I would like to purchase confit duck legs to use in my cooking (making a cassoulet!),and don't really know where to go to buy them. Any suggestions and positive experiences out there?
Rebel House - What to order?
Although the food and the beer are both good, the service is somewhat questionable. For example, even if you arrive after 9 or 10 on a Friday or Saturday night (for drinks and snacks - not dinner) - they won't seat you at a table, even when you are with 3 people (that's my experience, at least). They have in the past relegated my party to the bar, although there were tables available. Similarly - they won't let you sit on the patio unless you're having "dinner" - it seems that a pub-style establishment shouldn't be that stuck up about seating, considering the bar area is tiny and can comfortably only hold up to 6 people... However - I'd still recommend it - good dinner and tasty brunch too.
What happened to Tre Fontane?
Oh - that is very sad indeed. Sorry to have misinformed.
What happened to Tre Fontane?
Tre Fontane is usually open only for the spring and summer months. Apparently, the owners always close up shop in the fall and go to Rome for the winter (beats Florida any day...). So I am sure they will be back in the spring. Their gelato is pretty good too.
