Went there for some late night poutine and kishka. The wait staff was kind enough to give me a half-order of the kishka (not on the menu), since the two full items would have been a bit too much starch in gravy for me. The kishka were delicious--the best I've had, although that's not saying much. The poutine was very good too, although I found the texture of the beef in the gravy a bit tougher than I'd like to feel. It's still my favourite poutine in the city.

I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard the duck confit poutine they serve on weekday lunches is very good.

Tried this place a few weeks ago. Their rhubarb strawberry pie was the worst I've ever had. The crust was literally two thirds of the entire slice, and it was very, very badly made. The texture was like soggy bannock.

Can anybody recommend a place to buy a good amount of good chocolate for a good price? I know Dollarama used to have Scharffen Burger, but they don't anymore as far as I know. Where do you guys get your chocolate now? I don't mind buying large quantities--I go through a lot of chocolate. Bonus points if it's in North York.

World dairy prices have risen about 100% in the past year or so. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
Canada hadn't been feeling the effects of rising food prices much until very recently, but the prices you're starting to see are more reflective of the true cost of food.

Char siu pork at Kom Jug Yuen can't be missed.

Just tried brunch there yesterday. First thing I noticed was that they'd dropped their prices since opening, with most brunch items averaging $9 down from $13 or so.

Our party of three was all so enticed by the eggs Locavore that we didn't order anything else: a poached egg with tarragon hollandaise, generously flecked with smoked ham hock, served on top of a biscuit. Delicious. Sided with herbed potatoes and a tasty-but-oversalted salad. Great value at $10, especially for the area. Other brunch items include typical fare such as pancakes, french toast, a full English breakfast, and traditional sides.

The chef and owner came out to talk to us, and seemed very concerned about our thoughts. Always a good sign.

Going to be trying dinner there soon. Here's the dinner menu, which they said will be changing often: [url]http://rapidshare.com/files/166960578...

This place has tons of potential, I hope they start getting more business and that other hounds have as good an experience as ours was!

Does anybody know of good Chinese in the Avenue and Lawrence area? It doesn't have to be super cheap, but I'm looking for something not quite in the Lai Toh Heen price range.

Great food and good value; terrible, slow service. Not licensed.

I recall it being pretty mediocre. In the area you'll find worse, but you'll also find better.

I agree with Bluenote. The place is not a destination by any stretch of the imagination, but I have never had a problem with portion sizes nor quality. Personally, I'd take it over the Beacher.

Country Style on Bloor used to be the city's go-to Hungarian restaurant, but when the ownership changed, things went downhill fast.

Avenue rd. They mentioned on the sign that they are going to be featured on an upcoming Restaurant Makeover.

http://www.djerba-la-douce.ca/
Great North African food, and very, very affordable too.

I'll second Batifole. One of the cheapest French places in the city, and also one of the best.

I think Sado Sushi would be perfect. Do a quick search for the thread on it from a year or so ago.

Kawarth Dairy's fantastic mouthfeel comes from the additives in it. Their vanilla ice cream, for example, contains mono and diglycerides, locust bean gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, polysorbate 80, and carrageenan. Don't get me wrong, it's excellent tasting ice cream. All of those additives are not harmful.

Djerba la Douce (Danforth and Coxwell) is excellent, and serves lamb dishes for way under your budget. A quick search will get you a bunch of positive reviews from this board.

http://djerba-la-douce.ca/

I seem to recall seeing a notice about him opening a restaurant around Avenue and Eglinton. I may be mistaken.

Might as well echo the sentiments about the butter tarts: The best I've ever had.

Ci Vediamo used to be my go-to place in the beaches. I remember when it was hard to get a table there on a weeknight. Unfortunately, over the past few years, things have really gone downhill, and I avoid the place.

Hasn't been good for many, many years.

ViVetha Bistro is excellent and very affordable, just a bit east of Spiaggia on the south side.

I've been to Konditor a couple of times, and I was not impressed. Their signature apple strudel, "the best in the world", was literally so tough it could not be cut, and had to be chewed apart. With vanilla sauce, the $8 price tag is downright disgusting. I don't even remember what else I had there. Their coffee is also bitter.

Everything I've had at Zane's, including the coffee, is vastly superior, and cheaper to boot.

Vi Vetha at the very end of Queen East is excellent, especially for brunch. Green Eggplant is also a good option. The atmosphere and menu are a bit "upscale family casual", but the food has been prepared excellently, with very generous portions. Japango is another popular choice on these boards.

Greg's sells large containers to the public at their retail store, if you're able to make the trek there.

When you say "all" of their sauces are filled with sugar, you are wrong. Many are not. Avoid the cloying dishes like sweet 'n' sour xxx and you'll be fine. The glycemic load of most meat and veggie dishes is going to be WAY lower than the quinoa in the OP, so if that's fair game, then there's nothing to worry about in the sauces.

Chinese restaurants are probably your best bet. Just skip the rice and noodle dishes.

$14/g I think.

I see that Pusateri's is now selling the first white truffles of the season. I'm happy to hear that the crop is in, but I'm not so happy to have to pay their prices. Are there any other retailers selling them yet?

Ikki Sushi is consistently the worst Japanese food I've had in Toronto (AYCE buffets excepted), and I've had the misfortune of eating there many, many times.

I can second Nama's and Zen, although the latter is pricy.