VP of Feeling Groovy's Profile
Bellwoods Brewery - good beer and snacks
On Friday night, my sweetie and I strolled over to Ossington to check out Bellwoods Brewery and are glad we did.
When we arrived around 6PM or 6:30, it was already pretty full. We were able to nab a tiny table upstairs. Although the place was full of hipsters, both staff and customers, we were made to feel quite welcome though we are middle-aged, un-tattooed, and were not in our most fashionable gear.
My sweetie had the Common (pale ale) and I had the Farmhouse Saison and the Witchshark IIPA. All were interesting and tasty introductions to the BB's wares. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful in explaining the different beers.
For snacks, with our first beer we shared 2 sticks (skewers) - Jerusalem artichokes with horseradish (yum) and chicken hearts (perfectly cooked, very tasty, the best I've had since I was a kid). Very impressive! My sweetie was apprehensive about the hearts, I don't think he'd eaten chicken hearts before, and he also liked them very much. Disappointing for me, since I had to share....
When we decided to stay for a second beer, we ordered a dish of chili peanuts that was also very tasty. It was a gentle chili which was good - I love heat and spice but it was good that the chili didn't overwhelm or take away from the beer.
The prices all seemed quite reasonable - $3 or $4 each for the snacks and the beer prices seemed just a smidge more than you'd pay for your basic mass brewed beers at a regular pub so it was all very good value.
All in all, very tasty and enjoyable. I guess we should have ordered more from the Bellwoods Brewery menu instead of heading out to Ossington and to Fishbar, which I've covered in another post.
Ossingtons Newest-One Word PERFECT
The OP and I must have gone to different restaurants. Or Fishbar has changed dramatically since it opened last year.
We found ourselves on Ossington on Friday evening to check out Bellwoods Brewery (will report on it separately). After a beer and skewer at the Brewery, we were in the mood for a little more food. Wandering up Ossington, we decided on Fishbar partly because we hadn't tried it before and partly because the menu looked interesting.
All in all, it was a pretty disappointing experience. The room looked charming, the servers were pleasant but not fabulous, and the food was unexceptional and overpriced.
The two of us had:
- the smelts. These were the low point - too salty and just not great. Maybe they weren't cooked enough, maybe smelts just aren't to my taste. I know they are fish, and are relatively strong, but they were too "fishy" in a bad way. The server gave us some house-made cocktail sauce to accompany the smelts and it did make them more palatable. Though the sauce was quite sweet; I generally prefer a cocktail sauce with more of a bite.
- the scallops with chorizo and something sweet - apple butter? $16 for 3 scallops?! That might be OK if the dish were amazing but it was not. The scallops on their own were lovely - well cooked, very nice. But the chorizo was vastly made up of 4 or 5 teeny cubes of way overcooked sausage. And the fruit sauce was a weird choice for the crispy chorizo and scallop. Again - $16 for 3 scallops and some bacon bits?!
- the calamari was the high point of our visit to Fishbar. Nice, crunchy breading and well cooked, not overcooked or rubbery. But decent deep-fried squid is not hard to find in Toronto so I wouldn't hurry back just for this.
Other than those little dishes, my sweetie had a watery, bland, overpriced prawn caesar. I had a decent glass of white wine. It is nice that they offer 3 oz and 6 oz glasses but the wine list was not overly interesting.
Overall, I don't regret trying Fishbar. But I won't be hurrying back.
Restaurant recs for New Westminster, BC
I grew up in the area and have had to return to New West a few times in the past year which have included a couple lunches at Taverna Greka, at the east end of Columbia Street.
The food is quite good, but the best part is to have a window seat above the Fraser River and to watch the tug boats and river traffic while you have your souvlaki and potatoes. (Don't miss the roast potatoes, they are garlic and mustardy and delicious.)
http://www.taverna.ca/
Family run, same people were working there from when I worked in New West 20 years ago, friendly service, decent food, overall just a nice way to spend an hour or two.
Also, for the OP, if you have a bit of time, there is no reason to stay in New West. Hop on the Sky Train and it'll have you on Commercial Drive or downtown in short order.
Best Brewed Coffee in Toronto?
My fave spots to buy beans for home brewed coffee are Te Aro, Balzac's and iDeal coffee. I've had good coffee, both brewed and espresso-based, at all of them. The common thread? All roast their own beans.
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Te Aro
983 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M1K2, CA
Tibetan Restaurants - Toronto
I strongly concur with ingloriouseater - if in the Entertainment District and looking for a casual place for a beer, Everest would be acceptable. But for food, even in that dire neighbourhood, avoid Everest.
The only Tibetan place I've been in T.O. is the one around Queen & Niagara (Tibet Kitchen? Little Tibet?) and I found it fine. Tibetan food is not the most exciting in the world but I love it regardless, partly (mostly) because I visited Tibet many years ago and it was among my most favorite travels / places. So I enjoy visiting this restaurant - friendly service, comfy atmosphere, tasty, reasonably authentic food given that it doesn't include yak :-)
Maya Ik - not icky at all!
A few years ago, I was introduced to Maya Ik, a hot sauce from Guatemala. When I used up my supply (bought in Guatemala by friends working there), I looked all over Toronto for it with no success and have had to get people to bring up bottles for me to satisfy my cravings.
I was so pleased a couple weeks ago when a friend noticed Maya Ik for sale at Perola in Kensington Market! I bought a few bottles so there'd be some turnover in their inventory in the hopes they will make it a regular item. And, as part of that scheme, I'm telling you about it.
Maya Ik is not very hot for a hot sauce but has a very nice smoky flavour, probably made with chipotles. Just $1.99 a bottle so I'd encourage you to check it out while it is available. And let us know what you think.
Looking for food shops in Kensington Market
I agree with the other suggestions - Perola, Moonbeam, European Meats, Global Cheese are all good and fun to shop at. House of Spice was mentioned, it is where I buy most of my spices.
For no good reason, I tend to buy bulk items (nuts, dried fruit, bulk candy / chocolate, etc.) from the shop next to Louie's (NE corner of Augusta and Baldwin, I think). I'm sure the other places are also fine but that shop has a large selection, most of which is protected from the elements instead of out on the sidewalk.
My Market Bakery is OK. I wish I liked their breads more as I prefer to support small independent stores. A couple doors down, Cob's is an international chain and some of their breads are very nice.
There is a "health food" store on the west side of Kensington right at the T-junction by St. Andrews? The street that Moonbeam is on - that I like. They have a good selection of organic foods, helpful staff, good prices. I can't remember the name but it is the one right at the T and is a couple steps up.
The produce places are pretty similar. I tend to shop at the one on the SE corner of Augusta and I think Bellevue because they have a largish selection that tends to be fresh and decent quality.
The "What's good in Peel" thread.. (BRAMPTON/MISSISSAUGA Only please) :^)
Now I'm feeling like I should post this on the other thread, to defend Lion City. :-) My experience was quite different than the other one. It's actually the 3rd time our group of 4 has been there though it had been a couple years since the last time.
My experiences at Lion City, including this week, were good. It is a small, family owned place and the decor is old school "ethnic" restaurant. Clean but plain, bright lights, basic tables and chairs. Not fancy and not elegant. More cheap and cheerful but the food is good and one of the only Malaysian places I know of around with a range of authentic dishes.
The service was fine, not great but not bad. It has service typical of Vietnamese restaurants - each table gets a piece of paper and pen so you write down your order. We ordered 1 or 2 things that we didn't see on the menu, knowing they must have roti canai as it is a Malaysian classic. One of the vegetable dishes requested was not available as the veg is out of season. Someone came out to discuss this and suggested an alternate. We lingered to chat and they didn't rush us. The service could have been more attentive but wasn't bad.
What I care most about is the food and it was good. The veg were fresh and nicely cooked. In the gado gado, the veg were blanched and a bit crunchy - just right as it is more of a salad. The gado gado sauce was very tasty. The sambal gai lan was also nicely cooked. The flavour isn't my favorite - too much fish sauce for my liking. But it is a favorite of one of my friends, who lived in Malaysia, and she liked it a lot. The KL Laksa Mee was very good. The popiah were interesting with a nice mix of flavours and textures inside the wrapper. I really enjoyed the beef and eggplant curry and the roti canai.
I don't want to build it up too much. It is just a nice little restaurant with fresh and tasty food. I'll go back.
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Lion City Restaurant
1177 Central Pky W, Unit 70, Mississauga, ON L5C4P3, CA
The "What's good in Peel" thread.. (BRAMPTON/MISSISSAUGA Only please) :^)
Thanks for the suggestions!
We ended up at Lion City for Malaysian and it was very tasty. Had the popiah for the first time and it was yummy. KL Laksa Mee, roti canai, sambal gai lan, beef and eggplant curry, gado gado - all good. We probably ordered too many similar tasting dishes, next time will try to have more variety.
The "What's good in Peel" thread.. (BRAMPTON/MISSISSAUGA Only please) :^)
Hi all,
I'm looking for a mid-week dinner spot closer to the northwest corner of Mississauga for 4 friends to have some good food. We'd like to linger and chat over a nice meal, we all like all kinds of foods and have all lived overseas and travelled extensively and aren't afraid of ethnic or new tastes.
Preferably not a chain, definitely not a roadhouse, mid-priced, high quality.
Recommendations? Most of the ideas on this thread so far seem either too fast and casual for our dinner or pretty far south (Lakeshore). We can drive anywhere but are starting from the 401 and Mississauga Rd. area.
Thanks in advance!
ISO Saturday Brunch Restaurant - Queen/Uni
Try the Peter Pan Bistro at the corner of Queen and Peter - just a couple blocks west of Uni. We had brunch with about 12 people a few weeks ago on their nice little patio and the service and food was excellent, despite us being a large and unorganized group, and the restaurant being a bit busy. I didn't realize they had a patio and it was quite nice.
Authentic Dulce de Leche
There are several latin grocery stores in Kensington Market and all stock a couple brands of dulce de leche. For no particular reason, I shop at Perola's which is (I think) the most northern Latin store on Augusta. They have a few different brands of dulce de leche and can, I'm sure, make recommendations or explain the differences. I believe they are Mexican and have more Mexican products but there is also good representation from Argentina and other S. American countries.
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Perola
247 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T, CA
Great Restaurants with Kids in Toronto
A fun dining experience is the Bluegrass Brunch at the Dakota Tavern on Sundays. I've just been once and it was PACKED with people under 10 y.o., more babies than adults, I think. Decent food, live music, filled with downtown hipsters, it could be a fun way to end your T.O. trip.
When we went, the food was average quality (not bad but not wonderful). It is served "family style" and everyone helps themselves. It is not a buffet - table service with big plates for sharing. About $12/ person for adults? Probably a deal for kids but I was one of the few tables without tots so I don't know for sure.
Casual brunch west Queen west
I live closer to Bathurst than to Ossington so my casual brunch spots in the area reflect that. There are several good options. My choices would be (in no particular order):
Swan on Queen near Clinton is tasty but no good if there are more than 4 of you as most of the seating is at booths that can't seat more than 4.
A bit further west on Queen near Manning - Squirly's is a very casual, cheap, reliable place. Not a typical Chowhound destination, a bit (but not excessively) grungy, but a decent, inexpensive, neighbourhood place.
Fresh (Queen at Shaw, next to Swan) is not the most comfortable, the patrons are young and covered in Lululemon, and it is vegetarian so no bacon with your eggs but the food is good, especially brunch. I like it but have trouble convincing El Presidente to brunch without bacon.
If you can venture up to Dundas and a few blocks (really, not far) east of Ossington, there's Musa at Euclid. I like their grilled fruit and egg plate and have had good brunch experiences there.
Amazing Grace (Dundas around Bellwoods) has yummy food but is very popular, small and can be too much of a wait so don't bother if you don't want to fight crowds.
The Palmerston (on Palmerston at Dundas, north side) is more of an Italian cafe - not trendy in the West Queen West way, clean, good food - would meet your criteria though I can't remember if it is a typical brunch menu.
Very trendy and popular but fun are the bluegrass brunches at the Dakota - on Ossington a couple doors north of College. Family style eating - they bring big plates of whatever is on the menu that day for the whole table. I think it's about $12 a person. Lots of small children and young, hipster parents. Not excessively grungy but not excessively clean, either. Go early or you'll be fighting crowds.
Skip the Drake - OK food but too pricey, too trendy, and too popular. Though it is good if you just want to grab a muffin and coffee in the coffee shop.
And, finally, I have noticed the Lakeview Lunch on Dundas at Ossington is being cleaned up and was about to re-open. Has anyone been by recently? Heard anything? If it is open, it might meet your criteria and in a great, retro, diner atmosphere.
What should I order at Julie's Cuban?
Like Thora, I've never had a bad experience at Julie's. Though the food hasn't overwhelmed me, it's always been pretty good. And the ambience and service have been very good. I prefer to eat tapas style - share a salad or two, some plantain, ceviche, papas rellena... yum! Enjoy! And let us know how your meal goes!
Breakfast!
Kalendar is one of my fave's in this neighbourhood, too. Just a bit further west of there, so closer to U of T, is Auntie's & Uncles. It is on Lipincott, a few meters north of College. A bit funky, student feel (mismatched diner decor) but good food.
These may be a bit outside your "downtown university" range but I'd also recommend Boom Breakfast on College a block or so west of Ossington and Prague Deli on Queen around Palmerston. Both open early on weekdays, which is hard to find in this area.
Torrefazione Italia Coffee Beans in TO
Torrefazione was bought by Starbucks several years ago. I wasn't aware that this brand was available anywhere in Canada, I believe it is mainly sold through grocery stores in the USA and is slowly being killed off since Starbucks bought the other Seattle roaster, Seattle's Best Coffee, a couple years ago.
What did you like so much about it? Was it a brewed coffee or espresso based? Maybe you can find something similar from a local roaster. Just an idea...
Road Food from Toronto to Sarnia
Actually, we're off this weekend on a road trip to Thunder Bay so are looking for the same - recommendations that don't include Swiss Chalet or Tim's for decent food along the route. Will do a round trip through Sarnia and Sioux Ste. Marie one way and Hwy 17 through Timmins the other. Any recommendations?
Starbucks Scone
I'm pretty sure that Starbucks has changed their sourcing so that now all stores get baked goods from a central supplier. The baked goods are made, then flash frozen and are delivered to the stores. They are certainly not baked fresh every day, nor are they necessarily locally made.
This is different from a few years ago, when each metropolitan market had its own suppliers and you would find different baked goods in Toronto than in Vancouver or Chicago. Just take a look at the Starbucks website's nutritional info and you'll see the exact same scones and muffins across Canada. So that is probably why you don't see the cinnamon chip scone anymore, and probably won't see it ever again - at least at Starbucks.
I used to like some Starbucks muffins and scones but the past couple years have found them mostly inedible. I've even returned a scone because it was stale - not because I cared about the $2.50 or whatever but to make sure the store knew how bad the product quality was.
Toronto noodle shops
I respectfully have to disagree with the recommendation of King's Noodle. It is sometimes OK but usually the dumplings are undercooked and the broth disappointing. The new decor is nice but the food is generally mediocre.
My Spadina standby is Goldstone, not amazing but reliable, pretty good noodles.
Where to buy Illy coffee for a good price
what do you usually pay for Illy? What would be a good price?
Any good pubs in Queen W area?
There is also The Beaver, a few doors east (or maybe west, in between the Drake and Gladstone). It isn't a pub but a casual resto where you can have a meal and pint. And there is a tiny pub in the Gladstone, though it'll probably be too busy late at night.
Further west, the other side of the train track, is the Cadillac Lounge. Decent pub food, nothing special food wise, but usually live music that is usually good. Not sketchy, just a decent place for a pint and snack and some tunes.
Where to buy auth. Guatemalan coffee?
I'm pretty sure that Cafe Britt is from Costa Rica and not Guatemala. So are you looking for a source of Cafe Britt brand coffee or coffee from Guatemala / Costa Rica? If it is the latter, most good coffee roasters would have this. Try Alternative Grounds on Roncesvalles or ideal coffee or Dark City Coffee or Manic or Dark Horse or even Starbucks.
what is good on Swan's brunch menu?
what's not good at Swan? The brunch menu isn't huge and is a mix of traditional breakfasty things (omelettes) and more lunchy (salads, some fish thing I can't remember). I usually end up having one of the specials, generally some kind of omelette. And I've always enjoyed it.
If you haven't been before, one thing to be aware of is that it is fairly small and mostly booths so it is almost impossible to accommodate groups larger than 4.
Where to find Japanese sweets??
I was in Sanko a few days ago and got chatting with the guy working there. He gave me a Japanese directory - sort of a Yellow Pages for everything Japanese around Toronto. I'm sure it would be available at any Japanese shop or convenience store. It would be worth consulting for sweet shops or manufacturers.
And I know it is Chinese, but have you checked T&T? They have such a wide range of products from all over Asia - it could be worth at least looking.
Creating an Ontario/Toronto Sticky -- Your feedback
I agree this is a great suggestion. The idea of including local abbreviations and common references is particularly helpful to newbies and out-of-towners. I visited Duluth, Milwaukee and Chicago this summer and searched the local chowhound boards for suggestions. I found it quite frustrating as lots of the references were to neighbourhoods that I wasn't familiar with. And since most of the boards are regional, I often couldn't even gauge which city they were talking about. I'm sure visitors or new settlers to Toronto feel similarly frustrated with our board.
The ever controversial "The Keg"
I agree with the general opinion - the Keg is a good place for a decent steak and drinks with friends. But be sure to avoid the garlic mashed potatoes at all costs. Last time I visited a Keg (not the Keg Mansion), two of us out of 5 ordered the mashed potatoes and they were horrific, inedible, lumpy, starchy messes. Stick with the baked potato, much safer.
I like the Keg's Caesars - spicy and tasty. I think they use horseradish which is a nice touch.
Nice Desserts in Restaurants?
One of the places I like for food and desserts is Kalendar on College at Euclid. It's just a casual neighbourhood place, the service is friendly, you can have a meal, or snacks, or just drinks - whatever you're in the mood for. I like the wraps (they call them scrolls and wrap them in a dahlpourie - sp? roti) or daily specials.
I've only had dessert occasionally but always enjoyed it and they seem to have a good selection of rich, fruity, sweet and not-too-sweet.
Looking for best dim sum place in downtown Toronto
The Golden Mile closed a couple years ago. Yiu Wah, the restaurant that was on the 2nd floor moved up into the Golden Mile's space.
Yiu Wah is my best choice pick for Chinatown dim sum. But it is the best of a mediocre lot - nothing to write home about, as the original poster said.
I don't think there are any excellent dim sum places downtown Toronto, with the exception of Lai Wah Heen. I've never tried Dynasty so can't comment. I have lived in Hong Kong and grew up in BC so am used to better dim sum than is available in the city of Toronto. If you are really set on dim sum and have transportation, go to Markham or other suburbs =)
An American needs your help!
For hotels, I would consider the Drake or Gladstone - both on Queen West near Dufferin. Neither is super high-end (they aren't the King Eddy or Royal York) but they're in a great neighbourhood with easy access to transit or a taxi to get to good restaurants. More fun than staying in the business district, with art galleries and good places to eat and drink nearby.
