toukolou's Profile
Any recent experiences at La Mexicanada in Bradford? Or alternative suggestions in the area (Cookstown)
Did you end up going? If so, how was it?
Visiting Chicago for the weekend any restaurant recommendations?
Thank you for the replies. I was just looking for some favourites in which our son would not be out of place, although we have brought him to some pretty decent places in Toronto. I will check out the links provided, thanks again.
Visiting Chicago for the weekend any restaurant recommendations?
Coming to Chicago January 21/22 with my wife and 7 month old son. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a couple of decent dinner restaurants. Price isn't very important, but good food is. Btw, our son is extremely well behaved and we haven't had issue taking him out to eat with us on a regular basis. Thanks for any tips.
nachos takeout
"Nachos to go" will never be half decent. They will become a congealed mass of soggy nachos and tepid cheese.
Unless of course that's your thing.
Honey- Where to buy?
Costco will most likely be the cheapest place you'll find it, short of starting your own apiary.
Best place to buy a Weber gas grill in the GTA?
Forget Appliance Canada, the two seperate occasions I've gone there looking for info I had extremely crappy service. The first time I stood around like a d*#k for 20 min waiting for a sales person after they were paged twice. I walked out. The second time around the sales guy was pulling numbers out of thin air when I was asking about prices. Not very forthcoming or pleasant to deal with, and I was looking for a whole package of high end appliances, I can only imagine what kind of service you'd get going in for a BBQ.
Try Sobies, you pay a bit more but you'll get top notch service.
Best Italian Sandwich
Commisso's prepares an extremely lame veal sandwich. There are several very good ones north of the city. Dino Panino on Langstaff east of Weston rd., all of Dantes sandwiches are good (if bit pricey), there's also a sandwich place on the s/w corner of Weston rd and hwy 7 in a plaza that have very tasty ones. California Sandwich has become pedestrian except for the original location. I find the issue with veal sandwiches is they tend to be underseasoned, the nonas need to remember to add salt.
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Dino Panino
3600 Langstaff Rd, Woodbridge, ON L4L9E7, CA
Toronto's Best Italian?!?
I second that. Our meal was grossly overpriced with respect to the overall experience.
Where to go for a romantic birthday dinner?
I haven't been yet but I've heard very good things about The Corner House, just off Davenport, east of Bathurst. Supposed to be very romantic and I'm told the food is quite good as well. Might be worth checking out.
Happy birthday btw, you are now legal to do anything in the world!
Aroma Espresso Bar opening in Forest Hill Village
Don't worry folks, they're opening one at Bathurst and Rutherford Rd! Wooo-hooo!
What's your most disappointing dining experience?
My vote goes to Pangea. Very expensive mediocre food. I don't mind shelling out for meal, but I expect to walk away thoroughly satisfied.
Not to mention the tip jar on the hostess table is extremely tacky (I assume it was for retrieving our coats). We've never seen this in a supposed high end restaurant before.
Dufferin/Rutherford Rd. Restos?
Btw, I'm with you on Dantes. Good solid American (Canadian?)- Italian food with generous portions and a dining room infinitely better than Abruzzos. You'd think Abruzzos, being as busy as they are (no accounting for bad taste), would invest a couple of bucks for some new tables and chairs, maybe a lick of paint. Disgraceful.
Dufferin/Rutherford Rd. Restos?
Abruzzo is overrated. Their pies are mediocre at best, can't comment about the rest of their food. Their dining room is not "rustic", it's a dump.
Cora's is another overrated resto that does not live up to it's hype. Every weekend a line up out the door, for what? Overcooked eggs wrapped in crepes that sit like a lead weights in your gut? Or maybe its the insipid fruit they insist on serving. Whatever it is, their food sucks.
Via Allegro overated? Overpriced? Other places suffering the same affliction?
Glad we're not the only ones who felt this way. "Variation of Alice Fazoolis" and "upscale Olive Garden" I think are very apt descriptions.
Btw, we also experienced the same issues with the door staying open and a winter draft blowing in. We also pointed it out to the service staff a couple of time, a bit dismaying they haven't dealt with the issue.
Via Allegro overated? Overpriced? Other places suffering the same affliction?
Had dinner last night at Via Allegro and I'm not sure what to make of it. The space was nice. The drink list impressive (if not bordering on gimmicky, ie.1923 Rothchild/$45 000?) Food was good, prepared properly, seasoned well, plated nicely. Service on the other hand was somewhat painful. Price is another issue entirely. Two apps, two mains, two glasses wine, $189.
It seems as though management/ownerships whole approach is slightly schizophrenic. They want to be fine dining, rustic, upscale, laid back all at the same time. This whole disconnect begins when you pull into the strip plaza and fight for parking with the Staples customers located next door. Toronto Life top 10, that needs a rethink. I'm just curious, anyone else share our sentiments/experience?
Looking for Toronto Classics
Btw, EMP is one of our favourite places in NY. Cost and quality @ Opus comparable. We don't think you'll be disappointed.
Looking for Toronto Classics
Just had dinner at Opus tonight. I have to say it was a really fine meal. No reservations, 7ish Saturday night. No problem. Certainly worth a try, on a beautiful street, in a beautiful setting, with a legendary wine list (although sommelier recommended a $65 bottle among 3 and 4 figure bottles), and fabulous, well prepared food. Not cheap, but worth the cost. Wife just said "It was SO good".
Big Island mediocrity
Harbor House, Kenichi Pacific, Ken's House of Pancakes, malasadas (and lunch) @ the Tex Drive-in, Tommy Bahama's, Browns Beach House, Roy's...these are the ones we can recall, there were several not even worth remembering. We've eaten in many restaurants in North America and Europe both big name and small local places and there are always gems or real local specialties. The extent of specialties (beyond the aforementioned pork) on BI is the Loco Moco. Boiled rice, a hamburger pattie, and an egg all smothered in gravy. Really not bad, but hardly worth special mention. Ruths Chris? I can get that in any number of cities in North America. Kona coffee, it's great, but I never sit back at the end of the night and say "wow, what a great cup of coffee that was eh honey?" Sorry guys, but we just wanted to share our experience with other chowhounders.
Big Island mediocrity
Recently spent our honeymoon on the Big Island and were quite disappointed with the food quality. The best we had, with respect to fine dining, was the CanoeHouse @ the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Resort. We tried several other resort restaurants (including a very disappointing 9 course tasting menu at the Four Seasons) along the Kona coast and nothing was much better than mediocre. Beyond that we tried many places suggested by other chowhounders and nothing proved really exciting. Such a shame for a relatively unspoiled island with a decent amount of fresh produce and livestock to feature. The one revelation was their pork. Man, why can't we buy that flavourful pork in typical grocers. That was the one outstanding memory we had with Hawaiian dining.
Acquerello rocks
Dinner @ Acquerello was top notch. Price was top dollar, quality superlative. We've paid more for tasting menus, but the wine refills coupled with the pace, as well as the taste of the food was fabulous. Highly recommended. Part of the pleasure of dining is not having to book months in advance for a reservation, and still have a truly memorable meal. Worth every penny.
Toronto's Best Italian?!?
Tutto Bene, in a strip mall just south of Hwy 7 on Yonge St. Well executed, authentic Italian. I find the menu a bit lame, but the specials usually rock. Always busy when I go, including weeknights.
Best pizza in Toronto?
It's a sit down/takeout (not sure about delivery) place. Pretty nicely done inside, fireplace, flatscreens, beer, wine etc...As for one of the best in TO, I've got to try them a few more times before I can confidently pass judgement. Based on my single experience it was a very tasty pie, worth a try.
Best pizza in Toronto?
New place in Thornhill i just tried, Jazz Pizza (or something like that), really enjoyed it. Nice thin crisp crust with just the right chew. The sauce was quite tasty as well, with just a touch of sweetness. Really good pie.
