chephy's Profile
Lamprey anywhere in the GTA?
Apparently lampreys are considered a delicacy. Has anyone heard of any place in or around Toronto to get those?
No Frills vs. Food Basics vs. Loblaws vs. Valu-Mart vs. Sobeys vs. Dominion vs. Other
It's difficult for me to arrange chains by price because I rarely pay attention to how much things cost (unless it's truly extraordinarily cheap or expensive). What matters to me the most is the quality of food, and service/shopping experience also count for something. Unfortunately, I haven't found one single mainstream grocery store that has good produce - sometimes you get a surprise hit, but it's very rare, and very random. It's a really sad reality: North America doesn't have real fruits and veggies. Maybe if you grow your own...
So I'll just evaluate the shopping experience as well as the quality of some non-produce foods (meat, fish etc.) Here are some of my observations of nearby stores.
Dominion (Yonge & Eglinton)
Ugh, terrible place. Too small, too busy, always out of this and that. Unfortunately that's where I shop most often because it's the closest store to my house, by a big margin. Its only advantage is that it's 24/7 - if you get a craving for something at 2 a.m. (I do sometimes) - it's nice to know I can get a munchie there.
Sobeys (Mt. Pleasant & Davisville)
Don't go there very often, but I wasn't all that impressed when I was there. Ok, I guess.
Loblaw's (Yonge & St. Clair)
Smallish, as far as Loblaws stores go, but fairly decent.
Bruno's (Yonge & St. Clair)
Excellent selection of meat and many "upscale" groceries. Pricey, but worth it.
Where to eat near Union Station tonight?/Save me from chain restaurant hell
Le Papillion??? That God-awful tourist trap?...
When I'm down around Union Station for food, that usually means I'm going to C'Est What (for beer more than food - their food is passable, but nothing special). A lot of people on these boards complain about poor service at C'Est What, but I found the service fine and consistent.
Another place I admit I like around there is Canyon Creek Steakhouse. Ironic, for someone who just berated a poster recommending Le Papillion, but what can you do? I enjoy the atmosphere, consistent good food, and their very tasty cosmos. Sorry. :-)))
Living in Downtown Toronto
Not related to food so much, but to your lack of car... You're downtown: bike! Cheaper and faster than the TTC and definitely beats walking. You expand your range dramatically; "reasonable distance" goes up by a factor of 6 or so. :-)
A milk crate rigged to a rear rack will hold a good amount of groceries. ;-)
Kensington Kitchen Closed
I have rather mixed reactions about KK. There was one dish (I forget what it was called... Istanbul lamb, I think) that I absolutely loved there, some appetizers were fine too - but some dishes were really bland and boring. Also, I was once served a martini once that was basically water. I'm not exaggerating - it was a very faint shade of pink and I swear it was at least 90% water. At least they took it back and didn't charge for it once I complained, but they seemed grumpy about it. So that was about the last time I went there (because of the martini incident and because they changed the great Istanbul lamb dish too, to make it much less interesting).
I'll be curious to see who moves in there.
P.S. Oh, I see. :-)
Alize Toronto Midtown
I was completely underwhelmed there at brunch once too. The service was ok, but the brunch was way too expensive, portions were too small and the taste was nothing special. I left hungry and unhappy.
They might be better for dinner, but I won't go there for brunch.
Yonge & St.Clair - under $20 mains
Fionn MacCool's is a good option. They have some decent beer, and the food is not bad. Kind of upscalish pub fair.
If you like microbrewed beer, I definitely recommend Bow & Arrow at Yonge & Davisville. Food is quite good, and the beer selection is great. People say it's not what it used to be since one of the founders left... but I rather like it anyway.
The Rebel House is definitely not too expensive. You can get
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Rebel House
1068 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W2L4, CA
Bow & Arrow
1954 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4S, CA
Fionn MacCool's
21 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M4V, CA
Any good food near Milton?
Brydens is a very nice pub (great food, decent beer selection though I wish they had more microbrews). So is the one in Toronto... there are no other ones, so it's not really a chain, and the Milton branch is actually the original. The wings place is excellent as well.
Favourite bulk store? Food supplement store?
I've recently started a strength training program which means I'm going to need energy and muscle building material, so I am looking for a place where I can load up on huge sacks of nuts and dried fruit, as well as a place to cheaply buy protein-loaded energy bars and whey protein powder in large quantities. I'm looking for good deals and considerable discounts over the regular pricing at grocery stores. Anyone have any suggestions for where to look for bulk stuff, big cases of energy bars, and huge vats of protein powder in Toronto?
Lunch Near Casa Loma?
This same topic was discussed a little while back: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/404559 .
Mirco Brewery Beer w/ pub fare downtown TO?
There is a pub called Bow&Arrow at Yonge and Davisville. Almost 30 microbrews on tap and quite decent food. That's my default watering hole these days, and I love it. :-)
Canadian Version of "Burgers to Eat Before You Die" ?
I went to Weezie's a couple of days ago just to try the burger. :-) It was good. One of the best I've had in a long while. However, it wasn't very big. I think they jacked up the prices a notch and downsized the portions, compared with when they first opened.
For those of you who are York University students, a surprisingly good burger can be had at the York Lanes mall on campus, in a bar called Blueberry Hill. Not "to die for", but it's actually quite juicy and the choice of toppings is good. Overall far better than I'd expect from an establishment like that. Nonexpensive, of course, given that it's on campus. Wash it down with a pint of Waterloo Dark they have on tap (I think... they have one light beer and one dark beer, and the dark one is good) if you're of legal drinking age - and you don't have to spend precious TTC tokens and wait forever for the 106 bus to go to a downtown pub. :-) Mmmm... I want one now...
And yep, DD's burger is a huge greasy tasteless mess.
mill street brewpub
Dropped by for the first time a couple of days ago with the boyfriend. Here are the impressions:
The atmosphere is pretty good. Nice vibe inside, not too loud. We were first given a table in the middle of the room (I really prefer to be near a corner or a wall and not be surrounded by people on all sides and have waiters trip over my chair...). So I objected and the waitress suggested a better location. The service in general was friendly and reasonable.
The beer is good. I like Tankhouse and Coffee Porter myself. Cobblestone Stout seemed a little watery, but the IPA was not bad. The food was not great though. My bf ordered a curry - nothing special and far too little rice (weird... usually places are generous with rice and cut back on the curry itself). My pulled pork sandwich with peach BBQ sauce had too little pork for the big bun and the peach BBQ sauce overpowered any pork flavours. I didn't even finish it. I might return for drinks and some apps if I'm in the area, but I don't think I'll be having dinners there again...
Obscure cuisine in Toronto
> starts at 11 am. only problem is it's near York U
> so getting there'll mean either a car or an early start.
Oh, come on, it's just a short bikey. :-)))
Horsemeat
Batifole on Gerrard had a horse tartare steak on the menu.
EDIT: Ooopsie, didn't read your whole post, the bit about not wanting tartare... sorry...
Worst/Best Tourist Trap Food in TO
Rainforest Cafe? Yikes! The worst crab cakes I've ever had in my life. Spaghetti Factory is pretty awful too. But I can't say the 360 is so bad, especially when the free ride up is factored in. I'd say the food there was quite decent although the service, actually, on the slow side, contrary to another poster's experience. And you don't even have to have a dinner. The elevation is "complimentary with a purchase of an entree". So go to the restaurant and buy just an entree. Plus your elevator ride is much quicker since you don't have to stand in lines.
Cora's - worth visiting?
I went once, to their Wellington location. Nothing really great. The mound of fresh fruit WOULD have been nice, but most of it was not even ripe! I just picked out the grapes (those were sort of ok) and the (tasteless) strawberries.
Given the crowds, I won't be back. I don't understand why the crowds, but I'm kinda glad people go there, leaving better locations a little less busy. *wink* ;-)
Sports bar with decent food?
Interesting. I found basically all food items basically inedible - and I'm not THAT much of a picky eater. Perhaps they have a new chef (I went there a couple of years ago)?
Need recs for UofT area
No, the drinks should be okay, but I understood that $30-40/person limit is for the whole dinner, not just for drinks.
Fressen - Toronto - Review
My boyfriend and I just went today, after reading Orange Whip's review (and hearing good stuff about the place for a while now :-)). We're very pleased.
Soup: sweet potato with coconut and ginger. Slightly spicy and very pleasant. Starch: sweet potato ravioli mentioned above -- superb! Crunch: mushrooms in philo pastry floating in a bunch of sauce whose ingredients I don't rememeber and can't easily identify from the taste: quite nice. I am a big mushroom lover. :-) Salad: avocado and chickpeas, with quite a refreshing and original dressing.
Somewhat less impressed by the dessert (chocolate mousse + belgian chocolate cake + some fruites). While the mousse was very pleasing, the fruits weren't quite ripe and the chocolatey gooey thing, whatever that was, far too dense for my tastes. The specialty coffees we ordered weren't quite as nice as those from other places due to lack of cream: soy milk, in my view, is inferior to the real thing.
Overall, however, a great experience. I am a huge carnivore: my mother says that when I was as young as three I would sit down for dinner and inquire what the meat was. And if, god forbid, there was no meat, I would make a face and ask what the point of the meal was then. And yet, not for a moment tonight did I sit at my table thinking "God, I wish I had some steak..." I was too busy enjoying the flavourful, colourful and downright delicious meal. The organic Ontario Frogpond Riesling 2002 went down extremely easily as well. It's a shame that bottle has only half a litre in it. :-)
The service was quite attentive and prompt.
I will be back. :-)))
Need recs for UofT area
Just be aware that Canoe and the 360 will end up costing way beyond the $30-40/per person price range. But dinner in 360 includes complimentary elevation (something like 20 bucks on its own), and if you do want to visit the tower, I'd say this does become a pretty good deal then.
Best resto/pub in Annex or Harbord Village area?
+1. The worst pub I've been in in my whole life. I was given a menu that really stank of piss. I kid you not. You know how you have to block your nose when passing by some homeless folks? Well, that was worse. When I asked the waitress about it, she just shrugged, didn't even offer me a different menu! And I just got out of there asap...
Need recs for UofT area
So are you looking at restos near U of T or near Osgoode hall? They are, admittedly, not very far from each other, but I wouldn't call 89 Chestnut St a "U of T area". Not being nasty here - I know you're out of town - just clarifying. :-)
Sports bar with decent food?
Thanks for all the replies, guys. I'll check these places out. :-)
As for the neighbourhood pubs, they won't always put a game on for me. :-( The Raps really aren't so popular. Quite a few of the Raptors games are on the special Raptors channel now anyway, which most places don't have. And they will certainly not put on sound.
Sports bar with decent food?
I generally hate TV and therefore don't have cable, but I really do like to see an occasional Raptors game. So I'm always on the lookout for places where I can watch their games (preferably with sound on) while having a pint and some decent food. Unfortunately, most places I know of that do show basketball have far from great food. One place I used to go to is on St. Clair West, a few steps west of Yonge, called something like "The Sports Cafe" and all I can say about it is AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. The first couple of times I went there I actually ordered food which was a HUGE mistake since there is literally nothing on the menu that they do not screw up really badly. It's quite funny really. I would sit there and drool when a Macdonalds ad came up on TV because I'd really love to have a Big Mac instead of whatever awful thing I had in front of me. So I stopped getting food there and just starting ordereing beers... but then several times in a row I was served beer that has obviously been sitting around and was completely flat, or a beer that's meant to be cold served at room temperature, or beer in a sticky dirty-looking glass. Lemme tell you - never again...
So, does anyone know of a place with decent grub that shows basketball? I am not expecting anything spectacular, just something reasonably edible. I know Madison Pub has a sports lounge and they do have Raptors TV and do show games, albeit without sound (at least when blasted hockey is on... which is all the bloody time...). That's good to know, but anyone has any other favourites?
I am sorry if this is not quite on topic. This thread may be too much about sports and too little about food... but it does relate to food. :-) I hope the fellow Chowhounds forgive me.
What Happened to Allen's?
As some of the posters above, I never understood the hype about Allen's. I'd rather go to any of the surrounding Danforth pubs than to that place. The food is so-so, the prices are way too high, the service is nothing to write home about. Even their touted patio I find claustrophobic. Their only redeeming feature is beer selection, and while that is a big point in their favour, all the other problems with the place far outweight it for me.
Boujadi - Anyone been recently?
I live not too far away and go there quite regularly.
DRINKS: The place is licenced, but the wine and beer selection is pretty limited, and I don't trust that place to make cocktails - alcohol's just not their forte (although I've never tried arak there). So I usually get a glass of Moroccan Ice Tea (cool tea with mint leaves in it... pretty nice, except lately they started making it with what seems like very little tea... I've had glasses that were mostly water with mint leaves soaking in it. Still refreshing, but not tea.) Their homemade lemonade is too sour for my tastes.
FOOD: Generally very nice. I like just about everything I've had there, and I've had almost everything. Delightful beet salad and cigar&triangle appetizer are my favourite starters. And as for the main, any tajine/couscous is a great choice. Some of my favs are meatball pasha, couscous royalle and damn near all the tajines (chicken may be least favourite, liver most favourite).
DESSERT: Turkish coffee is good. Moroccan tea (poured from unbelieveable heights by the server :-)) is good. The desserts are ok; nothing too special, but will do if you have a hankering for something sweet afterwards. I usually get that orange blossom pastry, or whatever they call it...
Overall, I recommend the place. Happy meals! :-))
Sotto Sotto
The one in the Village (Spadina, a couple of blocks north of St. Clair) is a cheaper, less pretentious and more family-oriented version than the original. I've been there a couple of times, since I live nearby: good service, pretty decent fare, including tasty desserts. No annoying celebs here in our little village. :-))) Perhaps still a tad pricier than the food/experience warrants due to the famous name... but not outrageous.
Regional Beers and Sparkling Water
For a list of microbreweries, check out web sites of pubs that carry mircobrewed beer. Notably C'Est What. I highly recommend their own brewery as well as:
Mill Street Brewing, Toronto
Granite Brewery, Toronto
Black Oak Brewing, Oakville
Church Key Brewing, Campbellford
Durham Brewing, Pickering
Each of these breweries makes at least one fantastic beer; most make much more. Of course, it's best on draft... bottled beer can never compare with draft beer, especially if it's freshly brewed...
Some more brewery names can be gotten here: http://www.cestwhat.com/otherbeer.asp . They may be good, but I am not that familiar with them.
Brunch at Czehoski - annoying!
I just visited that place yesterday for the first time - not for brunch, but for a very late lunch or late afternoon snack - whatever you wish to call it. It was quite enjoyable: good service, good food (I had fried brains with a shot of absinthe - not a large portion, appetizer-size, but for 11 bucks that plus a shot of liquor is not a bad deal, I think, especially since I really liked the taste...) The service was quite good, if a little slow. The food took a while to come, but certainly not 40 minutes. All in all, I'd come back. But maybe not for brunch now that I read the review...
