Toronto restaurant recommendation - Page 49

Next time, just ask them for the dim sum menu, whether the carts are out or not.
They may give you a look, but I've always been able to order from the menu. Heck, how else would you even get Har Gow unless you're sitting right next to the kitchen?

Canoe.

My mistake during Summerlicious. Place was a frigging zoo filled with shorts, flip flops and feet in need of pedicures. Was expecting a pleasant, quiet, romantic dinner for our 27th. Next summer, Splendido, one of the few good Toronto restaurants which does not partake in Summerlicious. As I said, it was my mistake. Should have stuck with my original thought, our beloved Le Select Bistro.

Last night, Canoe felt like The Keg. Food was excellent, service was good, wine service was good, too. The sommelier, who we know quite well, was very knowledagble and friendly as usual and they were generous with Pommery Champagne and wine parings, all on the house. So, can't have too many complaints. But, as this is among the best Canada has to offer, hmmm. The servers and both sommeliers were very frustrated with the number of people. Must have been 40 people in the kitchen.

Maybe we were spoiled after the world class dinner extravanganza and the best service I've ever received at Jean Georges last week in Manhattan. No pretension, just genius in food design and presentation and flawless elegance in execution. It made Canoe look like amateurs.

Canoe
Dinner for two with tax, wine (a superb CDP -- Senechaux) and tip. $450.

Excellent Foie Gras and Venison. Girl had Oysters and wonderful duck. Cheese plate was much improved over the last time there (great Quebec cheeses). Last time, the plate was embarrassing for a 'world class' restaurant.

Tell me about Bymark and/or Scarpetta (in Thompson Hotel).

Thx.

Summerlicious is when I take the list of restaurants and then I make sure I don't walk into any of them during that time. I find people who show up have all these pretentious ideas on what service ought to be. Seriously, you're paying for some manufactured, assembly fixed price menu where the point of it is to turn tables over quickly. And because every other restaurant in Toronto will offer creme brulee for Summerlicious, I have this idea that there's a factory somewhere cranking these things out and shipping them.

To me, Bymark is a nice money pit. The patio they have on Wellington and the female wait staff are probably the best things they have going for it. With m burger's demise, I believe they still have the crown for most expensive hamburger? I ate there once for lunch but I haven't the foggiest idea what the meal was. Quite memorable.

I actually wrote twice about Scarpetta somewhere in this thread. The two seating times (6pm and 8pm I believe) are bogus. If you show up at 6pm, you can literally wait till 7:30 before it's half full. I make a reservation on OpenTable and then just phone them to say I can't make it for another hour. Or wait till the day off and the slots will magically open up by the afternoon. I went when it recently opened in the winter. The wait staff were tripping over each other to serve you. The person describing the bread basket would literally be interrupted by the sommelier or the waiter. Constant up selling on truffles (yes, I'd like truffle shavings with my dessert). The plain spaghetti was the best. Polenta came second for me and should be on the list of things to try. It comes in a neat little pot. I also tried the sable fish, which was okay, not spectacular but good. The cocktails are a mix of liquers, base alcohols and some kind of wine or sparkling. Too complicated. Otherwise it has massive floor to ceiling windows and is spacious. You can have a quiet conversation. Vegetarians have their own full menu.

There's also a Japanese place (for dummies) there that you can skip and a 24 hour diner which I hear is very inconsistent.

I was at the O&B patio at Yonge & Front for happy hour. Most of the bar girls have some serious tattooes. Our server offered to pour my friend's Starbucks into a coffee cup. More tips? We tried some of the appetizers (raw tuna, shrimp skewer) but they were feeble. Gin and tonic for her and vodka gimlets for me ended up being $79 + tip. The waitress did have to ask me what a gimlet was.

I ALMOST went to Canoe for summerlicious.

Don't know what would bring you to go to the O&B patio fwiffo. Every time i've ever walked by there and looked at the people, i just see a bunch of wannabes that think they're "classy." I had breakfast there once and the cute azn waitress that served me was the highlight. The food was very ordinary. Hollandaise was NOT from scratch (but is there any place that actually does this). =/

I wish the Michelin guide would do canada. I think we'd have better restaurants if they knew they were going to be rated.

I was there for the reason why all those places exist on Front Street - commuters who want to grab drinks before jumping on their trains and buses.

I'm doing a long stretch of travel the next two weeks including Civic Day so I will have to dine vicariously through you gents.

Colborne Lane is going to under go renovations this fall for those who want to know.

+1000000 Libretto is much better than QM IMO.

Let's see, off the top of my head: I recently went to Parkette (on Queen just West of Trinity Bellwoods) and it was very nice. The tartare was good and so was the pizza. Service was so-so and the place was pretty dark (and packed on a Saturday).

Cava (tapas place in Delisle court) was good if somewhat pricey - though I find all these tapas places overpriced...

I had an excellent burger (perfectly medium rare) at Grindhouse burger bar on King (across from MEC). Better than BQM, Burger Priest...

Stockyards continues to be the best place (by a loooooooongshot) for BBQ, ribs... Even the grilled cheese is awesome.

I tried Goldin's smoked meat www.goldins.ca at this deli tasting event at Wychwood Barns a few weeks ago and thought it was better than Stockyards and Caplansky's. Really reminded me most of Schwartz's. They don't have a restaurant but work out of the Free Times Cafe on College - need to check them out soon.

Also, the farmers' market on Saturdays at the Brickworks is awesome. Lots of really yummy things to eat in addition to the usual staples. I love hanging out there with the kids and then going on a little hike in the ravine.

The dress during the other 50 weeks a year isn't much better. I went there on a Saturday night once in a three-peice and was dumbstruck by the clientele. A lot of jeans or poor fitting dress pant/shirt combos. I even saw a plaid shirt! They will seat anyone regardless of dress (which is true of every restaurant in this city) but I thought people might pride themselves and put some effort in, or at least be shamed into "dressing up". But, alas, such is life in Toronto.

nooooooo way! QMP is way better! I mean, I like libretto and they serve a great pizza, but the only thing it has up on QMP is it's proximity. QMP's diavola pizza is unreal and the last time I was there they had this delicious polenta in a redwine sauce with porchetta. it was spectacular!

Went to La Societe again for brunch this past Sunday. I had a simple 2 egg combo but friends had a beef short rib hash in a red wine jus and lobster eggs Benedict.

Both were good - especially the short rib hash.

Have you been for dinner yet? If so, how is it?

I got the impression that place was a night club trying to be a fancy restaurant so I avoided it like so many other allegedly "high-end" restaurants in the club district (think Rosewater).

Ate at Le Select for the first time tonight. It was as good as everyone says it is. I love the BYOW option. Although the location isn't the best, next to a bunch of warehouses and such.

Oh and this just in, apparently it's OK to wear sneakers and shorts to French restaurants in Toronto. Although I really should have expected this.

Ahh, the classic pizza battles of Toronto: Libretto versus Queen Margherita versus Terroni versus some bloke who will say all our pizzas are rubbish and we should go to New York or Naples.

Rosewater in the club district? You mean Roosevelt Club or Ultra right? Yes - it's quite clear the owner of La Societe wants to attract the Yorkville crowd given how they jealously guard their second level patio and the prime areas of seating in the restaurant. It's a place to throw money around. Rosewater did have a "finest meats" special for $100+ or something, but it's been in decline for years.

I happened to pop into town for a short time and did dim sum at Crown Princess for Friday lunch. $10 for an XO or garlic scallop and then the usual har gow, shrimp rice noodle (with a green), fish maw congee, "chu hou" lamb, vegetarian bean curd, and milk tarts being ~$66 + tip. Grabbed a bunch of vodka gimlets at e11even before heading out of town again. Then I realized my friend left her daughter's brollie so I have to wade through the Caribana crowd to pick it up.

My cousin was trying to convince me to do a French bistro tour of Toronto last night starting with Ici - to make up for the fact I didn't take her to the Asian street food last week. I think that place is booked up till September yeah?

Any Caplansky fans go eat from their food truck?

Goldin's really is good, isn't it? I no longer live in Toronto but in the year prior to moving use to order whole brisket pieces (deckles) directly from Alex Goldin to have at home. And this coming from someone who lived within walking distance of Caplansky's.

Had dinner at Fishbar on Ossington. I don't understand the recent reviews and hype. While the food was servicable, it was expensive and the service was inattentive to flaky at best.
I would not recommend or return when there are so many other places in the same price range ($150 for 2) that have better food and wines.