Toronto restaurant recommendation

[dufferin1]

I don't know how long they are going to stay but they have a brunch. Maybe that's the quietest time. I would assume Patria after 9 is going to be like Weslodge.

Will be here until Monday morning so brunch will definetely be an option. On another note, I did end up getting a table at Patria for Thursday based on your reccomendation. The menu, looks much more traditional then Cava.

 

[fwiffo]

If the rain holds off, I was going to cab over to Riverdale to try Appetite for lunch today.

Does anyone know if I am going to hit a long queue for a weekday lunch at Sabai Sabai?

 

[dufferin1]

Well the weekend was good. Patria was good, but not great. Paella was lacking in meat, and the value wasn't there. Still a nice spot though. Harbord room was fantastic, had a great Charcuterie and flank steak. Cocktails were on point.

The real star was Jacobs. One word: Outstanding. Gorgeous restaurant, exceptional food although frankly, the wine list was overpriced but they have great cocktails. Try the 'Aviator'!

Finally, Capagnola was great as well. Service was extremely slow but its a busy place. The waiters need to stop sociallizing and actually do their jobs though. Had some bone marrow with oxtail which was quite tastey and the pork chop was extremely satisfying. Only knock was the portion size of their pasta, quite small.

 

[fwiffo]

I tried Bestellen this week. We had a plate of oysters, a bottle of wine, couple of old fashioneds. It's a pretty cool place but not very busy at all on a Thursday night. I liked the beef. It was cooked to the right temperature. Wine selection wasn't too great. And is it ever good for the maitre'd and the waiter to confess separately that they just came from a wine tasting (ergo, are you folks a couple?) $264 + tip.

I also tried Ryoji izakaya. This place is packed on a Friday night but if you get in around 5pm and you finish up your meal with a few drinks an hour, they'll let you keep your spot. I didn't get a chance to try the ramen. I really should have. But we tried some pork neck, a whole bunch of meat with a layer of fat on top, maki rolls (skip), and some other stuff someone else had to explain to me. We drank three quarters of litre of sake though. I don't know how they pour it but the bottle is always very sticky which makes the cups sticky too. The waitresses are not Asian here - they're okay cute. They don't really know too much about izakayas either. I forget what it was probably something like $200 by the time I left.

Bar Isabel is opening up. Enoteca Sociale is not the same without Grant van Gameren so hopefully I get to try some food there.

Jazz Bistro's grand opening is on April 3 - it's at the Senator spot. New jazz bar - I have to check it out this week for lunch even without the live music.

 

[bings]

I was at JAcobs a couple weeks ago and found it to be excellent.

best steak i can remember having... tried maybe 5 steakhouses in Calgary recently and nothing was as good.

we did the signature ribeye.

 

[dufferin1]

I was at JAcobs a couple weeks ago and found it to be excellent.

best steak i can remember having... tried maybe 5 steakhouses in Calgary recently and nothing was as good.

we did the signature ribeye.

Glad you enjoyed it. It was spectacular and I really would love to go back. The gratin...heaven.

 

[fwiffo]

I made it to the Against the Grain place out on the waterfront. Clearly this is a patio place. Food for brunch wasn't too spectacular. I had an eggs benedict. The bartender took about 10 minutes to make an old fashioned. It was pretty good and he insisted on torching an orange peel table side. Clearly the man needs to be working at another bar. I would come here again only for drinks. The tables for two inside are torturous to sit and eat in. Table is too high and the chair is too low. It also sits like a waiting area chair. 50 plus tip for 2

I also went to Made with Love on Monday in the distillery district. My favourite bartender won both the critic and public vote. I drink too much. I even knew some of the bartending attendees.

 

[ahk1979]

Went to Bar Isabel on Friday. As expected, food was really good. Great cocktail and beer list was well. The space in pretty cool and definitely different from anything else in Toronto. Want to go back and try some more dishes.

 

[bings]

If you gents ever find yourself in Oakville in the Bronte rd. / Lakeshore area there are a couple good places owned by the same dude.

Cucci and Plank... i've been to each a few times and never had a bad experience.

 

[melwoesblvd]

went to bar isabel on thurs, the food was great, and very nice interior. had the fried rabbit, looked rubbery but quite tender once bitten. the charcuterie was also outstanding.

 

[fwiffo]

I wish I could go to Bar Isabel. I have to convince someone to go with me though.

I think the only new place I went to was Strada 241. Down to earth place. The restaurant is actually in the back whilst the café is in the front - it threw me off a little bit the hostess was in the back of the restaurant. I tried the nitrate free salumi plate, which was pretty good. I'm sure it's just as unhealthy and it wasn't too salty. I then had the spaghetti that people kept writing about. I didn't think it was anything too special. My lunch mate had linguini and clams which she shared with me. She said hers tasted better. The portions are actually pretty big. It didn't seem that big when they let Toronto Life shoot a picture of it. Maybe they increased it. The wines are served in water glasses. Only white sugar with espressos and we saw a wait staff drop a takeaway pizza box on the floor by accident. Otherwise it was a pleasant experience. Lights were a little too bright in the booths. $97 + tip.

Thursday I also went to Troika vodka bar. I didn't even know this place existed until recently. It's rather like a Pravda pretender place. The bouncer apparently comes from South of Temperance. I had one vodka drink and series of okay old fashioneds the rest of the night. At least the bartender tried with a muddler and everything. I didn't try any food. I'm told they serve oversized pickles and they have some cheese and charcuterie plate. We stayed till about 9:30pm and not more than five people strolled in. At one point there was more wait staff than guests. I then got dragged out to Two Cats - I've never been and will never go back to lose my hearing on the weirdest playlist ever and a bar that is 60-70% men in their 30s or 40s. Stayed there till 2am and got to work at 9am. The "smoking" area is amazing. It's double or triple the queue to get in so every time you come out you are in a fog of smoke.

The Globe just gave a glowing review for the tasting menu at Chantecler. And C5 is closing at the ROM. Plus Jamie Kennedy is leaving the Gardiner café across the street.

 

[Recoil]

Any idea of what will replace C5?

 

[fwiffo]

Presumably another restaurant. Here's what I got:

As a valued Member of the Royal Ontario Museum, our commitment is to notify you of any changes to the Museum's services in the most timely manner possible. We are writing to inform you that c5 Restaurant/Lounge will be temporarily closed as of April 30, 2013. However, c5 will remain available for catered events during this period.

Compass Group Canada has operated c5 at the ROM since it opened in 2007. Compass has terminated their agreement with the ROM to operate c5 and, in response; the ROM issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a new restaurant operator. However, as only one bid was received, and the ROM would like to consider multiple options, the RFP will be retendered later this year. The objective of the Museum is to re-open the restaurant prior to the new year.

 

[fwiffo]

I presume there is no way for me to get into Bar Isabel since even food critics were turned away.

I went to Café Boulud for lunch last week. I don't know why people complained about the service. It's pretty good. I had an Australian asian chap serve me. The décor could stand for improvement and I really don't like restaurants that open up to bar areas. Luckily I had lunch so it wasn't drowning in cacophony below but I didn't like a similar set up Ritz had with Toca in the evening. The prix fixe menu is obviously designed for cost conscious folks. Unfortunately nothing on there strikes out at you. For the a la carte side, it seems they picked some items from the dinner menu but again nothing jumped out at me. I ended up taking the papperdele pasta with the beef cheeks. The latter were very tender. Pasta not so remarkable. I had the veal pate to start. Okay, it's a pate. My lunch mate had a soup and an albacore salad of which she adored but when I tried it I thought it was average. Maybe I need to come back for dinner. We just had wine by the glass and sauternes afterwards. $158+tip. Judging from the crowd, I am guessing half of them are choosing the place to be seen. Dessert, whether you were on prix fixe or not, was fruit or chocolate. It couldn't get more sophisticated than that?

I also swung by Strada 241 again and tried the pizza. I picked it to share with someone but she only had a piece and left me with the rest of it. Best to avoid it and stick with the antipasti and pasta.

I have a bunch of work entertaining outings this week. Hopefully I can make it out to some interesting places. Bellwoods Brewery is a stop since one of them likes beer.

 

[bings]

i was at Stockyards yesterday... would go again.

i'm bored with places that are deliberately small just to inconvenience you with a no fukks given flare but the food is good.

tried one of the burgers that struck me as an attempt to serve a fast food burger (flavour-wise) but with great care and quality... the way a McD's burger looks like it should taste in the pictures

i had the fried chicken and got into it as messily as i could. it was excellent.

the place was packed... 35 minutes to sit at a stool at 2pm on a saturday.