SarahB

I've never had a good meal at the Waring House. The Inn at the Lake on the Mountain is really pleasant, and seeing and learning about the lake is quite interesting, I think. There's good soup at the Regent Cafe on Main Street in Picton.

Has anyone attended or hosted a special event at the Gladstone? How was the food? (Variety/Taste/Freshness/Presentation) If you've hosted, what was your experience like working with the hotel to set things up? Would you hold another event there? Many thanks. Sarah Edited to express my chagrin that I cannot correct the typo in the topic header.

Sakura on Spring Garden? OR Ichiban? Also on Spring Garden. Edited to add information.

What about Cowbell? Someone else would be better qualified than I to say whether the wine list is excellent or not, but it certainly has everything else you've listed. 1564 Queen West 416-849-1095 (Edited to apologize for the double post. Cold, yucky morning = clumsy fingers.)

What about Cowbell? 1564 Queen West 416-849-1095

← Thank you.

Does anyone know when LPQ is scheduled to open on Eglinton West and at York Mills & Bayview? Thanks. SB

It is fantastic news. I really hope that vendors will be able to move on this quickly and that Torontonians support the change by actively seeking out the newly available items. (If only that were the key to all social change; we could eat our way to affordable housing for all.)

She's a good eater. We're that kind of family, fortunately. WD-50 it is, then. I'll do Craft on another visit. Thanks for the feedback. If you ever need Toronto tips, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

I'll have to book an early seating, so there won't be the chance to linger over a long meal. Also, I'm taking my 18-year-old cousin, so it's going to be a pretty low-key evening, I think. My general sense is that WD~50 will be a more fun meal than Craft. Am I off-base there?

I'm planning an actioned-packed short-weekend in New York in a couple of weeks. I can get reservations at either Craft or WD~50. I need to pick one and would welcome input from those who know. (It's dinner for two and there will be no alcohol, so price becomes less of an issue. (Alternative recommendations most welcome.)) [Edited to remove a question mark.]

I work near Massey and I'm sorry to say that I can't think of much to recommend other than The Senator. (It closes from 2:30 to 5 on weekdays according to toronto.com). There's a Terroni on Victoria Street just south of Queen, but it's not quite great and certainly never quick. What about Pho Hung on Bloor right across from the ROM? Definitely quick and always tasty. [edited to correct Senator hours]

Batifole's open. I've never been disappointed there.

I've been really impressed by meat from the Healthy Butcher (565 Queen W, between Augusta and Portland), both when I've cooked it myself and when I've had it at Banu. Their prepped foods are good too. El Diablo burgers on a good bun with lettuce, tomatoes and avocado were my summer treat. Cumbrae is also reliably excellent. I've just moved within walking distance of the Butchers so will report back once I've tried them out.

Not that I'm enhancing this thread in any way, but I felt compelled to say that if you added a trip to a bookstore, that list would describe my perfect Toronto day.

Mine were 10 am on a Sunday. I'll try again!

I'm happy to hear that. I had a croissant and a pain au chocolat from Thuet last weekend and was disappointed. I found the pastry to be chewy and a bit tough. I wondered if they had been baked the day before.

More Trevor information. I was there last night and learned that they're going to put the venison dish on the menu. Not sure what's coming off at this point. Last night I sat at the bar. It was loud. Quite loud. There was a group of about 20 people chatting away behind us and from time to time we really had to almost yell to hear each other. We shared the sushi pizza, the steak tartare tacos and the macaroni and cheese. I'd have two of the three again. Details follow. The only sushi pizza I've had before is the one at Nami (rice base, mayonnaise, salmon, scallions and tobiko). The Trevor sushi pizza is different; a thicker base, and the topping is ahi, but as you find it in a spicy tuna roll. It was quite good. It would have been too rich for me on my own, but was fine shared. I'd order it again, happily. The steak tartare tacos left me lukewarm. The tartare seemed more processed (i.e. mushy) than I like, although the flavour was good. They've chosen to serve them in hard tortillas, and for me, the fat+flour flavour of the shell overwhelmed the tartare. I had expected them to come on small corn tortillas, like a taco al pastor, but now that I think about it, the corn with a cold topping wouldn't be ideal either. Maybe rösti-like pancakes would work? (Also, there were five tacos, which is a pain when you're sharing.) The macaroni and cheese was great. I could easily have eaten the whole bowl myself. And that's probably my last visit to Trevor for the immediate future. Next Thursday night I'm off to Batifole, where the tartare de cheval makes me cry large tears of joy.

We were there quite early. We had a 7:30 reservation, but arrived at about 6:50 to get out of the nasty weather. We sat at the bar until the table was ready at 7:30 sharp. We were out the door by 9:50. I think the height of the ceiling has a lot to do with the noise level and if there are larger parties, I can imagine the room getting quite raucous. Thank you all for your feedback. It's much appreciated.

A friend and I had a lovely meal at Trevor Kitchen and Bar last Saturday night. I apologize in advance, but I do not have the breadth of food knowledge to post much more than "I really liked it" review, but I wanted to share my impressions regardless. First, the noise level. We sat at the bar when we arrived and found the sound okay. The service was also good; quick, attentive and professional. My friend ordered a Shirley Temple and it was served without a bat of the eye and without a premium on the bar tab. When we moved into the dining room, I did notice that the sound system seemed high, but we sat in a corner and once we were settled in, I didn't have any problem with the volume. Our server was friendly, but not too friendly, and was very responsive. Course 1 My friend: Beef and greens in apple wood smoked bacon & sambuca dressing He enjoyed the dish and had no comments of note. I think we were both surprised that the beef was thinly sliced (alla carpaccio, rather than a sliced steak-approach. That's not a complaint at all, just a heads-up.) Me: Tempura curry shrimp with apple and jicama salad I was drawn to this because of the salad and was not disappointed in the least. The texture was lovely, crisp and fresh, and the salad was incredibly tart, which I'm a sucker for. (I wondered if perhaps there was some citric acid included to keep the apple and jicama bright white and to enhance the tang.) The shrimp were very tasty; well-battered and not at all chewy. Course 2 My friend: Half duck two ways with preserved blueberries and stacked potatoes The duck was rich and well complemented by the blueberries. Several slices were left on the plate at the end of the meal as my friend reached the mur de canard early. I didn't taste the potatoes, but the presentation was very nice (a small tower of thin slices of both white and sweet potatoes). Me: Venison with Medjool dates and foie gras en crépinetteand served with "hand-rolled, hand-cut" gnocchi (The waiter emphasized the fact that the gnocchi had been made in the kitchen. The quotation marks should not be read as a suggestion that they were in fact not hand-rolled or hand-cut.) The venison was a special on Saturday night. It's not on the menu. I should say that despite having been a French major and having read about on making pâtés and terrines, I did not know what en crépinette meant and I didn't ask, so when my food arrived I was surprised and excited to recognize the lovely wrapping of caul fat. First, the gnocchi. I could swear that the waiter said that they were sweet potato gnocchi. I saw no evidence of this either in the colour or the taste. Not a problem, mind you. They were excellent. Good texture. Properly cooked. Consistent shape and size. And now, the venison. There were two, possibly three, slices on their own, cooked medium rare. (I don't think the waiter asked me how I wanted it cooked.) The flavour was light and not at all gamey. Then there was the crépine-wrapped "unit" of the venison, foie gras and dates. Considering the ingredients, this could easily have been a disaster from the perspective of both texture and richness. The dates could have been grainy; the foie gras could have been pasty or far too strong in flavour. There was no disaster. The four elements came together beautifully. I think the density of the dates was not dissimilar to that of the venison, so the two created something of a foie-gras sandwich. To go back to my opening paragraph, I have to say: I really liked it! To my knowledge, that was my first experience with caul fat. I'm thinking of getting down on one knee and proposing. My friend and I were both content at the end of two courses, and also had chocolates from Soma tucked away for later, so we had coffee and skipped dessert. I wouldn't hesitate to eat there again and I'd recommend it to others. The tables are quite close together, however, so if you're passing state secrets, this ain't the joint to pick. (A solicitation for those who are good at matching wines. I chose an off-dry riesling to go with my first course and a pinot noir to go with the venison. I enjoyed both, but those were in no way educated picks, just random go-with-my-gut choices. What might have been better selections, in general? Be gentle, please, I'm new to this game.)

Okay Okay (1128 Queen East at Bertmount) puts together a very tasty burger.

Thanks, folks, for your great suggestions. I appreciate the effort and the enthusiasm. Over the weekend, I hope to pull all the suggestions into one post as a summary. (Do feel free to pester me if I don't deliver.)

Thanks, all. Off to a great start. I can't think of an Italian choice either, by the way.

I'm trying to compile a list of places to take out-of-towners so that they get a chance to enjoy the diversity of experience that eating in Toronto can be. More than just good food, I'm looking for good all-round adventures; great ambiance, super service; interesting menus. Any suggestions of places that delight? In the best case scenario, I'd have a roster of places that span from "best places for a doughnut and coffee" through to "best place for huge bill, multi-course gourmandise." Edited to remove an extraneous "m."

A big thanks for those who responded so quickly yesterday to my request for information. I power-walked to the restaurant and sat at the bar with (pretentiously? appropriately?) a copy of "The Art of Eating." I had a lovely time. In the event that people wish to know, I had: The Cristom pinot gris Spring Rolls Lobster Salad Pistachio Bread pudding Espresso The pinot was wonderful with the salad, not the best choice for the spring rolls, which were very peppery but had a fantastic texture. Thanks again for the advice.