Endy'

Chiu Chow Kwoon, Leslie and Finch. And probably many other places that have "chiu chow" in the name I don't know much about that kind of food, but they do have their own style of congee (which is more like soup with rice than what most people think of when they hear "congee"). And an oyster "omelette" dish...actually Swatow has an "omelette" of oyster and bittermelon that's really, really f!ing good, but bitter melon is (even for most Chinese) an acquired taste. bitter melon's a clichéd kids-hate-it food, the way that people mock Brussels sprouts...

??? can you elaborate? John -- second Lai Wah Heen for dim sum, Canoe for "Canadiana", and Perigee for just being great. Disagree on steak -- that goes to Harbour Sixty; they're also easy walking distance from the "ballpark". Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar is great for a more casual meal. Personally, I'm fond of Starfish, an oyster bar/seafood restaurant that's about the same distance as the wine bar. your "ethnic" choices near the ballpark are pretty limited, but if you give an idea of how far/long you're willing to travel to eat, we can go from there.

sorry, I don't actually know it that well, but the "eating plaza" (see upthread) is maybe a good start, Kennedy and 7. Service is usually pretty fast (and, uh, barebones) in Chinese places so you should be able to zoom over, eat, and come back. Just start eating at 1 corner of the plaza and in a month or 2 you'll have tried all the options (but I do remember liking something on the south end...the name had something to do with congee...or maybe it was only in Chinese that it did...sorry...). I haven't been, but Ding Tai Fung at First Markham Place (Woodbine and 7) is known for their...I don't know what they're called in English, but they're a sort of dumpling that's steamed, circular base, swirly pattern, and they have a lot of "soup" trapped inside (so be careful you don't burn yourself on it when you bite in -- no, seriously). As a matter of trivia, the restaurant is named after one of the same name, also quite famous for their "dumplings", in...I think either Taiwan or Shanghai. No relation. also at First Markham is Congee Wong. Congee, if you didn't know, is "porridge" of rice...my favourite is "blood jello and fish slices" ("blood jello" is steamed pig's blood, cubed), but you can't really go wrong with one of their "super bowls" (I forget what they're called exactly) that have a ton of different things in them. Lean towards seafood over land meats, though. And you can't eat congee without "oil sticks"...which can be labelled anything from "doughnuts" (not even close) to "fritters" to "dough sticks" in English. They're basically strips of dough that have been deep-fried to a crisp, almost crunchy texture, very poofed-up. Meant for dipping in your congee.

Chinatown northEAST, or NORTHeast? we tend to not refer to the former (Scarborough Chinatown, which isn't worth much anymore), and the latter is generally collectively "highway 7". Or maybe you mean the Kennedy stretch, Steeles to hwy 7, which is typically just "Pacific Mall" because that's all that's worth caring about up there ...except for the stripmall at Kennedy and 7 (SW corner) that a friend calls the "eating plaza" (it's literally about 30 restaurants). I believe that's the home of the Decent Seafood Restaurant, which is a pretty awesome name considering the Fantastic Seafood Restaurant is just a few minutes down Kennedy (I know there's an Excellent Seafood Restaurant in town somewhere too, but I don't know it).

that sounds like Room 471, which I went looking for last year and couldn't find, and information on the 'web about it is pretty scarce. I presume they are long gone. Nondoc -- thanks for the tip about Happy Seven, I'll have to give it a try if only for the entertainment value. All the other suggestions about Spadina Chinese are appreciated but I eat enough Chinese food for lunch (and at home), so I'm looking to branch out a bit. But...reality probably doesn't leave me much choice. on the subject of "cold tea", I was aware of it (at least 1 Toronto Life review has specifically recommended "cold tea") but have never witnessed it in action. We tried to order soju after-hours once and they said no, but I'm thinking if we'd asked in Korean, they would've been happy to bring us some in a teapot

looking for hot tips on eating out late -- the later, the better. I mostly patronize Swatow, but I have made use of 7 West and Mel's too. Czehowski sounded like a great late-night option, but they (or at least their staff) seem to be highly confused about the hours that they're open and whether they are serving food or not. Hero Burgers are actually pretty good but only open late on weekends, and there's a lot of drunk-dodging that needs to be done (on the other hand, that applies to Swatow on the weekends too). any suggestions? Downtown is best, but I'm not against driving uptown for food when the need arises. other options I've tried, but try to avoid, include Vesta Lunch and this Korean place on the north side of Bloor just east of Christie (we call it "the Owl" for a picture thereof on its sign, but I don't know what its name really is or should be). I swung by 65 Degrees Steakhouse last night but they were dark in spite of advertising being open to 2am. There was even a sign on the door of Coco Lezzone (sp?) (who are closed for a few days due to a LLBO violation) saying "please join us at 65 Degrees Steakhouse ------>", so that made it even more odd. Anyone know what's going on there?

JK Wine Bar? I *believe* they do reservations at lunch. They are a bit south and east of the "downtown core" proper though. Won't break the bank. Canoe or Bymark as business-lunch type places likely enough to impress an American diner (sorry, but I read that as "conservative"). Both are more pricey however. I personally like Harbour Sixty, a steakhouse also a little farther south, but they do admittedly tend towards the pompous (I've heard of a steakhouse called 65 Degrees that is supposed to be fairly casual)...so that might not fit. (JK, Canoe, and Bymark aren't particularly pompous, but I speak from personal experience only about the first 2).

just hit Romagna Mia last night. Awesome, loved it. Papardelle with rabbit was very good and much lighter than I'd expected...which was good because I tried to stuff down a serving of the walnut risotto after that (none of the starters seemed that interesting). Only got about halfway, though it was quite delicious. Because it was served from a Parm-Regg wheel, it was a little too salty, and especially cheesy, for my Chinese metabolism ( ) but that isn't their fault. service was fine, although strangely enough the single stall in the mens' was locked from the inside but unoccupied...?? Not sure how/why that happened. lol. it was packed when I arrived (~2115) but emptied out shortly after that. 2 or 3 tables appeared to be full of diners speaking Italian and some ordered dishes family-style (the server was going around the table doling out from a plate). And the chef came out to chat with them in Italian. When I left he was eating with one of said parties . I figure the presence of Italians is a good sign (much the way some people gauge Chinese restaurants based on whether any Chinese are actually eating there) . sadistick, I owe ya one.

just got back. Liked the fries (thick, meaty, skin-on); had the black pudding (blood and oatmeal stuffed in a sausage, whole thing then battered and fried) which was just alright. I hadn't had it before, so I'm glad I had the chance to try it, but I probably wouldn't order it again. I'll go back for fish and/or haggis in a week or 2.

because napping at work is frowned upon I notice from that menu they have black sausage, which I'm interested in...and they're close enough to make the trip at lunch fairly often anyway...so I'll pace myself

hey, much appreciated! And I even did try to do a search myself I went on the hunt for a diner serving all-day breakfasts or the like just now...couldn't find anything nearby (and Bloomsbury Cafe, formerly on Leslie, is gone now ). I'll give the fish&chips...or maybe the haggis a try tomorrow

thanks Jake -- I'll try to stop by in the next few days. See for myself what all the haggis fuss is about

"scampered"...ever had intestine (sausage, perhaps?)? You know what "scampers" through those while the animal is still alive? Not that tripe is so far off... and I wonder how well-circulated the water is in fish farms...I don't think those fish respect litterboxes anyhow I do agree appetite doesn't really follow reason...plus I'm no paragon of eating-everything

??? I can understand tripe, I'm not a big fan myself -- but as a just-won't-eat? And chicken feet? They're maybe a little troublesome if you don't have nimble teeth, but again hardly a just-won't-eat... back on topic -- Jake, is High Street open for lunch and are they typically crowded? I just started a job nearby (up near the 401 & 404) and have been looking for good places to go...hopefully without taking too long Oh and to rederail the thread...any other suggestions in the area would be appreciated (my contribution -- Congee Wong, Leslie and Finch)

nah, he didn't volunteer it and I didn't think it was my place to inquire further. My gut agrees with you that it's very little, really a gesture, but I don't have anything to back that up. In any case maybe I'll make that one of my standard questions, but I don't think I'd ask someone I'd just met that night...

had a really, really good wild boar agnolotti dish there a few months ago, second course was rabbit, just OK, also sampled their beet risotto, interesting, taste was just "pretty good". Went with a crowd that time though so it's on my list to try again under better circumstances.

second that -- but call ahead if you're going in later because they tend to take the kitchen down earlier than advertised...because it is so slow Sundays.

thank you! I'll find a copy then

to briefly take this thread back into the Toronto direction from whence it came -- I stopped in at Starfish last week and when I asked, my server said that they do split the tip pool with the kitchen, but he didn't have the impression that it was common in Toronto at all.

which paper? I'll have to keep an eye out...

interesting comments all and thanks for the insight (BTW KevV -- I wasn't trying to "disqualify" anyone but just wanted to prevent the "well a friend of mine once had drinks with a guy who roomed with a prep cook..." sort of comments). I don't think I could pull off walking into the kitchen and handing around money. It would just seem too...contrived or something. I'm sure some could, but not me...not naturally anyway. I do like the suggestion about asking the server, and I'll try that. And at least I'll have the default of buying a round for the guys in back.

I've wondered about this for awhile and KevV's comments in the Winterlicious thread reminded me... first of all, can people who are actually in the industry (IE today) weigh in on whether the kitchen draws from the tip pool where they work (it would be helpful to say a few words about the sort of place you work)? second...how exactly does one tip the kitchen? I can imagine it at a sushi bar...or maybe someplace with an open kitchen...or sending a round of beers back...but is it possibly to directly tip the kitchen?

I think in your position, instead of spending less at good restaurants with temporarily mediocre food, I would either a) look for places with better value (you can certainly get really really good food in Toronto without spending a ton), or b) skip Winter/Summerlicious and save up those expenses for one big full-menu meal somewhere. Yes I know it hurts to see a few hundred dollars disappear in one shot, but I think a good meal is totally worth saving for and spending on just like any other big-ticket item. And you can have a lot of fun with it if you make an event of it. I guess what it comes down to is that I feel Winterlicious doesn't fit well _anywhere_ on the price-quality ("value") spectrum. It _sounds_ cheap, but the loss in quality of the food is more than the discount you get; and you have better value at either the high end (costs way more but the food is way better) or the low (food isn't quite as good but at least it doesn't cost $30+).

given the friends I've heard from who go to Winterlicious...and given my foodie friends who don't...from that sampling (admittedly small) I would assume that the type of people who go to Winterlicious are not the sort of would patronize those restaurants at any other time. Yes, they might be impressed by the food or service...but they're not the sort who would pay full price for even very good food. I like Winterlicious as a chance to experience a restaurant whose decor or ambiance (IE the strictly non-food items) I'm interested in. If I like it then I'll go back after the event to eat the "real" food. I always suspected (and I have no evidence for this) that the food is "dumbed down" during Winterlicious so I don't bother fighting for those magical reservations for places where I'm only interested in the food.

Zupa's is on the north side of Adelaide near Peter Street. I'll throw Aunties and Uncles out there for brunch. But frankly yes, just about anything is better than Hot House's brunch buffet. (note that the food is far from inedible and they do booming business, so I'm not knocking that. It's just that eGullet suggestions are probably going to be in a different league than Hot House. I'm not talking about suggestions that are more expensive or "high-end"...just more tasty.)