Team_Eater

I'm a Toronto Foodie who will be visiting Chino Hills for a wedding in September. While there, I would love to try out the fine dining options that this area has to offer. In terms of cuisine, I am most fond of fusion and continental. (No Thai, Italian, Indian, or Chinese please - we have tons of these restos back home.) Anything a little "unique" would be most appreciated. Ideally, a meal for would cost $200 or less for two people, including tax, tip and a bottle of wine. Willing to pay more if you think it's worth it! Looking forward to your recs, thanks so much.

Just wondering who is Joanne Kates? Not tried it yet although walk by it every day. I have this thing about not being able to see the menu before I walk in and I hate having to ask for one at the enterance and then turning around and walking out. ← Joanne Kates reviews for the Globe and Mail. A link to her review can be found here. The article should be viewable for about a week and then it's locked up for members only.

I am curious how many Winterlicious restaurants the average foodie tries during this period? I tend to go to 4-5, but have heard some numbers as high as 30!!!

Here is the story/video clip from City Pulse in case anyone is interested. The last time I had a proper sit down meal there was about 6 years ago. I tried their "Signature Salmon" but was grossly underwhelmed. Since then, I believe they acquired a new chef, so perhaps someone else has a more recent review. Aside: The most memorable part of that night was that my date experimented to see what would happen if he stuck his tongue to the ice sculptures outside the restaurant. Groan.

I second this motion! Sushi Island - which is located in the middle of Little Italy - offers AYCE makimono rolls for $12.99 on the weekdays (I believe it's Mondays to Wednesdays...or perhaps Mondays to Thursdays). They also offer various upgrades like an extra $2 for nigiri, extra $6 for the whole menu, etc. Yum!

Is Lobby now closed? A coworker walked past it this morning, and there were two signs posted. One said, "Suspended: Failure to Remove Evidence" and then on the actual door it said, "Closed for Renovations". This is quite odd, as we were there last week and it needed no renovations! I did not see the sign myself, so please enlighten us if you have more concrete information. PS. What the heck does the former sign mean anyways? Sounds like something you'd see on CSI...

This article also profiles Vertical, the new restaurant at First Canadian Place. Has anyone tried this venue as yet? I would be curious to hear your reviews!

Store-bought sushi is rarely (if ever) tasty. I would rather go to one of the cheap sushi restos around Bloor/Spadina and get take-out.

I have a reservation for next Wednesday. Does anyone know if Bragagnolo has already left the building? Has anyone eaten there recently, following this announcement?

Did you have any problems with seating? My friend had reservations for 9:30 on a Friday night. They were SO overbooked that she wasn't seated until 10:30!!

I found the article, if anyone cares to have a read. Globe Article: Laying down his knives

LOL...duly noted! How much was it when you went? I read it was $250 per head a few years back - has it increased in price?

Has anyone been there recently who cares to share their experience? Is it still ranked #9 in the world? (I thought I would revive this post from 2003!)

Thanks for the tip - I was delighted to see that Thuet is having a "Winterlicious" event of their own. I've always wanted to try this restaurant, and now that it's $35/person, there isn't any excuse I'm undecided between the menus though - any suggestions on which I should try? MENU BISTRO Onion soup gratiné Les Halles or Mixed green salad, sherry & Saint Benoît vinaigrette *************** Beef bavette, shallot sauce with frites *************** Trio of daily ice cream with exotic fruits and meringue $35.00 - OR - MENU ALSACE Poached Kobe bone marrow, warm truffle vinaigrette emulsion -or- Pickerel quenelle, knepfle maison, Rieling sauce *************** Choucroute garnie à l’Alsacienne *************** Tarte tatin, caramel ice cream $35.00

I went to Corner House yesterday with my family for dinner. We've been there for every "licious" event, and the food is consistently great. Yesterday was no exception! APPETIZER Crisp pan fried Crab Cake, organic greens, Avocado, smoked chipotle aioli This was a decent starter, but nothing to write home about. (Perhaps I set too-high standards for my seafood) There could have been more chunks of crab meat, but the avocado and aioli accompanied the dish nicely. MAIN Seared Sea scallops with ginger-lemon spiced Couscous, citrus fruit, roasted cauliflower, Balsamic beurre blanc With my seafood standards in mind, these scallops were the most delightful that I've ever experienced. They had a natural buttery sweetness to them, and they were oh-so-tender. My mouth waters just thinking about them. Unfortunately there were only two of these delectable treats. I was not a huge fan of the couscous-covered citrus fruits, but that's a personal preference. I would have enjoyed some variety of potato instead. (Big potato fan here!) EXTRA MAIN Hot smoked and grilled Atlantic salmon with roasted Potato and vegetable ragout, Maple spiced grainy Mustard sauce My father had this dish, and while most restaurants' preparation of salmon is ho-hum at best, CH blew away the competition. The flavour was that of smoked salmon, combined with a tender medium-well cooked steak. The result was phenomenal...easily the best salmon any of us have had. DESSERT Banana-passion fruit parfait with tropical fruit salad with mint crème fraiche This dish did not arrive the way I had imagined it. (layers of fruit and cream in a tall glass) Rather, there was a mound of tropical fruit atop a disc of banana frozen yogurt/ice cream. It didn't blow my mind, but it was a pleasant, palate-cleansing way to end the meal. Overall Rating: 3.75/5 Next Stop: Mildred Pierce on Feb 3rd.

I went to Pangaea last Friday, and the experience was "good." I wasn't overwhelmed by the food/service, but it was a decent meal that allowed me to sample a place I wouldn't have normally chosen. I had the following: APPETIZER Foie Gras Torchon, with mushroom salad, marmalade of onion, caraway melba toast I found the fois gras quite tasty, although I am far from a connoisseur of the stuff. They were a bit stingy on the melba toast though - the four pieces I got had way too many holes for optimal fois gras coverage. MAIN Duck Confit Duck legs on apple & cinnamon braised cabbage, roasted duck and juniper reduction This was "good" but overall a bit of a disappointment compared to other duck confit I've had in the past. The edges were overcooked, and some bits of the portion were quite dry and stringy. DESSERT Sour Lemon Cake With caramel whipped cream, and crisp demerara baked meringue After seeing my friend's disgusted face with her portion, I was quite worried. To my surprise however, the cake was quite light and spongy, with just the right amount of moisture and sugar. The sauce accompanied the cake quite well, without overpowering the taste. Overall Rating: 2.75/5 Next stop: Corner House on Feb 1st. Anyone else want to post their reviews??????

LOL - and I thought I was Winterlicious crazy!! Good for you for getting such A-list restos...how you managed to score Canoe, Bymark AND North 44 is beyond me. Do you have a team of minions dialing for you? On a side note, is this the only board discussing Winterlicious? I thought it'd be a much hotter topic, what with all the avid Toronto foodies out there.

Thank goodness for speeddial!!! I managed to book the following dinner reservations for Winterlicious: -Bymark -Corner House -Mildred Pierce -Pangaea I unfortunately do not have an AMEX, so on the 12th I was pressing the redial button like there was no tomorrow. The lines were busy since 9:30 am!!! Bymark was the hardest reservation to score - I honestly think I dialed about 100 times before finally getting through! Where's everyone else going?