mkjr

I was at Far Niente on Saturday with my wife. Service as A+ and food was very good. The new room is amazing. For 1st course we had the: White Corn Chicken soup with Tomato Coriander Salsa and Salt & Pepper Calamari Cornmeal Dusted, Togorashi & Hoisin Sauce. Both were great. The soup was amazing and the Calimari was very interesting with the hoisin. Two very different dishes insipred by two different countries. For mains we had the: Atlantic Salmon Arborio Rice “cake”, Chili, Smoked Paprika, Fine French Beans & Lemon Parmesan Parsley Sauce and the Roasted Leg of Lamb Yukon Potato Mash, Sautéed Spinach, Fig Sherry Sauce I really liked both. The leg of lamb was actually finely sliced into small 3 inch by 0.5 inch strips. Good presentation. The mash potatos were very good and clearly put through a ricer as they were very very fine. The salmon was perfectly done and had nice crisp outside with very interesting textrure. And for deserts had one of each of: Sticky Pecan Toffee Pudding & Solferino Vanilla Ice Cream or Chilled Milk Chocolate Mint Parfait & Amarula Sauce Both were stunning. I have not been to FN for some time for dinner but go often for lunch, although this is my first time back since the reno. We ordered a bottle of Brewer Clifton Pinot, which was very impressive to see given so little of this wine is made - around 200 cases or 2300 bottles. Sadly the first bottle we wanted was sold and the list had not been updated. The wine list was very well put together overall. Mark ups were not too bad which is nice to see. They had the 1998 Penfolds Grange on the menu for a steal. Very close to ordering. Food was fast but not too fast the the waitress slowed things down for us so we could enjoy our wine. The place was not too busy but had a good number of people. We did not see any tables being hurried along which is good. I would go back again for dinner in a second. I noticed they had a lobster pot pie on the menu that looked good.....mmmmmm....salivating.

GREAT! THANKS! I would appreciate that. what was the brand that you bought? i have seen on the web that they have maple syrup routes you can take to during the sugaring time and visit the small farms. that would be loads of fun. and ANN thanks so much for that website i read most of it ! thank you both for the info. edited for my bad typing ← I finished the last bit off last weekend and forgot to get to the market today to confirm the name of the producer so you will have to wait until next week but I know this little place at the north market on the street at St. Lawrence market has about 5 or 6 different ones. They are only there on Saturday so you really have to be on your game, and sadly I was not this morning. Cheers.

I see many from very small family operations in Ontario/Quebec here in Toronto but I am not sure if these brands make it across the country. I will post the name of the one I picked up the other day which was fantastic.

Still open. RR 2, Singhampton (20 minutes south of Collingwood), 519-922-3128. I know they close for a month or two in the summer and I seem to recall it was 2 months in advance for reservations. Was $300 each person last I checked and still BYOW only.

I think that you are taking part in exactly the way that benefits restaurants. You may go back one day or at least you may tell others that you had a great time and good food and would go back but for your lack o cash and that helps the restaurants. Its all about word of mouth. I on the other hand go back for business and many other reasons on days where I am one of a few tables there on Mon. Tues. or Wed. night. During WL many places are packed every night, when it is not WL many places are very dead during the Sun-Weds so I think many restaurants win. If they did not why participate?

There are many threads that discuss tipping. Perhaps some of the threads can be culled so we keep this thread on topic and in particular, regional....."manager"?... or perhaps another thread can be started regarding tipping during this event? I find that service during WL is as variable as service in Toronto generally (and for that matter in many cities) and WL does not make it any better or worse. Although staff many not like the event because some may not be willing to shell out the money for wine and drinks etc., I suspect that they are missing an opportunity to make dinners return after the week. I go back to places that I have had good service at, whether that is part of work or out with my wife. WL is a chance to try new places and others I have been to before at a savings. If the service and food is good, I will go back. If not, there are many other places that I am willing to spend my $$$$. If this means that I go to a place for the first time with a very limited WL menu which is marginal, even though the place may be good at another time, at regular prices I am less likely to go in the first place, and if the food or service is marginal, I will not return. If a restaurant wants to use this event to turn a quick buck, that is there choice. I also find that although the menus appear to be economical, perhaps one should consider that a regular menu during regular operating hours is also designed to maximize value. I think that with margins on food what they are this event is not any different that most places goal to serve good food and make a little money.

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. ← Just an AMEX card for me and a nice fast speed dial that managed to get me into Per Se in NYC a few months back. A little luck does not help either. I am not aware of any other boards that discuss the same. I note there is more activity in the Vancouver forum on the same event there. I suspect the volume here will increase over time.

I really like Jump and have been there for lunch and dinner about a dozen or more times each. There is nothing better than the Lobster Shepards Pie on Saturday night, sadly they only serve on Saturday night and go early because it sells out. Not sure about the brunch at Hot House. I live near there but there are soooo many people and if you are willing to wait then go to Cora's just off Wellington and John? If you decide to go to Hot House my understanding is they only take reservations for brunch on Sunday and there are no walk ups. I could be wrong. I agree Splendido kicks ass and I have been to the Stage House http://www.stagehouserestaurant.com/ in NJ a few years back and if you have been there they you will love Spendido. There are a number of threads that discuss dinner options a few of mine suggestions are in http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=79022 Perhaps they can be consolidated for ease of reference? I can hardly drag my ass out of bed on the weekend so brunch is pretty much out of my league as I usually fry up some back bacon that I buy at St. Lawrence and crack some eggs from Harlan in the North Market instead of going out.

Going there also . Bymark was sooo busy. I recall they only have one phone line for incoming for this event - subject to others confirming otherwise - as I confirmed by trying really late at night on one of my lines at work (sad that I was still at work that late) and then dialed on my other line as the first was ringing and all I got was a busy signal on the other, then hung up the first and tried again and rang through. Pretty fair system if you ask me but a pain in the but - such as life I say. I am also going Canoe, Far Niente, Jump, Nector, and North 44. I may try and get a few others and then spend the next week after at the gym.

I did manage to get one for Canoe and Bymark but they are very early on weekdays and they only give you a 1.5 hours - which is fine by me. I looked at the menu at Far Niente which looks very good and with the new reno may be worth checking out. North 44's looks good also. I went to Bymark in the summer and the meal was no different than when I have been there on other nights.

Many thanks for the response. When I had originally posted I was unaware of the premium on the magnum and its rarity. With that information the 300% was not so bad given locale. I also agree that you are giving away the Insiginia at that price. I very much appreciate your response and as I noted to Oyster Guy privately, this would not in any way prevent me from going back to BB and my significant other and others had a fantastic time and the service was excellant. I suspect there just must have been some miscommunication with respect to ordering the wine.

I just used my AMEX card to make some reservations today before the rush (although the phone lines were very busy so I was not sure if I was getting the jump on anyone). Going to a few places. Any other places not listed in the official list that are also doing a 3 course? Interested in what places others are going to. Cheers.

I thought Kensignton Market might be too far of a walk in the wrong direction but if not I would suggest La Pallete which is pretty damn good and a very good deal - as always ask for the "other" wine list. I have a very messed up sense of direction living and working within a few blocks of Bay and King. I do not get out as much as I should.

I could not agree with you more on all the points you noted with the exception of the foregoing. You are entitled to believe what you would like. As I have noted above I am only passing on information that people may be interested in knowing.

Many thanks for pointing that out. 300% does sound a little better given location. I just phoned the winery and only 60 (10 cases) magnums were sold which is why the higher price.

I agree 100% that people can charge what they want - she went for a magnum of Blue Mountain Pinot Reserve which was a better value. Just sharing information with others who are interested.

None taken and I know exactly what you were getting at . The dinner was great, the service was great she would go back in a second. Just the rant about the price and the push is all.

The chances of my significant other (which was the person who resisted the hard sell at Bearfoot last night) making the story up to me this morning is very highly remote and she likely left out many of the details as she is a very passive person so for her to even say something to me about it is rare. As for who it was I will PM you with details. You are welcome to believe what you want.

I will start this by saying the service and food was amazing. I was told about a story of huge percentage mark up. Apparently, at Bearfoot Bistro, a magnum of the Laughing Stock Portfolio 2003 is being sold, and aggressively sold by the sommelier, at a price of $300 for a magnum (or $150 for a 750 mL bottle). I dropped the phone when I was told, laughed at first and then said no “seriously” “seriously” (kind of like George W did in the John Stewart segment on the Daily Show a few weeks ago) and then asked again how much? I then dropped the phone again as the number was confirmed. This wine was sold by the winery for only $35 bucks a 750 mL bottle a few months ago and can still be picked up at several places for around that price in the city that I am aware of – at least it could be when I was last in the city at Christmas. Assuming a slight premium for the magnum, and according to my math, that is over an 400% mark up. I am sorry but this is unacceptable. This screams of the five letter word made famous by the corporate raider Gordon Geko in Wall Street. Wow is all I can say as I write this stunned. Anyone have a PDF of the wine list. I would like to see what a more responsible sommelier ought to have sold to a group for $150 for a 750 mL OR LESS. I just notice the 5 course wine pairing at a $120 bucks. Also unacceptable unless they are serving some big wines for that amount. Anyone know what they do serve for this? Is this standard for BC wines on wine lists or do others think this is outrageous also. Edited to refer people to note below pointing that out the mark up is only 300%.

Hmmm....pretty restrictive criteria but I think that (noting that these are all going to be dinner places becuase I work in the financial core and have not been in the area for lunch ever), you may wish to try out Spaha on Harbord. Just look for the big Toronto sign hanging over the road. Across the street is Spendido for your "awsome" dinner choice when your visitor comes but this will not fit the pocket books for daily dinners - sadly. If you feel like walking over to Yonge/Wellesley Mammina's is pretty good for some good italian food. Wine is only marked up $5 above the LCBO price and you can bring your own wine so you can save a few bucks by bringing your own. I suspect this may be a fair walk from where you are staying though. I hear Gallery Grill is good but I have never been. I know of a few others that are good but out of the per diem range you have given. I know there are a bunch of pub style places but I do not think that many of them are that good in the area. Sorry I could not be of much help, although if you are willing to hop on the subway for $2.50 PM me.

"I have been staying clear of seabass, which was previously a favorite of mine, since I become aware of the sustainability issue." Moi aussi.

←

I've looked at all the menus...there are definitely some great deals, I think! I compared Vancouver's Dine Out menu with TO's Winterlicious menu too, and I think we're getting the better end of the bargain, by far! ←

Before you consider Susur I would do some research as to what you will expect – i.e. dishes out of customary order etc. Scaramouche is also very good as another noted that I had forgotten about. I had the 25th anniversary tasting menu this summer at Scaramouche which was fabulous. As far as service, I suggest you consult a recent review and many others that I am sure you can find and form your opinion - http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=78694 . I had good service when I went years ago, sadly another recently did not. Splendido is still my top choice based on where I have been in the city http://www.splendido.ca/ , but I would not go with the wine pairing unless you do not have confidence in navigating a complex list for good values (the link is here to the list http://www.splendido.ca/docs/wine.pdf - BTW, I am all about wine values and get very upset when I see things for greater than double – sadly something I am beginning to see more of). I recall the pours were very small when I went but for $40 bucks it was not too bad. If you are just 2 people this is the way to go, at 4 I may go out on my own. I do not see any Joly or Dageneau wines that often pair very well with many dishes (had the Joly Clos de la Bergerie at Per Se that went with 7 of the 9 dishes), with the exception of red meats IMHO, but I would ask for a style like those if you go out on your own - Tokay's from Alsace- provided they are bone dry tend to go very well with a variety of dishes also.

Splendido would be my pick also, although I have not been to Perigee. I would not choose Susur over Spendido.