mkjr

Harbor 60 for steak is the benchmark in my opinion.

On a Sunday Susur is about a 10 minute cab ride. The web site is www.susur.com The closed on Sunday thing is a little anoying. I very much enjoyed Susur when I was there. I also think they may have BYOW now so bring some good wine from the SAQ Signature store now that it is open again. I agree with Sadistick, if Splendido is open on Sunday, go there. Cheers.

Any new people signed up? I may have to go to the Keg to try out the 14.95 per bottle BYO. I have some Turley Hayne or some Harlan Estate Cab that I think would go very well with any steak (much to the chagrin of some out there I am sure).

Not think of any places of good value in that area? 2 that are not CHEAP, but good value: Pangea, and Prego de la Piazza...both VERY close, and good. ← People obviously have different views of what value is (which I very much respect), however, I clearly differ with these views on my opinions on the same. In Montreal I would use La Colombe and Les Infideles as a measure of great and fantastic value. There are no places in this area like this that I am aware of. I hope this is of assistance for you to measure value.

I am afraid there is really no value in the places listed, particularly with Opus where the wine list is great but the mark-ups are great also. The sad thing is that I can not think of any places of good value in that area so beware. I would go for Truffles personally.

It is my understanding that places that permit BYO in Montreal are not allowed to sell (including charge corkage) and places with licences are not allowed to BYO. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Very good point. Note this information if you can as this is not a "wine friendly" policy, particularly if you can buy "X Wine" at the LCBO for $40 dollars and the same is on the wine menu is $100 (or more likely 120) and they will not let you BYO. Note I have confirmed that Crush is just waiting for the green light with their application. I love this place and with BYOW I will go much more regularly (and be glad to share with the staff). Cheers. "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."

I though this would be of assistance (another’s idea) to post who is in and who is out for BYOW to assist with our dining choices (as I intend try to go to as many "wine friendly" places as I can). So far as I am aware: In: Susur, Centro, Rain, Scaramouche, Le Select, the Keg, Mammina's, Jamie Kennedy's, and Bekta. Soon: Crush (applied - just found out). Undecided: Canoe, Jump, and Biff's (I hear they are on the fence right now). Out: Terroni and Opus. Please feel free to add as you know or find out.

I stand corrected. Damn that is 3 times the price since I was there only 2 years ago. You are absolutely correct, Le Select is great for starting the ball rolling. Sorry I should not be so critical.

No problem. I am not sure about Alberta. $25 is really high for a bistro style place like Le Select given that the glassware there the last time I went was OK (maybe they have other stuff) and the food was marginal at best. Although it does not surprise me because the mark ups on their wine is pretty high with the whole consignment deal they have going on. Nice big list but by the time I finished looking at it I had asked for 3 or 4 that were sold out. I mean the French Laundry's corkage is only $25 in Napa, and so too are many top places in New York. Le Select is not a top place in Toronto I am afraid and $25 dollars is just not wine friendly - further supported by the whole call ahead thing they sugested. We shall see how this plays out in the next few weeks.

Wow. Responses. Great!!! BTW - the article is incorrect (not the first time for the Toronto Star I am affraid) it is illegal in BC - see the thread in the Vancouver site and also see the liquor control board's web site which states the following put up in response to the questions prompted by Ontario's actions: "B.C. liquor laws don't allow customers to bring their own bottles of liquor to consume in a bar, pub or restaurant." See http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/ Which means that 6-7% of the restaurants break the law in BC because customers want to BYOW and restaurants are willing to take the risk for the increase in business. The Star has got to check their facts before relying on a prior incorrect story. Sorry about the rant but I have seen two more errors in facts in today's paper. I want BYOW bad and have called to start the ball rolling. I hope others will. It is so nice to bring one, have a cocktail there and port at the end, without the huge mark up. Also, I agree with the poster regarding the Cloudy Bay SB, although if you know someone in Vancouver there were cases of the 2004 sitting on the floor at the Cambie store when I was back at Christmas (that I walked by). If you want PM me for details. I just do not buy it because there is better stuff for less. Just my 2 cents although the Pinot in the Vintages Classics might be worth a try.

I have to revise my earlier post. I went out for dinner on Friday. I saw a bottle that I purchased for $110 dollars at the LCBO on the menu for $340. I was disgusted and was close to leaving (but for the fact that I had some gift certificates) even though I was geared up to spend some money, including on wine. I will never go to that restaurant again, despite the service being fantastic and some of the best I have ever had in the city. I decided to order the cheapest wine they had on the menu. Was thinking also that to tip on that wine price means that, at 15% on the $340 (if that is what you do - not that is what I do always), the tip is $51 plus tax. Almost half the wine price!!! Am I the only one that sees a problem worth discussing here? Does anyone on this board even care about this topic of BYOW? The irony is that if people do not ask about BYOW then restaurants will have no reason to offer it. Well perhaps the Toronto Star will pick up the coming into force of this new law. I plan to ask all the restaurants that I have Winterlicious (sic) reservations with if they will have BYOW. I would consider reporting the stats if anyone is interested but I am not sure if people even care.

This law is in force on Jan 24, 2005 (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/dblaws/Tables/Public%20Statutes/Table_of_Procs.htm) and the royal assent is in the Gazette last I checked a few weeks ago (thought it got royal assent on the 14th of Dec.) So far as I am aware I have not seen any regulations yet but the law changes the definition of supply to include: "“supply” includes a licensee’s permitting the consumption on licensed premises of wine that a patron has brought onto the premises, in accordance with the regulations, for the patron’s consumption, alone or in the company of others; (“fournir”)" Will look into things in more detail. I can not think of any better news. Say good bye to 100+ percent markups and say hello to my stash of gems that I have been collecting for years.

Many good points. I certainly do not want people to get in trouble if it is against the law (my uncertainty of the legality of the same was alluded to in my original post), although it would appear the practice does exist (privately, publicly or otherwise). Perhaps BC may go the way of Ontario which recently approved a bill to allow the same.

Any word on when restaurants will start to allow BYOW. I heard Feb?

Just curious as to the restaurants that permit BYOW. I know of one but they will be closed when I come back to the city for the holidays and I was hoping to get together with some friends with some bottles from the collection. I understand that people may want to be a little cautious in their answers as I am not quite sure on the legality of the same. Many thanks.

Some have bugged me for my collection of older (when I say this I mean pre-1998) California Chardonnay, however, if they tasted this wine they would rethink those playful criticisms. Light/medium golden in colour, full, yet subdued, citrus notes on the nose, persistent and integrated oak perfumes, a fantastic backbone of acidity and a most impressive length of finish. Sadly this was my last bottle.

Wow $28.95CAD at Liberty that is theft (I hope that will change soon). Actually, I am having a glass right now and come to think of it, I would pay 28 or even 40 for it. Good stuff I tell you. I bought a case of the 2001 Dead Arm last weekend here in Toronto. I lined up at 8:00am to get some, it was only $49 a bottle. I have not tried any yet since I have been locked up on Bay street since the 15th of Oct (aside from my manditory wine buying trips that is). Cheers to those on the west coast. I am happy to see the Canuckle heads are starting off well once again, lets see if they can last....likely not...but there is hope.

I got it at the LCBO in Toronto (www.lcbo.com to search quantity) but I hear that you can get it at Liberty in Vancouver if you look or talk with the people there (I understand they are agents for D'arenberg in BC). You can also look at www.winesearcher.com[sic] and see who else brings it in.

Dense dark purple, anise and pepper on the nose that my wife could smell from across the room, massive full bodied fruit bomb: 50:50 Shiraz/Grenache - paid $18.95 CAD and bought two cases the next day. Best value I have ever had. Beware of the 15% alcohol though and note it stained my teeth so bad I had to brush two times and floss once to get rid of it. I had more pleasure with this bottle than a 1998 Harlan Estate I had a month earlier.

Many thanks to those of you who have replied thus far, your observations and insights have been duly noted. Please let me apologize for not being clearer in my inquiry. I originally wrote: “I am wondering what people think about tipping on the cost of wine, or if this has been posted before could someone please direct me to the thread that discusses (I apologise in advance if this is the wrong forum). Personally, the idea annoys me, although I still continue to do it. I think I am going to stop in the near future.” I did not say that I was going to stop tipping on wine in the near future. I said I am going to stop tipping on the cost of the wine in the near future. I agree that not tipping on wine is unacceptable, since there is a definite service that I receive and definite labor and capital cost of providing said service all of which I very much appreciate. What I intended to say is that I am unhappy with feeling obligated to tip a percentage of cost of the wine that I am charged. The owner of the restaurant has every right to mark-up the wine in accordance with the costs they incur to acquire the wine, develop and maintain a cellar, and in accordance with other costs incurred such as rents, labor costs etc. that come with running a restaurant. This is their right and when I buy a bottle of wine that includes this mark-up, I pay without hesitation. However, if I purchase a bottle of wine from the owner, that happens to be $100 or $1000, I do not feel very happy when I feel obligated to tip 20% on that amount, $20 or $200 respectively, and whether or not this is done all the time, and continues to occur, my question was intended to elucidate a discussion of this issue, and this issue only. I look forward to reading further responses on this point or direction to a thread on this matter, and for those of you who have addressed this issue already, your comments are much appreciated. I will continue to read the engaging discussion that many of you are providing.

I am wondering what people think about tipping on the cost of wine, or if this has been posted before could someone please direct me to the thread that discusses (I apologise in advance if this is the wrong forum). Personally, the idea annoys me, although I still continue to do it. I think I am going to stop in the near future.