Author Archives: markaaronpolger

Willow, The

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The Willow is a Tex Mex Bar & Grill on the South side of Danforth near Broadview, & has become the spot of choice for post-show gatherings at the Bad Dog Theatre www.baddogtheatre.com. The place to sit is the back rooms, or failing that, wherever Jose is serving � he is an awesome waiter that knows his audience. I no longer have to order, he knows what beer I want & brings it. The menu is a mix of Tex Mex & pub regulars like burgers & chicken fingers. Do yourself a favour & stick with the Tex Mex, as it is what they are known for. The menu features items such as nachos, quesadillas, tostada & other Mexican delights. The last few times I�ve been here I had the Supremo Nachos � corn chips, melted Jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, chicken with salsa, sour cream & guacamole. It was really filling � I had to get help to finish, which is great considering the price of $9.95. Another time I had the vegetarian Tostada, which is an open faced crispy corn tortilla topped with vegetables, refried beans & melted cheese, also served with a side of refried beans & rice. This was a steal at $9.95 � I had to take some home to eat later! I�ve also had their salads & Mexican mice & things like that, all very tasty. Skip the fries.

The beer selection has changed recently & so they no longer have Guiness or Smithwicks or the other standard British/Irish brews on tap, but they have recently acquired Dos Equis on tap. I switch between that one & Carlsberg.

Now I know some people who have had negative drink experiences there, (obviously Jose was not working that day, he�d never let anything bad happen) & I do know some who are not fond of the food, but you can�t please everyone all the time.

The bar features a big screen projector system for sports & special event viewing if you are into that kind of thing. They are also very amenable to seating large crowds & let you move the tables around as you need. The patio is bright, colourful & heated! Perfect for the crisp autumn weather! Check out their website at www.thewillow.ca It�s cute & colourful & features pretty pictures of the food & tells you more about the history of the establishment.

 

 

Danforth Dragon [Mark]

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861 Danforth Av
Phone: (416) 461-9238

 

Danforth Dragon is located right on the Danforth at Danforth at Jones. This place is one of the only restaurants in urban Toronto that serves Hakka style food, Chinese food spiced Indian-style. Ambiance is casual, cosy, with one dining hall, a diverse menu of wines, beers, and cocktails. The decor is slightly kitschy as there is a flashing sign outside (similar to Las Vegas flashy signs). For my appetizer, I ordered the Hot and Sour soup, made vegetarian upon request. Staff are friendly and VERY accomodating…anything can be made vegetarian and spiced accordingly. Pleasant, relaxed, cosy, casual, unpretentious ambiance

Unfortunately the soup was boring and bland. I would have preferred Wendy’s Hot and Sour Soup spiced with Mancurian sauce (her soup had chicken but it could have been made vegetarian). For my entree, I ordered the stir fried veggies and tofu in a Manchurian sauce (ginger, coriander, chili, paprika, garlic) very zesty with a kick, and similar to a vegetable curry.

Wendy ordered the Hakka style noodles with chicken and shrimp. The portion size is huge and prices are all under $10.00 for the most part.

The menu includes a variety of fish, seafood, chicken, and beef curries, chow meins, stir fries, as well as North American favourites such as chicken wings and French fries. Some dishes include the Fish ball soup, Hakka Chow mein, Stir fried veggies, spicy egg roll, seafood is top notch.anything shrimp is great.shrimp balls, snow peas with house spicy sauce, green beans with garlic sauce, ghobi (cauliflower curry), Kung Hei Chow Mein, pan fried dumplings, veggie and chicken pakoras, shrimp with lobster sauce, chinese mushroom with tofu, fish dumplings in a delicious broth, chicken tikka, crispy ginger beef, singapore or manchurian chow mein, sweet corn soup, manchurian veggie balls are one of the most popular vegetarian dishes as well as shrimp balls, Indian style chop suey, and manchurian fried rice is a favourite among frequent diners.

Danforth Dragon accepts all cards and the service is very friendly and accomodating.

Cafe Diplomatico

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 594 College Street,
416-534-4637

Located right in the heart of Little Italy at College , this place is a large coffee house, casual and unpretentious. Throughout the day tables fill with locals hanging out while having a coffee or traditional Italian dessert or meal. The walls are covered with kitschy art and in the summer, expect lineups as the outdoor terrace is quite popular

With traditional Italian pastry, ice cream, and ,meals, this place is a haven for University students and people who appreciate more affordable cuisine. I went with my parents (who appreciate fine cuisine at a decent price) for lunch on the weekend and they really enjoyed the fact that it was one of the only places in Little Italy that was affordable and unpretentious.

As it was quite chilly that fall afternoon, we opted to sit down in the large open-concept dining area by the window.

Serving traditional Italian dishes like pasta, thin crust pizza, Italian soups, Italian salads, traditional Italian desserts like canoli (which my mum ordered) , and appetizers (antipasto), the menu also includes Greek salads, as well as burgers, Mexican quesadilas, onion rings, and French fries.

My dad ordered the hamburger and French fries and he said it was great (he said it was juicy and delicious). My mum ordered the traditional Italian minestrone soup with noodles, beans, and vegetables in a tomato broth. I ordered the HUGE vegetarian antipasto dish (a HUGE platter of artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, spicy olives, three slices of a mild Italian cheese, and spicy eggplant, for $7.95). The dish was very filling and excellent. They have a medley of other vegetarian dishes like gnocchi, penne, rigatoni, pizza, and a variety of salads. Each pasta dish is served and you can choose from a variety of 20 different types of sauces.

Accepts all cards, open very late, can be very crowded on Thurs/Fri/Sat and even Sunday nights. Expect lineups on the weekend. Can be loud and noisy so students should not come to study there (even though the food is affordable). Excellent, attentive service, good prices, open 7 days per week 8:00am-2:00am.

Satay on the Road

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1572 Bayview Ave
(416) 440-0679

2003 Avenue Rd, 
(416) 488-5153

2306 Queen St. East (416) 698-8618.*

* Malaysian food not available at our Queen Street location.

 

*March 2005*

Satay on the Road on Bayview was renovated. It no longer looks kitschy and cheesy. It no longer has palm trees hanging from ceiling. It looks very industrial, modern, with clean lines, marbled tiles, and looks very trendy, a la “Salad King”.

Satay on the Road is located in the heart of Leaside Village on Bayview between Eglinton and St. Clair Another location is located in North York and in the Beaches

SOTR is a very casual place, with cosy diner chairs and tables, and kitschy decor (Thai-style hut roofs that surround tables, giving it that “Tropical Island” feel)

The menu is typical “Toronto Thai” so it is not worth mentioning. They have all the typical beef, chicken, and shrimp dishes. They also have the typical vegetarian fare so I was not surprised. Without fail, I ordered the veggie hot and sour soup, one of the best i’ve ever had in Toronto, next to The Friendly Thai, with chunks of tofu, bamboo shoots, three types of mushrooms, served in a HUGE pot

For my entree dish I ordered the Tofu Satay Dish with four skewers of tofu, stir fried veggies and a curried peanut sauce [VERY similar to The Friendly Thai]. The peanut sauce, however, was different. It did not resemble the typical brown I expected. It was very chunky but it was yellow, like it had been “curried”. It was still excellent and the waitress told me it was vegetarian so I believed her. [i.e. no chicken or fish stock added]

Paulo also ordered the deep fried veggie spring rolls for his appetizer and he ordered the Pad Thai that came with a side of marinated boneless chicken breast. He loved it.

The restaurant is spread across two dining halls, both cosy and casual. There is a bar at the back at the restaurant and table mats advertise a medley of cocktails which was kind of cheesy.
SOTR accepts all cards and there are three locations in the city.

Ten Feet Tall

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1381 Danforth Ave
(416) 778-7333
See also Brunch, Danforth, Bar/Cafe

www.tenfeettall.ca

Paulo and I decided to go for brunch one Saturday morning and we wanted to try something different. We saw the sign “We serve brunch” at Ten Feet Tall so we decided to check this place out. The sign outside the restaurant does not give justice. From the outside it looks like a typical bar east of Pape on the Danforth near the corner of Greenwood. With a plain black and white sign and with a minimalist exterior design, we did not know what to expect. When you step inside, you will see a funky, eclectic, open concept bistro cafe/bar.

Once inside, we were introduced to funky, ecclectic interioirs, with a large mural on the wall depicting a stormy scene at a Mediterranean beach. It was said to belong to the old restaurant and that the current owner did not want to take it down. Ten Feet Tall has only been opened one year [as of Oct 2004]

With mosaic-tiled walls and linen-draped patio doors, hand-sculpted light sconces, eclectic artwork and a collection of ceramic insects on the wall, this cafe stands apart from the rest. The strong colour scheme of blood-red ceilings and dark walls really makes this bistro stand out.

Ten Feet Tall serves a diverse menu with a separate brunch and dinner menu. Dinner includes a variety of pastas (gnocchi, ravioli, chicken in a tomato sauce, pad thai, pasta with grilled chicken, portobello mushrooms in a Jack Daniels cream sauce), 4 types of pizza (Pepperoni, Danforth, Kristen, and Kiss Me), sandwiches (grilled veggie, grilled cheese, club sandwich, hamburger), chicken curry, cajun catfish, New York steak, and chicken breast stuffed with chevre and fresh herbs.

On my first visit, I ordered the Ten Feet Tall salad, a large creative plate of greens, spinach, strawberries, shaved parmesan cheese, and candied almonds in a thick balsalmic dressing. I could taste the bits of almonds but not the “candied” part.Paulo ordered the Ten Foot Breakfast, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, home fries (he said they lacked flavour) and coffee and he enjoyed his dish but he thought his meal was warm but not hot.

On my second visit, I went with my friend Justine (May 2005) and she ordered 10 silver dollar pancakes with fruit and it was great. I had an egg white omelete (they do not charge extra for egg white omeletes) with mozzarella, eggplant, mushroom, and spinach. The omelete comes with 2 toppings and it is only one dollar to add additional toppings to the omelete. My omelete came with toast and home fries and i substituted them for salad at no extra cost. Again, I found a no bullshit kind of place, unlike By The Way Cafe.

I loved my meal. It was fresh, delicious, and healthy. Other items include a variety of dishes with funky names (like beautiful veggies), stir fries, pizza, meat and chicken dishes, burgers, wraps, and some vegetarian dishes.

Some brunch items to note are the Eggs Danforth, poached eggs with pancetta on an English muffin, with hollandaise sauce and feta. All dishes come with a side order of home fries and toast. The Kitchen Sink, an interesting dish of
poached eggs on a toasted english muffin with smoked salmon, spinach, and roma tomatoes in a blanket of hollandaise sauce and crumbled feta. Other dishes include eggs benedict, eggs florentine, eggs mormor.

They also serve extra thick French toast, with powdered sugar and fresh fruit, berries, and maple syrup as well Waffles. Try the Elvis Waffle, a thick waffle with peanut butter, banana, bacon. Try their Danforth pizza with olives, grilled peppers, red onion, and feta, the “Kiss Me Pizza” with feta cxheese, pepperoni, jalapenos, red onion, and roasted garlics, or the Kristen Pizza with caramelized onions, mushrooms, grilled peppers, and sun dried tomatoes.

Service was excellent and staff were really friendly

I will definitely go back for brunch and dinner and explore the entire menu. Accepts all cards. Bathrooms downstairs are nice, clean, and there is a lot of artwork done by neighbourhood children (I think). Sits about 50 people. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm. Serves weekend brunch 10am-4pm. They are VERY veggie friendly. They can make most dishes vegetarian and they can prepare dishes spicier, milder, bigger, and smaller, just inquire wait staff.

Reviewed by Mark

Everybody Eats [dinner- closed June 2005]

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557 Parliament
*closed June 2005*
416-923-0100

Aaron and I went to see a play last night at the Berkely Theatre so we needed to grab dinner in a closeby neighbourhood restaurant so we decided to go to Everybody Eats. Everybody Eats is a cosy café with a local neighbourhood feel. It is decorated in white exposed brick with abstract art on the walls. Divided into 2 dinings rooms and a back terrace, the front room is small and resembles a greasy spoon with its open concept kitchen while the back dining area resembles a chi chi poo poo bistro with linen clothed tables with a real fire place.

Their business card describes the place as ecclectic, innovative, and casual. The brunch menu on the weekend (10am-4pm) has typical brunch fare (eggs any style, toast, non-dairy vegan French toast , salad, baked beans, and burgers). There is also an eggless omelette (made with tofu) so this place is perfect for me.

The dinner menu is diverse, funky, and ecclectic. With each entree, the chef recommends a wine or beer (from their extensive list of wines and beers) that goes well with the dish. Talk about drinking advisory services! For our appetizer, Aaron and I shared the pan fried veggie dumplings (4 for $5.95) with spicy peanut sauce. Although greasy, the dumplings were really good and hit the spot. For my main entree, I was disappointed to only find two vegetarian items: the fusili pasta with vegetables and feta cheese and the pan fried tofu with watercress and some rice in a nice teriyaki sauce. I opted for the Pan Fried Tofu with sauteed watercress which came with white rice.

WOW, it was REALLY good, salty, greasy, but GOOD. The only thing was the portion size. It was a small square of tofu with watercress (think spinach!) with a small side or white rice in a teriyaki sauce. Aaron opted for the curried lamb-burger with roasted rosemary potatoes. His lamb-burger came with a yummy portobello mushroom. He thought his food was good but too greasy. Other items on the dinner menu include burgers (ground strip loin with garlic mayo or curried lamb with sweet apricot chutney on kaisers buns with roasted bell pepper, jalapeno and onion.) Other menu items include a risotto of toasted nutty barley with chopped asparagus. Some starters include artichoke caviar, a Mediterranean relish served with warm herbed pita, and sweet potato fritters with pineapple salsa and cumin-scented yogurt. Desserts include a variety of cakes and pies from Altitude Bakery on Queen East. The night we went, there were two desserts: chocolate banana cake and apple sour cream cake. Not many healthy desserts but oh well. They accept all cards. Licensed with an extensive list of wine, beer, etc. Closed Mondays. Open until 10pm Tues-Fri. Weekend brunch is served 10-4pm.

Gateways of India, The

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19 Baldwin Street
416-340-0404

 

Daniel and I met up for lunch one day and decided to try The Gateways of India, another Indian restaurant, hoping for something different and unique. We head towards Baldwin Village as he knew that Gateways offered a lunch buffet (all you can eat for $7.95). I must say it was different. With non-typical Indian dishes, I was pleased for the new and exciting dishes but I was disappointed that there were very few vegetarian dishes.

Located on Baldwin street, this quiet tree lined street full of small restaurants and cafes was crowded with people that Thursday afternoon at 1:15pm. Located south of the U of T. campus and right next to Chinatown downtown, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and The Ontario College of Art and Design, I was surprised that the street was so crowded.

The decor of Gateways to India was nice and non kitschy. Restaurant is small and seats about ten normal size tables. The interiors are a bit dark and overall the place looks clean and not super fancy. There is a gorgeous front terrace opened all summer and in early fall. Sits about six tables.

Food was fresh, piping hot, and always refreshed. Surprisingly , the buffet was not super large like most Indian buffets. They had a small selection of salads (spinach salad, chick pea salad, and some raw vegetables). Dishes included tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and lamb curry. Vegetarian dishes included green daal (excellent!), vegetable pekora in a yellow yogourt curry. I never tasted somethng so wondeful. Superb, spicy, creamy and wonderfully fresh. As well , there was a dish called Aloo Mushroom, which was Aloo (potatoes) in a curry with mushrooms and paneer (cheese). This dish was amazing. I also enjoyed one slice of Subzi Naan (Naan stuffed with curried potatoes and peas). I was disappointed that there was no channa (chick pea curry), bhartha (eggplant curry) or aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower curry) or my recent obsession: saag paneer (spinach and cheese curry). Saag Paneer is a wonderful dish that most Indian restaurants carry.

Daniel had some of the daal, the bhaji, butter chicken which he found rich and flavourful, the curried mutton which he thought was a little short on meat, but with a tasty sauce, and tandoori chicken which was alittle dry, but had a good spicy kick. He thought it was an amazing deal for $7.95 with fresh ingredients and well prepared dishes. To quote him “I thought it was not like the usual sodden muck that one gets at a South Asian lunch buffet.”

For dessert, we had the typical rice pudding, watery, but extremely flavourful with the wonderful aroma and flavours of cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. As well they had fresh fruit, and custard.

There is an extensive regular menu which serves a variety of vegetarian dishes like the typical channa, daal, aloo gobi, bharta, saag and matter paneer. They also serve a variety of breads and rice dishes. The remainder of the menu serves mostly Chicken (boneless white meat) and lamb dishes as well as a variety of shrimp dishes ($8.95-$9.95). I did not see any beef or goat curries at all on this menu. Some chicken dishes come with naan bread or rice while others explicitly are ordered as entrees only. All shrimp dishes comes with rice or naan. All entrees are under $10.00. Accepts all cards and Interac.
Free delivery from 5:00pm-10:00pm for orders over $20.00.

Milestones

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Unit A13-095 Yonge Street
(Empress Walk Mall at Yonge/Sheppard)
(416)-225-2552
For a complete list of locations

Milestones is a classy chain of restaurants, similar to Kelsey’s or East Side Marios, but slightly more upscale and less of “horse stables” ambiance. In other words, Milestones seems less noisy crowed with huge tables, spread far apart, with dim lighting, and an overall ambiance that is more calm and inviting. Located in most suburbs malls or in the middle of big box stores, I went to this particular Milestones at Yonge and Sheppard with Steve and Debbie in the fall.

The first floor was a bar/pub and the second floor was an intimate dining hall, with a cosy ambiance

Due to the limited vegetarian items on the menu, I ordered the Vegetarian Thai Noodle Salad- large and colourful with avocado, tomato, letture, cucumber, Thai rice noodles, mushrooms, artichokes, in a spicy Thai dressing ($9.99). Debbie had steak with garlic potatoes. Steve had grilled salmon with rice

All dishes came in large plates and super large portions. Decor is trendy with large spacious tables and booths. Rich in wood and comfort, yet provides an atmosphere of energy and fun. Very crowded with people but not congested

Friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable staff. Decor is super modern and classy, in an elegant design
Milestones is a chain across Canada, all over Greater Toronto, Greater Vancouver, all of Ontario, B.C., and Alberta. Milestones claims to be the proud creator of Bellini, a frozen cocktail, a blend of Lamb’s white rum, peach liqueur and champagne, topped with sangria.
This restaurant also serves an extensive list of wines, house wines, beers, cockails, margarita’s, dacquiris, and other drinks

The men is very diverse, as it includes steak, chicken and ribs, soups and salads, stir fry’s (not vegetarian) , seafood, pasta, but unfortunately very few vegetarian options. The only vegetarian options I found were the veggie burger platter, tomato basil capellini (tomatoes, basil, sundried tomatoes, calamata olives, and feta), Miso Dragon Bowl (Asian vegetables, brown rice, and Thai peanut sauce), the California spring greens salad (spring greens, glazed pecans, red onions, goat cheese, and strawberries), the typical garden salad, a roasted garlic caesar salad, and the Vegetarian Thai Noodle Salad.

In addition, they also serve an extensive brunch and low carb menu. They also serve low calorie meals, as well as items with little or no trans-fats.Brunch is served 7 days a week until 4:00pm. Typical brunch items includes a variety of omeletes, egg benedicts, French toast, poached eggs, and mimosas. The lunch menu is very similar to the dinner menu but there are more sandwiches burgers and wraps (known as rollups)–mostly in chicken and beef varieties

Some vegetarian appetizers include hot tortilla chips with fresh salsa, baked goat cheese and roasted garlic dip on flat bread, and the toasted onion and herb focaccia triangles. Liquor license. Accepts Interac, and VISA. I was quite pleased that they had a low carb menu and there were some vegetarian appetizers but not enough vegetarian entrees.

Swan [dinner]

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892 Queen West
416-532-0452

 

With a small and vegetarian-free menu, I was still intrigued to go to Swan for dinner. With some friends we all opted for Swan because it was unique and unlike the typical Fresh by Juice for Life, (which I’ve been a million times) I did not want to torture my friends and force them to eat vegetarian. Having gone for brunch several months ago to Swan, I had enjoyed the qiet ambiance, the cool dim lighting, the minimalist decor, and the laid-back environment of this chi chi poo poo diner in the Queen West West neighbourhood.

We sat in the booth at the back of the restaurant, a familiar place where we sat for brunch months before in the winter. We sat down and got comfortable. For a starter most of them had House Wine and some kind of fancy-pants Beer. Aaron, Gavin, and Joey ordered appetizers of Oysters and Grilled Bread with diced tomatoes. They enjoyed both appetizers very much.

For our main meals, Daniel and Jonathan both ordered the beef short ribs. Daniel found his dish to be beefy and quite tender. He thought that the sauce offered a hearty balance of flavours with a judicious hint of sweetness that complimented the fine quality meat. He also enjoyed the pan- fried vegetables but they were unfortunately not well-seasoned, but, fortunately, not over-cooked.

Gavin had the Capon (rooster) which was coated in a delicious vanilla-oatmeal breading and pan-fried. The coating was great, but the actual meat was a bit tasteless. He found the buttermilk mashed potatoes to be exquisite, and he loved his roasted vegetables.

Aaron had the halibut on a bed of mashed yams, new potatos and cheese with some steamed veggies. He thinks his meal was covered in a pesto sauce but he could be wrong. Overall, it was quite tasty though he probably would have prefered some meat.

Joey had the vegetarian risotto with stewed tomatoes and other veggies cooked in a creamy vegetarian risotto broth.
I had the curried lentil soup, with pureed lentils, not too pungent in flavour, but with the right amount of zing. The puree made the soup taste creamy and hearty. Mark also had the spinach salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries in a light viniagrette.

The prices were pretty pricy. My soup was $5.00 and my salad was $7.00 and my salad portion was laughable. It was so small, I laughed while eating it and trying to enjoy every morsel. My soup was very hearty, healthy, and flavourful. I do think it was worth $5.00 even though $5.00 is slightly pricy for a soup. The bill came out to $186.00 for 6 people and most entrees were $15.00-$18.00 which, in my opinion is too pricy for me. Accepts all cards. Open late. Can be crowded most evenings and weekends. Reservations are recommended, especially for the popular weekend brunch. Service was OK but our waitress was cold and unfriendly to most of us. Maybe she had a bad day

Spice Thai

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246 Queens Quay West
(416) 598-0600

Last week three friends and I met up to see an free Opera performance at the Harbourfront Centre, part of their summer concert series. Right after the performance we were hungry so we decided to grab a late night bite. We stopped by Spice Thai, a small and cosy, dimly lit cafe located in the Harbourfront neighboruhood across from Harbourfront Centre, tucked away under an 80’s style Toronto condo on Queens Quay Boulevard.

With a familiar menu with all the traditional and typical Thai dishes, I asked which dishes were really vegetarian and the helpful and patient waiter helped me decide what to order. I opted for something light since it was very late [10:30-11:00pm]. I ordered the cold fresh veggie rolls (3) with a chunky peanut sauce [awesome! and completely vegetarian- no chicken stock!] ($4.95)

Alan ordered the Spicy Thai Eggplant ($7.95) which came with fresh basil leaves and a generous serving of stir fried purple eggplant. Daniel ordered the Pad Wood Sen (Stir fried glass noodles with chicken breast, shrimp, and vegetables) ($8.95). The other “Daniel” ordered calamari (breaded, deep-fried squid, served with sweet chili sauce) ($7.95)

Menu is divided as follows: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Noodle Dishes, Rice Dishes, Beef/Chicken, Seafood, and Vegetarian dishes. All main dishes are between $7.95-$9.95. All salads are from $6.95-$9.95. Noodle dishes are from $8.95-$9.95. Appetizers are from $4.95-$8.95. All vegetarian dishes are $7.95. [Vegetarian stir fried veggies, Thai Eggplant, Veggies with oyster sauce [WARNING: not vegetarian], and Spicy Ginger Tofu. Accepts all cards. Large, very clean and gorgeous washrooms, worth checking out. Open VERY late.