Author Archives: markaaronpolger

Amore Trattoria

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 2425 Yonge St. 
Tel: (416) 322-6184

Amore Trattoria is a traditional Italian eatery located in the heart of the Yonge and Eglinton yuppie ghetto. Located on 2 levels in an open concept dining space, Amore is decorated with a minimalist design with a Mediterranean colour scheme, with very few paintings on the wall, with small tables huddled close together. Ambiance is calm, romantic, and dim lighting. This is the perfect place to bring a date.

Amore’s simple one page menu offers mouth watering salads (insalata), pastas, thin crust gourmet pizza, zuppa (soups), mains, and decadent desserts. Mains are priced from $12.95-$16.95.

Amore serves traditional pasta dishes like Penne Pollo, Presto Pesto, pastas with cream-based sauces, Prima Veras, Arrabiatas, and Bolognese. Amore serves dishes “tapas” style so patrons are encouraged to order an appetizer, salad, main, and dessert. This gets to be expensive, though.

Also serves ultra thin gourmet pizzas and you can even build your own pizza (Il Fornello style) . Also offers a spelt flour option for the crust.

For our dishes, I started with a homemade vegetarian minestrone soup with red kidney beans, potato pieces, carrots, zucchini, and other veggies, in a rich tomato broth. For my main, I ordered an ultra thin spelt flour pizza with grilled eggplant, zucchini, sundried tomatoes with mozzarella oozing with a pesto and tomato sauce mix. Justine had the fettucine with a cream sauce with mushrooms that resembled Alfredo sauce.

Amore appears almost identical to Il Fornello where it tries very hard to be authentic in a trendy way. They serve thin crust pizza but also offer “healthy” options like whole wheat and spelt. Price range is similar to Il Fornello and expect that your pizza will cost more if you add extra veggies, sauce, or any other gourmet type additions like roasted red peppers, pesto, garlic,and other yuppified ingrediants. Pasta dishes come fresh and piping hot. Portions are decent and wine is served the traditional way, in cups! Waitress was very accomodating as Justine and I together can be a nightmare for any waiter or waitress in Toronto. Dim lighting and minimalist decor makes this place a perfect setting for a date. I must admit that I was not full and I was worried since I had the Toronto International Marathon the next day and I think my pizza did not have enough carbs to sustain me, but it was DAMN GOOD! I would definitely go back and try other pizza combinations.

Amore is opened Mon-Thu 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri 11:30am-11:00pm, Sat 10:30am-11:00pm, Sun 10:30am-10:00pm. Accepts all cards. Serves Sunday brunch. Liquor license.

Queen Mother Cafe [Mark Aaron]

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208 Queen St. W.
Tel: (416) 598-4719
Mon-Sat 11:30am- 1:00am
Sun 12:00pm-12:00am

 

web site: www.queenmothercafe.ca

Located right at Queen near McCaul in the Queen West neighbourhood, I have always been curious to try this place out. With old wood furniture, high pressed tin ceilings, and beautifully restored, the Queen Mother Cafe serves Pan Asian (mostly Thai and Laosian cuisine) as well as some Mediterranean dishes and decadent desserts since 1978.

With a large, beautiful back terrace, and with three large dining areas, in a very dimlight romantic setting, the Queen Mother Cafe offers decadent desserts (locally made by Dufflet), and an array of Thai-Lao inspired dishes. For our dinner, we started with vegetarian cold rolls appetizers (fresh spring rolls filled with tofu, bean sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, carrots, bell peppers, fresh mint and coriander, served with a hot and sweet peanut sauce) a bit liquidy in terms of the sauce, but a highly delicious start to our meal.

For our mains, Wendy ordered the seafood hot pot with a scallop, shrimp and calamari with green beans, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and fresh basil in a spicy Indian curry coconut sauce, served with steamed jasmine rice. Wendy found it very saucy, spicy, and wonderful.

I ordered the spicy vegetarian roti with fresh market vegetables, chickpeas and tofu in a spicy curry sauce, wrapped in a warm Indian Dahl roti, served with cucumber and cherry tomato salad, topped with raita dressing. I did not find it very saucy (more dry) but it was one of the best rotis i have had in a long time. Wendy ordered a sparkling water that was similar to San Pellegrino and I ordered the typical Diet Coke.

Service was exquisite and food presentation and taste was divine. There were not many vegetarian options but the waitress assured me that they were flexible and that they could make anything vegetarian. She also assured me that the peanut sauce was truly vegetarian. Mains are in the price range of $12-$15 and appetizers are $6-$9. Some appetizers include sticky rice steamed in a straw basket with a peanut sauce, edamame (steamed Japanese soybean snaps in a chili soy dipping sauce), nam jeun (three crispy spring rolls filled with a special vegetable mixture, served with hot and sweet peanut sauce ), dim sum quartet (wonton wrapped dim sum filled with chicken and shrimp and served in a soy sauce and garlic chili dipping sauce ), golden triangles (chicken, cumin, ginger, coriander, scallions and curry wrapped in a “samosa” like fashion with a curry and lemon yogourt sauce), and artichoke hummus. Salads includes an arugula walnut salad (YUMM), a mediterranean salad, and your typical plain “house” salad. Entrees include a smoked turkey chili, spinach and ricotta canneloni (super yummy), New Zealand lamb tenderloin, teriyaki salmon, and ping gai (grilled marinated boneless chicken with garlic, coriander, black peppercorns, served with a spicy lime coriander sauce and steamed rice ).

Noodle dishes include pad thai, bah me hang (fresh thin egg noodles stir-fried with bean sprouts, onions, celery, chopped peanuts, sauteed shrimp and golden sliced chicken in a spicy lime coriander sauce, topped with green onions and fresh coriander), and khao soy gai (a Laotian dish of chicken simmered with ginger, fresh Thai herbs, turmeric, curry and coconut milk, served on a bed of fresh bean sprouts, watercress and soft thin egg noodles, garnished with shallots, marinated bok choy and fresh coriander
).

Also serves a Sunday brunch. Some brunch items include a Montreal bagel (St. Viateur) with served plain or with cream cheese, hamburgers served with fries, crêpes with a savoury filling, served with home fries and salad, two eggs, served any way you like it, with home fries, double smoked side bacon and toasted authentic St Viateur Bagel from Montreal, served piping hot, omelete of the day served with home fries and side salad, quiche of the day (served with salad), and a St. Viateur bagel served with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onions, lemon, and fresh dill (a taste of “Jewish and Montreal”)

Accepts all cards. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am- 1:00am and Sun 12:00pm-12:00am. Serves some brunch items (in addition to regular menu) on Sunday. A wonderful place to bring a date. Liquor License.

Peter Pan [Mark Aaron]

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373 Queen St. W
416/593-0917

On Sunday September 25, 2005 it was my 31st birthday and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I had arranged for a birthday brunch get together after I successfully finished the marathon (I did it in 3:55:30). After finishing naturally i was sore so our plan was to “brunch it up” on King west or Queen West. We made our way to Queen West hoping to “brunch” at Fressen but it was too far. I had seen Peter Pan many times but never went in. Boy i was missing something very special.

Peter Pan is one of the oldest “restored” restaurants on the Queen west strip between University and Spadina. Think of it as a classy “old fashioned” romantic restaurant. Once inside you have stepped back into the past–I do not mean a 1950’s diner, but a 1920’s or 1930’s classy restaurant, a more “high end” take on the classy diner, something more special.

This place has a great dela of charm. There is a lot of art on the walls (some for sale), wooden booths and a high, pressed-tin ceiling. As well, there are high ornate ceilings, an old-style bar (with built-in stools) and comfortable wooden booths throughout the restaurant. The place is named Peter Pan because it’s at the corner of Peter and Queen I suspect.

The menu offers many appetizers under $10, plus pasta, pizza, and burgers priced between $12-$15. Mains are between $14-$20. The whole place looks like it was never remodeled or re-done, almost completely restored, as if stepping into the past. What nostalgia! We went especially for brunch and we sat at the back terrace that seats about 6 tables and is surrounded by glorious trees and green space. Justine ordered the potato rosti with smoked salmon ($9)which she thought was simply amazing. She was glad to be served water with lemon. I ordered the French toast with maple syrup and fruit ($9). Daniel, Lizzie, and Paulo ordered the omelete with ricotta cheese that was accompanied with salad and pancetta on top ($9) . Wendy ordered the personal size chorizo sausage pizza with olives & artichoke hearts($9). She thought it was very good. All thought that the food was wonderful but the service stank. The young man who served us was frustrated by our size (we were 6 people) and he made nasty facial expression when we asked questions or asked for more water or coffee. When i asked for a mocha (espresso with steamed milk and chocolate) he said it was the girl’s first day on the Espresso bar and she could not make the drink. What a load of crap. A mocha is a single or double espresso with some chocolate syrup or cocoa. Give me a break. When Justine asked for fresh coffee, he gave a nasty facial expression.

Some items of interest include warm beet salad in a dijon vinaigrette with goat cheese, walnuts and a sweet poached pears with star anise ($9). As well, lamb shank ($17) with lentils and kale. Other items include whole wheat fusilli with goat cheese and grilled chicken, mushrooms, and spinach in a light cream sauce, goat cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast over mashed potatoes and vegetables ($14 and $16 respectively).

Peter Pan also serves a vast array of desserts (cakes, pies, dessert crepes) and obscure types of wine. After finishing our brunch, Lizzie and Justine ordered the fruit dessert crepe but they ran out. To be blunt, service had attitude and was beyond crap. The guy just could not deal with six people. Come on! The women “greeters” were pleasant but this young man was a major grouch!

Serves weekend brunch. Art rotates regularly at Peter Pan.
Accepts all cards. Backyard terrace. Open Mon-Wed noon-midnight; Thurs-Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-11pm.

Get Real !

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135 Ossington, at Argyle
416-532-4564

 

One Sunday afternoon after my crazy 32 km run, i met up with Aaron for brunch. We met up at LIVE, a recently upgraded “4 seater cafe to 30 seat restaurant” but found out that it was closed for brunch during the month of August. SHITE. We met up at Dupont and Spadina and we were hungry. Luckily, Aaron had his car so we drove down Ossington since Aaron knew that there would be great brunch opportunities along that street.

He suggested Sweaty Betty’s, a cool sounding name for a brunch place, but we could not find it. We actually stumbled upon “Get Real!”- a cool, hip, and small cafe tucked away in the Dundas and Ossington neighbourhood. Upon walking inside, we found out that it was in fact a vegetarian cafe that served brunch. PERFECT.

Get Real! just opened last January 2005 and it is still in the “baby stages” of development. The fact that it was 2pm made us one of the only patrons in this cafe so we had top choice of seats in the small and quiet back terrace. Get Real! is a calm and peaceful cafe with a simple one-page summer brunch menu and I suspect they also serve a simple dinner and lunch as well. I guess the paper menu allows them to experiment with food and change items often, not being held down to commit to the same food every week.

We started with a coffee for Aaron ($1.50) and a latte for me, double shot of Espresso, extra hot, and soy milk ($3.00). Get Real!’s actual cafe is pretty small, with about 3 tables at front, 2 tables in the middle area, and about 6-8 tables in the back terrace/patio area. The decor is very simple and earthy, in a light green motif that resembles the colour scheme of garden plants. Very bright, cheerful, and airy. Staff are very pleasant, friendly, accomodating, and helpful. No pretentiousness here. They serve their water with a slice of cucumber, maybe a little eccentric but not pretentious.

For our meals, I ordered the Spanish tofu scramble- crushed tofu with tumeric with red pepper, chives, and spices with multi-grain toast, roasted bombay potatoes, and a side salad. I replaced the potatoes and multi-grain toast with more salad ($8.50). Aaron ordered the Mayan omelete ($10) – with eggs, a side salad of organic greens, bombay potatoes. His omelete came with Mayan chipotle salsa with pine nuts and peptitas, avocado and cheddar with scallions and fresh cilantro. He really enjoyed his meal and he said he could really taste the fresh herbs. We both agreed that our meals were light and refreshing and very fresh. My scramble in particular had quite the zesty flavour. For a side Aaron ordered multi-grain toast with fresh basil and diced tomato cheddar melt with a balsamic drizzle ($4.00).

Other toast combinations include a choice of multi-grain toast or bagel with organic peanut butter ($1.50), Molly B’ organic jam ($1.50), Mendel’s cream cheese with fresh dill, cranberry, and cucumber ($4.00), and apricot and mango salsa with melted brie and fresh mint with vanilla extract ($4.50).

Some summer brunch dishes include: Vegan Organic granola with wild blueberries, milk/soy milk, or yogourt ($5.00), Jamaican Fruit Salad ($6.00) with fresh pineapple, mango, kiwi, and jicama, in an avocado, lime, cilanto, and mint and cumin dressing, the English breakfast (baked beans in an herbed tomato sauce on multi-grain toast, with roasted bombay potatoes, worchestershire marinated in tofu strips and a side of organic greens), an omelete with Asian sesame, baby bok choy, and mixed mushrooms with sliced ginger, marinated daikon radish, and black sesame seeds and lime ($10.00) . Savoury crepes include a Mediterranean crepe with spinach and feta with roasted red peppers and nutmeg ($9.00) and a Provincial crepe with asparagus, and lemon tarragon tofu with pea seedlings in a black pepper and soy drizzle ($9.00). For the sweet tooth, try the fruity explosion of spelt flour Belgian waffles ($7.00)- blueberry and cinnamon waffles with maple glazed plaintain compote, fresh blackberries, strawberries, peaches, and shaved chocolate.

Open Monday to Friday 10 am to 7 pm. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Serves fair-trade coffee. Beautiful back terrace. Quiet, calm, and serene ambiance. No political, pretentious bullshit like “we’re a vegetarian restaurant so we’re better than anything else”. Not overpriced like typical Toronto brunch places. Wait staff are humble and nice. Many ingrediants on the menu are organic. Average mains are $7-$10. In addition to brunch, they also sell healthy, vegetarian “grocery-type” products, beverages, prepared meals, and snack-type items. Accepts all cards.

Barrio Lounge

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896 Queen St. E.
416-572-0600

Barrio is a laid back lounge and bar where patrons can have a martini, a glass of wine, or even dine on a tapas-style menu of global delights. For those who do not know what”tapas style”-tapas is spanish for “snack-items”. This means that dishes are snack-size portions so you can try many things at once. The problem lies that these dishes are the prices of mains ($8-$10) when they should be $5-$6.

I looked at the one page paper menu (that changes every 3 months) and I only found three vegetarian items. Since mains are served tapas-style, you basically have to order 2-3 tapas just to be full. Rip-off central. I could understand ordering tapas-style if they were normally priced but Barrio has some nerve to charge those prices for tiny portions. I think it’s because the Queen East/ South Riverdale neighbourhood is becoming more and more chi chi poo poo like Queen West and more trendy, upscale restaurants are popping and morons like me are willing to try it and pay retarded prices. Was I ripped off? Decor is really nice. With pale green walls, calm jazzy, pop music in the background, and large photographs mounted on chunky canvasses, this place looks like a hip and modern bistro that would cater to an artsy crowd, probably journalists and writers, and other Queen east hipsters. Tables are close together and the actual restaurant is quite small. Many of the tables are lined up against a row bench that sits against the wall. Pillows and fluffy seat cushions add warmth to the modern design of this “Verveine-style” restaurant.

For my meal, I ordered a salad of roasted beets (red and pink), with arugula, sunflower seeds, in a very light viniagrette with creme fraiche on top ($8). I told them to hold the creme fraiche. Presentation is artistic, funky, and cool. For my main, i ordered the quesadilas with Alex Farms goat cheese (locally produced cheese store), grilled asparagus, and other funky little vegetables ($10). Both dishes were wonderful in terms of flavours, textures, aromas, and taste, but portion size sucked big time. My friend ordered braised chicken with green lentils ($10). It was served in a small cereal bowl. Quite laughable to say the least. He also ordered the same salad but he had the creme fraiche. I think creme fraiche is like whipped cream but it’s not sweet. Sound gross. Some vegetarian items to note : artichoke hearts in a garlic mayo, safron rice croquettes (rice cakes) in an eggplant caviar, and a selection of breads with Fred’s dips. Other items worth noting include popcorn shrimp with cocktail sauce and creamy dill dip, pork ribs with potato salad ($10), smoked trout with vinegary tapenade ($12), seared scallops with leeks ($12), and grilled strip loin frites ($12).

It is easy to order 4-5 dishes, thus making the dining experience quite expensive. Sunday’s “prix fixe” menu with 3 choices -one complete table d’hote for $19, and two table d’hote options for $23. Sunday “prix fixe” change weekly depending on what is in the market that day. Thank goodness for Sunday dinner where you can a real meal for a normal price. Although staff were very helpful and friendly, service was quite slow, portion size was pathetic and my diet coke was $1.75 and was filled with ice.  Accepts all cards. Open quite late

Bar-Be-Que-Hut [Mark Aaron]

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 1455 Gerrard St. E.
416-466-2264

Bar Be Que Hut, despite its name, is not Pizza Hut. It is a not a fast food joint that serves hamburgers and hot dogs. It’s a small cosy restaurant in Little India that is frequented by families and casual diners. Bar Be Que Hut, meaning Pride of India, serves traditional Pakistani cuisine with live music every Friday night. Also contains a small outdoor terrace.

Menu is very small and simple. They have typical Indian fare like tikkas (chicken tikka masala), kebabs, tandoori, pakoras and samosas, chicken curry, butter chicken, mutton, goat, beef, and fish curries, and much more.

Bar-Be-Que Hut house favourites include lamb bara kebab, chicken bara kebab, vegetable pakoras. Vegetarian items include channa massala, palak paneer, daal, curried eggplant, and aloo gobi. I ordered garlic naan (fluffy white pita-like bread) with palak paneer (purreed spinach curry with homemade Indian cheese) . YUMM! In addition, i ordered the Mango Lassi ( a thick drink made with homemade yogourt and fresh mango puree), sweet, thick, and delicious. My friend ordered the tandoor chicken dish with regular naan and he liked both dishes very well. The dish also came a spicey meat sausage thing which he did not favour as much. For his drink, my friend ordered King Fisher, a typical Indian beer.

Decor is kind of dated. Place is kind of small and carpets are dark, dingy, and not clean. Staff are very friendly and food is excellent, tasty, and good portions and no bullshit prices. Bar Be Que Hut really needs updating. Food makes up for old, tired decor. There is a television that plays Bollywood movies and musicals, which gives it a cute kitschy feel. As well, the TV also gives the restaurant a very casual, bar-like ambiance. It really needs a renovation like Salad King needed a renovation. Also needs a new name. Bar Be Que Hut does not sound like an authentic Indian restaurant. Open noon to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Wednesday; noon to 11:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday. No wheelchair access to washrooms. Accepts all cards

Lahore Tikka House [Mark Aaron]

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1365 Gerrard Street
(416) 406-1668

 

I have now been to Lahore Tikka House 3 times and I have left happy each and every time. I think that despite the fact that food is served on styrofoam plates and the whole restaurant sits on two trailers, it is one of the best Halal Pakistani restaurants in Gerrard India bazaar neighbourhood.
Very recognizable by its wall of pressed woodchipped exterior sheets, Lahore Tikka has been under renovation for a long time now and I wonder if they will ever complete building their new home next to its temporary dwelling.

The temporary location is housed under a maze of 2 trailers connected together with 2 large outdoor patios with picnic tables, large multi-coloured umbrellas, and a semi-outdoor open-concept kitchen where you can see all of the items being cooked before your eyes. Although the decor sucks big time, they do try to make it look authentic. The two trailers have colourful saris that grace the walls and ceilings, thus making the trailer look very colourful, authentically South Asian, and traditional. With seriously loud Indian dance music, you cannot help but think that you’ve stepped into a cheesy danceclub. Most waiters are Indian teenage boys who have poor communication skills, but at least they try to be nice and smile. The procedure for getting food is as follows: order from the one-page paper menu at the front cash (from communicatively-challenged cashiers) who are spaced out. According to Shaista, Wendy’s friend, they are not on crack, but really cheap drugs. Once a successful order is placed, they give you a number and you sit whereever you like (either in one of the two trailers or on the back patio under the two large tents) Be careful when trying to access the backyard patio, you may get lost. Lahore Tikka House is one big maze and it can be difficult finding your way around.

Lahore Tikka house is famous for its food and for its quirky customer service. The place is packed and it’s quite popular among the locals in the area. On any given day or night, you will find it packed with teenagers, trendy yuppie folks, young couples with kids, and large families bringing their whole clan for the sensible prices and huge portions.

The menu is very simple. It is divided into appetizers (Samosas are only 99 cents), Sizzling BBQ from the Tandoor oven – minimum 2 pieces (beef, lamb, chicken, chicken tikka breast, chicken leg, sizzling fish)- all between $1.69-$6.99. Hefty rice dishes include a medley of meat with vegetables with a very large portion of rice. Some hefty rice dishes include beef and rice, chicken tikka and rice, two kebab chicken and rice, two kebab lamb and rice, botti tikka, and chicken tikka with rice, all ranging from $8.25-$11.25 for a generous portion the whole family can share.

Tandoori naans (puffy bread made from the Tandoor oven) includes regular flavoured naan, butter naan, whole wheat roti, and till naan ($1.00-$1.50), lahori kids specials include kids beef kebab- $1.69 and chicken tikka for kids – $5.99. The Lahori Karahi includes a variety of different types of Karahi dishes (lamb, chicken, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, beef, nahari, haleem, fish, palak gosht, and daal gosht, all between $8.00-$8.99. Biryani dishes (rice and meat) include chicken, beef, mixed vegetables, fish, lamb, and boneless chicken tikka ($8.99-$10.99).

Vegetarian dishes include tarka daal, aloo gobi, channa masala, palak (spinach), the combo sizzler ($8.50) (channa masala, palak, and aloo gobi), palak and daal, palak paneer, and muttar panneer, all between $4.99-$8.50.

Wraps are a simple way to get a small portion of curry wrapped up in naan bread for a great price. Some wraps offer small and large sizes. Some wraps include beef kebab, chicken tikka, boti tikka, veggie veggie, lamb kebab, chicken kebab, all between $4.75-$8.95. On my first 2 visits I ordered the veggie combo sizzler, which was a large portion served on a black wrought iron platter containing aloo gobi, palak, and channa masala. It was extremely hot and delicious. The food here is definitely fresh and has BITE. On my 3rd visit, I decided to order the veggie veggie wrap ($4.99) which comprised the same ingrediants, but wrapped up in a small naan “sandwich”. On both occasions, I ordered the Mango Lassi and although it was alittle watery, it was still cool and refreshing.

As with most Indian restaurants, Lahore Tikka House serves a variety of North American and Indian sodas and juices as well as Lassis (Mango, Sweet, and Salty). They also serve Indian sodas like Limca. Lahore Tikka also serves kulfi (a classic Indian ice cream on a stick in flavours of pistachio, mango, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry). Accepts all cards. Open until 1:00am every night. Owners are Muslim and food is authentically Halal.

Trapezzi Wine and Dine [Mark Aaron]

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505 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, ON
M4K 1P5
(416) 465-8778

 

Wendy and I decided to check out Trapezzi because it was one of the newer restaurants on the Danforth that had opened up some months ago. We knew that it was slightly shi shi poo poo so we thought that the Summerlicious food festival would give us an opportunity to try out a complete meal at a fixed price.

Trapezzi looks like a bar and bistro with dark hues of navy blue, chocolate brown, and black. The walls are furry and padded, perhaps an aid in sound absorption, or, perhaps it gives it a luscious, soft comfortable feeling. I would love to have soft padded walls throughout my house! Trapezzi is comfortable and clean, with clean lines and a contemporary hip look that is stylish and trendy. The menu comprises mostly Mediterranean fare (meaning Italian and Greek) and mains are around $15-$20 (OUCH!). For our summerlicious $20 dinner adventure, I started with a salad of baby spinach, red onion, orange segments, goat cheese, walnuts, citrus dijon vinaigrette. Oh my gosh, was it damn good. It was sweet and the vinaigrette made the salad light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day. Wendy had the mushroom & leek soup, in a big heaping bowl, very filling and hearty. She also ordered a bottle of sparkling water called Aoli. For my main, I ordered the gnocchi with roasted red peppers, baby spinach, shaved parmesan, saffron cream. I did not like the cream sauce as I am not a creamy sort of person. It tasted like a rose sauce but I really enjoyed the delicate flavour the gnocchi with the roasted red peppers and the baby spinach and parmesan. I am not a fan of cheese at all, but this cheesy dish was an exception. Portion size was laughable. The plate was flat and trendy but I think I only got ten gnocchi pieces. What a joke! I still think that nouveau cuisine does not mean I have to starve. I swear that I only ate ten individual pieces of gnocchi so I was very dissatsified since I know that this main would have been $14.

I ate slowly and really enjoyed my meal, but I doubt I would go back for dinner here. I would probably go to Trapezzi for brunch, but not dinner. Wendy got lucky with her main dish. She ordered the Fruit de mare with Pan seared garlic and herb crusted Atlantic Salmon, sautéed spinach, roasted mini red potatoes, and grilled lemon. Her portion was much bigger and she seemed very satisfied. For our dessert, we ordered two desserts and we shared. Wendy ordered the Tiramisu, with lady fingers, marscapone cheese, and espresso, in a rich cream cheesy icing. WOW- YUMMY! Excellent. I ordered the thick and dense Dark Chocolate and Caramel Torte, a dense chocolate moussy cake with a caramel crusted bottom layer, similar to Skor Bar. My dessert was superb.

Other items on the menu include a variety of salads ($8-$10), mussels ($10), a variety of pasta dishes like smoked chicken penne, rigatoni, fettucini, linguini, ($14-$16) and risotto dishes like pancetta risotto and mushroom risotto. ($16 and $17) , as well as a variety of pizzas ($14-$15)(some include caprese, carne, bourbon chicken, and trapezzi), as well as beef, chicken, lamb, duck, and sea food mains ($23-$30). The beef, lamb, duck, seafood, and poultry dishes all come with a variety of sauteed or roasted vegetables so it’s probably worth the inflate prices. Desserts include a variety of Gelatos ($5), Strudels, ($8), cakes ($8), as well as lattes ($3.50), and capuccino ($3.50), and alcoholic coffees (all $7). Trapezzi is also a full service bar and serves over 50 types of wine (red, white, rose, sparkly), as well as liquors. Trapezzi also serves a variety of funky flavoured Martinis ($10) , creative, sweet, and delicious cocktails ($8-$14), and apperitifs ($8-$9).

In sum, our experience at Trapezzi was great. Staff were friendly and accomodating and they did not treat us differently just because we ordered from the Summerlicious menu. The place is small but the decor and colour scheme is very hip and cool, comfortable, and relaxing. Fully Licensed Restaurant and Bar. Catering available. Seats 45 people as a restaurant. Seats 100 people as a bar. Accepts all cards. Open 7 Days – Monday thru Sunday 11am – 11pm
Bar opened until 2am. DJ plays music after 11pm on weekends. Serves a weekend egg-themed brunch. If you want a shi shi poo poo experience to the max with a good vibe, good food, and friendly staff, then come to Trapezzi. Just make sure you eat before because portions seem to be small.

Ten Feet Tall

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 1381 Danforth Ave
(416) 778-7333

Having recently assumed the mantle of Brunch Specialist, I figured I’d better live up to that title and scribble something down about Ten Feet Tall. Although already reviewed twice on this site, I thought I’d add my two cents on this venerable bar like establishment.

Ten Feet Tall embodies the anti-hipster experience. Looking more like a bar than a restaurant, a deep red hue on the walls keeps the place dark and somewhat dingy. A small patio exists in around the entrance on the front and side of the building, but due to the extreme humidity we?ve been experiencing lately we decide to eat inside.

A full house greets us as we enter, and I am immediately reminded of the ambiance of the Only Café with people ranging from the nerdy Danforth couple in tucked in golf shirts and slacks, to the hurly burly guy in a cowboy hat chewing on a toothpick staring at me out of the corner of his eye. The brunch menu is short and contains a number of variations on the traditional egg dishes. Service is slow but extremely personal, jokey and friendly: a rare find in the typically pretentious and uninterested Toronto brunch market. The slow service may be due to a rush of customers at once, but the staff is unapologetic in their jokiness. Fine by me.

I decide on mixing a brunch item of cheesy eggs (served with cheddar, feta, and/or mozzarella) with the interesting sounding sweet potato fries from the ‘non brunch’ menu. The fries are available with a variety of interesting dips, including a jalapeno mayo dip or a spicy piri piri sauce amongst others. I’m recommended the piri piri and a half order of the fries as Mark tends to stay away from the carbs. The fries arrive promptly as a full order, and I’m told I’d only be charged for the half. They are thin cut and crispy  the way I like ’em and come with two slices of orange, a nice visual accompaniment. The piri piri sauce is a deliciously spicy complement. The rest of our meal takes some time to arrive although the refills on the bottomless cup o’ joe and water with lemon are regular and timely. I?m basically finished the full order of fries before my eggs arrive with the wrong side: a clumpy, lump of home fries. Talk about overdoing my carb intake. I pick at the potatoes, while waiting for my now free side order of whole wheat toast. Each dish is served with either home fries or toast, which I find a bit unusual. The eggs are fluffy, and VERY cheesy, quite tasty. I could have used a green to balance out the amount of starch, but overall I?m impressed with the quality of the food, especially the sweet potato fries.

The bill arrives and as promised, I was only charged for the items I ordered. Cheap and cheerful I’d like to call it. If I could sum it up, Ten Feet Tall does a great job of keeping things real. Nothing fancy or out of this world, but good food, good prices and good service. If you want a change from the typical snobby brunch scene, this is a good place to try.

Nevada [Mark-June 2005]

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1963 Queen E
(416) 691-8462

 

Nevada is a trendy Italian restaurant in the heart of the beaches. I went there for brunch in Sept 2002 and I only remember one cool thing: the wicked patio. I do not really remember the food, very well. I do not remember it being bad, but I do not recall it being memorable. One of the largest and nicest patios in the Beaches, Nevada is a casual fine dining place for local folk.

Similar to The Beacher cafe just a few blocks east, Nevada serves Italian and North American dishes, made shi shi poo poo on fancy schmancy oversized plates. Place is beautiful in decor but food is very “blah”- like The Beacher Cafe. Both are charming and decorative and very homey and comfortable but food is very mediocre. Nevada is definitely one of the more trendier dining spots in the Beaches. Dinner entres are $9.95-$14.95 and they serve a weekend brunch with a fairly large menu. Gorgeous side patio that sits about 50 people comfortably. For our brunch adventure, Wendy ordered bacon, sausage, and a potato latke which she thought was too “eggy”, and she did not appove of the yellow tinge. I ordered the Peaches Foster French Toast and boy- it was not 3’s Company (Stuffed Peaches French Toast in a Berry Confit). I was looking forward to a mouth watering array of peaches braised over bourbon with a medley of fruit, bacon, and sausage. Of course the friendly and accomodating staff replaced the yucky bacon and sausage with more fruit, thank goodness. HOWEVER, when my French toast was served, it was way too eggy and there were 3 small slices of peaches and no hint of bourbon. I was not looking to get drunk (I’m not a drinker at all) but i really wanted to taste the intense flavour of bourbon and it was not there at all.

Nevada also serves a varierty of egg dishes (like most brunch spots) and it’s pretty cool to serve Challah and Potato latkes. I did not know that Jewish food was that trendy. I certainly was scared of it when i was growing up. Trust me, i dreaded potato latkes each Chanukah. As Wendy and I have been friends for 13 years, she is certainly more of a potato latke expert than I and she did not approve of 3’s Company’s latkes or Nevada’s.

Dinner at Nevada seems to be standard trendy fare: thin crust trendy pizza, pasta dishes, fish, chicken, a seafood dish, and a steak or meat dish. Very typical. I would suggest going here if you seek casual fine dining, a hip and cool decor with friendly, energetic, and young staff, and mediocre food. Although the painted mural sign on the exterior wall of the patio claims that it is a bakery, Italian market, and bakery, Nevada is only a restaurant. Accepts all cards, open late.