Category Archives: Uncategorized

Madras Dosa Hut

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1123 Albion Road
1-877-DOSAHUT(367-2488)

 

The Library team (our department in the hospital is quite small, with only 5 of us and one volunteer) went for a yummy lunch buffet to Madras Dosa Hut at Albion and Islington for a great deal- a $7.99 South Indian lunch buffet feast

With ample parking, we entered the clean and spacious Madras Dosa Hut, whivh is kid-friendly (it has a McDonalds-like park in the front for kids) and we sat at the large 8 seater circular table.

I had eaten South Indian food before but one volunteer had never eaten Indian food in general. We introduced her to the many delights of Indian cuisine like sambar (spicy lentil soup), rasam (spicy tomato-based soup with tamarind), payasam (sweet tapioca dessert), uthapam (similar to Naan bread but it contains rice flour with onions).

The great part of this buffet is that it includes one free Dosa (a thin crepe with a yummy potato curry filling inside). There were many vegetarian items for me to choose from. I chose the channa masala (chick pea curry), as well as veggie curry with peas and potatoes, while my colleagues chose other curries like goat and chicken.
Madras Dosa Hut was large, spacious, clean, and bright with traditional kitschy South Indian flare. Food was good, constantly refreshed, and water was cold and wait staff were friendly, cheerful, and helpful.

I was impressed with the free Dosa offer. Clearly, this was the best value for a lunch buffet and I was happy to report that Madras Dosa Hut offered no free cockroaches. Accepts all cards. Licensed.

World Class Bakers

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690 St Clair Ave W
Phone: 416-654-0606

This spacious and elegant Italian Cafe and bakery is located at St. Clair and Christie in Wychwood Park, across from the famous Mediterranean restaurant Mezzetta

Offers freshly baked croissants, bagels, specialty breads, cookies and a large variety of cakes (all home made). You can also try the amazing buffet of traditional Italian dishes like veggie Lasagna, Roasted Vegetables, Roasted potatoes, Green beans in a tomato stew (YUMM), and Roasted Chicken. ($8.99 veggie, $9.99 non veggie buffet). A definite excellent deal. Food is fresh, delicious, and constantly refreshed. I must admit, it does not have the look of a buffet where people are desperate going back to stuff themselves on seconds and thirds. There is a laid back casual ambiance that I love in World Class Bakers. I went here quite often for food and beverages in January when I was dating a local. We quiote enjoyed the food and healthy veggie selections and super affordable prices. World Class Bakers resembles a cafe where locals hang out, read, and relax.

World Class Bakers offers free wireless internet access so locals are encouraged to drop by, have a coffee, read, and surf the Internet for as long as they want.

With a full espresso bar you can order a latte, cappucino, and just regular coffees. Don’t forget to try the samples at the cash. Exceptionally friendly service.

Also offers programs like Spoken Word Series (monthly on Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm-9:00pm) and a Discussion Group that meets every second Wednesday evening (8:00pm). A real community hangout for locals of the Wychwood Park neighbourhood. Also offers home cooked hearty breakfasts. Hours are Mon-Sun 7am-11pm. Cafe sits 36 seats. Only accepts cash but has an ATM in the cafe.

Rajdhani Sweets and Restaurant

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2658 Islington
416 748-7108

Apart from the cockroach that was scurrying down the long hallway, Aaron and I thoroughly enjoyed Rajdhani Sweets and Restaurant. This place was almost identical to its neighbour a few doors down Brar Sweets and Pure Vegetarian restaurant.

Literally 3 doors away from Brar, Rajdhani offers South Indian vegetarian fare and ridiculously low prices. Complete meals are $8 or less and contain a Thali plate full of small portioned snack size morsels of south indian dishes. Aaron and I went for lunch and we ordered the spinach and cheese curry (Saag Paneer), the chick pea curry (channa masala) and 2 types of kofta (looks like dumplings or vegetarian meatballs) in a sweet and creamy yogourt sauce, as well as curried eggplan (bhartha began), and lentil curry (daal). All dishes are wonderful, but i think my favourite from Brar and Rajdhani are the kofta, saag paneer, and bhartha began. Choose 5 items for $7.99 or less and it comes with pilao (rice), naan (fluffy pita-like bread from the tandoor oven) or roti (flat whole wheat tortilla). Comprised about 7-10 tables and decor was plain and not trendy or kitschy. I think Brar recently had a makeover since it looked more cleaned up but i like the minimalist approach to decor. Some places are Gerrard street have dated furniture, kitschy Indian art that is not even genuine or traditional. Sometimes the barren minimalist looks work. Both Rajdhani and Brar seem similar because they are small and they focus on desserts but do offer meals at the back. Food is served fast, fresh, and piping hot. Dishes are already prepared in advance like a buffet but Naan and Roti are made to order. Accepts all cards. Offers many colourful desserts, mostly made of chick pea flour and decadent sweet and thick condensed milk and cream.

Champion Wok Seafood Restaurant

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1635 Lawrence Av W
(416) 246-1771

My manager and her friend/co-worker from purchasing decided that I should be exposed to the world of Dim Sum. Even though most Dim Sum was not vegetarian I was curious as to what food would be brought out. My manager told me that waiters constantly bring out hot fresh Chinese Hor D’oeuvres on carts and you just pick and choose and you are charged $1.25-$3.00 (?) per item. Sounds cheap, but it’s not. It does add up and it can be expensive. For me, there was nothing i could eat so i just watched as my two lunchmates got ready for the excitement of Dim Sum.

We opted for a place that was close to work (Jane and Lawrence) so we went to Champsion Wok Seafood Restaurant. Champion serves Dim Sun all day and specialized in seafood dishes relating to Dim Sum. Dim Sum are like small appetizers ($1.25 each) on a cart, from pork dumplings, ox tail, pigs feet, shrimp and tofu dumplings and rice paper wraps filled with beef, seafood, and tofu, as well as Chinese brocoli. Also serves an assortment of desserts like delicious and filling sweet red bean filled balls and an assortment of Chinese tarts.

Unfortunately for me there were few vegetarian dishes so I ordered a tofu stir fry with broccoli and Chinese mushrooms. Most soups and dishes that say vegetarian have chicken or fish stock. It seems they do not understand the true essence of what vegetarian food really is.

The ambiance was cute; with one main dining hall fitting about 20 large circular tables, this place could get crammed for Saturday night dinner but this was Fri lunch so there were only three occupied tables. The bill came out to $50.00 for 3 people but my dish was only $7.95. Decor was nice, casual, busy and conveniently located at Black Creek Drive and Lawrence. All dishes come with unlimited hot tea. Accepts all cards.

Dosa Darbar

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1150 ALBION RD,
Phone: 416-740-9009

 

Dosa Darbar is a south indian vegetarian restaurant in Etobicoke’s Little India at Albion and Islington. Conveniently located right near the 401 and Islington, this small cosy restaurant sits about 10 tables and is quite dark and unassuming inside.

Decor is dark with brown textured wallpaper and old tables and chairs. Dosa Darbar does not look dumpy like most restaurants on Gerrard street but definitely looked a bit shabby and dated. Definitely needs a severe makeover. With mininal decor and design it does less busy, thus not as kitschy as other places.

The food and excellent friendly service makes up for the ambiance. Dosa Darbar specializes in Dosa’s which are thin paper like crepes with a potato curry filling inside. For lunch, Aaron and I ordered the crazy Dosa, filled with potato curry. Our Dosa was lined with cheddar cheese and shredded onion and it came with Sambar (thick vegetarian pea soup–similar to Daal) and a coriander and coconut cream sauce to dip the pieces of Dosa into

The Dosa was huge. It was fresh, piping hot, and delicious. In addition to our meal, we also shared an appetizer of Veggie pekoras with chunks of onion and cashew which was a new food experience for us. They did not have Tamarind sauce but it came with ketchup (not very Indian) and a yummy Coriander sauce that was to die for.
For our drinks I ordered an extra large glass of Mango Lassi, thick and rich and only $2.95 for the massive glass. I did NOT feel ripped off. I was truly happy with the food, extra friendly service, and the quality of the food

Accepts all cards

Jolly II Italian Restaurant

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2625 Weston Road
(416) 242-6666

 

Centrally located at Weston and the 401 right near the Weston GO station and close to downtown Weston Village, Jolly 2 is a traditional Italian restaurant that has been serving patrons since 1988.

Jolly is authentic looking with comfortable seating in an open-concept dining hall

Jolly offers an assortment of salads, fresh pasta, pizza, lasagna, veal or chicken parmigiana, and other authentically Italian dishes all served cafeteria style (no worrying about a tip!)

Jolly serves typical Italian sandwiches like veal or chicken on an Italian bun, BBQ chicken sandwiches, steak sandwiches, Prosciutto and Cheese , sausage sandwich, and meatball sandwich.

Jolly also offers gourmet pizza and panzerottos and serves traditional Italian soups like Minestrone, Stracciatella, and Tortellini. They also serves pasta (Penne or Rigatoni) in Tomato sauce with meatballs or sausage as well as pasta in other shapes (spaghetti,rigatoni, penne or fettucine). Some sauces include pomodoro (tomato), meat sauce, meat sauce with meatballs, arrabiata (spicy tomato), pink (tomato and cream), and tomato sauce with sausage. Cream sauces include vodka sauce, al fredo, and a penne primavera in a choice of sauce (tomato, garlic and olive oil, cream, or pink).

Stuffed pasta includes gnocchi (YUMM), manicotti, lasagna, ravioli, Agnolotti, and Tortellini , stuffed either with ricotta cheese or meat. Pasta with seafood is priced from $10.95-$15.95

Jolly also serves a variety of salads (Caesar, Seafood, Spinach, Tomato, Tuna, and Greek)

For my first experience at this exciting new place I ordered a side order of roasted vegetables and the daily special of eggplant parmigiana; thinly sliced panfried eggplant (not breaded thank God) topped with tomato sauce and cheese. It was so delicious and not too greasy, I could taste the delicious olive oil flavour in the sauce and cheese.

The roasted vegetables were excellent. Roasted veggies were composed of roasted peppers (multi-coloured), zucchini, and onions

. Since they serve food “cafeteria style” it’s fast, fresh, and casual, and definitely NOT like crappy food courts or crappy cafeterias.

Jolly seats 120 people indoors and offers a large outdoor terrace that seats 80 people. Food is constantly refreshed. Prices for lunch can be under $10. Lunch portions are kind of small, but taste makes up for it. I would recommend ordering many small dishes. Also offers a famous hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and all of the fixings at low prices.

Many vegetarian options. Accepts all cards. Wheelchair accessible. Liquor license. Jolly II also offers catering services and take out.

Brar Sweets and Vegetarian Restaurant

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 199 Advance Boulevard Unit 12
905-799-1625

2646 Islington Ave
416 745 4449

755 Dundas Street West #A4
905-848- 3933

Located in the “other” Little India at Albion and Islington, Brar Sweets and Vegetarian Restaurant serves exclusively Indian and vegetarian fare. Eighty percent of the restaurant showcases traditional Indian squares (i.e sweets) which are colourful, dense, decadent squares made with condensed milk, tons of sugar, sometimes chick pea flour, and cream. These colourful treats are excellent but drink a lot of water after since they are very sweet and rich I’ve tried many before). The decorative tin foil covering these treats is edible so don’t worry.

Brar Sweets contains about 10-15 tables and decor is minimalist and cosy in classic beige with many mirrors. No kitschy artwork or photos. They specialize in sweets and thali dishes (thalis are one large plate with a sampling of many dishes), as well as takeout.

Some of the dishes they offer includes 3 types of cheese curries: Saag Paneer (cheese), a cheese curry with red/green peppers, and mattar paneer (curried peas and cheese) in a sweet tomato gravy. Other popular dishes include bengan bhartha (eggplant), daal (lentils), aloo gobi (cauliflower, potato, and onions), channa masala (chickpea curry), YUMMY kofta balls (dumplings in a thick and creamy yogourt curry). If you opt for the Thali dish, you may choose any salad and pick the pickled lemons and carrots, they’re excellent. You may also want to pick fresh Naan, Roti, or Pilau (rice) or all three. Food is to “die for” delicious, fresh, piping hot, and exploding with flavour, texture, and colour.

The sweets are colourful and decorative, that you do not want to eat them, just look in amazement.

Vegetarian samosas or Vegetarian pakoras are an excellent starter and are best hot (with tamarind or coriander sauce). Complete meals under $10 including all taxes. No need to tip, but highly recommended since service is always fast and courteous.

Sicilian Ice Cream Company

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710 College St.
416 531-7716

 

In the heart of Little Italy, The Sicilian Ice Cream Company has been serving delicious home-made ice cream, for close to 40 years. The ice cream comes in traditional Italian flavours, such as nocciola, zabaione and baccio as well as the “classics” (chocolate, vanilla). The ice creams are made with milk, with the exception of the Lemon Ice and Raspberry Ice, both of which are fat free and non-dairy. Try the tiramisu flavour, a delicious combination of Italy’s two most famous deserts!

– Erin Toole

Solferino

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38 Wellington Street East
416 364 8478

Just opened last spring (2005), Solferino is another gelato place (yay!) with about 20 different flavours, and they keep adding new flavours! Everything is made fresh, on the premises (in the back) and the gelato you are eating was made either yesterday or today. They’ve got the classic flavours (most recently, I had Dulce de Leche, while my friend had Oreo…funny how those are considered “classics”…), and some more unusual flavours (guava, blackberry, lulo, guanabana (two south-American fruits)). Try the avocado flavour!
The owner is from Columbia, and she had 5 successful stores with the same name in Bogota before deciding to test it out here. So far, so good! Go try it!

-Erin Toole

Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream

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1087 Bathurst Street
East Side of Bathurst , just south of Dupont
416 537 3131

I was very excited to spot the Kawartha Dairy logo as I was driving up Bathurst Street one evening, and so I had to investigate. Relatively new to the ice cream scene, Madeleines is a quaint and friendly place which has been here for almost 2 years. This is the only place I know of in the city that sells Kawartha Dairy ice cream, which is, in many people’s opinion (including mine), the best ice cream in the world. (If you are unfamiliar with Kawartha Dairy, the original dairy is in Bobcaygeon and their ice cream is made the old fashioned way with only the freshest of milk and cream). If you’ve never heard of Kawartha Dairy ice cream, you must try it! Check out Madeleines this summer – you will certainly want to go back again and again!

– Erin Toole