Tag Archives: dinner

Brass Taps Pizza Pub

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 495 Danforth Av (416) 466-3403
157 Roncesvalles Avenue – (416) 536-6678
221 Carlton Street – (416) 966-9440
934 College St. (416) 533-4333

Some places specialize in specific type of food. Brass Taps is a toned down, casual version to Il Fornello. If you decide to dine at Brass Taps, don’t go for the burgers, wraps, or pub fare, since it’s just mediocre. Go for the gourmet pizza and the excellent Sunday brunch.

Centrally located in Greektown at Danforth and Logan and on the cusp of Little Italy at College and Ossington, this pub is known for its gourmet pizza (many different varieties and you can even build your own pizza and choose your own crust!) . Some Brass Taps Pizza Pubs play cheesy 80’s music and some hard rock and roll. Decor looks like your typical pub- bar stools, woodwork, and a large bar with an extensive selection of wine, beer, and hard liquor.

Also contains comfortable seating with large tables and booths as well.

They serve brunch Sundays from 11:30am-2:30pm and the menu is fairly extensive. I usually order granola with fruit and yogourt but since the menu has recently changed (perhaps due to new management?), I decided to have the Garden party egg white omelete.

The service is prompt and portions are big. I went with three friends and they had a mix of different items, French toast club sandwich with banana, peanut butter, and nutella, my other friend had a bagel with provolone cheese and red pepper, and another friend had a pizza frittata, which is an open faced omelete on top of pizza dough with pizza sauce and veggies.

All of our dishes arrived fresh and were under $10.00. Average price for brunch items was $5.95-$7.95. I received the wrong egg-white omelete, (I got a mushroom and cheese egg-white omelete). I told her kindly but timidly that I got the wrong item, so she re-ordered the omelete for me for free. Woo-Hoo.

The egg-white omelete was big and fluffy and had a lot of sauteed vegetables, and it came with roasted potatoes in a rosemary, garlic, and herb saute, and it came with four slices of toast. I did not eat the toast or potatoes but I was very satisfied with the egg-white omelete.

Soft drinks are expensive so be warned but portions are big, the 80’s music was absent that day but the overall ambiance was friendly and accomodating. I was thoroughly impressed. The server’s name was Shelley and she was super nice. Looks are deceiving because I would have never thought that this place served brunch- it simply looks like a pub. Many locations in Toronto. Extensive selection of vegetarian meals and excellent vegetarian pizza dishes. Please note that even though Brass Taps all share almost identical menus and the same name, they are not affiliated with each other. In sum, this beats the overpriced trendy il Fornello by a long shot. Some locations like the Little Italy location (on College street) offers free concerts (my friend Christy and I saw Shaye perform there), and other events. Very friendly service. Accepts all cards.

Congee King

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 4271 Sheppard Ave E # B
(416) 293-1888

Prior to eating Congee for the first time, I was warned that it was “poor man’s chinese food”. This immediately set off alarm bells. But in the spirit of trying new things, I happily agreed on trekking out to this Scarberian establishment.

Congee is essentially overcooked, mushy rice that is supposed to be very healthy and passes for breakfast in China. To me, it resembles cream of wheat in both look and taste. My grandmother used to transform cream of wheat into her own creation we termed “Smiley Face”. She would sprinkle dabs of Quik cocoa powder for eyes, nose and mouth and then add sugar on top of that. She would tell me to eat my smiley face from the outside in so as to go from cool to hot. What a smart lady.

But I digress, substituting shrimp for the chocolate and sugar is simply no match. Congee ends up tasting like unsweetened cream of wheat even when dipping pieces of sweet bread in it like Congee King provides.

I’m not sure if this restaurant, as implied in the name, serves anything else. If you are looking to try something new, be my guest and try Congee at the King, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Court Jester Pub, The

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609 Danforth Av
(416) 465-6247

Located right at Danforth and Pape, this non-pretentious pub not only has drinks but has a fabulous menu, very diverse with a great selection of food. The place is vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly and is open very late. The brunch menu is definitely not cheap, but the portions are HUGE. I could not order anything from the brunch menu since all selections involve eggs or meat/sausage or pancakes. Oh well. There is a great outdoor terrace sits about four tables and accomodated for us (we were seven people). The food is very tasty and the prices are about $8-$10 for brunch and $10-$15 for lunch/dinner. The restaurant looks more like a pub and that’s really what it is afterall. This is a place where you can eat, drink, hang out, and relax for hours.

Zyng Asian Market and Noodlery (chain)

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730 Yonge
(416) 964-8410

Located right at Yonge and Charles, formally known as “Forkchops,” this Asian noodle restaurant chain fuses all type of Asian cuisine into one place. It does not feel like a chain so I really enjoy going here from time to time. Mostly serving Asian noodle dishes, visitors can enjoy Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese flavours amongst the dishes the staff prepare. All dishes are less than $10. The food is made right before your eyes and is considered pseudo-fast food.

Restaurant is not high-end, in fact, it has the casual feel. Tables inside are placed very close together so there is not much room for deep, intimate conversation. A summer terrace is placed at Yonge and Charles but the stink and car vapour and traffic and noise of Yonge street makes this a polluted experience. It is best to dine inside. I always order the same thing, “create your own noodle dish.”

I select a protein (Meat, Chicken, Seafood, Tofu or Zoya/TVP), a noodle, (Udon, Rice, Egg, etc..), a sauce (Szechuan, Thai, Teriyaki, Spicy Peanut ) and I give this order to the waiter. The waiter brings out a small bowl and I go to the raw vegetable bar and stack up on Portobello mushroom pieces, carrots, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, and bean sprouts.

Bistro on Avenue and St. Louis Bar and Grill

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Bistro
1678 Avenue Road
(416) 783-1928‎

St. Louis Bar
2050 Yonge Street
(416) 480-0202‎

It was a tradition in high school, that each Tuesday night a bunch of us would head up Avenue Road past Lawrence for half price chicken wings at Bistro. Regardless of the length of the line, we would drool over the fatty wings and delicious creamy “white sauce”.

After University, the tradition continued at St. Louis Bar and Grill on Yonge St. just south of Eglinton. Both restaurants are owned by Louis Nemes and serve the same style wings, fries and sauce.

In the last year or so; however, the tradition has stopped. Partly due to the increasing knowledge that the wings were adversely affecting our body types and partly due to our expanding tastes. The wings are still pretty much the same, but for some reason they just aren’t as good.

Avli

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401 Danforth Avenue
416-461-9577

Located in the heart of the Danforth, Avli is known for its world famous Greek dips. I thoroughly enjoyed my three appetizers : Imam Biyaldi, a dish with grilled eggplant with pine nuts, cinnamon, and raisins. In addition I had a yummy appetizer with lentils, walnuts, and some kind of cheese. My last appetizer were oversize white beans in spicy tomato sauce. Many of my friends have enjoyed such Greek dishes like Rabbit pie, Meat Moussaka, and other dishes.

There are two floors with music after 10:00pm each night. Staff are quite friendly and accomodating and the summer terrace seats many. Portions are quite large and the display is quite appealing. Always crowded with people.

Azul

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 181 Bathurst Street
phone number: 416-703-9360

Azul was my introduction to the Toronto brunch scene, so it must have some good qualities. A trendy little restaurant in the Queen West area, just north of Queen on the east side of Bathurst; Azul serves up a bevy of meals from brunch to dinner. They also have a wide juice selection which to my memory I have yet to sample. One thing I do like about Azul is their coffee. Besides being delicious, it is served in a large thermos-like container so you can re-fill yourself instead of waiting on the staff.

This time around, I had the Eggs La La, which were poached eggs on a crusty bread with avacado and tomatillo salsa. It came with a sparse amount of potatos and a tasty side salad. I like when brunch is served with salad, since it balances out the heaviness of the rest of the meal. The eggs were good, though nothing stood out as a great combination of taste that other brunches have provided. Lawrence had the Eggs Azul which were similar to the La La but was served on corn bread, an interesting and tasty choice. Definitely recommended, though hardly the best that Toronto has to offer.

http://www.toronto-underground.com/index.html?/food_drink/local/fusion.html
http://www.martiniboys.com/pages/reviews/azul.htm

By The Way Cafe

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400 Bloor St. W.
(416) 967-4295

Located right at the corner of Bloor and Brunswick, right spack dab in the Annex, this quaint little cafe is quiet, dimly lit, intimate, and serves vegetarian friendly fare.

It also has a beautiful wall mural and has the ambiance of a romantic cafe. There is an identical lunch and dinner menu (prices are slightly higher for dinner) and there are daily dinner specials. Dinner specials range from $12-$16.

The place is small and the prices are a bit high for me, but there’s something special about this cafe. SIMPLICITY!

There is a large summer terrace (patio) that is available all year around (it’s heated during the winter.) They also have a marketing technique where you can join a mailing list and you get a coupon for a free entre on your birthday. Offer is only available the month of your birthday from Sunday through Wednesday.

Soft drink prices are retarded ($3.00 for a small) and the menu is mostly Mediterranean. I usually have the Mediterranean combination platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and Israeli salads. The platter comes with pita and it $9.00.

The last time I went, I had the honey carrot ginger soup (all soups are vegetarian, unless specified) and the veggie burger. The veggie burger ($10.00) came with fries but I substituted it for grilled zucchini and peppers for an additional $3.00.

I also had the option to order the veggie burger with a bun or pita (I chose pita.) Wendy had the chicken breast stuffed with chevre, and pesto. The dish was served with aromatic rice. Wendy also ordered the African lentil soup and when I tasted I thought it was one of the best soups I’ve had in a long time. Wendy’s chicken dish was $16 and our soups were $4.

Presentation is beautiful at By The Way Cafe.

By The Way Cafe also serves weekend brunch with a variety of dishes including eggs, omeletes, waffles, sandwiches, soups, and French toast. Unofrtunately they charge extra for egg white omeletes (+$1.50) and substituting salads for their standard fries and toast (which comes with every egg dish) (+$2.50). Nonetheless, the food is outstanding and service is stellar, BUT it’s TOO expensive. Accepts all cards and Interac. Beautiful heated outdoor terrace open most of the year.

Cafe Demetre

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 400 Danforth Av
(416) 778-6654

188 Eglinton Ave East
(416) 485-4610 

3280 Dufferin Street
(416) 789-CAFE (2233)

2962 Bloor Street West
(416) 234-CAFE (2233)

If you are looking for a trendy hotspot for desserts (cakes, pies), home made ice cream, sundaes, granitas, gourmet coffee, ice cream floats, come to Cafe Demetre. This place is a chain and it located in many neighbourhoods in Toronto and outside the GTA. Expect to see people who dress up for dessert. Prices are not cheap but portions are huge and made for the gluten in you. There are few healthy selections.

I usually order the yogourt in a tall glass with seasonal fruit and granola or the fruit grannitas which are pureed fruit,and crushed ice. Service is kind of slow (it’s very busy) but staff are friendly and accomodating.  The decor is bright and colourful and filled with Disney paraphernalia.

It has an almost child-like quality to the decor, fun, colourful, funky chairs, almost 1950’s diner style dessert hangout. Many cake varieties with huge “take home” portions that leave people full. A great place to take someone on a date but the place can get noisy and rowdy on a Saturday night. Expect lineups on the weekend, even during the winter.

Sierra Grill

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 2901 Bayview Ave (Bayview Village)
416-224-1700

Food is a big part of my (Jewish) identity. This place has food and I mean large portions. Located at Bayview and Sheppard, in the parking lot of Bayview Village, a posh mall with designer names and posh labels, Sierra Grill, formally known as Sunshines is a Jewish paradise of food, flavour, and fun. The food is not “Jewish” per se, but most of the clientele is Jewish and the preparation and style of the food is “Jewish style”, schtuppy, rich, large portions, and filling. The menu had Jewish jargon, so that was comfortable. Known as the best and largest salad bar in Toronto, I opted for the salad bar as a meal and my partner opted for a large Seafood medley with unlimited salad, potatoes, all for $16.95. Entrees are between $12.95 and $18.95 and the salad bar as a meal is only $12.95. I was stuffed as I gorged on sauteed vegetables, like eggplant, zucchini, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and green peppers. I also took advantage of the many other salads like chick pea salad, cous cous salad with vegetables, and many stir fried vegetable dishes. In addition to the salad are a variety of fruits, fruit salads, breads, desserts, soups, marinated and sauteed vegetable dishes. I was so stuffed, I felt full for the next two days. The ambiance is loud, like a mall. The tables are far apart- enough for intimate conversation, but be prepared to speak loudly. There were no lineups and reservations are not required. The restaurant is very large and sits over two hundred people. The salad bar consists of five areas, and the food is fresh, colourful, not greasy, and very flavourful. It is not super spicy but not bland either. The prices are a bit high but the portions are large and be prepared to be stuffed. Drinks are expensive but large quantities. Overall, it was too loud and had that “food court” ambiance. The decor is pleasant, very “dining room” type of theme- woody, bright lights, and people everywhere.