Tag Archives: Downtown

Mercatto

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15 Toronto St.
(416) 366-4567

 

For several years, Mercatto has been attracting the “see” and “be seen” crowd of young, downtown urban professionals. There is plenty of eye candy to scope out here, and the food ain’t half bad either. If not nearly as well known, Mercatto is comparable to Terroni’s in terms of a gourmet lunch serving up a variety of fancy paninis and pizzas. The dining room is larger and more lit than Terroni’s and there is a small patio out front. The kitchen is visible behind a food display counter. I believe they do catering as well but I am not 100% sure.

I have frequented this restaurant several times for lunch, and on my most recent visit, I stuck to the typical yet delicious grilled vegetable sandwich. Served on a large, ciabatta roll, this sandwich is equipped with grilled zuchinni, red pepper, spanish onions and some creamy goat cheese. A salad accompanies the dish with a tart and tasty vinagrette. My “lunch buddy” ordered the most expensive item on the menu: a grilled calamari salad ($13.95). I had a taste of this dish and it was fantastic. Four large pieces of calamari placed in a clock like formation around the salad, with smaller pieces in the centre. Grilled and seasoned to perfection.

Though, I do not work in this area anymore, I still try to come down to this lunching spot to look just as much as to eat.

Now Lounge

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189 Church Street
(416) 364-1301

The first time I went to the Now Lounge, I was taken there by my employer who was attempting to woo me into accepting a full time position. I was impressed by his apparent insight in treating me to a funky meal at this my favourite local newspaper’s establishment. I also enjoyed the photo exhibit adorning the walls of this lounge cum restaurant which came to realize was a continuously changing feature of the joint. Part and parcel of the company’s culture, I was told, was the tolerant attitude they shared, owing to the store’s location on Church St., down the way from the gay village. I took this bit of news positively, though I don’t know why a company’s location should have anything to do with tolerant values. The delicious grilled vegetable sandwich with goat cheese didn’t hurt matters and by the time I graduated University I firmly secured my place amongst the cogs of corporate machinery.

Now Lounge became somewhat of a lunch staple at my downtown workplace as subsequent visits continued to please………… until suddenly the chef quit and the restaurant closed down for “retooling” for what seemed like forever. When it re-opened months later with little fanfare and a much shortened menu, the tasty grilled veggie sandwich that I had once enjoyed was gone as was my satisfaction level. I reverted to eating a plate of nacho chips with sour cream, salsa and cheese. The service also declined and on more than one visit I was forced to ask my waitress how much longer it would take for my food to arrive.

Despite the decline in general quality, the laid back ambience and the photo exhibits continued. On one occasion during a “twins exhibit”, a co-worker from the same company quipped that Now was the first “gay bar” he had been. Maybe Now’s decline in quality and clientele owes to the fact that I no longer work at the same place.

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.

Salad King (pre-renovation )

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Salad King
335 Yonge Street
(416) 971-7041‎

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly healthy sounding name. Salad King serves up some of the best, Thai food in the entire city.

Located across the street from Sam the Record Man and the Ryerson Campus, this mainly, university student hangout works more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. If you are looking for a drawn out, sit down meal this is not the place. However, if you want good food and do not mind getting used to the methods I guarantee you will be more than satisfied.

To order, one stands in line winding its way around the tables in front. This can make for a rather unpleasant experience for the people sitting there, something to take note of when deciding where to sit. Be sure to figure out what you want to order before reaching the cashier or you may find yourself on the hotseat with several hungry regular patrons breathing down your neck. It is best that on first visit you go with a seasoned veteran who knows what to order and how. This is especially true when it comes to deciding what level of spice to order. Salad King has a 1-10 rating for their spicing with 1 being the mildest and 10 something that no sane person should try. I always order a level 3 and I am a fan of spicy food. I’ve only known one person to order a level 4 and she had just returned from a year in India!

If ordering your meal seems like an uneeded pressure at lunch, picking up your meal can be equally as strenuous. After ordering, you are provided with a number which is eventually announced over a loudspeaker when your meal is ready. Hearing your number over the din of the crowd and the thick accent of the speaker requires intense concentration. Don’t worry, after a few visits you will get the hang of it.

Now to the good part. My favourite dish is not even listed on the menu but is out of this world. It is called Thai Islamic Noodles and comes piping hot in a coconut red curry sauce with shrimp and chicken. It is very filling and almost always scrumptious. Salad King also offers

If the negatives seem to outweigh the positives from this review then you are obviously not as interested in the food aspect of a restaurant as I am. What initially may seem like a hassle eventually becomes a tradition upon repeated visits to this most excellent establishment.

Pita Break

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565 Yonge Street
416- 968-1032

Cheap, fresh, and healthy- this is the theme of this small, bright little fast food joint. Located in the heart of downtown, right near the corner of Yonge and Wellesley, Pita Break is a great spot for a light, healthy, fast, and cheap lunch or dinner. Pita sandwiches come in close to ten varieties and there are many sandwiches one could make. All pitas are grilled and the norm is to graciously accept the corners of the pita to “taste” as a unique appetizer, before accepting this scrumptious pita from the friendly staff.

Portion are generous and the philosophy is simple: healthy, cheap, fast, colourful, and flavourful food. I always have the vegetable sandwich. I select three fillings, (hummus, black bean dip, and grilled eggplant) all the vegetables that can fit into my grilled pita, and one dressing (usually honey mustard or Italian dressing)

Pitas come in a variety of flavours- multigrain, white, whole wheat, pesto, sun dried tomato. I prefer multigrain or whole wheat. Meals are less than $5.00 and I have never had a complaint with whichever friend I’ve gone with in the past. The ambiance is somewhat interesting; kitschy movie posters surround one wall and an eclectic mirror is located on the other wall, giving the illusion of a large space when in fact the restaurant is quite small. The tables are small and kind of close together. There are about 12 tables.

Living Well (closed in 2007)

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692 Yonge
(416) 922-6770

Urban, funky, laid back ambiance, with Asian, Indian, and Arabic cuisine. The place is on two levels: a bar upstairs and a restaurant/lounge for food, drinks, hanging out, or enjoying a simple dessert. There is a back terrace on the main floor and a lounge/bar on the upper floor. Both floors are large and sits about ten tables. The food is flavourful and spicy with large portions and a diverse menu. The restaurant staff are very flexible in making the selections vegetarian friendly. The place is very gay friendly.

There is an interesting mix of people and the tables are close together. There are a lot of people watching and overall ambiance is comfortable. Part of the kitchen is open concept so you can see the chefs prepare some of the food. The entrees are $10.00 and up. Large portions and dim lighting and interesting art work make this place very unique.

I usually order the Vegetarian Moroccan stew with chick peas, red kidney beans, potatoes, mushrooms, green and red peppers, and onions, with cous cous. The meal was bursting with intense flavour. I have also ordered the Malaysian Chicken Stir Fry with peanut sauce and without the chicken. It is more expensive but has a lot of vegetables and is fabulous. Although prices are more expensive, ($10-$15 for an entree) the food is excellent and it is a great place to bring a date.

Sunset Grill

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2006 Queen E
(416) 690-9985

2313 Yonge Street
(416) 482-4229‎

1422 Dundas Street West
(416) 532-1571‎

1602 Danforth Avenue (near Coxwell)
(416) 466-0648‎

1 Richmond Street West
(416) 861-0514‎

2200 Bloor St W
(416) 763-1444‎

I went to this diner with my friends on an early Sunday morning. Be warned, go early because the lineups start after 11:00am. They serve breakfast all day long but breakfast specials end at 11:00am. The place is non-pretentious, noisy, has that “greasy spoon” feel and has a large menu of classic breakfast food. The only problem is that there is very little selection for the vegetarian person. The only vegetarian breakfast items are fruit salad and yogourt and cereal, all served a la carte. I ordered the fruit salad with an order of yogourt. The portions were decent and I was satisifed. The second time I visitid Sunset Grill, I had the frittata, a yummy egg white omelete with mushroom, onion, and green pepper. It was not greasy, and light and fluffy and very fresh.

My friends had typical breakfast fare: eggs, bacon, and toast with coffee. The tables are close together and the place is very noisy. The place is bright and seats many tables. There are no bells and whistles, no super cheery waitresses, just good, honest, fast, reliable service. The prices are cheap (<$10) and the food is flavourful. I would not go back because I could not eat very much but it is definitely a hit with my carnivore friends. They only accept cash. 😦

Lotus Garden [closed October 2005]

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393 Dundas Street West
416-598-1883

Nov 2005 Update: Lotus Garden closed in Oct 2005. They plan to open up again somewhere else soon.

Located at the edge of Chinatown, near the corner of Dundas and University. This restaurant serves strictly vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine, with seitan and tofu as the main ingredient for some marvelous dishes. Recommended; the ginger “chicken” and the BBQ “pork”. Ordering is very simple. Patrons fill out the order form themselves and all dishes are assigned a code. I have been many times and ordered the tasty veggie cold rolls, the deliciously spicy hot and sour soup (it’s red!), and the vegetarian chicken curry dinner with strips of vegetarian chicken, beef, and tofu chunks. They also have vegetarian shrimp and duck.

Very affordable, laid back, casual dining. Limited seating and ambiance is nothing special. Dishes look and taste remarkably like meat dishes. They accept Interac and VISA but not Mastercard.

Spring Rolls

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85 Front St. E.
(416) 365-7655
693 Yonge St.
(416) 972-ROLL (7655)
691 Yonge St.
(416) 972-7655

 

A very trendy hotspot on Yonge street, one block south of Bloor. Very metallic and industrial looking with cool, linear decor. Tables very close together, people almost hugging each other, cramped in. [Maybe this is a trend]. There is no vegetarian menu so I only had three options, vegetables and tofu and rice noodles called “Ho Fun”. I can choose from a Satay sauce, Szechuan sauce, or a Black Bean sauce.

The many times I have been here I have asked them to hold the noodles since I will only eat the vegetables and tofu. I also order the cold vegetables rolls appetizer which consist of 3 rolls wrapped up in vermicelli, tofu & coriander rolled in wheat wraps. My friend ordered the Cold Mango Rolls that contained julienne mango, vermicelli, vegetables and coriander rolled in wheat wraps. They were super yummy. Since staff are so friendly and accomodating, they brought over some yummy peanut sauce which made my day. Dinner is usually $12-$15 with tax and tip. Plates are enormous but portions are small to normal…Tables are very small and cramped together like sardines. Oh well. Very hip, cool, trendy, the place to be.

Green Mango (chain)

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3006 Bloor W (416) 233-5004

730 Yonge St. (416) 928-0021

707 Yonge (416) 920-5448

 

Trendy and affordable, fresh and fast, tasty and simple, Green Mango offers simple quasi Thai food without that chain, “food court” feel. Noisy like a food court, and trendy, every Green Mango is crowded with people. Plates are enormous and presentation is beautiful. Waiting staff are very flexible to change your order and the Thai Green Curry with tofu and vegetables (without rice) is excellent.

Service is fast and reliable and lineups may be long but they often disappear quickly. There are many waiting staff so service is efficient and fast. There are also Green Mango “cafeteria-style” restaurants that are smaller and cheaper. The menu is smaller and more limited but food is fresh and fast and most of your favourite items from the larger restaurant can be found at the “cafeteria-style” venues. Tables are close together so there is not much room for private, intimate discussion. Selections are coded in the menu according to vegetarian friendly, spicy, recommended item, and healthy choice.