Tag Archives: Wendy

7 Numbers [Wendy]

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Mark & I went to eat at Seven Numbers Danforth the other day, and discovered just how quickly this new location has become a local favourite. In fact, we showed up without a reservation, we just went on a whim, & had to wait about 30 minutes for a table as the place was really crowded, but it looked like a fun dining adventure, so we didn?t mind. Once seated, we studied the menu posted on the blackboards which changes daily. This is one of those Italian restaurants where everything is ordered separately, & is itemized by Antipasti, Primi, Secondi & Contorni. Family style dinners are available for 5 people or more (I suspect only with reservations). In fact, reservatioins are required for 6 people or more.

I started my meal off with a nice glass of Valpolicella ($9). I scoured the antipasti selection & considered many of the options such as pan fried calamari, prosciutto with figs salad, pan fried olives & focaccia, cheese plate ? the possibilities were plenty, & finally I decided upon the buffalo mozzarella with bresaola & truffle oil which was melt in your mouth fantastic ? I chose well, though I?m sure I?d have felt the same way about any of those other options.

There was again a decision to be made about my main course? I considered Rosa?s ossobuco, the grilled long & thick Italian sausage, the grilled tuna w/spicy tomatoes or the tilapia fillet, and decided upon the Veal Braciola (wrapped veal with spinach & romano cheese baked in tomato & white wine). I am not generally a veal person, but this was really good & had a bit of a spicy kick too ? nice to warm you up on a cold night. Now, as I stated before, things need to be ordered separately, so when you order the veal, that?s it ? no side dishes included at all (i.e. rice, potatoes vegetables, salad ? nothing) so, I ordered a green salad to accompany my veal. It was a simple mixed green salad with an herbed balsamic vinaigrette, & surprisingly substantial for $2.

I finished my meal off with a citrus tarte with semi sweet chocolate. I loved the flavour combination, but found the crust on the bottom a bit overcooked. My Americano was a nice accompaniment to the tarte.

All in all with taxes & tip my portion of the meal came to $46 which isn?t too bad when you consider all I had. If you aren?t paying attention, your bill can come as a bit of a surprise as all of the individual elements look so cheap on their own (i.e. $9 for the buffalo mozza, $9.5 on the veal, etc, but it does all add up.

The food was quite good, the service was friendly, the atmosphere was warm, despite the volume level. This is not a place to have a quiet conversation, as you will find yourself yelling just to be heard by your dinnermate across the table. The buzz is distinct. The one thing I found a bit off-putting was the fact that when I attempted to pay in cash, the waitress said they didn?t have change, that they did not have a cash register or float? WTF?!? All restaurants have floats, you have to have a variety of payment options available for your customers. At no point was the statement made to provide exact change only. I did not want to put it on a credit card & it didn?t look like the type of place to have interact. There was no way I was giving her a $14 tip on a $46 bill. I sent her back to look for more & of course she found some change.

Other than that oddity, the meal was pleasant. I would go back, and bring a credit card.

 

 

Crepes A GoGo

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I happened to be around St. George & Bloor looking for lunch. I could see many standard spots like Tim Horton’s, Harvey’s Swiss Chalet, etc, & then it caught my eye Crepes A GoGo – I knew I had to go. This restaurant is on Bedford, just a few steps south of Bloor on the East side of the street. The French music played outside lures you in and sets the tone of your upcoming adventure in food.

This same music is played inside & which contributes to the décor & the warm, friendly & inviting French café atmosphere, complete with postcards & photographs of Paris adorning the walls. Patrons are greeted by Véronique, the owner of the establishment who also helps the indecisive like myself place their order. Most people ordered in French! Ha! This place is a true oasis of French culture in the heart of Toronto.

There are both sweet desert crepes and savory meal crepes, both in set combinations or you can customize your order. 98% of the menu is vegetarian, they do offer tuna or lox on a couple of the crepes. The crepe prices range from $3.75-$5.95, and they also serve sandwiches on French bread for $4.95. There was no need for plates, as the crepes are served in a paper bag, ideal for take out. It works fine too if you want to eat in. The beverage selection includes coffee, cappuccino, limonata, orangina, V8, etc. This is not a licensed establishment.

Talk about "fast food" – my crepe was ready before I sat down! I ordered La Popeye baby spinach, mozzarella, & your choice of egg or mushrooms  I took mushrooms. It arrived piping hot & delicious. It was quite filling at a reasonable $5.95. I chose the very best bevvie on the menu – apple cider from Normandy. This was $2.75/ glass or $8.50/bottle (the size of a wine bottle!) This was sooooooo delicious; I could easily sit there & drink it all day! This drink had no sugar or preservatives & just apples & it tasted very fresh & bubbly, well worth the visit on its own!

The restaurant is currently fairly small, 4 tables, but evidently they will be expanding due to its increasing popularity – and for good reason. The food was excellent; the service was speedy, warm & inviting, friendly which somehow is reflected in the patrons who frequent the establishment. People were relaxed & comfortable chatting with other patrons, one even offered to help someone pay for their bill when they were a few cents short & definitely not your everyday café.

My trip to Crepes A GoGo left me feeling refreshed & relaxed, as if I had been transported on a mini-break to Europe. This place is well worth frequent repeated trips! Definitely check it out.

 

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.

 

 

Herbs [Wendy]

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3187 Yonge Street
416-322-0487

Mark and I went to Herbs as part of Summerlicious. I chose the restaurant as there were both meat & veggie friendly options.

The restaurant opens at 5:30 for dinner which is good if you have to be elsewhere at 7, however, I should have warned them about my time constraints.

The décor was beautiful, lush & full of soft textures everywhere, including the faux-suede bench with fluffy pillows we were seated at. There was even fabric hanging from the ceiling.

Things started off well, with the one exception of the bread offering. This guy comes over to us with a basket of bread, offering us some, & I optimistically thought we’d get the basket or at least a few pieces * my mistake! We got one sliver of baguette each & a little tub of herbed butter. I guess there’s something to be said for not filling up on bread, but come on!

For my appetizer I opted for chilled sweet pea soup with goat’s cheese croute. Basically, that’s fancy for cold pea soup with a cute little toast smothered with goat cheese floating on it. It was ok, but I would probably choose something else next time. It needed some zip to it!. I also ordered a pricey glass of rose to complement my meal. It was good.

For my entrée, I selected the Atlantic salmon on sauteed gnocchi, French green beans, cherry tomatoes & spinach with a warm caper olive & lemon sauce. Oh my! This was an awesome dish, very fantastically yummy & totally filling. I was so stuffed after this, but happy. I’d re-order this dish any day. The portion size was decidedly sufficient.

We got an order of each of the desserts on the menu & shared them. I focused on the strawberry pudding/mousse-like creation with crème fraiche & a raspberry sauce which was great & Mark focused on a key lime mousse cake with a crust he adored.

Herbs would be a good place to bring someone if you wanted an upscale dining experience & want to impress someone. I could not afford to dine there nightly, but I’m sure that’s the point * it’s someplace special.

Soda [Wendy]

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425 Danforth Avenue
ph: 416-466-5227

I cannot for the life of me figure out why this place isn’t crowded on a constant basis, like the other restaurants on the Danforth.

Perhaps it’s because it’s more of a medeterrainen fusion restaurant instead of straight Greek, but it’s still damn good!

Our service was friendly & attentive, my food was awesome – risotto with chicken, spinach, mushrooms, other veggies etc & heavy on the garlic. I thought it was fantastic, & there was enough to take home for a secomd meal even. Thankfully, the price was right as well, most of the entrees being within the $12-$20 range.

Now, I did go to Soda back in 2000 & had brunch there, & was not fond of the fruit selection that accompanied the crepes, & hadn’t returned since then, but now I’m wiser & see that it is another decent option for dinner on the Danforth.

Mong Kut Thai

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596 Danforth Ave,
416-463-2667

 

I finally made it to Mong Kut Thai last week. I used to frequent the previous restaurant that was in it’s space – The Daily Grind, which was awesome for good cheap brekkie, but I digress.

So I finally took the plunge & went in. The decor is nearly exactly the same, save for a few new pictures on the wall, but the set up is the same, so I guess they went with the notion of “if it ‘aint broke, don’t fix it”

So I ordered a soup to start, which was chicken & coconut (how very thai). It was really tasty, but the portion was far too small for what they charged.

The main course was altogether a different story. I went for the asparagus & mushrooms in a garlic sauce & rice & the portion was so big I had to get my dining companion [Mark] to help out. It was really tasty though, and fresh too, which is always a good sign.

I have heard that the back patio is something awesome, so I’ll definetely go back & try it. It was a pleasant dining experience. Not especially remarkable, but decent all around (except for the bathrooms – those should have been renovated ages ago!

Only Cafe, The

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972 Danforth Ave.
phone number: 416-463-7843

I really like the vibe of this palce. The music is good, the walls are filled beyond belief with artwork, the lighting is dim, a nice variety in the beer selection, imported & domestic (bottled )the service is decent, & the food is good too.

I usually go for brunch, that seems to be a specialty of theirs. There is the standard eggs & meat combos, french toast, etc. & you get good portions. They are open to giving substitutions, which is helpful for fussbudgets like me who don’t eat eggs; I get them replaced with baked beans. Excellent! Thankfully, the waitstaff is honest & tells you when something that may seem vegetarian isn’t 100%.

I was pissed off at them for a while & would not go back for nearly a year – they are supposed to serve brunch until I forget what time, but I came in waaay before that I they decided to turn off the grill & stop serving early. I was mighty annoyed!

They only use the grill for brunch, so do not go later in the day hoping gfor a hot meal – you won’t get it. Best to go for brunch or drinks, you’ll be very satisfied.

Irish Embassy

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49 Yonge St.
(416) 866-8282

Part bar part restaurant would be a good way to describe this place.

I went there with a foursome, & had reservations for 9, but thankfully as we were running mighty late, they kept our reservation for us. Good thing I called ahead.

The atmosphere kind of reminds me of Biermarket, with regards to how they separate the bar from the restaurant. With the high ceiling & white walls, this definitely did not feel like a standard Irish Pub, more like an up scaley type place, & come to think of it, I don’t recall it being too smokey either.

So they were flexible & accommodating which was good, it was a bit of a wait for the food – not so good – we had to ask for extra bread more than once but when it arrived the food was good. My beef tenderloin was awesome, two others had New York steaks they really liked & one person had a bison burger which he enjoyed. My herby mashed potatoes were super good too.

Dessert proved to be a pleasant experience, My friend & I shared a creme brulee & I wish I had ordered it all for myself actually.

Other than the loud noise from the bar patrons, which made conversation a challenge, this was a reasonably pleasant dining experience. I would go back, but I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to get there.

Avli

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I went to Avli first a number of years ago with my friend Gary. This is Gary’s favourite Greek restaurant, but alas, he has moved to Israel, so he cannot go back too often. I can, & that’s a good thing.

Avli is a surprisingly bright restaurant, with friendly & accomodating waiters. I didn’t gfeel "required" to buy a tonne of booze, which can happen at some places. This is on the Danforth & is a greek restaurant, but it feel way nicer than Mr. Greek/Friendly Greek which are more along the lines of fast food.

I am glad that many items on the menu come in 2 different portion sizes. I ordered the small lamb shank. I saw them walk by with someone else’s large order & it was dinosaur sized, so for me, a relatively smaller person, this was a very good thing. I am very happy I ordered it though, it was soooooo gooood. I’d never had lamb shank before & didn’t know what it would be like, but it was so tender you didn’t really neeed a knife, the meat just fell off the bone. Served on top of a bed of orzo in a light tomato sauce, this meal was totally enjoyable, start to finish.

 

 

7 West

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Last night I went to 7 West after a movie. There aren’t a lot of places that are 24 hours & decent, but this is one of them. They haev recently changed their menu, and so though the prices are not as cheap as they once were, there is more variety in the food, and it has been upgraded somewhat. I do think that $3.50 for juice is not quite reasonable. Our server was fabulous, very attentive, quick, and he was very flexible, allowing me to get an extra item on my salad – no problem. I ended up with a sandwich ($10) that contained prociutto, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado & buffalo mozzarella. Thankfully, they were generous with their meat portion to the point that I had to take half of my sandwich home. The sandwich was accompanied by a massive salad, containing many types of vegetables & chickpeas . it was gooooood. My friend had the rose ravioli ($13)- her usual dish, and she liked the plate clean!

Despite the price increase, this was overall a positive dining experience, and little surprise, I will be back.