Results tagged “restaurants”

Freelance journalist and native Torontonian David Sax received death threats from New York, blushing gratitude from LA, and lots of chatter from cities in between, all due to his newly released book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen. Within its pages, Sax passes judgement on which towns have the best delis (hence all the civic pride), but his real concern is how these emporiums of comfort food are rapidly disappearing from our culinary landscape, disconnecting Jews and the population at large from a vital aspect of Jewish culture. During his travels across North America and Europe, Sax had moments of despair (his working title for a time was The Death of the Deli), but he met too many dedicated and passionate people, fighting to keep the tradition alive, to give up that easily.

Yes, your friends were happy that the iambic pentameter flowing out of your mouth finally sounded naturalistic and not an exercise in word fumbling. For that, you deserved a night on the town!

This past Friday, Torontoist took a sweet trip back in time via a quietly spectacular photography exhibit called "Thirty in Twenty: An Exhibition of Photography, Food, and Wine." These evocative and romantic black-and-white photos were taken with a tiny 35mm camera back in 1973 when then newly married Toni and Ria Harting embarked on a life-changing adventure to eat their way through ten three-star Michelin restaurants in just twenty days. Friday being the opening reception, we not only enjoyed the lovely images, but had the pleasure of meeting the Hartings and hearing their stories first-hand.

The recession may be officially over for the moment, but it is still unclear what the residual effects will be on the everyday life of Canadians. That’s why for Dr. Mike Wood Daly, executive director of Ground Level Youth Ventures, there was much to celebrate as the Ground Level Café opened its doors to the public this Monday, after delays due in part to the recently ended strike.

Dario Saleki isn’t happy. In late May, he applied for a Boulevard Café Licence (the city’s fancy term for a patio permit) for his new Italian restaurant, La Veranda Osteria, which is located on the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Royal York Road. It's August now, and he’s still waiting for his permit. In the meantime, his empty patio is costing him business. Saleki blames the strike (which has created some licensing problems for restaurateurs) and the city’s bureaucracy for his woes, and in a pseudo–grass roots effort has put up several colourful signs in his windows urging Torontonians to complain to the city on his behalf.

            

While walking around the city recently, we couldn't help but notice the abundance of non-Summerlicious restaurants advertising prix fixe promotions with names that reference the City's program, but carefully avoid infringing on the trademark. It made us wonder just how difficult it is for restaurants to get accepted into the 'liciouses, and how the City decides who's in and who's out.

Yup, it's that time again. With sun umbrellas spread wide open, customers in shorts and shades, and pitchers of the finest local brews waiting to be poured, Toronto's patio season is back in full swing―at least for most bars. But unfortunately for a few, and a few very near and dear to our hearts (and livers), some outdoor havens are left stuck in limbo.

                     

On Sunday evening, more than thirty of Toronto's most celebrated chefs congregated in the open air of Yorkville Park for Toronto Taste, Second Harvest's biggest and most lavish fundraiser. Honouring its nineteenth year, the event raised $250,000 in just one night—enough to provide 500,000 meals for people in need. Torontoist was lucky to snag a couple of these hot tickets and chat with some of our city's food glitterati who—despite the challenges of running restaurants in this economy—are continuing to do their part to fight hunger.

                                   

At the crack of noon on Saturday, countless food enthusiasts lined up to buy fistfuls of tasting tickets for Luminato's one and only food event, 1000 Tastes of Toronto. Eastbound lanes of Queens Quay between Lower Simcoe and Rees were closed to accommodate the forty-some vendor booths, stretching down the street in front of the beautiful new Simcoe Wavedeck. Some of the city's best-known and respected chefs were there, chatting with patrons and serving up street-friendly versions of their signature dishes. Torontoist was fortunate to sneak in a bit early and partake in this whirlwind tasting tour of Toronto.

Which of the approaches used in today's ads help determine where you spend your food dollar—the restaurant where the owner employs their children to vouch for the quality of the dining experience, or a simple line drawing of a comfortable-looking setting that promises a break from downtown traffic?

It takes a licking, but it comes back for more. In its seventh year, the “–liciouses” (Summer and Winter) have come under a lot of fire from both sides of the table. Customers complain of miniscule portions and hasty service; waiters groan about small tips and overcrowding. In the end, we’ll all jump in because diners want a deal, and restaurants want business—especially these days. Best of luck to everyone. This year’s Summerlicious runs from July 3–19 with three-course prix-fixe lunches coming in at $15, $20, and $30, and dinners at $25, $35, and $45. Participating restaurants, announced today, will begin taking reservations on June 18, but lucky American Express cardholders can jump the line and book starting June 16.

Due to a series of fortunate events, Torontoist had the chance to dine at Shang twice in thirty-six hours. The first was this past Thursday night at Madeline's in Toronto (located at the former site of Susur restaurant; still owned by Susur Lee) where, for the month of April, our most famous exported chef is offering a five-course tasting menu featuring specialties from Shang NYC. The second was a sweltering Sunday evening pilgrimage to the real deal located in Manhattan's Lower East Side. We were curious to see if the dishes brought to us in Toronto really were representative of Chef Lee's new restaurant that has generated so much buzz on both sides of the border.

Beginning in mid-April, you may have noticed Lettuce Eatery's twelve Toronto locations sporting new signage that rebrands the chain as Freshii, a name that may have some people scratching their heads. "It might not be the greatest name in the world, and it doesn't really mean anything," Freshii's young CEO, Matthew Corrin, says over the phone from Chicago. "It connotates freshness and fun. A name doesn't really mean anything until you attach the brand to it."

Now that the Obama Cafe is co-existing peacefully alongside the newly minted Bana Cybernet Ltd on the Danforth at Greenwood, Torontoist decided to stop by to see how Obama is faring in our fair city.

Toronto is home to thousands of convenience stores, but this is the first time we’ve ever seen a convenience store, let alone a Hasty Market, with a built-in falafel and shawarma takeout. McFalafel, which opened a month ago, is located on the north side of Dundas Street West in the heart of Islington Village. We talked to the proprietor, who told us that business is going well, but he still gets a lot of people wandering in who are confused by the relationship between the store and restaurant.

When is the new Dark Horse opening? For a fragment of the coffee-obsessed populace, the tease of a West Side Edition of the beloved café on Queen East became a mild obsession. The buzz began in January on Twitter, when word spread that co-owners Deanna Zunde and Ed Lynds would be expanding to a second location. (Zunde was surprised when asked back then for some more information on their plans. "We only took possession of the space a couple of days ago!" she said.) Delays caused by a stalled permit from the city turned the launch into a tantric exercise for devotees and, on Tuesday, the doors flung open at 215 Spadina Avenue.

"Toronto feels—and is—safe. Even the pan handlers are surprisingly cheerful." Enticing words for travellers from London that are found in the "Safety" section of a Toronto travel guide published over the weekend by the Telegraph. The British daily, once owned by Conrad Black, picks a giant phallic symbol, a Frank Gehry redesign, the waterfront, a market hop, and the combined lure of a giant crystal, ceramics, and shoes as its top five sights. Top spots for visitors to dine at should spark debates among local foodies: Rodney's Oyster House, Delux, New Sky Restaurant, L’Espresso Bar Mercurio, and the Swan.

While investigating the strange posters around town that accuse Laila Restaurant (553 Bloor Street West) of being hazardous to your health, Torontoist decided to take the opportunity to actually try some of their killer food ourselves.

Feel like everyone is getting a bailout except you? Brian Morin, chef and owner of beerbistro, is doing his part to change that with his "beerbistro bailout." For two weeks now, Chef Morin and his staff have been randomly selecting at least one table per day to be “bailed out” at his popular restaurant and bar at Yonge and King. When bill time comes, instead of a cheque the server brings a bright pink piggy bank topped with a lit sparkler and stuffed with cards saying that dinner and drinks are on the house.

How many Salad King chillies are you? Fans of this long-standing, popular Thai restaurant next to Ryerson campus know exactly how hot they like it. All dishes on the menu can be customized according to their “Spicy Scale” that starts with Mild, Medium, and then progresses through one to twenty chillies. Three chillies is called Thai Medium, at ten they ask “Are you sure?” and for twenty they proudly state it can cause an upset stomach. How hot is twenty chillies, really? We had to try.

Most ads for restaurants tout the eatery's virtues (smart decor, well-prepared food) or highlight special offers. Less common, unless the restaurant has bought ongoing advertorial space, are spots where the owner takes a stance on burning issues of the day. Ads for Oliver's in community papers usually highlighted the menu, but today's pick tackles the economic problems of the early 1980s with the subtlety of a talk radio caller, though modern callers would not tack on an apology to those who enjoy statutory holidays.

Happy Lunar New Year! Today is the start of the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac, a sign associated with hard work and strength in leadership. (How funny that our Parliament returned today, eh?) Traditionally, the Chinese don’t eat meat on the first day of the new year, as anything associated with death and killing is considered bad luck. You’re also not supposed to do any work, so forget cooking at home—washing dishes is work!—and celebrate the holiday with some tasty vegetarian options.

With Restaurant Makeover (one of our villains for 2007), restaurant owners literally put their livelihood into the hands of strangers, who match them dollar for dollar on a giant overhaul, hoping that they can help to improve whatever it is that isn’t working. In some cases it’s the food, sometimes the décor, or often a combo of both. The crack team of specialists swoops in and works its magic on what is almost always portrayed as a pitiful shell of a business to make it thrive. What these business owners—and most viewers—seem not to fully realize, however, is that Restaurant Makeover is 100% pure television, from its minute-by-minute formula to its faux meltdowns complete with dramatic hair-pulling and bleeped expletives. The show wrapped taping for good at the end of 2008 (according to a source, they feel they now have enough shows in the can to repeat them “ad nauseum” and continue to make a profit), but it continues to rile television viewers and commenters all over the web. Many restaurants have gone under immediately following their makeovers. So why do owners do it? What do they get out of it? What does Restaurant Makeover really want to get out of them? And is it all as bad as it seems?

Photo courtesy of Chris McDonald.

Photo by jeff caires from the Torontoist Flickr Pool

Snappy Answers runs every Saturday afternoon. Send your questions, be they tough or trivial, to snappyanswers@torontoist.com.

Ask a group of people who their favourite cook is, and many will choose their grandmother. Eschewing contemporary trends like pre-packaged mixes and powdered stock, many a Nonna, Bubbe, or Oma still warms the tummies of their families with a taste of the old country, which no restaurant can duplicate as accurately.

Photo courtesy of Grace Restaurant.

Snappy Answers runs every Saturday afternoon. Send your questions, be they tough or trivial, to snappyanswers@torontoist.com.