NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:46:49 EDT Organization: Sympatico Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu rec.food.restaurants:49806 Jennison A. wrote: > >Hello. > >I'll be in Toronto on business, and thought I would pick your brains about >specific restaurant recommendations. I am looking for places in and around >the downtown core, if possible, but will travel if the restaurant is worth >it. > >1. moderately priced Italian (with good atmosphere) Mammina's -- just west of Yonge and Wellesley (On Wellesley). Food is very authentic, but menu is very small. The wine is all priced with a very small overhead, so one can drink amarone for 3 or 5 dollars more than liquor store prices (yet again, all the wine is Italian). Pastas start at $10 and mains around $13. Fairly reasonable for TO. Grappa -- Just east of College and Ossington. Bigger menu, slightly better food, a bit out of the way (Little Italy, where one should look first for moderately priced Italian anyway). >2. Thai or Thai-fusion Young Thailand seems to be the favourite here, just north of Queen and John. Good food, reasonable price -- variable service (slow service here is usually caused by an unexpected rush at an off hour {like the time I came in for lunch at 2:30pm and there were 2 waiters for aproxiamately 112 people], otherwise it's lightning fast) >3. Indian (with a varied menu) The Host on Prince Arthur (Avenue and Bloor area), Indian Rice Factory, west of Dupont and Bathurst -- both represent the best Indian in Toronto, and IMHO is likely to be the best in North America. >4. authentic Mexican Xango -- more of a general latin menu, but worth it (John and Adelaide)... Jalapeno (east of King and Shaw), never tried, but has been recommended to me... >Also, a bit off topic here, but any recommendations for bars that cater >to the business crowd, in terms of a good/not to loud atmosphere for >informal meetings (again, downtown). Rodney's Oyster House (downtown), Soul of the Vine (downtown), Allen's (Danforth), Whistling Oyster (downtown), Southern Accent (Annex), Insomnia(Annex), The Bier Market (downtown), Lava (Little Italy), True Grits (Annex), Growlers (downtown)... Melanie
Toronto, Canada
your picks in Toronto
Melanie S. wrote: > >Jennison A. wrote: >> >>I'll be in Toronto on business, and thought I would pick your brains about >>specific restaurant recommendations. I am looking for places in and around >>the downtown core, if possible, but will travel if the restaurant is worth >>it. >> >>1. moderately priced Italian (with good atmosphere) [snip] >>2. Thai or Thai-fusion >Young Thailand seems to be the favourite here, just north of Queen and John. >Good food, reasonable price -- variable service (slow service here is >usually caused by an unexpected rush at an off hour {like the time I came in >for lunch at 2:30pm and there were 2 waiters for aproxiamately 112 people], >otherwise it's lightning fast) Young Thailand is OK for Thai food, but really, Toronto hasn't got really good Thai restaurants. Any average-size American city is likely to have far better Thai food. My favorite is the Thai Shan Inn on Eglinton, but that's way far from downtown. >>3. Indian (with a varied menu) >The Host on Prince Arthur (Avenue and Bloor area), Indian Rice Factory, west >of Dupont and Bathurst -- both represent the best Indian in Toronto, and >IMHO is likely to be the best in North America. My favorite Indian restaurant is Babur on Queen St. just west of University. Indian Rice Factory is also good, although it's getting a bit far from downtown. I guess I'll have to try Host - haven't even heard of it. >>4. authentic Mexican >Xango -- more of a general latin menu, but worth it (John and Adelaide)... >Jalapeno (east of King and Shaw), never tried, but has been recommended to >me... Again, Toronto generally has lousy Mexican food. Jalapeno is a bit of an exception. The owner is really friendly, and the menu makes a valiant attempt to offer more than the standard Tex-Mex nachos-burrito-fajitas that you get everywhere else. The results on the plate vary, but you have to give them full marks for trying. It's a tiny bit on the expensive side for what you get. Xango on the other hand isn't Mexican at all. It's some kind of South American-Latino-fusion place, and is quite expensive. Some things are really good, other things are a complete failure. It's upscale, and can be a fun place to spend the evening. /Phil