Restaurant review:Gusto 101

Gusto 101

101 Portland St.

Toronto,On

Gusto's Spaghetti Chitarra alle Vongole e Gamberi, or for the easily exasperated, "the seafood one"

Yes, it's been a while since I posted a restaurant review, but when a foodie finds a reason as compelling as Gusto's inexpensive and hearty rustic Italian (and its $1 an ounce house wine), she also feels the need to share it immediately.

Restaurant review: Ruby Watchco

As a big fan of Lynn Crawford on her Food Network show "Pitchin' In," I had long wanted to try out Ruby Watchco her family-style menu-free resto in Toronto's Leslieville.

Restaurant review catch up: Koosh Bistro

Koosh Bistro

1047 King St W.

Hamilton, On

A popular bistro in downtown Hamilton that serves fresh homemade pasta with a Persian twist. Rich flavours, but why not compliment the homemade noodles with fresh Parm? Pasta is delicious, but the other dishes are inconsistent. Still, a welcome change from the chains!

Restaurant review catch up: Fabarnak

   Fabarnak

519 Church St.

Trendy, comfortable ambiance, cheap, good eats AND part of an interesting social project at the Church Street community centre that "helps people with employment barriers to gain work experience under the guidance of a professional team of chefs and front-of house staff."

Restaurant review: Barque Smokehouse

                                            
                                                                    Barque Smokehouse
                                                                   299 Roncesvalles Ave.
                                                                       Toronto, Ontario

Meat, meat and more meat at Barque

First I might warn vegetarians, this smokey smokey smokehouse (like there is literally a giant smoker in the kitchen) is not the most friendly place for you, and actually, I may as well add the server didn't exactly make it the most friendly atmosphere for any of us. The question I'm left with is: did the down home, down right tasty BBQ make up for it?

Restaurant review: Harbour Diner

The Harbour Diner

486 James St. N

Hamilton, Ont.

Reservations? For brunch? In Hamilton? Well, you may want to consider that, or getting here before 11 a.m. as we did if you want to get seated in this relatively small, extremely popular cozy mom-and-pop type diner.

Winterlicious review: Trevor Kitchen and Bar

Trevor Kitchen and Bar 

38 Wellington St. E.

First: Do not get confused and walk into Swish by Han, which is upstairs to the right. That is a different restaurant, and they do not have your reservations.  Second, definitely go to Trevor. The friendly server told us chef Trevor spent months coming up with his Winterlicious menu because he thinks it's a way to get people to taste a wide selection of their food, so they'll come back. That just makes sense. The food is excellent and so is the service. Definitely worth the $35 price tag.

Winterlicious review: C5 Restaurant

 

If not for the celebrity chef, get to C5 ---the acclaimed restaurant in the Royal Ontario Museum -- for the view, the culture, the ambiance. Although it didn't have the most enticing offerings on its Winterlicious menu (mostly comfort/ upscale cafeteria offerings), the food -- a good value for $25 --was well executed, portion sizes were decent and the service was friendly and attentive.

Walking through a Winterlicious wonderland...

Hooray! It's Winterlicious, the time of year to try out some of  Toronto's best restaurants at a fraction of their usual prices. Prix fixe menus run either $25, $35 or $45 per dinner, and $15, $20 or $25 for lunch. That gets you at least three choices for three courses. Designed to draw in diners during the SARS crisis of 2003, Winterlicious, and younger sister Summerlicious, have become Toronto foodie staples that help boost restaurant sales during down times in this lacklustre economy.

Restaurant review: The Westerly

The Westerly (413 Roncesvalles Ave.)

In search of a new West End brunch locale, we actually stumbled accidentally across this month-old addition to what is quickly becoming one of my favourite neighbourhoods for both restaurants and shopping. And the discovery was serendipitous indeed. Little did I know, the restaurant that  has been getting rave reviews for its dinner offerings, had just opened for brunch a week before! Inventive food, stimulating atmosphere and friendly service, The Westerly has it all.

Restaurant review: Hush

Hush (303 King St. W.)

Hush, which recently opened in a space that has been turned over a lot, is a refreshing addition to the Entertainment District's restaurant row. For a girl's night out, we were on our way to Second City and wanted to dine somewhere different in the area.

Restaurant Review: Aravind

Aravind (596 Danforth Ave.)

I had heard about Aravind through some other Toronto food blogs, which said it was a refreshing change to Toronto's many Indian restaurants. Aravind, smack in the middle of Greektown, may not look like it based on the rather rustic decor -- aside from turquoise sponge painted walls not much stands out -- but it's higher end than those staple butter chicken and naan type places. If you're looking for share plates or either of those classics, Aravind is not the place. Instead, the restaurant specializes in lighter Southern Indian fare from the Kerala state --which means, basically, fish and vegetables are the crux of pescetarian menu that focuses on local ingredients.

Where would Sunny eat in 2011? My top restaurant picks

Canadiana and comfort food, like at Bannock, dominate my favourite restaurant picks

Happy (belated) 2012 everyone! I resolve to post more recipes and reviews this year, to keep on top of my blog with posts twice weekly, to start a twitter feed, to eat healthier and exercise more, to stop biting my nails, to drink less wine, to spend less money on dining out. Oiy, this sounds ambitious (and some seem to clash), I need a glass of wine.
Seeing as how it's trendy for all the Toronto foodie websites to make best of 2011 lists, I thought I'd indulge you all with the same! Seriously, you have to try all of these places --- if you're looking for somewhere to eat and can't decide come visit and let me know if you tried these and how you liked them.
Here are my top 11 restaurant picks of 2011, in no particular order (only some have my own pictures, and some of them are crappy 3G iPhone pics because I hadn't dreamed up the blog idea at the point I had visited some). Enjoy!

Best restaurants in Toronto listed!

Hi all,
Been super busy with all my holiday socializing, eating and drinking that I haven't had time to post about all this deliciousness. Will be back shortly with amazing recipes and reviews. But for now check out this list of 2011 restos in Toronto and see how many you've been to, or agree with. One thing-- I think the new Parkdale establishment Grand Electric I went to last night certainly deserves a nod---and am sure it will next year. Will post on it soon, off to #79, Country General tonight. Wanna weigh in? What restaurants do you think should be on this list?

http://www.postcity.com/Post-City-Magazines/Kates-2011/Top-100/index.php

NYC Eats: Lunch at Tasty hand-pulled noodles Inc.

Why it is is "Inc" I can't say. I doubt this tasty hole in the wall is incorporated.

For lunch on our first day, I had remembered a noodle place that chef Guy Fieri described as the Best Thing (He) Ever Ate--- in a bowl. Tasty hand-pulled noodles is in a back alley (1 Doyers St) in Chinatown. It was a little crowded, and not the classiest--- and there's a bit of a strange smell in the air. But by the end of our meal (which cost about $30 for four of us), the only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that I did not get to see the cooks actually hand pull the noodles.

Review of Fresh:Detox edition

Good ol' fashioned hippie food

Because I have been to Fresh zillions of times, as I'm sure most Torontonians have, I won't spend too much time talking about the cuisine in general, but more specifically on how it fares as a restaurant destination for someone on a cleanse.