Posted by Greg Clow in in the papers, news and media on February 23, 2008 at 12:27 pm

In the National Post today, Gina Mallet reviews Zee Grill & Oyster Bar, which she claims to be the "longest-running seafood place in the city". And in her typical tangential fashion, it takes her two-thirds of the column until she talks about the restaurant, and the main courses don't get a mention until the final paragraph:

The carnivore goes for a very fancy fish and chips: panko-crusted halibut with fries and remoulade sauce, with only a single blip -- "What is panko?" -- until he tastes the crunchy Japanese bread-crumbs. He cleans his plate with a big smile. Fish isn't so bad after all, and think of the Omega-3s coursing through his arteries. The poached wild striped seabass is a classic, irreproachable with a dab of shiitake Dijon-lemon sauce and al dente beans and carrots. I swear I feel thinner as I eat it. I can see the food cops smiling with approval.

Also in the Post:

• Margaret Swaine finds some hidden gems in the LCBO's "in-store discovery" program.
• Jason Chow investigates cooking with coffee, and also gives a mention to his recently launched blog.
• Jane Mundy eats her way around the Orne and Calvados regions of Normandy.
• Bonnie Stern recommends an Oscar-night menu that features lots and lots of truffles.
• In the Financial Post section, there are a series of articles - one, two, three, four of them to be exact - looking at various aspects of the commodification of water.
• Also in the FP, Janet Whitman reports on the uphill battle that Tim Hortons has taken on with their expansion into New England, where Dunkin' Donuts is king.

Over in the Globe & Mail, Joanne Kates checks out the Harbord Room, and like Gina Mallet last week, she is completely enamoured with the place, especially chef Cory Vitiello's way with meat:

Chef majors in meat: Perfectly roasted pink lamb leg in its own jus is rich beyond one's wildest dreams thanks to cauliflower with a nutty brown butter benediction and buttery braised Swiss chard. Fresh al dente pappardelle are a carnivore's carnival, thanks to long-braised beef cheeks with winter greens and little house-made sourdough little nuggets of marrow with wild mushrooms in deep red wine sauce.

Also in the Globe:

• Beppi Crosariol suggests that "sparkling wine stands the greatest chance of becoming Canada's second act on the world wine stage, after winter-harvested icewine".
• Sasha Chapman checks out the buzz on Toronto honey (online version for subscribers only).
• The Travel section has short blurbs on the Running of the Cheese in Gloucestershire, England, and the controversy in Prague over aborted attempts to shut down the sausage stands in Wenceslas Square.
• Brennan Clarke reports on Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, a BC-based grocery service that charges an "environmental surcharge" of 22 cents per delivery which is used to fund sustainable energy projects in impoverished countries.
• Not online, but worth grabbing a paper copy for, is an insightful feature by teacher and environmentalist Cameron Crawford on the many reasons why farmed fish in the more environmentally friendly choice.

Amy Pataki has the week off, so there's no restaurant review in the Toronto Star, but their former senior food writer Marion Kane is back with a special feature on Acorn House, an environmentally friendly restaurant in London that food critic Giles Coren declared to be "the most important restaurant to open in London in 200 years". Kane also has a recipe for beet soup adapted from one used at the restaurant.

Also in the Star:

• Gord Stimmell rates a rare falanghina from the latest Vintages release, along with a chardonnay and three cabs.
• Mark Bittman cooks up some short ribs with coffee and chilies in his syndicated column (which coincidentally inspired Jason Chow's similar feature in today's Post).