Posted by Greg Clow in in the papers, news and media on June 28, 2008 at 4:21 pm

We hope they're paying Corey Mintz the big bucks over at the Toronto Star, 'cause he's been writing his cute li'l ass off for them since came on board a few weeks ago. In today's paper alone, his byline appears on three articles, including a swooning review of the city's newest Mecca of meat, Atelier Thuet:

Dinner is zealously carnivorous. A two-foot butcher's platter ($30) is one of the best deals in town for $30. Every inch of it is covered in homemade sausages, at least a dozen - venison prosciutto, smoked pork neck, maple-cured pork loin - which our well-studied server rattles off like Rain Man at a spelling bee. A pair of thick terrines en croute, filled with rabbit, duck, pistachios and dates, sits at one end. The platoon of meat, with multi-grain bread and gherkins, aided by a pair of Blanche de Chamblis Belgian beers, is nearly a meal for two.

(Note: As Taste T.O.'s resident beer geek, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the beer is actually called Blanche de Chambly, and while it's a Belgian-style wheat beer, it's brewed in Quebec. Sorry, Corey!)

Meat is also the focus of Mintz's other food article, a breezy review of Brazilian-style churrasco joint Gaucho BBQ. His third piece has nothing to do with food - it's about the perils of roommate hunting - but it's still worth a read. And we might as well mention that he also popped up in yesterday's Star with a feature on the insanely popular smoked meat sandwiches (again with the meat?) at Caplansky's.

Non-Mintz content in today's Star includes:

• Gord Stimmell devotes his five main reviews to the best value wines in the latest Vintages release, although his intro also recommends some higher-end bottles for those with a few extra bucks to spare.
• Mark Bittman beats the heat with paleta, a Mexican frozen fruit juice treat.
• In the Travel section, Margaret Webb takes the train from Vancouver to Halifax, with plenty of foodie whistle stops along the way.

Over in the Globe & Mail, Chris Nuttall-Smith is happy to report that after years of Japanese food in Toronto essentially being limited to sushi and teriyaki (well, aside from Okonomi House, of course), there are finally other options opening up, and he reviews two of them: Manpuku Modern Japanese Eatery and Kenzo Ra-Men. The highlight of his visits to both places is his first taste of natto, aka fermented soybeans:

At Manpuku, our server, a friendly and extremely helpful young woman, seems excited if somewhat alarmed that we want to try it.

"You know what natto is, right?" she asks us.

When we say that yes, we do, she tells us, "it's a black and white food. You either hate it or you love it."

And then she adds: "I hope you like it." And she actually sounds like she means it.

I don't hate it, exactly. It's sour, as you'd expect fermented beans to be, but it's also a bit dark-tasting, like roasted nuts mixed with yogurt that has gone a little bit past due. Weird, yes, but also strangely appealing. Sushi also was weird until not so long ago.

Also in the Globe:

• Laura Serra sips a Strawberry Basil Mohini at Grace - although the recipe provided curiously contains no strawberry whatsoever.
• Lucy Waverman whips up some easy and tasty sandwiches for a long weekend at the cottage.
• Designer Janice Lindsay gives the colour scheme at Tati Bistro high marks, and enjoys the steak frites as well.
• Dave McGinn investigates the expulsion of a number of veteran hot dog vendors from the posh streets of Yorkville.
• Margaret Webb continues her series of articles on local food throughout Ontario with a visit to the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
• In the Business section, Eric Reguly has a feature report on agribusiness giants Monsanto and Syngenta, two companies that are cashing in quite nicely on the global food crisis.

In the National Post, Gina Mallet once again dedicates the first half of her column space to a topic that has very little to do with food (in this case, she goes on about research into cellular regeneration and other things that will supposedly allow humans to live for centuries), and then tries to establish a tenuous link to her restaurant review. Personally, I don't see any connection between becoming immortal and eating at JAMCafe, but at least the food is good:

I think of having the grilled flat iron steak with garlic-foie gras butter but it carries a $4 supplement, so instead I order braised Ontario rabbit with a fig, pistachio, mustard, lavender cream sauce-- sensational! Rabbit isn't the tastiest rodent (guinea pig is) but it has an agreeable texture, somewhere between chicken and canned tuna, although its complex bone structure means you have to keep picking away at it. Mashed potatoes, Yukon golds, are the perfect way to sop up the jus and an impressive sign of the chef's consistency. Our other substantial is equally imaginative and has beautifully paired flavours and is presented engagingly. A long plate of a pan-roasted halibut filet with a prosciutto crust, whipped parsnip and long asparagus spears laid out with pinot noir JAM.

Also in the Post:

• Margaret Swaine spotlights six strong Ontario wines from recent Vintages releases.
• Denise Balkissoon previews next weekend's Taste of Lawrence festival (although she doesn't write much about the food).
• Josh Hume chats with the chefs and owners of a few places that have chosen not to participate in Summerlicious.
• Jason Chow is pleased that peas are back in season.
• A non-bylined article on restaurants at Blue Mountain appears in a special section on Georgian Bay attractions.
• A. Brouwer & A. Wilson moderate a beer tasting panel.
• Bonnie Stern sparks up the grill for a Canada Day cookout.

And finally, it came to our attention this week that the Toronto Sun runs a restaurant review and wine column on Saturdays, so they'll be joining our weekly round-up. This week, Anne Marie Males puts her prejudices aside and visits 360, the restaurant atop the CN Tower. While the food is fine, the tacky tourist aspects are a bit of a turn-off:

360's problem isn't the restaurant itself - it's the location. High atop Toronto's most visible tourist attraction, it's impossible to leave that schlocky, touristy feeling behind when you visit.

Although, to be fair, 360 diners do get the royal treatment. Once you fight your way past the T-shirt/sunglass vendors and over-priced lemonade stand, you check in at guest services where an attendant takes you past the long lineup (yes, there are plenty of envious stares) to a private elevator. But, just in case you forgot this is, indeed, a tourist attraction, you'll be asked to pose for a photo at a fake table with fake wine, which you can later purchase for $23. Sigh. Fine dining feeling quickly fading.

Also in the Sun, Rick Vansickle reviews a number of wines from California's Delicato Family Vineyards, best known for their Gnarly Head line.