Posted by Greg Clow in beverages, bistros, pubs and bars, restaurant profile, wine on September 15, 2008 at 8:20 am

Crush Wine Bar
455 King Street West
416-977-1234

Maybe it's the fact that we've all had one too many dinners featuring dry, grey roast beef, stodgy mashed potatoes, and mushy vegetables, but it seems to be hard for most North Americans to take British cuisine seriously. Over on its home turf, the efforts of chefs like Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have caused a bit of a revival of traditional English cooking, with flavourful dishes that emphasize fresh and local ingredients. But here in the colonies, British food seems to begin and end with low-end pub grub that possesses little flavour and lots of grease.

If Jamieson Kerr has his way, such opinions might soon be changing for the better. An English ex-pat and owner of Crush Wine Bar, Kerr has recently spearheaded a revamp of his restaurant's menus to give them a British bent, a change that might seem questionable for an establishment specialising in wine and the sort of food that goes with it. But perhaps the bigger question might be how an Englishman with a fondness for football, ales, and Sunday dinners ended up owning a high-end wine bar in the first place.

Posted by Renée Suen in japanese, restaurant profile, snack food on September 10, 2008 at 8:16 am

Manpuku
105 McCaul Street, Unit 29-31
416-979-6763

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other." - Douglas H. Everett

Most who dream wake up the next morning, rub their eyes, brush their teeth and carry on with their daily grind. But others like Sidney (who goes only by his first name) and Sakiko Ichihara, the owners and chefs of Manpuku, made their dream into reality. Japanese for "I ate to my satisfaction/until I was gratified," Manpuku was the brain child of Sidney who was inspired by the good non-sushi-centric food he had on his twice yearly trips to Japan. "Sid couldn't find anything like this when he wanted it," notes Kinnon Yee, a friend and part-time staff member "so he opened one up himself."

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in italian, restaurant profile on August 26, 2008 at 8:07 am

One of the great things about the blogosphere is that anyone with access to a computer can have their say on any topic they’re interested in. The downside to this is that opinions are often voiced without anything to back them up, and bloggers generally aren’t much interested in presenting both sides of the story. A couple of recent articles about the southern Italian restaurant Terroni spawned a lot of opinions and comments (some good, most critical) about the policies that restaurant chain has in place to ensure the authenticity of the food it serves. The blogger, and readers posting comments, ranted about being refused everything from cheese to butter to water. Yet, oddly, it didn’t look as if anyone had approached the management at Terroni to find out why these policies were in place.

Since I’m always interested in the back of house intricacies of the restaurant business – the whys and wherefores of service - I sat down recently with Terroni owner Cosimo Mammoliti to find out what all the fuss was about.

Posted by Rebecca Zamon in SOLE food, comfort food, restaurant profile on July 11, 2008 at 5:11 pm

Sequel
3362 Yonge Street
416-480-0996

Sequel is a restaurant on a mission. A local food, carbon-footprinted, biodegradable mission that takes all of the buzzwords from the past year and brings them together in the decidedly unexpected locale of North Toronto.

Mind you, you'd never guess it from walking through the glass-doored entryway — there's no smell of patchouli in the air, no vegetarian dishes being foisted upon patrons, nary a dreadlock to be seen. Neutrally toned walls hold images of benign landscapes, soft jazz plays in the air, wrought-iron banisters lead toward a second level and a wooden wine rack crawls toward the ceiling, a scene that hardly screams revolution. But look a little closer—at the Bullfrog Power, Green Enterprise Toronto and Local Food Plus (LFP) logos on the menu, the soy-based candles adorning the tables and the Green Shift take-out packaging—and the rebellion starts to show its roots.

Posted by Renée Suen in SOLE food, grow your own, restaurant profile on June 18, 2008 at 8:18 am

The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West
416-531-5042

Folks looking for an eclectic mix of art, culture, and a good time know that the Drake Hotel has it all. Part art gallery, part boutique hotel, this hot spot is ideal for a poetry reading that can transform into a rocking after party with a favourite DJ or band. Step to its entrance and find Drake's customers lining up to feed on food for thought; but this venue is also set up well to feed the stomach. Known or not, the Drake hosts a number of in-house restaurants - ones that cater to neighbouring locals who might be found cozying it up at the Corner Café & Bistro or munching on fresh muffins and scones in the new Provence-inspired outdoor dining patio; and ones that are a playground for the senses, including a wine bar packed with people from everywhere, a recently renovated rooftop patio or a dining room that embodies the Queen West relaxed vibe. There is even a glassed-in private dining room designed by 3rd Uncle where the yoga studio once stood, equipped with its own sound, heating and cooling system for parties up to 16.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in restaurant profile, south american on June 17, 2008 at 8:16 am

Cajú
922 Queen Street West
416-532-2550

The word authentic gets bandied about a lot these days – to the point where I wonder if some writers know what it actually means, especially when it comes to food. In our cultural mosaic of a city, where so many cultures have their traditional foods on offer, it’s easy to confuse authentic with watered down versions made to appeal to Caucasians.

Ironically, at Cajú, where they’re upfront about the fact that their dishes have been modified to make a “Canadian” dish, Chef Mario Cassini is more respectful of the foodways of his native Brazil than most places claiming to serve only authentic cuisine.

Posted by Teresa Cheng in bakeries, pastries, restaurant profile on June 11, 2008 at 7:20 am

Wanda’s Pie In the Sky
287 Augusta Avenue
416-236-7585

Kensington Market, a familiar and comforting gathering spot for folks of all stripes, is now home to the relocated Wanda’s Pie in the Sky, a shop that serves up equally comforting foods like pies, pastries and tarts. With Kensington's array of cuisines, it only seems right that a pie shop would make itself at home there.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in comfort food, restaurant profile on May 27, 2008 at 8:12 am

Grace
503 College Street
416-944-8884

There’s a recession coming. Gas prices are going up, the housing market looks set to crumble and everyone is preparing to tighten their belts. Inevitably, at the table, our thoughts will turn to comfort food. Hearty, healthy fare from the family recipe books will win out over expensive, exotic ingredients or dishes we can’t pronounce. The trend toward local and seasonal produce and admonishments to not eat anything our great-grandmothers wouldn’t recognize as food has us considering the delicacies of past generations, only with a more genuine attitude. The retro kitsch of “comfort food” and thirty-dollar meatloaf has been replaced by what Grace chef Dustin Gallagher refers to as “modern farmhouse”; a more elegant, timeless way of eating that honours the past and the present, using fresh, seasonal ingredients with a nod to tradition, family and the classics.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in hotel, lounge, restaurant profile on May 20, 2008 at 7:56 am

SkyLounge
Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville
220 Bloor Street West
416-960-5200

With a name like SkyLounge, I arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel expecting an elevator ride to a rooftop patio. Instead the SkyLounge is a more like a secret garden tucked behind the hotel’s Proof vodka bar (which was a tearoom the last time I was here some 8 years ago, and goes to show how times have changed).

While the space has been open for four years now, offering a Mediterranean-inspired tapas-style menu created by Chef Joe Rabba, this month marks the beginning of Grill Thursdays, a weekly event that runs from 6 to 10pm. The evening finds Rabba and his staff manning a massive barbeque right on the patio where guests can enjoy treats such as wild boar burgers, rosemary skewered lamb chops and Peppercorn crusted grilled pineapple spears.

Posted by Greg Clow in beer, beverages, italian, restaurant profile on April 29, 2008 at 7:48 am

Volo
587 Yonge Street
416-928-0008

The restaurant business, as we all know, isn't easy. Statistics tell us that a large percentage of new restaurants fail within the first year (the exact percentage depending on which stats you choose to believe. Making it to five years is impressive. Ten years, really impressive. Twenty years? To many, that's a minor miracle.

If so, then some higher power or other must be smiling onto the corner of Yonge and Dundonald, where Ralph Morana has just passed his twentieth anniversary as owner of Volo, an unexpected success story if ever there was one. And to be clear: The "unexpected" descriptor is not meant as a criticism of Morana or his restaurant, but rather commentary on how someone with absolutely no restaurant experience can take a struggling Italian restaurant, keep it going through times thick and thin, and eventually turn it into an indispensable destination for lovers of local beer, wine and cheese.

Posted by Renée Suen in asian, chinese, fusion, restaurant profile on April 23, 2008 at 7:45 am

Bliss Restaurant & Bar
5875 Airport Road
Mississauga, ON
905-678-5433 or email bliss.torontoairport@hilton.com

With its faded blue shell, passersby may not know that the Airport Hilton has recently completed phase one of its transformation into a contemporary and innovative space. Although these new changes may appeal to business and leisure travelers, food enthusiasts would be more interested in the new in-house restaurant and lounge. Designed by Cecconi Simone Inc., the open design of Bliss Restaurant & Bar incorporates the warmth of muted earth tones. The addition of personal TVs imbedded into the banquettes and sheer linen dividers help provide a sense of privacy to those who want to escape from their busy surroundings.

Posted by Amy Grigg in beverages, coffee, restaurant profile on April 18, 2008 at 4:31 pm

The Riverdale Perk Cafe
633 Logan Avenue (at Withrow)
416-462-3538

Now that the warm weather is here, I look forward to leisurely walks with my golden "mischiever". Olsen loves his strolls, and a great place for a destination dog-walk or a short break from chasing tails is The Riverdale Perk Café. Located near two doggy-dense parks - Riverdale and Withrow - "The Perk" happily offers rest and fuel for two legs and four.

Owner Danielle Quayle is ambitious. The Perk was her local coffee shop when she first moved into the neighbourhood, but Quayle "was always disappointed with what it could have been and what it wasn't." Confident after being in the restaurant biz for 16 years, when The Perk went up for sale, Quayle took a chance.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in chinese, french, restaurant profile on March 4, 2008 at 7:18 am

Senses
328 Wellington Street West
416-935-0400

I’ve gone on record as saying that I don’t like foie gras. That was before I had the foie gras as prepared by Chef Patrick Lin at Senses.

Working on the “try it ten times” theory as espoused by Vogue food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, I continue to try foods that I’ve had bad experiences with in the hope that I’ll eventually learn to at least like them, if not love them. After trying the duo of foie gras on Senses new menu, consider me a convert. Chef Lin’s technique of offering the tasty liver both pan-seared and poached in Peking duck consommé is a testament to both an exquisite ingredient and his skill and creativity behind the stove.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in nutrition, restaurant profile on February 26, 2008 at 7:31 am

Four
187 Bay Street, Commerce Court South, concourse level
416-368-1444

Fine dining and healthy eating have never exactly gone together. Luxurious sauces, marbled steaks and decadent desserts are a far cry from the salads without dressing and those awful “diet plates” of cottage cheese and melba toast that we tend to think of as low calorie meals. And pious health food restaurants serve up hefty portions of morality but the food at those places has never been known for being especially tasty.

Four aims to change that.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in italian, restaurant profile on January 25, 2008 at 11:15 am

My dogs always know when the pizza guy is coming. They go crazy when the door buzzer rings and run around the house in a frenzy. Pizza is their favourite food and they believe it is their dog-given right to the uneaten crusts. They are less happy when the pizza comes from Magic Oven, though, since their share of the crust is minimal indeed. I love my dogs, but when I’m having a healthy pizza with organic ingredients, my pups are outta luck because I’m eating the whole thing.

Which is to say, this ain’t your average pizza.