Irish Embassy Pub & Grill
49 Yonge Street
416-815-7562
Brunch for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $56

They call it the breakfast of champions, and there was a point when a glass of stout, such as Guinness, was touted as a healthy start to the day. I don’t know if I could do that every morning, but when settling in for brunch at the Irish Embassy, it seemed wrong not to be sipping a glass of Ireland’s favourite beer.

Normally the domain of Bay Street brokers and executives, on an early Sunday, the sun streams through the high south-facing windows of this former bank and the light bounces off the architectural details of the arched ceiling. Never having been to Ireland, I’m not sure if all the locals there are this impressive, but the Irish Embassy is surely one of the most ethereal places I’ve eaten brunch. That may be because it’s not especially busy. This is an odd state and apparently not the norm, but explains why the sharply-dressed and aproned servers outnumber the customers by about 2-to-1.

Continue reading Sunday Brunch - Irish Embassy »

Allen’s
143 Danforth Avenue
416-463-3086
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $90

The hot new thing for restaurant critics these days is to complain about the volume at the places they’re reviewing. Having to scream across the table to be heard is never a good thing, and the more, um, mature, our ears get, the harder it is to like a place that makes us work so hard. Not so at Allen’s. Yes, on the night we were there for the A Taste For Life fundraiser for Fife house, the place was packed and loud, but it’s the first restaurant I’ve been to where the loud volume added to the atmosphere.

Allen’s website states that “Allen’s stands as owner John Maxwell’s loving tribute to the Irish-American saloons of his native New York.” He’s made a homey, comfortable place with blue-checked tablecloths, a tin ceiling and warm oak floors. The tables are arranged so there is actually space between them – the volume is not because the place is over-packed, but from customers actually having a good time.

Continue reading The Good Kind of Loud »

Prohibition
696 Queen Street East
416-406-2669
Lunch for two with all taxes, tip, and a bottle of imported beer: $89

Prohibition, born “Booze Emporium”, was renamed when its liquor license came under threat as the title was deemed inappropriate. There were several articles published that relayed this incident, but nary a review. More digging lead to long discussion threads on Chowhound that had widely varying opinions. I was curious about its gastropub and oyster bar promises, but it was the recent addition of a lunch and weekend brunch menu that prompted a visit.

Continue reading Positive About Prohibition »

Wheat Sheaf Tavern
665 King Street West
416-504-9912
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $50

I’ve got a soft spot for pubs. Living and travelling in Asia for five years, I chased them like a mirage in the desert. This may seem strange to some, but after being repeatedly assaulted by lost in translation western food like sweet mayonnaise taking precedence over cheese on pizza, or sugary pork patties in cheeseburgers, finding decent pub grub holds more meaning. In many cases, sports bars, likely opened by homesick Ex-pats, usually provided that ilk. Now back in Toronto, I still appreciate pubs as reassuring beacons of comfort. So, when someone tells me the wings at the Wheat Sheaf, which are half priced from Sunday to Tuesday evenings, are some of the best in town, I’m so there.

Continue reading Wheat Sheaf Weaknesses »

Brazen Head Irish Pub
165 East Liberty Street
416-535-8787
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $80

In the still-barren wasteland of culinary choices that is Liberty Village, a beacon has been lit. Yes, yes, there’s Thuet and Liberty Café, but there really isn’t a cozy place with a decent beer selection and a reasonable price tag that locals can call their local. Until now.

For months we’ve all been peering across the vast expanse of parking lot at the nearby Dominion, straining to see if there was any activity in the historic industrial building that is now home to the Brazen Head pub. Progress in the retail sector of Liberty Village is slow and plodding, and while the renovations started this past summer, the doors of Liberty’s first pub didn’t open until just a few weeks ago.

Continue reading Feeling Brazen »

cafe Taste
1330 Queen Street West
416-536-7748

Deserved or not, Parkdale has a reputation for being a bit dirty and gritty, less known as a fine wine kind of place than Fine Old Canadian Sherry. Wine guy Jeremy Day has set out to change that and for the past year or so has been running a warm and welcoming little wine bar that has not just made Parkdale a destination for good wine, but has embraced the community in the process.

I spoke with Day via email, and while I don’t normally like running straight up Q&A articles, his answers were so well thought-out and eloquent that it seemed only fair to run his replies in full.

Continue reading Opulence For the Common Man »

The Local Bar & Restaurant
396 Roncesvalles Avenue
416-535-6225
Dinner for two with wine plus all taxes and tip (dessert not available): $59

Upon entering The Local, it is immediately obvious that this place is not trying to be an Irish-inspired pub; it is an Irish pub, and it is aptly named. At 5:30pm on a Tuesday, a young mom is enjoying a pint at one of the tables and spoon-feeding dinner to her two very young (and well-behaved) children while, at the bar, a small gathering of “cheery blokes” are engaged in lively animated conversation.

I take a seat at the banquette and spread out - I’m a good half hour early to meet my dining partner, but in the mean time this gal is thirsty. The Friendly Server is at my side immediately to render my parchedness non-existent. I order a Magner’s Irish Cider ($6.25) - “It’s not as sweet as Strongbow,” he says - and review the menu while I wait. (I’ll add in here that for those who enjoy a spot of entertainment, The Local also features live music on a regular basis, but this particular night is music-free.)

Continue reading A Likeable Local »

Mill Street Brewpub
55 Mill Street
416-681-0338
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $75

On the surface, the Mill Street Brewpub in the Distillery District is a warm, comforting bar-restaurant with a focus on their own independently-brewed beer and the charms that come with it. This image is perpetuated by the display of massive distillers, a comprehensive selection of Mill Street brews (many of which aren’t found in other bars or the Beer Store) and a decor consisting of large wooden beams, low lighting and cozy tables. But after a few minutes of taking the place in, it becomes clear that Mill Street Brewpub is having an identity crisis. While it’s based around a well-loved Toronto microbrewery and spews the image of “local” and “independent”, the place is run by F.A.B Concepts Inc., a company that also manages such large-pub operations as The Foggy Dew, Pour House, and Murphy’s Law. In other words, Mill Street Brewpub is battling between indie cred and sharing a corporate bed. Too bad you can’t please everyone.

Continue reading Pub With a Split Personality »

The Central
603 Markham Street
416-913-4586
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $75

Curiouser and curiouser, thought Alice well after falling down the rabbit hole. And as I have thought after several visits to The Central. Fortunately, the food rises above this at Mirvish Village’s Restaurant Makeover participant.

The digs: a two-story Annex house on Markham street, between Honest Ed’s and Southern Accent (its better known eatery neighbour). Upstairs is a pleasant patio for those feline-minded diners who like to be higher than those on the street. (That’s an analogy, there are no cats, not even Cheshire ones.) Inside, upstairs, curiously sits a foosball table surrounded by haphazard tables and a tiny stereo sitting diagonally on the mantle. It’s like a minimalist friend’s rec room set on an aging hardwood floor. If you are the only diner upstairs, it feels like you have walked into someone’s house uninvited.

Continue reading A Mirvish Village Rabbit Hole »

Betty’s
240 King Street East
416-368-1300
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and pints: $45

Earlier this year, my husband and I embarked on a “no fried foods” rule, which dissolved almost as quickly as we agreed to it. All the same, there are times when I’m not in the mood for french fries, so I was intrigued by the option of having cous cous with cranberry and orange zest alongside my sandwich at Betty’s. Fluffy, light and cool, it’s the perfect side dish during patio weather.

Continue reading A Pint and Pub Grub at Betty’s »

The Communist’s Daughter
1149 Dundas Street West
647-435-0103
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $52

It is easy to overlook The Communist’s Daughter as another Toronto bar catering to locals from the neighbourhood who would prefer it if you never noticed it to begin with. Furthermore, with seating for no more than twenty people, wall decals, and the eerie painting of a little girl who belongs in The Shining, it is easy to say, “Why bother?” A good reason to bother is because inside lies a place that does not adhere to sterile standards about what makes a good restaurant, but instead offers a simple menu with delicious results in a relaxed environment.

The single biggest problem with the Communist’s Daughter is the name. The name above the entrance is The Nazarene which causes a lot of confusion for people who aren’t aware that The Nazarene is the name of the former establishment. There is, however a rough-looking sign hanging in the window indicating the proper name of the place, although it calls for some attention to detail to actually notice it.

Continue reading Hidden Treasures at The Communist’s Daughter »

Rose and Crown
2335 Yonge Street (at Eglinton)
416-488-5557
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $45

I’m constantly looking for the Yonge-Eglinton area to redeem itself to me. I try to give the area a chance since my boyfriend lives there, but frankly, I’m sick of people raving about it. Maybe I’m the only one hearing the raves, but I could really get behind a Toronto that doesn’t even have a Yonge and Eglinton. Okay, so maybe I’m being a little harsh, but this area has always really ticked me off, and Rose and Crown just added to my argument against Yonge and Eglinton.

Continue reading A Menu in Need of a Serious Edit »

Cadillac Lounge
1296 Queen Street West
416-536-7717
Lunch or dinner for two with beer, tax and tip: $40

It’s hard to miss Cadillac Lounge if you’re out walking along the Queen West strip of Parkdale, unless of course you find half a car mounted to the front of a building to be the norm. The inside of the small bar is packed with cozy leopard print/grandma’s best plastic-covered sofas, and rock and roll memorabilia is screwed onto the wall, but I usually walk right through there and straight back to the patio (part of it is even heated and open in the winter). The patio is huge and the Cadillac theme continues with a massive painting of a pink Caddy on one wall and a few Caddy-style seats scattered around. But mostly it’s your average patio, with beer banners and beer umbrellas and beer coasters – you get the idea.

Continue reading Come for the Patio, Stay for the Consistently Delicious Pub Grub »

College Street Bar
574 College Street
416-533-2417
Dinner for two (apps and mains only) with all taxes tip and beer - $75

In 2005 College Street Bar was revamped and showcased on “Restaurant Makeover”. I must say the new look seemed very stylish and sleek, but when we arrived for dinner I realized they must have run out of money when it came to the lighting. It was so dimly lit that both my dinner companion and I struggled to read our menus. Trying to focus on the menu was also made difficult due to the noise of the birthday party table we had been seated right next to. When I say “right next to” I mean we were so close that the waitress had to squeeze past every single time she went by. Even though I’m a fairly small person, I had to keep leaning closer to the wall to let her pass, at which point I banged my head into the low hanging mirror, sending it rocking. After making sure I wasn’t about to receive a concussion from the mirror toppling over I managed to focus enough to place an order.

Continue reading A Night to Remember… To Bring a Flashlight »

The Comrade
758 Queen Street East
416-778-9449

“You got your capitalist pig on my red flag.” “You got your commie pinko on my swank lounge.” Wait a minute… this is awesome.

“Holy crap” seems to be the shared sentiment when entering Leslieville’s new hot watering hole The Comrade. Think Shanghai-circa-1940’s meets Art Deco, and vogue as all hell. Opened in mid-January, The Comrade is among the latest in a string of hip developments to hit the Queen East strip.

Continue reading The Comrade Leaves You Wanting Mao »