1000 Tastes of Toronto: 5 reviews on a $25 budget

We love food. We know that on Queens Quay, well, the selection is pretty dismal. So today (until 9 p.m.) and tomorrow, 1000 Tastes of Toronto presented by President's Choice has taken over much of Queens Quay from Lower Simcoe all the way past Rees.

We just came back from a blissful few hours of noshing and taking in some Cirque de Soleil at the Natrel Rink. But this is a food review.

There's a dizzying amount of choice and the lines are long so we took this very targeted approach. Go for quality. In the span of three hours, we sampled five dishes. You buy tickets for $5 each at either ends of the cooking areas.

Back to our rationale. You can spend a good $30+ at many a restaurant in Toronto, so we decided to take our five 'tastes' and hit the well-known restaurants that are represented here. We've been to three of them so we knew we were in for a treat. $25, we think, is a good bang for the buck, especially since we're not adding tax and tip on top of that.

First tasting: Pulled Pork sandwich at Amuse Bouche (they're at King and Bathurst at Tecumseh)

Review: They really didn't have signs advertising what they were selling, but we were looking for Amuse Bouche. We asked what it was and before they could finished "pulled pork..." we immedately said "YES!"

Think of the perfect slider. Pulled pork when cooked properly is tender and the sauce was so flavourful. Probably one of the most flavourful sandwiches we've had in a while. Two thumbs up.

Hunger level: Still famished

Second tasting: Dim sum on a stick at Lai Wah Heen (Chestnut Street, just west of City Hall)

Review: Okay, it's well known that the most expensive dim sum can be had at Lai Wah Heen at the Metropolitan Hotel. We've never been, but have heard reviews so we immedately snapped it up.

It was actually nothing that special. It was a Sui Mai which was flavourful, a shrimp dumpling wrapped and seaweed and another dumpling we now forget what it was made of. All accompanyed with a sauce. We were glad to have this dish as it was yet another 'appetizer'

Hunger level: Still famished (we skipped breakfast and went for a long run)

Third tasting: Singaporean Slaw at Lee (by Susur). King West, east of Bathurst

Review: We're unabashed fans of Lee, been there at least four times, and every time we get our favourite salad, made with something like 17 ingredients. It costs more than $10 at the resto and, well, we don't go that often. We've always silently wished for this salad to be available for takeout. It's the perfect blend of tastes (salty, sweet, sour) and textures (crunchy, crispy, supple, etc).

We tucked into it and although it was great, it wasn't amazing as you have it in the restaurant. Anyways, for those who've never been to Lee or Madeline or Susar, worth tasting what people rave about.
Hunger level: Okay, we had basically three appetizers but still waiting for main course.

Fourth tasting: Indian platter at Dharba (King West Theatre district)

Review: We wanted to avoid lines and, well, we wanted a little quantity. We went for this platter of two tandoori chicken (they apologized for no Samosas that were on the way but we were happy to avoid fried food), some chana (chick pea) curry and rice. We didn't take the salad.

Rice and chana were awesome, the chicken tender and tasty. Lovely.

We took a huge break to watch Cirque.

Hunger level: Um, we're satisfied.


Fifth tasting: Pork belly on a pita from Globe Bistro (Danforth and Broadview)

Review: We were happy to get the last pita since the chef was back at the restaurant sourcing more pork belly. This one wins for best named taste "slow roast Cumbrae's pork belly with wild leek sheep's yogurt on flatbread." It was accompanied by some pickled onions and peppery arugula.

This wins best bang for buck, a hearty sandwich with tonnes of flavour. We're full just thinking of it.

Hunger level: No more food! But that was so much fun.

So, neighbours, what you waiting for. Go eat. There are plenty of great concessions but you'd be remiss not to try one of these fabulous restaurants.

President's Choice "1000 Tastes of Toronto" looks like will be a sleeper hit

Update: TasteTO has a schedule for this weekend along with a list of establishments.

There has been lots of talk about street food this year, with all those non-hotdog carts coming out on Victoria Day weekend. Part of the weekend Luminato festivities on Queens Quay and the Toronto waterfront is the President's Choice "1000 Tastes of Toronto".

We have to admit that when we saw President's Choice, we thought, well, about frozen food and package product. Yes, we have to admit that does not sound too appetizing.

That was until we spotted this post on Karmacake. If this is the true list, then our mouths are watering WE ARE READY TO EAT!

We are talking some of QQLs favourite restaurants: Amuse Bouche (King and Bathurst area, romantic setting), Edo (wicked Japanese) Globe Bistro (Canadian-themed cuisine on the Danforth), Seven Numbers (Italian, also on Danforth), Southern Accent (yummy Southern comfort food).

Not enough, how about Susur Lee (Lee and Madeline). How about 360 Restaurant or Auberge Du Pommier or Dhaba.

Even Lai Wah Heen, high high end Chinese, will be setting up shop, according to this list. And how can you not be near water and have something from Rodney's Oyster House.

The foodie vibe in our strip is going to get a whole lot more interesting this weekend.

The full list here

Coming soon: Grill 4 U express to open in days

As you probably know, the Indian take-out restaurant Harbour Tandoori Grille at 218 Queens Quay West closed down in late March. It was a little sad because it's not a bad thing if the little businesses can survive, even thrive, on our street.

We've noticed in the past week or so that there was some renovations happening in that spot and today, the workers unveiled the sign for a new Middle Eastern restaurant.



We did a little search and found that this is part of a business in Vaughan and that the new store is set to open on June 1, Monday. From the Grill 4 U website, this is what we can glean.

Menu: Falafel, shawarma, kebobs, grilled chicken, burgers along with such sides as hummus, baba ganoush, tabouleh, greek salad.

The restaurant is based in Woodbridge and has two 'express' stores in Vaughan and on Queens Quay in a few days. The restaurant's description from its website.

Middle Eastern cuisine has never tasted better or been so enjoyably affordable than at Grill 4 U, winner of the 2008 Vaughan Citizen Reader’s Choice Award. The family run eatery, in only two short years, has built an enviable reputation for authentic, homemade falafel, shawarma, hummus and other Middle Eastern cuisine.

“Everything is made fresh daily, from scratch using only the finest ingredients,” says chef/owner Nihad Hazboun. “By using wholesome ingredients and our signature spices, we provide delicious natural foods of the Middle East, while catering to our customers’ increasing awareness of health and nutrition.”

The key to the success of Grill 4 U, is the tangy blend of shawarma spices prepared and perfected over a number of years by Nihad. “We use 15 different Mediterranean spices, passed down from generation to generation to create the perfectly spiced shawarma sandwich. It’s become my own creation and it keeps people coming back, day after day,” he says.

Our very own local street food: injera at Roundhouse Park

You've probably read a bit about those new street carts offering something other than hot dogs (Torontoist, Star, Post). It's Toronto's 'a la cart' program that offers: Thai food at Mel Lastman Square, Afghani (kebabs) at Metro Hall, Persian and Greek at City Hall, kebab wraps at Queen's Park, Korean at Yonge and Eglinton and jerk chicken wraps at Yonge and St. Clair.


Of course, we get one of our very own at Roundhouse Park, which is outside the Steam Whistle building and on the edge of Rogers Centre. It's Eritrean fare, or injera.

Injera, according to the Wikipedia entry, "is a pancake-like bread made out of teff flour" --  "traditionally eaten in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia. Those of you who have eaten at the one of many Ethiopian restaurants in Toronto know of the spongy like bread that have stews and curry like meats and veg on top. It's usually eaten by hand (and delicious).

Torontoist's cool roundup has pictures and this description of the injera

Across the street from the south end of the Rogers Centre, Andnet Zere got off to a bit of a slow start with a cart that wasn't cooperating, but she recovered well before the afternoon's Blue Jays game let out. Zere, whose background is Eritrean, is serving generous portions of injera—spongy, slightly sour flatbread—filled with either beef or stewed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peppers) and lentils. ... (read the rest here)

We hope to get out there soon to sample the fare. Anyone else try it?

Watermark Irish Pub open

Okay, it's open. We walked by the restaurant on Queens Quay Terminal and they were relatively busy. It looks very vibrant inside.

Watermark Irish Pub opening soon?

We passed by the site of the Watermark Irish Pub at Queens Quay Terminal tonight. Construction is well under way and, in fact, they were serving food we believe to its staff. Can a real opening be far off? Well, they did promise an April opening on their website.

We noticed a few flat screen TVs and they're making use of the side area on the east side of the building.

Don't call it a comeback: Porticello's back in business

We noticed that Porticello, which closed down earlier this year, was back in business. In fact, about a week after we saw that they closed, we noticed some construction and renovating. A few weeks ago, we saw patrons and recently we saw a big sign that said 'new menu' and lower prices.

Reader channing wrote this comment on one of our older posts (Thanks!).

i visited porticello a few nights ago. the decor looks slightly updated. they say they have a new menu, but the food was very similar to what i remembered from before. not to say that that's bad. my meal was flavorful, inexpensive and down to earth. it just wasn't all that different. there were a few patrons.

Watermark Irish Pub coming to Queens Quay as Boathouse Grill goes

The Boathouse Grill, which has for years anchored the southeast corner of the Queens Quay Terminal, has closed, according to this blog post.

In its place, the Watermark Irish Pub is coming, which is set for an April opening.

Here's a little description of the pub on their website.

The Watermark Irish Pub and Restaurant is bringing the luck and charm of the Irish to the Harbourfront District! Located in the Queen’s Quay Terminal, Watermark features a panoramic view of Toronto’s harbourfront, seating for 240 inside the pub and patio space for up to 220 overlooking the waterfront.

The pub is owned by the same company that brought you such Toronto establishments as the Foggy Drew on King West (west of Bathurst), the Mill St. Pub in the Distillery District and the Pour House on Dupont.

Expect the pub and its patio (if they have one) to be packed in the summer. Big question for locals is will we pack it during our long cold winters

Dine Safe: Queens Quay safe to eat in?

You've probably read about the restaurants and food establishments that have closed recently throughout the city. There's the block of restaurants in nearby Spadina Chinatown, Sushi on Bloor, and even a grocery store at Bloor and Christie.

We've been looking at the city's Dine Safe site, putting some of our restaurants through the system. And yes, while a few of the restaurants have been given conditional passes due to a variety of issues (like keeping food at the proper temperature or cleaning -- we'll provide a full list at a later date) only one establishment has been closed (briefly, but yes, closed) since Jan. 1, 2007.

Yep, it's Captain John's, at 1 Queens Quay West, that big ship.... (August, 2008).



See the inspection history here. NOTE that yes, it has been reopened and has been given a green light. You can't, however, dismiss the fact that it was closed.



Some of the infractions.

INADEQUATE FOOD TEMPERATURE CONTROL     Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.     C     Notice to Comply                

FAILURE TO PROTECT FOOD FROM CONTAMINATION

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE / SANITATION OF FOOD CONTACT SURFACES / UTENSILS /EQUIPMENT


IMPROPER MAINTENANCE / SANITATION OF NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES / EQUIPMENT

IMPROPER STORAGE / REMOVAL OF WASTE    

CONDITION(S) FOR CLOSURE     Operator fail to maintain premises free of sewage back-up

In the spirit of Eat Local, we were going to try this place, then we read some reviews on a few sites like this one. Suffice it to say, we think there are plenty of other  restaurants we can try on the strip. Any one try eating there?

Restaurant revived on Queens Quay?

So we were walking past Porticello last night and -- presto -- it had an open sign, had two tables and about eight people inside. Has it been revived after closing early last month? What's going on? Anyone know? We'll see if we can actually head there for a sit-down or takeout.

We've had a few good comments from readers of QQL about why restaurants are disappearing. We wrote earlier about Harbour Tandoori Grille closing.

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe the rents being charged by landlords for retail on Queen's Quay reflect that they are big-time developers of high rise apartment buildings who would rather have tenants with strong "corporate covenants" than independents who would contribute to the character and growth of the area. The rents at the foot of most of the buildings are unrealistic for any tenant other than formula-type franchises, be they food or cell-phones... Sadly, the closing of this Indian restaurant is just another example of poor planning when there were some good examples on this continent to look (eg Baltimore Inner Harbour) of those harbour front developments that have thought ahead and consequently now have diverse, evolving and sustainable retail destinations.

Very interesting observation. We have lots of 'chains' on the waterfront and does that really make sense or even encourage a unique neighbourhood. Maybe we need to support them while they (restaurants) need to adapt to a changing clientele.

'Channing' also wrote about the Indian takeout place.

i liked the indian place -- kinda messy, but the food was good. however, it's hard to tell if its demise was the result of stingy locals or what's going on in the wider economy. restaurants are suffering everywhere.

i was thinking of porticello the other day. i thought it'd do well after the hto park/spadina wavedeck opened, but obviously it didn't. however, now that i think about it, you could hardly notice it from the street. kinda sad.

It's true, and I think it goes back to outreach by restaurateurs. Maybe the build it and they will come won't work with everyone. We wonder why we never saw a flyer or any other way of building community. We note that in our condo, we see a few ads for Paws, the new pet store that's beside the Radisson. 

Another one bites the dust: Harbour Tandoori Grille closes

So, since we started looking at restaurants on this blog, two have closed. Now it's three. Harbour Tandoori Grille, a little shop that served Indian food and seemed to get business, closed a few days ago. According to the sign, they were behind on rent.

This underlines the tremendous pressure retailers are in our neighbourhood. There are thousands of us who live here yet we seem to not give these shops enough business to get by, particularly in the winter months. It seems like the ones that are destined to thrive are brand name franchises?


So the loss of another independent business is not great for business. What could they have done to get more business? Market better? Work to get a robust delivery service?


Well, there goes a viable option for food other than subs (we have three).

Eat local: Goodbye big buffet as Town & Country leaves Queens Quay

Another one bites the dust. Town & Country Buffet, in its heyday, had more than a few locations in the Toronto area. In recent years, we've witnessed the gradual decline of the one on Queens Quay, just east of Jarvis.

Remember buffets? Town & Country was the king. One low price and lots of food. And even in more recent years, it was still apparently humming -- although with hordes of tour buses. The Star sent a reviewer to sample the fare

It is, however, filling, convenient, plentiful and cheap ($10.99 for lunch). This is surely what drew three busloads of tourists to the gigantic railway-themed spot on a recent weekday. And I didn't see anyone complaining as they returned for second and third helpings at the American-style buffet.

The building is set in "authentic rail cars"

We noticed the closed for maintenance signs recently, and when we did a little digging, we find that actually, it's not coming back. The site is apparently part of the East Bayfront project.

Their website breaks the news:

It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Town & Country Buffet. Our buffet has been a destination for tourists and Torontonians alike for 60 years. The City of Toronto has not renewed our lease and is clearing our harbourfront lot to make a park.

We are in the process of searching for a suitable new downtown location and hope to reopen sometime in 2009. Please check back for updates. We would like to thank the thousands of loyal customers that have chosen to dine with us over the many years.

Eat local: Goodbye Porticello

Queens Quay is home to about 37 36 eateries -- we'll loosely define them as places where you can pick up a bite to eat. At Queens Quay Life, why not try to give a good idea of what each has to offer.

It's a sad day in the neighbourhood, a restaurant has shut down. But the eternal question is, did anyone notice?

Here at Queens Quay Life, we made a pledge early on to sample all the food that's in the neighbourhood. Granted, we haven't reviewed a restaurant in a few weeks, but we were all ready to get going again. Enter Porticello.

We know well the restaurant that's attached to the apartments just east of Spadina and Queens Quay. It's Italian food and as its sample menu (still online) on paper it looks good

Calamari
Grilled w/ olives, tomatoes, and fresh herb

Portobello
Oven roasted with balsamic glazed onions and parmesan cheese

Linguine Pescatore
Fresh seafood in tomato sauce

Even Toronto Life in its review gives it some points along with 1.5 stars and this not glowing but passable line:

The small menu of Italian standards and the equally truncated Italian wine list are dishearteningly unadventurous, but the affable owner can be trusted to find a more interesting bottle and to recommend whatever is freshest and best from the kitchen

Well, maybe someone can explain that, at least while we have been in the neighbourhood for more than 5 years, why it's been pretty dead. We think that maybe, just maybe, it didn't capitalize on the growing condo population. Why no flyers? Why no marketing? Why no buzz? We're only left to wonder that why can thousands of potential customers just blocks away never really ventured there.

Yesterday, we were passing the restaurant and we noticed three people in there dismantling lights and upending tables. Today, it was shuttered and dark and we read a notice from a barrister looking to collect rent, more than $11,000 according to the letter taped to the window, supposedly for everyone to see. Yes, this picture is blurry, sorry.

So goodbye Porticello.

Eat local: $5 subs on Queens Quay - Round two, Quiznos v. Subway

Last time we posted about food, we wrote about the submarine sandwich wars. Just to stretch it, we decided to go with two rounds. First, the beauty round. Second, the tasting round!

To remind you, these two large subs cost $5, $5.65 with taxes.

Subway: Assorted
This sub was the heavyweight of the two, with a full 60 grams or two ounces more meat, bread and veggies.

Since Quiznos was toasted, we decided to also toast this one as well.

The sub had a good match of moistness (ever have a dry sandwich?) and bread, although not very pretty to look at, had a satisfying chew to it.

They were generous with the veggies but sometimes they tend to load on the lettuce, which masks the other flavours

Funny thing about assorted cold cuts is that as a whole, the indivudual cuts don't really stand out. We had honey-mustard sauce, which is lot fat and is understandably on the sweet side, and less mustardy.

All in all, a satisfying sandwich.

Quiznos: 5 meat

Yes, the toasted sesame bread actually has a taste to it, the seeds adding an extra texture and flavour. The bread is pretty light and good chewy/crunch mix.

We did feel that they went a tad skimpy on the meat, so all the fancy cuts, well, they didn't really jump out at you but you could taste the higher quality. One thing though, they went overboard with the mustard sauce, and nothing can overpower a submarine like too much sauce. Hint guys, go light unless we ask.

All in all, has higher fat content and you could taste it. Not as satisifying if you're hungry and a little more calories. A large puts down more than 1000 calories which is almost half the amount you need for a 2500 a day diet so go light or have this for dinner if you want.

Of course, you can load up on the veggies and get all in one meal

The winner, we'd have to give round 1 (beauty) for Quiznos and round two, just a slight lead for Subway. When it comes down to it, for value, go Subway, for a little extra fanciness, go Quiznos. You'll pay the same price.

Our winner, for these tough economic times: Subway

The sub wars of Queens Quay

These are hard times in the economy and what other way to combat it other than with cheap food? Well, maybe we're not in dire straights yet, as many a young professional lives on Queens Quay. We don't have a whole lot of choice (probably thankfully) when it comes to fast food but we have plenty of choices for those who want sub (submarine) sandwiches. Within a 350 metre stretch, you will find a Quiznos Subs, a Subway and a Mr. Sub.

Subway is offering $5 for one of five subs (cold cuts, meatball, veggie, ham and pizza) or for a 'fresh value meal'. Quiznos is charging $5 for 'everyday value subs' while Mr. Sub down the road is staying out of the price war, charging $5.89 for an assorted, salami, ham, pizza and meatball.

Clearly two of these players are trying to fight for your $5. We at Queens Quay Life have actually had subs at all three, but in the spirit of our 'Eat Local' theme, we're going to try a $5 (and $5.89) at each of the sub places. It may take a few weeks so look for our reviews of the three establishments.

Subway, 228 Queens Quay West (416-345-9494)

Quiznos Subs, 208 Queens Quay West (416-977-3121)

Mr. Sub, 258 Queens Quay West (416-777-9559)

Another Sobeys Urban Fresh?

Update: (1/31/09) Speaking with friend who lives right above the site where construction on the Sobeys is well under way. The Sobeys would serve the Cityplace buildings, just to the east and west of Spadina. This is huge for the neighbourhood as it has not too many options within a few block walk. There's the Rabba on Front Street near the Rogers Centre and the Fresh and Wild at King St. and Spadina is pretty busy, but still too far to lug around a tonne of groceries.

Original Post (1/05/09): Is another Sobeys coming to the waterfront area? Not technically part of the Queens Quay neighbourhood, they are north of Lake Shore at Bathurst and east of the Exhibition is developing quickly with quite a few condos going up the area. (see map)


View Larger Map

We were looking through building permits for the neighbourhood and it looks like in development, if not already in latter stages, near opening, is a Sobeys store in Fort York

Issued on Nov. 14, 2008
Ward 20: Trinity-Spadina

Application#: 08 201018 HVA 00 MS
Issued Date: Nov 14, 2008
Project: Multiple Unit Building Building Permit Related(MS)

Description: HVAC - (inc 2 kitchen exhasuts) Interior alterations to portion of ground floor (new condo with commercial building) for new grocery store. Unit 1. Convenience address - 22 Fort York Blvd. Tenant - "Sobeys".

Judging from the small format (a unit in a condo) and the need for kitchen exhaust, it could be a Sobeys Urban Fresh or Express. We know well the Sobeys Urban Fresh store at 207 Queens Quay (The Terminal at York and Queens Quay). It's a small-format store for the East-coast based chain that does "ready to serve, 'fresh fill-in' and 'today's meal' market. We gleaned that from their corporate website. Clearly, with 181 of these smaller stores, they're smartly going after urban markets.

Now if only they'd build that Loblaw's at Lakeshore and Bathurst they've talked about forever.

Eat local: Pearl Harbourfront Restaurant

Queens Quay is home to about 37 eateries -- we'll loosely define them as places where you can pick up a bite to eat. At Queens Quay Life, why not try to give a good idea of what each has to offer. Today in honour of Chinese New Year, we continue with Chinese food.

Pearl Harbourfront Restaurant
207 Queens Quay West
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Opens 10:30 a.m. on weekends
416-203-1233
Website
Menu


The Queens Quay Terminal is a tourist trap, but over the years, it has started to cater to the local neighborhood. Pearl, we can say at the outset, is not the best Chinese restaurant you will find in Toronto. It is what it is, though, and not many Chinese restaurants in its price range downtown offers what it has: Stunning views of our waterfront, friendly service and, important to those who hate the 'hole in the wall' quality you'll find on Spadina or Dundas, it's clean, at least the dining area is.

One warning: It's very popular for dim sum, especially on weekends. Anyhow, lets talk about the food.

The food: Chinese restaurants are known for two types of meals, dim sum, and 'normal' Chinese. This section will talk about each separately.

Dim sum: Pearl is a sought out destination for weekend dim sum, and will often fill up by noon, when you'll have to wait for a table. For the lucky few who get the window side seats, you'll be treated to great views. Dim sum is comfort food for the Chinese community, it's a daily ritual for an older generation -- sit down with your newspaper, drink tea and nibble away at some small portions. These days, maybe because of modern schedules, dim sum in some restaurants like Pearl is an occasional gathering where we stuff our faces with the various steamed and fried dim sum (and please lets not use the word tapas, dim sum in this city came far before tapas ever hit the restaurant circuit as code for charging you too much for little dishes.

You are served dim sum in plates, with forks an option for all. The usual steamed dumplings (Har Gow, the shrimp dumplings, Sui Mai, the pork and shrimp, Har churn, shrimp rice rolls) are all decent quality. Beware if you're there to fill up on cheap dim sum because it is not, you pay the premium for slightly above-par food and, of course, the view. Pearl has several noteworthy dishes in dim sum: The sticky rice and chicken is among the best you'll find both for quantity and quality, and the tripe-y variety like chicken feet are delicious here. You won't find that much in terms of adventurous and you'll find plenty of the fried variety: fried dumplings with shrimp and mayo, shrimp rolls and our favourite 'hockey puck' pan fried dumplings. If you want to wow a crowd of tourists this is the place. If you have friends who don't like dingy restos, then this is the place. If you want cheap dim sum, take the 510 streetcar up to Spadina.

The food arrives in carts and it's funny watching the staff lift the carts up and down from the lower level by the windows to the upper seating area. You can also ask for the a la carte menu if you don't see dishes appear in the rotation.

Dinner: The menu is not as expansive as you'd see in Chinatown, in fact it's quite small. You pay a lot of money for dishes -- we had a steamed fish dish and were surprised by how small it was. You don't get a lot of quantity and, frankly, the quality is about par with some less expensive restaurants. And, as the sun goes down, you lose the views that the daylight affords. One thing about the menu is that you can ask the kitchen to make tweaks, if you know some of the usual chinese noodle or main course dishes.


Eat in: Pearl caters to an eat in crowd and you're very likely to get a table on evenings. You should have little problems for lunch but you may have to wait. Luckily, the terminal has plenty of space for you to lounge about.


Delivery: Last we check, they do not deliver although we've very easily have ordered takeout.


What should locals know: A nice venue for dim sum. Since you live in the area, go there early, you won't have to fight the crowds. If you get there by 11 a.m., you should be able to get a good table by the water. You can also call ahead and reserve those choice tables. Get to know the wait staff and say hello -- once they get to know you, they may scribble a note on your bill which can get you 10% off. Given the amount of money, it's good business for them to do it for the local crowd since we're the dependable crowd.

Pearl, in a way, is that: dependable Chinese food, above par Chinese food. And if there wasn't a streetcar line that took us 10 minutes to get up to the great Spadina joints (Rol San, New Sky) then we'd go much more often than we do.

Eat local: Coffee Time

Queens Quay is home to about 37 eateries -- we'll loosely define them as places where you can pick up a bite to eat. At Queens Quay Life, why not try to give a good idea of what each has to offer. Today we continue with coffee and donuts.

Coffee Time 10 Lower Spadina Avenue

Clearly the poor cousin of the more upscale options, this big space but low traffic coffee shop reminds us of the donut shops that popped up all around Toronto in the 80s. (We know, donut shops were in the family business during the 80s recession).

This is at the corner of Spadina and Queens Quay, so it's really really geared to the local crowd, not as much tourist traffic makes it out here compared with Rees to York area.

The food: Well, we suppose we should grade the coffee. It's fine. The worry with any place that has low traffic is how fresh it would be but a medium regular went down smoothly the other day. We haven't even bothered looking at the menu in search of Americanos or lattes.

The donut selection is pretty dire. We had a double chocolate with our coffee on a weekday late morning and there were probably two of every donut left. That was along with two or three of each selection (muffins and other pastries included). The double chocolate was fine, even as good as you'll find in Timmies. You know they don't sell much of them. Also on the menu: Breakfast specials all for under $6 we think, including sandwiches. Soups and other specials such as terriyaki chicken (an odd choice, yes).

Eat in: This is either a dash in or linger with a friend for a long conversation type of place. You'll probably have tonnes of room to talk and it's laid back. More than likely, people tend to go in there for a quick coffee.

What should locals know: If you go there, you're probably a local. Fine coffee if you're looking for Timmie's variety. Fear much because the nearest coffee shop is up Spadina in the CityPlace complex (near Rogers Centre) or the Starbucks and Second Cup on York, which is a full kilometre away!

Eat local: Alexandros Take-out

Queens Quay is home to about 37 eateries -- we'll loosely define them as places where you can pick up a bite to eat. At Queens Quay Life, why not try to give a good idea of what each has to offer. Today we continue with gyros and souvlaki

Alexandros Take-out 5 Queens Quay West
Restaurant info

We've all seen Alexandros. It's on the south side of Queens, just west of Yonge Street. It's not uncommon to see people stop in and out of the perpetually open takeout and eat in joint. Truth us, we didn't try Alexandros until we embarked on this eat local theme.

Gyros and souvlaki are pretty common in Toronto. Alexandros served pork and chicken gyros on pitas and souvlaki. When we went into Alexandros, it was empty and we were instantly greeted by the person on duty. We took a quick look and decided to go for the chicken gyros. We've read about the chicken but we didn't quite feel like a full meal.

The food: The chicken gyros cost $5.60, weighed 10 oz or 285 gm (yes, we have a digital scale at QQL. It had lots of chicken, tomato, onion, hot sauce and some
very garlically tzatziki sauce.



The hot sauce was a nice and the tomatoes were a much needed addition to give the meat moisture as it was a little dry. But since it's gyros and it was a slow day, we're not surprised. The meat was flavourful if a little on the salty side with the sauces and about on par on what you'll find elsewhere but had a few pieces of gristle. Luckily, we don't mind gristle

The pita was small, crispy and tasty, with meat overflowing

Other dishes: Dinners for $10 and burgers starting around $4.

What locals should know:
Conversations can go a little like this:
"I'l have a chicken gyros to go"
"Tomato, onion"?
"Yes"
"Hot sauce?"
Yes
"Cold out, eh?
"Yep"

No frills, and we love it that way .

This shop has obviously been here for a long time and is bound to stay for awhile yet. We think it's served by the condo, local working crowd and probably the endless car-bound workers who can make a quick stop. Perhaps with the new George Brown campus, it'll get a big surge of students looking for cheap grub. It's sure to please.

Eat in: Stools enough to fit more than a few people. It has outside seating for nice days

Winterlicious on the waterfront

Get your calendars out and mark Jan 15 right now, if you want to make reservations at Winterlicious participating restaurants in Toronto. You can make reservations from Jan 30 to Feb 12 (two days before Valentine's Day, of course).

Lunches typically range from $15 to $30 and dinners from $25 to $45 and you can choose from a set menus

Toronto.com neatly categorizes the restaurants into neighbourhoods and Harbourfront restaurants, well, there are three. And all three are hotel restaurants. Of course, there are a lot of gems in the full list, like Globe Bistro on Danforth and Lai Toh Heen on Mount Pleasant and tonnes of other options in the Distillery District, Queen West and downtown.

But this is the neighbourhood blog, so here's a list


Arriba Restaurant
Renaissance Toronto Hotel Downtown
1 Blue Jays Way
416-341-5045

$15 Lunch
plus taxes and gratuity

Roasted Corn Chowder (vegetarian)
or
Romaine Hearts
Garlic Dressing, Smoked Bacon, Shaved Asiago
or
Steamed Mussels
Shallot, Saffron, Tomato, White Wine

Arriba Club Sandwich
Herbed Chicken, Smoked Bacon, Arugula, Tomato and Spicy Mayo
or
Green Pea Risotto
Wilted Spinach, Grano Padano, Truffle Oil (vegetarian)
or
Pan Seared Salmon
with Tomato, Olive and Caper Ragout and Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Homemade Bread Pudding
Warm Caramel Bourbon Sauce
or
Chocolate Pecan Flan
or
Banana Crepes
with Whipped Cream

$25 Dinner
plus taxes and gratuity

Roasted Corn Chowder (vegetarian)
or
Romaine Hearts
Garlic Dressing, Smoked Bacon, Shaved Asiago
or
Chorizo Sausage, Peppers and Onions, Red Wine Reduction

Green Pea Risotto
Wilted Spinach, Grano Padano, Truffle Oil (vegetarian)
or
Chicken Confit
with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Organic Carrots, Tarragon Glaze
or
Pan Seared Salmon
with Tomato, Olive and Caper Ragout and Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes



Homemade Bread Pudding
Warm Caramel Bourbon Sauce
or
Chocolate Pecan Flan
or
Banana Crepes
with Whipped Cream

---
Toula Restaurant & Bar (At the Westin Hotel)
1 Harbour Square,
38th Floor
416-777-2002

$20 Lunch
plus taxes and gratuity

Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops Chowder with diced Celery, roasted Butternut Squash and sliced Mushrooms
or
Venetian Doge Caesar Salad with slices of oven-roasted Pheasant Supreme on aromatic Herbs
or
Steamed White Asparagus in Truffle Sauce and Parmigiano Crostini

Hand-made Butternut Squash Ravioli with Rose Sauce, sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano
or
Sautéed Chicken Breast Medallion with White Wine, fresh Pear and shaved Parmigiano
or
Encroute Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Spinach in a delightful Cream of San Giminiano Saffron, on a bed of Red Cabbage, Apples and Calvados Essence
or
Hand-made Pappardelle with fresh Wild Mushrooms, aromatic Herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano

Classic Venetian Tiramisu
or
Classic “Lemoncella” Toula Cheesecake
or
Baba with Rum and Vermouth Sauce filled with Custard, covered with Whipped Cream

$35 Dinner
plus taxes and gratuity

Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops Chowder with diced Celery, roasted Butternut Squash and sliced Mushrooms
or
P.E.I. Lobster Tale Salad with Potato, Cherry Tomato and Romaine with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar
or
Venetian Doge Caesar Salad with slices of oven-roasted Pheasant Supreme on aromatic Herbs
or
Steamed White Asparagus with Truffle Cream Sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano Shavings
or
Parmigianino “Tricolore Tower” with Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella on Balsamic reduction

Black Angus Rib Eye Steak with Barolo reduction and Parmesan Roast Potatoes
or
Grilled Sea Bass Fillet on a bed of “Peperonata Romana” with Red and Yellow Pepper, Eggplant and Rosemary Potato
or
Washington Rack of Lamb with Sun dried Tomatoes and Olives Encrust with Vinsanto Couli and Vegetable Caponatina
or
Sautéed Chicken Breast Medallion with White Wine, fresh Pear and shaved Parmigiano
or
Hand-made Tagliolini with Lobster Tail on light, spicy roasted Plum Tomato with fresh Herbs
or
Hand-made Butternut Squash Ravioli with rose Sauce, sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano


Classic Venetian Tiramisu
or
Classic “Lemoncella” Toula Cheesecake
or
Baba With Rum and Vermouth Sauce filled with Custard, covered with whipped Cream

The Mizzen Restaurant
The Westin Harbour Castle
1 Harbour Square
416-361-7454

$20 Lunch
plus taxes and gratuity

Locally farmed three mushroom Bisque, chive foam
or
Warm vine tomato & baked boconcini bruschetta
or
Mixed baby winter greens, roasted fruits, walnut raisin crostini,
crumbled goat cheese, cabernet vinaigrette

Crispy skinned chicken thigh, roasted squash ratatouille,
seasonal vegetables, natural reductions
or
Pan seared red meat trout, corn, leek & baby spinach fricassee,
crushed fingerlings, smoked pepper gazpacho
or
Pumpkin Gnocchi, roasted winter vegetables, sage cream sauce

Winter fruit cobbler, maple cinnamon ice cream
or
Chai spiced Brule
or
Spy apple crumble tart, warm caramel

$35 Dinner
plus taxes and gratuity

Roasted corn velour, crispy pancetta, tarragon foam
or
Selected greens & sprouts, roasted beets & apples,
cranberry foccacia crisps, roasted fig & white balsamic vinaigrette
or
Molten Brie risotto cake, chunky vine tomato & purple
basil stew, fresh seedlings

Slow Braised Alberta beef, forest mushrooms, double smoked bacon,
herb risotto, seasonal vegetables, shiraz reduction
or
Crisp skin Ontario Pickerel, butter poached
warm vegetable salad, organic carrot vinaigrette
or
Giant Boursin & spinach ricotta tortellini, grilled vegetables,
Vine tomato basil cream

Ontario Spy apple crostada, maple cinnamon ice cream
or
Duo of Flourless Chocolate silk & crème Brule scattered sauces
or
Lemon cello pudding, warm strawberry stew, spun vanilla cream