Pizza Libretto & Golden Turtle

Location:

PL 221 Ossington Ave,. Toronto

GT 125 Ossington Ave., Toronto

It all started with an image of Chocolate Affogato on A's FB page which then sent us on a taste-test-excursion to Pizza Libretto as they are one of the (maybe few?) restos in TO who serve it.

Excitedly, I arrived at said location, looking for my friend, only to be  stopped by the hostess who demanded I tell her what I was doing.  Surprised, I quickly told her I was looking for a friend who may already be seated somewhere in the depths of the crowded (and loud!) restaurant.  She looked at me incredulously and stated that there was no way anyone could be waiting for me since her waiting list was 2 pages long (!) (and they don't take reservations - another !). Now it was my turn to be confused, so I gave her my friend's name to which she confirmed with much finality that A was not on the list.

Shrugging I decided to wait for A, who within minutes bounded up to me with as much enthusiasm as I had had a few seconds ago myself .  Together we tackled Hostess and put our names on the 2 page long list.  Hostess told us we could enjoy a drink and then she'd call us.  We thought she meant hang out at the bar and then she'd call upon us, but she literally meant go out and have a drink somewhere else and then she'd call my cell phone.  In 40 minutes.  40 minutes!!!

Hungry and deflated, was I, not to say annoyed with the abruptness of the Hostess.  A, still in good spirits suggested Golden Turtle just down the street.  We decided to check out their menu and then decide whether we wanted to eat there or wait the 40 minutes.  The menu was not posted outside, so we had to go inside and ask.  By doing so, we were waved to have a seat, to which we lamely protested that we simply wanted to see the menu.  Too late.  We'd just been seated and handed menus.  And we were rather liking this kinder hospitality.

So be it.  We'd wait for PL to call and then go back for dessert, which was what we had originally scouted it out for.

Golden Turtle is one of those brightly lit, bustling, no-nonsense Vietnamese joints where the pho keeps pho'ing and the well, you get the drift.

A was reminded why she loves a good photo to go with the menu options, as we couldn't tell what a damn thing was on there.  Finally, we opted for the beef cold rolls, the chicken vermicelli with shrimp on a bamboo stick, and beef vermicelli.

Beef Vermicelli

The cold beef rolls were hearty and refreshing, and we both agreed, a perfect start to the meal.

Cold Rolls

My shrimp on a bamboo stick (highly recommended by A and looking mighty tasty on all the dishes being served around me) looked amazing in my bowl...until I turned it over with my chopsticks.  *Cue the waah waah's*

A solid strand of hair was coiled around it in the worst way.

Definitely, not a good start to the meal.

We showed it to our waitress who simply said, 'Okay' and brought me another bowl of my order.

I have to admit, once I'd gotten over the image of the hair out of my head, I fully enjoyed that bamboo shrimp stick.  Gnawing on that that stick until the rest of my dish went cold.

Chicken Vermicelli



Besides the hair, we did have a nice meal.   During our meal, my phone shrilled twice; PL calling with our "reservations" (why don't they just take reservations in the first place?).  We took our time finishing up at GT and sauntered over to PL for our dessert.

So a little more than 40 minutes later we were back at PL where the Hostess, as much as she wasn't pleased with us for not answering her calls, was more concerned with her waiting list and adding more helpless patrons to it.   I must admit, at that point, it was nice to be instantly whisked away to our reserved seats.

Our declaration to our server about us only being there for dessert and not dinner didn't go over well, at all.  Neither did our request for two hot waters.  We did look over at the tables beside us and salivated at what we saw everyone tucking into.  Also, it turned out, my yoga instructor and her friend were sitting beside us;  they'd endured the 40 minute wait and it seemed it had been worth it.  A and I looked at each other, semi-kicking ourselves for not waiting and vowing to come back soon and try the pies.  The pies and maybe the tiramisu again, but certainly not the affogato which was disappointing and nothing like the image burned onto my brain.  (See first image below, borrowed from this site) and then see the chocolate affogato at Pizza Libretto.

That was the image I had in mind.

Cold Rolls

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="332" caption="Chocolate Affogato"]
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This is what we got:

Pizza Libretto

Pizza Libretto

The tiramisu looked a bit better, and A loved it (and for someone who doesn't like tiramisu, that said a lot). I thought it didn't taste like tiramisu, which, perhaps, also says a lot.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="384" caption="Tiramisu"]
[/caption]

A few hours later, with sore throats from having screamed over the din of the restaurant, and after many cutting glances from our server, we called it a night.   They seemed to want our table to seat the staff for their dinner.  How long did they have to wait for it, I wonder?

Before all you PL fanatics jump on this review with your rants on how it serves us right and that we should have waited yada yada, note that we are right this moment, planning our return to PL.

Will keep you posted.

TRAVEL: Banff: The Maple Leaf

Location:

137 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB

www.banffmapleleaf.com

After a two hour trek across Lake Louise and back to the Chateau and by the time we reached Banff, we were riddled with cravings for salmon (or really, anything other than sandwiches and soups), so we headed straight to The Maple Leaf, number one on my list of Banff eateries.

Also, after not finding a single fireplace (working) at the Chateau, we were tempted to ask if there was a fireplace at the Maple Leaf, to which we got the response, "one moment please", and then, voila! A table RIGHT beside the fireplace!   Mind you, not only a fireplace, but a giant moose head to go with it, right above us.  

GIANT moose head!

I love Banff. Everything's so rugged, so earthy, so natural. If it isn't wood, it's leather or stone. The Maple Leaf ambiance was beyond cosy.

Such a cosy interior

Oh so comfortable leather chairs

The many celebs who have visited

We'd scoured the outdoor menu to make sure that there was salmon and I knew what I was going to have:

The Atlantic Wasabi Salmon...sesame-scented Asian noodles, nori, pickled ginger.

The other item we ordered was the Mahi Mahi sandwich (I know I said enough with the sandwiches, but it sounded so good!) with potato and leek soup (okay, I take it back).

Yummeh x 2!

Our only - and very slight - qualm was that the "Coke" tasted more like Cola and then we figured out it was DIET Coke. Er, no thanks. Not on vacation (or any other time, for that matter).  Our server was very accomodating and made no fuss.  Our adjoining table of seven or eight however, complained about their regular burgers being too pink and found out that the regular burgers also had a mix of bison in them (the server said something about bison burgers being more on the pink side).  They voiced that the menu made no mention of the bison mix in the regular burg and they'd have loved to have known beforehand...etc.etc.

If I hadn't overdone the whole burger thing having had two in the last four days, I would have ordered the regular burg as well, but the salmon and mahi mahi sandwich was exactly what we needed. 

Wasabi Salmon

The salmon dish was amazingly good.  Surprisingly, the noodles were chilled, but together with the crispy (breadcrumbed and fried) salmon and the fresh ginger slices, the dish was refreshing and satisfying. 

Mahi Mahi Sandwich

The fish sandwich was tasty as well; we tried to pinpoint the "indian" flavour in it.  At first I accredited it to the chilly yogurt mentioned in the menu, but then it dawned on me as being CILANTRO (to the joy of N and to my dismay).  If you know me, you know I am not a fan of the green stuff and its overpoweringly horrid scent.  That said, it was still a good sandwich.  Washed down with a cold glass of real Coke, that is.

Potato and Leek soup

The potato and leek soup was the perfect antidote to an active Winters day, while the Maple Leaf was the perfect end to an active Winters vacation.

Red Room

Location:

444 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

Cost: $7-10 for an entree

Ah, the Red Room....takes me back to my university days...when "dining out" meant spending less than $5.

An item on the eclectic menu will set you back about $7 - 10 and the portions are decent enough to split when you order a few items.

That's what a bunch of us did one snowy Friday night after work.

The chicken quesadillas, wings and spring rolls are good (it's so dark in there that there's no way you can get away without using flash). Also, the service is slow, but that's not what you're paying for.

Spring Rolls

Wings

If you want an atmosphere that allows you to feel years younger (relatively), and a meal that won't cost an arm and a leg, the Red Room is a great place.

Hemmingways

Location:

140 Cumberland Street, Toronto

Cost: Avg main is $13

www.hemingways.to

In the heart of Yorkville there's a cosy little people (or celeb) -watching pub that has the likeness of some Great-Grandfather's study. Green walls, heavy bookcases laden with old books, equestrian oil paintings lit up with dimmed wall sconces, antique wooden furniture dusty with age ----oh, hang on, that actually is my Great-Granddaddy's study...

I got carried away.

But you get my drift, Hemmingways has the authenticity of an ol' pub that Hemmingway himself might have frequented, but with a menu that's a mash-up of Eastern and Western delights, ie: bruschetta, spring rolls, escargot, Boston Clam chowder, Caesar salads, Greek salads, Tandoori what-nots, roti, pad thai, kung pao whatsits, souvlaki, fajitas....it's a really eclectic menu.

The ambiance at Hemmingways

I had the chicken souvlaki once and it was great; couldn't complain. I did however complain about the wine which tasted like that cloth one uses to wipe up counters...YOU know the one! They even confessed that they had that particular bottle sitting out for a while and opened a new one for me.

Chicken Souvlaki [caption id="attachment_1286" align="alignleft" width="604" caption="Chicken Souvlaki $13.99"][/caption]3.99

Besides that one incident (and I only ordered beer after that night), Hemmingways is quite simply: cosy.

And if you can't make up your mind on what to have for dinner, or if you have picky company to dine with, go to Hemmingways. Lots of food options PLUS beer.

By The Way Cafe Round 2

Location:

400 Blor St West, Toronto


Cost: Approx $20

www.bythewaycafe.com

Recently went to BTWC again for a friend's birthday brunch gathering.

The french toast stuffed with apples and brie sat very well with the birthday girl.



(I ordinarily flock towards french toast, but can't do brie and didn't feel like regular french toast that day - *gasp* I know).

Instead, I ordered the omelette with chorizo, jalapenos and onions (minus the cheddar). I still can't believe it comes with a Montreal bagel, too!



I was really glad for the spicy chorizo and jalepenos in the omelette 'cause otherwise it was lacking a bit of something...some herbs? Thyme? Oregano? The other girls who ordered omelettes said the same of their omelettes..that it was missing a little somethin'.

My friend ordered the burrito...which was quite good although again, needed a little hot sauce in my humble opinion.



My veg friend who couldn't eat eggs that day was at a loss of what to order that didn't have eggs in it...waffles would have been a better choice than the baba ganough that she ordered with pita. As an appetizer shared between..many...it would have been great, but as a meal for one it faired well below average and the eggplant tasted a bit burnt or if you'd rather, overly smoked. A definite disappointment.

Something a little more veg friendly for breakfast instead of salad and other more lunchy-type options would be better. Possibly the waffles are the only thing that qualified in this case.

The OJ, on the other hand, was splendid.

And the cheesecake seemed to be a hit amongst the others.



Looks like the baba ganough isn't deflecting the customers at all; BTWC is a much happening place...with a constant stream of patrons flowing in and out. With their lovely, sunny patio and friendly service, it surely is a nice brunch spot in the Annex.

Grazie Ristorante

Location:

2373 Yonge Street, Toronto

www.grazie.ca

Went to Grazie recently for a friend's birthday dinner.  The place was packed and as is the case with a lot of restaurants in the city, they don't seat you unless your whole party has arrived, and they don't take reservations.  



We ended up waiting I think a little over a half hour but let me tell you, it was fully worth it.  And, I'm not even going to try to remember each dish....they were all too good to be true, so instead, here are the pictures...









 



 







The food is incredible!  Large portions and such intriguing flavour combinations.  I'm so glad I was with a bunch of dear ones who like to share 'cause it was really nice to try everything.

Thank you, indeed!

Dimmi Bar & Trattori

Location:

140 Cumberland St, Toronto

Cost:
$9-15 for a pizza

www.dimmibar.com

We walked around for about an hour before deciding on a place to have dinner. Somehow the places on Yonge St. (Green Mango, Friendly Thai) didn't appeal to us and Craft Burger further North didn't entice everyone. Finally, after checking the menus at Nervosa Trattoria and Hemingways, we decided that Dimmi's had the best options (or maybe by then we were just really, really hungry).

(I didn't want to lug my giant camera along all day, so these photographs are courtesy of my friend A.R.)

We ordered a couple of pizzas to share around: The Bruschetta ($9), the Funghi ($15)...and the Margherita ($11) to go. And my friends got the calamari ($12 which came with a side salad); they claimed it was tasty and filling (I refuse to eat calamari after a horrible - mostly exaggerated- life-changing experience).

The Bruschetta pizza was quite tasty and moist which was what was lacking in the Funghi mushroom pizza. The Margherita also tasted good (flavourful with the basil, which I love) on the drive home (I had to try a slice!).

Our service was attentive in a nice, non-intrusive way...perhaps the standard for Yorkville restos? All around a quaint little restaurant in Yorkville with, I'd say, reliably good food.

Motimahal

Location:

1422 Gerrard St East, Toronto (Gerrard St. or Little India)

Cost: $10-15

The Indian McDonalds, we call it.   Much like the famous golden arches the red  Motimahal signage is iconic to Gerrard street.



(Top photo via Flickr: Andrew Alexander)

It's one of the oldest restaurants in Little India and definitely one of the best, if not the best. The consistent food and familiar tacky interior makes Motimahal a reliable (and recognizable location in Deepa Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood) and  satisfying place to dine in the East end.



The cafeteria-like "diner" setting, with slanted laminate seats, red tables and ceramic tiled walls (with only recent update of painted red swirls and circles) is all part of the charm.  As is the plastic trays, cutlery and  styrofoam cups filled with water from steel jugs.



Also, your urge to wipe the table or seats down with paper towels is entirely normal.   As is suppressing the urge to pee so as not to visit the washrooms downstairs (which are, actually, not that bad).  This place is not for everyone...and yet, everyone seems to come here.  There is always a steady stream of customers chowing down on veg thalis (the best in the city), masala dosas, tandoori chicken and naan (my favourite), chaats, samosas, butter chicken (incredible),  just to name a few.  There is also a colourful array of indian sweets for you to choose from.

My favourite dish is the tandoori chicken with naan; ask anyone - this is what I will, 90% of the time order from Motimahal.  This time I went with the tandoori WINGS (it was 3pm and this was our 'snack' time between shopping).

I don't know if I've ever mentioned how much I dislike cilantro, but I do.  It's more the smell of FRESH cilantro that makes me nauseous.  However, for some reason, and this baffles my loved ones (and me),  I do like a good bit of cilantro chutney - the kind that comes with tandoori chicken and that little side of carrots and onions - it's just so tasty (with tandoori chicken and that little side of carrots and onions).







My sister's love for chaat is like my love for tandoori chicken.   Whenever she visits; there's nothing like a good bite of chaat (mixture of potato cubes, crispy fried bread and chickpeas, garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices, topped with yogurt).



It's very simple...if you're looking for a place to eat in Little India, look no further than Motimahal (or Udupi for South Indian cuisine but I'll save that for another post).

Astoria Shish Kebob House

Location:

390 Danforth Avenue, Toronto

www.astoriashishkebobhouse.com

I trust you've already heard of my love affair with Greek food. I simply adore it.

And at Astoria, there's so much more to love. The portions are gigantic!

This particular day, we were out on the patio; which is always packed in the summer months (I'm SO looking forward to that, aren't you?) and the sun was shining and the beers were cold.


We had the "Astoria’s Appetizer Platter", which consisted of deep fried calamari, dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and spices) spanakopita (spinach & feta cheese pastry) and two homemade dips (we chose hummus and tzatziki, I believe).

[I had an awful experience with calamari once which involved: barely cooked calamari + some form of sausage + smoky lounge (back when smoking was allowed indoors) + car-sickness = a lovely bout of  vomiting ]

Now then, if you're not completely revolted, let's continue...

Calamari, when breaded and deep fried like this, is quite alright....I think.



I think part of ordering chicken souvlaki is knowing that those potatoes will also be there. Happy potatoes.



Oh souvlaki, how I love thee.



Funnily enough though, three out of the four of us had some...er... "discomfort in the digestive tract", after our meal at Astoria (I had the chicken, one had pork and the other lamb).  It's never happened before, but it's true.  Unless...

Dear calamari, I think it's best we part ways.

The Jason George

Location:

100 Front Street East, Toronto

I've been to the Jason George twice. Both times I had the fish n' chips. Hey, why change a good thing?

It's crispy, flaky, tender, tasty. And the yam frites are scrumptious.



Whether indoors or out, the ambiance is fun and friendly.

A great local pub.

Boathouse Grill

Location:

207 Queens Quay W, Toronto


Cost: $10-15 per entree

Take a look at their menu on the site, here:


www.boathousegrill.sites.toronto.com

Now...

Yes, the food tastes as bad as it looks on the menu.

Let's see, where should we start? Perhaps with the veggie burger?




Vegetarian Burger - soy based vegetarian patty made from our special recipe (which one would that be, the especially gross one?) and topped with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and feta cheese 9.99

Pardon me, but are those slimy, slug-like onions, caramelized? AAH, I see! And the giant-ass dollop of feta cheese? Was that to mask the fact that this is ultimiately a giant, rugged piece of leather?

Wait, how about that Caesar salad...




BoatHouse Chicken Caesar - crisp Romaine lettuce and garlic seasoned croutons tossed in our house caesar dressing, topped with grilled shaved breast of chicken 11.99

The word 'seasoned' was a typo, I'm sure? Or meant to be taken very lightly? Or did you mean perhaps the winter season...very stark, bland....cold?

Let's move on to the pizza then.




Tucson Pizza - Grilled breast of chicken, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, seasoned tomatoes and goat cheese 12.99

Oh lovely, managed to get "caramelized" and "seasoned" altogether in one sentence, eh?

And that, um, bottle of seasoning...must have been all out, hmm? Or perhaps used up on the wings??




Chicken Wings - "Plump chicken wings, tossed in seasoned flour and fried to golden perfection. Served with your choice of hot, medium, mild or honey garlic sauce. 1lb - 12.99. 2lbs - 19.99

'Fraid not! Again the word "seasoned" used so carelessly to describe what is probably a mixture of flour and what, salt? Let's take another look at those carrots, too, shall we?



Please sir, may I have some more? Nay, me thinks even Oliver Twist shan't have wanted more.

Beware, Boathouse Grill is an absolute dud of a restaurant. It's good for a view of the lake, but that can just as easily be taken in with a simple sit-down on the boardwalk with a Timmy's drink & donut. THAT is much more satisfying, I assure you.

Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen

Location:

141 Harbord St. (at Brunswick Ave.)

Cost: Approx $15 each for a soup & entree

www.fliptossthai.com

When I called to make reservations, the lady on the phone was so polite, hesitating only when I asked for a table for six, but then graciously took down my name and confirmed the reservation. Later, on my way there, a friend of mine called asking if she'd found the right place, as she was seeing only a counter with a few stools and a table with six chairs around it. I told her those six chairs were for us! I guess we were all surprised by the ambiance; which is minimalist to the max (read: no washrooms); only a few seats, an order counter, a cola box and a blackboard with most of the menu listed.



[It's ironic that we dined there during Earth Hour; it may have been the only place with it's florescent light spilling out into the night...or at least as far across the street to the laundromat with it's own florescent sparkle].

Still, whatever the ambiance lacks in at FT&T, the cuisine more than makes up for and we can thank former Salad King chef, Suzchen Sun, for that.
There's the same chili scale system that Salad King has, but the service and flavours are authentic to FT&T.

= ½ chili

½ chili = ¹/₆ tbsp chilies
1 chili = ¹/₃ tbsp chilies
3 chili = 1 tbsp chilies
And so on

Our host, Wei was extremely patient with us, addressing our vegetarian needs with helpful alternatives and suggestions. The reason we picked this place, we told him, was because it's #3 of the top 10 vegetarian places to eat in Toronto (according to Urbanspoon) and we're so glad we did.

Here's why:

Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup $3.89




We were also able to put in a special request for Hot and Sour VEG Soup for $3.65 (same price as the Chicken Coconut milk soup) which came with tofu instead of shrimp. 'Twas indeed hot and sour! Most of us were coughing because of the heat, but the flavour was great and I was content having more than two shrimps in my soup! The only downside to the soup (for us) was biting into largish chunks of lemongrass and ginger(?); however, the surprise of it was only slightly and temporarily off-putting.

Basil Chicken $7.26, served with rice (and blurred in the background, Spicy Tofu $6.79 [served with rice])



I opted for the 3 chili (medium) heat - and didn't find it too hot at all, but I'd ordered the Thai Basil Fried Rice $7.02, which wasn't already spicy, like the Spicy Eggplant or Spicy Tofu.



Boy, was it ever tasty!! Best fried rice I have ever had...I normally wouldn't have finished a whole plate of rice, but I gobbled this up and even considered ordering another to go!

Spicy Eggplant $7.04 (served with rice but opted for rice noodles). I only tasted this, but again, wow! I wish I'd ordered it!



Pad Thai $7.79. Wonderfully not ketchupy like the one at Spring Rolls.




Thai Bangkok Noodle $7.79. By this time I was too stuffed to try it - but I heard that my fried rice was better than this :)




At Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen, the service is refreshingly friendly but it's the food, my Goodness, the FOOD which is simply FANTASTIC! So fresh, so quick....as easy as a flip and a toss (har har). They also deliver and do take-out! What more could one ask for? It's evident by the sheer quantity of customers that filtered through (for sit-in, take-out and pick-up) while we were there that this place is doing great!

I'll certainly be back!