Kensington Cornerstone

Posted on June 21, 2012 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Kensington Market

Rate this Review: (3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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1 star

- The Kensington Cornerstone offers a gluten-free menu.  It has gluten-free beer.  It has a cute patio and it’s painted to look like a circus tent.  I chose it for all of the aforementioned reasons.  It checked a lot of boxes on my list.  I won’t be going back.

This past weekend found me turning another year older, and because I’ve been experimenting with a gluten-reduced diet as of late, I decided my birthday dinner should be had at the Kensington Cornerstone.  I looked at pictures.  I perused the menu.  I read reviews.  It all seemed positive.

It was a beautiful evening, so I was happy that we snagged a spot on the patio.  We had to wait awhile for our drink order to be taken, but at this point we were still taking in our surroundings, people watching (Kensington offers some of the best), and trying to catch passing bubbles being dispensed from somewhere across the street. 

Just when I was at the point of helping myself to my neighbouring tables’ pitcher of beer, our waitress appeared.  The up side to the wait was that we had enough time to choose not only our drinks but our meals, so we placed all of our orders to make up for lost time.  While we had intended to order one of their pitchers of sangria (and/or mojitos, and/or margaritas), we all ended up opting for beer.  My girlfriend and my mom split a pitcher of Upper Canada Lager, while I decided to try one of their 4 gluten-free selections.  I figured having a wheat beer with my gluten-free meal would be like washing down a pie with a diet pop, so I stuck to my guns.  I’ve had what Nicklebrook has to offer in the line of GF beer, so I was looking forward to trying a new one.  I asked our server what the most popular one was, and she pointed me in the direction of a red ale by La Messagre that operates out of Montreal.

When our drinks arrived, I took that first sip so full of hope, and for a split second I thought I was going to have the chance to gloat in the face of my girlfriend (I know, I’m nice aren’t I?) that my beer didn’t taste horrible.  I didn’t have that chance.  Did I just drink beer?  Or did I just suck on a penny?  Even I was a bit confused at that point.  It started off so well, but then finished with a strong metallic and bitter taste that seemed to coat my tongue and the back of my throat.  Bitter…just like I was at that point.

So by this time about 30 minutes had passed since we ordered.  Our thirst was quenched but we were more than peckish.  Thank goodness our server was coming our way!  But instead of food, she came bearing bad news.  My girlfriend would not be dining on the stuffed peppers that she had ordered as they had run out, and for some reason, they just thought to tell her now.  Not only would we have to wait even longer for our food, but our plan to share our meals was scrapped as we now both had the pulled pork sandwich coming to us. 

(Sound of clock ticking) 

Another half hour passed and our meals finally arrived.  As hungry as I was I couldn’t make it through my sandwich ($13).  It looked appetizing enough, but the pork wasn’t nearly as tender as it should have been (I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Fidel Gastro lately), and the sauce was a bit of a turn-off, being too heavy on the tomato and cilantro.  The gluten-free bread was quite good, and even had a bit of a cheesy crust but unfortunately it had been sitting in pork juice, so it was now more of a sponge.  Yes, a pulled pork sandwich should definitely be messy, but you should still be able to pick it up. 

My mom was impressed with her salmon ($18), but she wouldn’t complain if there was a gun to her head.  It did look good though, and the portion was generous, so not all was lost. 

Looking back on it now I wish I had just scrapped the GF diet and stuck with an old faithful restaurant.  What was I thinking trying to eliminate carbs for my birthday dinner?  Why did I go out of my way to both experiment with a restaurant and deprive myself of something I love on my special day?  Who does that?  So while I’m not taking the blame away from the restaurant, I will share some of it with them…but only some as the service was really what ruined our experience.  Maybe the food wasn’t amazing, but the fact that we had to wait so long for it was the added insult.  The servers themselves were lovely girls, but somewhere back in the kitchen, the ball was dropped. 

After we begrudgingly paid our bill, I decided to throw the whole GF thing out the window and head to Ronnie’s for a bottle of (gluten rich) 50 to end the night on a positive note. As we sat there on the patio I couldn’t help but stare across the road at The Grilled Cheese.  Oh, what could have been.

- Rebecca

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Joe Badali’s

Posted on December 5, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Entertainment District

3 stars

- You’re downtown, you’re headed to a game and you need to grab a bite to eat before you head there. You take stock of your options and think, “These places all look kind of similar – where should I head?” Might I suggest you check out Joe Badali’s, an Italian-themed restaurant on Front St. West, steps from both the Rogers Centre and the ACC. The spacious bar/restaurant has something for everyone, a key to success for large groups that often book parties there.

A friend and I popped in the other day to check out their fall/winter brunch menu. Given our choice of bar, table or booth, we opted for a cozy booth in the middle of the restaurant and were given three menus from which to choose our meal. A bit overwhelming, perhaps, but our waiter explained that one menu was strictly for their new pescetarian promotion where you can choose the fish you’d like and how you’d like it cooked. Feeling like it was a little early for ahi tuna, my companion and I went for the brunch options: I had the eggs benedictano and he had the steak frites, ordered medium rare. To accompany our selections, we ordered the pear and cranberry cider and the maple bourbon lemonade. (Both drinks made by the fabulous bartender, Katie, who also makes mean After Eights and Monte Cristos.)

A plate of house- made bread was brought to the table, accompanied by olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Warm, crusty and soft on the inside, we polished off that complimentary snack pretty quickly while we sipped our delicious drinks. The wait staff is clearly comfortable with time crunches of customers and took into consideration that the tables around us had a short amount of time to eat before they needed to head elsewhere. The service was swift and friendly for them, while it was a little more relaxed for us – though by no means slow or lackadaisical.

When our brunch plates arrived, we were eager to dive in. Neither my companion nor I had been to Joe Badali’s in quite some time and wondered how brunch would stack up. The portions were a good size and, importantly, cooked as they should be. My egg yolks were runny and the Canadian back bacon was a great salty accompaniment. The ciabatta base was a nice touch, as it worked well to absorb the leftover yolk on my plate. The home fries might have been a bit crispier, but the peppers and onions were crunchy contrast to the creaminess of the eggs. As for the steak frites, the steak was indeed medium rare and had been rested properly before being brought to the table. By the end of the meal, only a few pieces of diced fruit were left in our respective cups.

Since we felt like indulging at this particular brunch, we allowed ourselves to split a very generous portion of white chocolate mousse cake with strawberry topping. Not overly heavy, it was actually quite a nice way to wrap up a meal. As mentioned earlier, we also tried the After Eight and Monte Cristo specialty coffees. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry, these were decadent and deliciously boozy. We allowed ourselves a few minutes – and a couple of glasses of water – before attempting to get up.

When asked about the capacity of the place, we learned that Badali’s can hold up to 750 people, making it a great place for large parties. We also discovered that they set up a secluded patio in the summers, blocking off the adjacent parking lot in order to make it a pleasant place to escape the downtown crush. If you happen to be in the area – say, before a concert, a Leafs, Raptors or Jays game – check out Joe Badali’s. You’re bound to find something for everyone at reasonable prices. And if you’re in the mood for a drink, I highly recommend checking out either the maple bourbon lemonade or pear and cranberry cider. Had it been later in the day when we went, I suspect there may have been a few more rounds of these!

- Carolyn

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Mitzi’s Cafe

Posted on November 18, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Roncesvalles Village

3 stars

- For the past year or so, I’ve been meaning to go to Mitzi’s Cafe for brunch.  Weekends however, draw a big crowd and my nine-to-five job prevented me from going during the week and avoiding said crowd.  Fortunately, having resigned from my job to be a writer (see: unemployed) I am now afforded the luxury of going to brunch on say, a Tuesday…which is exactly what I did this week.

I love Mitzi’s location.  Tucked away on a quiet corner of Sorauren, surrounded by century homes, purple and yellow painted Mitzi’s is a bit out-of-place, but that’s the appeal.  I have a thing for old neighbourhood general stores, and that’s what Mitzi’s reminds me of.  Inside looked exactly how I both expected and hoped for; arborite tables with mismatched chairs, a glass display case that housed trays of muffins at the time, and walls adorned with local art.  I really, really wanted to like this place.

And like it I did, however my friend was less than satisfied with her experience.  Let’s start with mine shall we?  Mitzi’s has a small but thoughtful menu, and I had previously perused it online, so I knew exactly what I wanted.  Craving sweet over savoury, I ordered the French toast as planned ($10.95).  Made with Challah bread it is then topped with a peach & ginger compote, covered in graham cracker crumbs and generously doused with real maple syrup (the last step done by yours truly).  It was fantastic.  The bread was thick and fluffy, and the compote had just the right amount of ginger in it.  It had all the makings of a dessert…in a breakfast.  It should be noted that this dish is typically served with whipped cream, but I decided it was too much of an indulgence (says the person who used so much syrup as to make her French toast wish it had signed up for swimming lessons).

Sitting just adjacent to the expanding pool of syrup, but not completely out of its reach, were the home fries, which offset the sweetness of the French toast nicely.  Made with halved baby potatoes they were spiced perfectly.  My only complaint is that there weren’t more of them, but it’s probably for the best in the long run.  If the toast itself was the star of the show, then the home fries were the understudy.

As I had already had my morning coffee I chased all of this with a glass of their homemade orange/banana/mango juice.  It was just thick enough to know it was the real thing, and at $3 I think it was good value.

The glowing endorsement ends with my friends order.  She was so looking forward to her poached eggs (also $10.95).  Served on Portuguese cornbread, topped with wilted spinach,  and slathered in roasted red pepper & asiago sauce, it looked delicious when set down in front of her, but as she cut into the egg with her fork, the yolk failed to flow.  Her poached eggs weren’t poached at all… they were hard-boiled.  Cue the violins. Tasty yes, but it wasn’t what she wanted, and the accompanying rye bread would fail to serve its dipping duty.

This would have been a 4 star review had I made it a solo trip, but alas the poached eggs (or lack thereof) knocked it down a peg.  Mitzi’s is still worth a visit though for the French toast (and I hear the Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes are pretty killer too), but if it’s poached eggs you crave, be specific,…if only for the sake of your toast and its reason for being.

- Rebecca

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Coquine

Posted on October 4, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Yonge and Eglinton

4 stars

- Coquine Restaurant serves up an excellent weekend brunch, with all the charm and flavour of a European patio café. The restaurant is decked out art-deco style, with lots of white tile, dark wood and vintage posters lining the walls. Coquine boasts several large dining rooms and a quaint patio, perfect for people watching or a leisurely meal. A large group of us descended on Coquine one Sunday morning for a late brunch, and found the menu to be both classic and eclectic. Let me explain…

Traditional Sunday morning brunch normally sees a line-up of the usuals; pancakes, omelets and waffles. While Coquine serves up all of these items, they do it all with a pronounced French flavour, not afraid of adding a little gourmet to your breakfast.  Coquine’s wonderful Apple Jack’s ($11) offers up a stack of fluffy pancakes, topped with delectable caramelized apple and maple syrup. The delightful Vanilla French Toast ($12) is flavoured with fresh vanilla bean and served with a berry compote and Chambord. The Steak Frites ($19) were delicious, and came with a side of Parmesan truffle fries and mayo. While you may not be able to fly to Paris for weekend brunch, you can certainly enjoy the savoury French-style cuisine just south of Yonge and Eglinton.

Everyone found their meals to be excellent, and I can personally attest to both the quality and quantity of the wild mushroom and shallot Quiche with chévre ($14). Coffee (and Bailey’s) was always available, and attentive extras like water for the group, and non-stop breadbaskets make the service at Coquine both pleasant and under-stated.

Overall, the value for meals was very good, as portions were large, and fit for sharing. Both the hostess and the server were polite and attentive, but never obvious. With an excellent location between Davisville and Eglinton subway stops, and great food and service, Coquine should be on your list as a must-try for weekend brunch.

- Janine

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Uncle Betty’s Diner

Posted on July 11, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Yonge and Lawrence

- Janine

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littlefish

Posted on February 23, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in The Junction

3 stars

- As I’m writing this, I already know a lot of people are going to disagree with me. After all, the arrival of littlefish in the Junction has definitely been well received. The neighbourhood has been waiting an awfully long time for a cool, hipster-worthy brunch spot. Unfortunately, the arrival of littlefish hasn’t completely filled that void just yet. They still have a few kinks to work out, but don’t give up on them yet. I won’t, but only because I really want to love it.

Ok. First off, this is a pretty cool restaurant. Besides the obviously brilliant name, littlefish is a great little place to grab weekend brunch. It’s small, only about 8 tables or so, but that just makes it all-the-more cozier and comfortable. It’s a long, narrow space filled with exposed red brick and shiny metal airducts. The daily specials, scrawled and displayed on a suspended chalkboard, are imaginative, original, and well-thought-out.

The brunch menu is pretty much what you’d expect to see. They have everything from French toast and eggs benedict to pancakes and crepes. Best of all, they seem to make everything from scratch with good ingredients.

The staff goes out of their way to be friendly and to make sure you have everything you need to feel comfortable. Constantly being checked on, I never found myself without a full cup of hot coffee, but I suppose that’s sort of expected in a place that only seats about 30 people.

The thing that’s not expected in a place this size is the ridiculous wait time for food. When I was there, it seemed as though everyone in the whole place waited 45 minutes to an hour for their orders to arrive; I know I definitely did. If they were understaffed, I couldn’t understand it; there were at least 5 people in the exposed kitchen, none of them seeming to be moving with any sense of urgency. Definitely not understaffed here. The whole place seemed to be in a state of chaos. The front counter was covered with papers and dishes, and the visible part of the kitchen was overcrowded with food containers and crowded counterspaces. Possibly it was organized chaos, but just barely contained.

People rave about the food here, but I really don’t see it. My eggs benny was, meh, not bad I suppose, but they certainly weren’t anything to get excited about. They were warm but not hot, and the side of potatoes was mostly burned. My daughter had their now ‘Internet famous’ French toast. With burned edges on an overcrowded plate, they were even less than meh.

Make no mistake though, this place was busy. Newcomers are put on a couch to wait until a table vacates, but they are offered coffee. If you’re planning on getting a table on the weekend, be prepared to wait. So why so busy? Personally, I think a lot of it has to do with the neighbourhood’s lack of options. I’d be willing to bet that although littlefish may be doing well in the Junction, had they been on a more brunch heavy area, like West Queen West, they may not be doing as well as they are now.

So would I go back to littlefish? Sure. I’d like to give them another chance. I think the whole neighbourhood would. After all, the Junction needs a place like littlefish as much as littlefish needs a neighbourhood like the Junction.

- Andre

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The Bloordale Pantry

Posted on February 21, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Bloordale

4 stars

- About a year ago, Bloor and Lansdowne saw the closing of its neighbourhood institution: The Dale. The Dale had been serving ‘greasy spoon’ diner food in the neighbourhood for nearly 60 years, but what emerged from behind the brown paper and dressing screens of a renovation was so much better.

The Bloordale Pantry, opened by young couple Rose and Anthony, has moved this venue from institution to gem. A lot of love went into this place; and not only love for their little diner, but also love for the neighbourhood in which it sits.

Upon entering, the greeting was warm and friendly, which wouldn’t be strange as my guest and I have eaten there a couple of times, but you don’t need to be a regular to feel at home; every one of their guests seems to be rewarded with a warm smile and happy hello.

The room is decorated with local art mixed with diner kitsch. It’s all brought together by red vinyl booths lining one wall, and an old dinerstyle counter and stools lining the other.

The menu’s main theme is diner food with an all day breakfast and lots of sandwiches, but it’s all updated regularly and prepared well. It also features a lot of Italian fare with both a panini and pasta section.

On a recent visit, my guest tried the ‘Mac’n’Cheese’, which she thought was cheesy and good, albeit needing a little more flavour. My Bloordale Brisket sandwich was sloppy and well cooked—as it should be! The brisket meat was tender, but not falling apart. The barbeque sauce was a little sweeter than I generally like, but overall the sandwich was filling and comforting just like diner food is supposed to be. Served with their expertly seasoned and perfectly crisp French fries and creamy coleslaw, it was quite a large portion.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and with a menu that has vegetarian options and interesting daily specials, like meatloaf, ‘Jalapeno Popper’ burger or house cured trout, The Bloordale Pantry pretty much offers something for everyone.

- Guest Contributor

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Future Bakery

Posted on February 16, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in The Annex

4 stars

- Anyone remember when Future Bakery was big business? It had multiple locations around Toronto, and it was focused heavily on the food and culture of its Ukrainian ownership. While the Annex location is still kicking strong and remains a popular beacon for starving U of T students, the others, except for the tiny St. Lawrence Market outlet and a baking factory in the city’s Westend, have all but disappeared. All that remains is a lone, ceramic Ukrainian Easter egg sitting high up on a shelf in the Annex location. But time moves on I suppose, and there’s a reason that despite the others all going under, the Annex location is still packed at almost all hours of the day.

Future is cheap. Straight up, that’s probably one of the predominant reasons they’re so busy, but it’s not as if you’re getting some reheated crappy food for your money. They make some pretty good stuff. (Right off the bat, I’d like to point out that there is a food outlet right in the back of this place, and I think they sublease it to sell food in there, but I am including it in this review, despite that they might be two different places.) Most notably, you can grab a pretty good breakfast there, especially on a Sunday morning. Sundays in the Annex are deadsville; everything is closed until the early-afternoon, so if you live in the area or you happen to find yourself there because you thought everything would be open, this is a great place to grab a pleasant morning breakfast or a greasy hangover cure.

Future has some seriously amazing cakes, and if that’s your thing, then you should know that Future is probably one of the best values for cake in the city. Besides having a killer selection of top quality cakes, they all sell for about 5 bucks a cut. There are a whole ton of different kinds too, ranging from fruit pies and caramel-based cakes to cheesecakes and heavy-chocolate tortes. Although I don’t find their coffee particularly spectacular, they do have it available, and it’s still a pretty natural choice to go with the cake, despite being nothing-more-than-average.

Once the warmer months hit, Future place has got a pretty spectacular patio too.  Busy, big, and perfect for people watching, it’s easily the 2^nd best patio spot in the Annex. It covers the whole side of Future’s corner building, and it’s an ideal place for cold pints.

Future pretty much accommodates everyone. Early morning breakfast, late night after the bar, mid-week meeting spot, in-between-classes study hole; no matter what you’re using it for, chances are that Future will be able to offer you something. So despite the fact that the Ukrainian aspect is no longer really existing here—or at least not being a visible existence—it hasn’t slowed this place down at all. Most likely, people haven’t even noticed the lack of Ukrainianess. And while purely for nostalgic reasons, I find that a bit on the disappointing side, as long as every time I go in there I can be reminded of Future’s past by that lone Uki Easter egg, I’ll make due, and I’ll being eating cake.

- Andre

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* Lead photo credit to GBalogh

Axis Gastropub

Posted on January 3, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in The Annex

2 stars

- Having grown up enjoying pubs far and wide, it doesn’t take much to cajole me into visiting the newest local for a pint and bite to eat. This was the case a few days back when a number of friends thought it would be fun to get together at Axis Gastropub on the corner of Bloor and Markham in Mirvish Village.

Axis sits in the old Rocco’s Plum Tomato location and is the sister pub to Axis Gallery and Grill in the Junction. This corner seems to be one of the those ‘Bermuda Triangle’ hospitality locations, with new establishments failing to get a foothold over and over again. Maybe the Axis folks will succeed where others have not.

Arriving, a number of us remarked that the large room, decorated in a modern style, was a little stark and very empty for the time of day. It certainly didn’t scream ‘Pub’.

Within seconds we were greeted by the two servers/bartenders and warmly directed to sit wherever we’d like. Both of these guys seemed genuinely happy to see us and quickly told us about the pint special for the day.

Taking a large table in the back of the room, we sat, chatted and waited for our drinks that soon appeared.

Perusing the menu, it was soon clear that this place was trying to please everyone. The choice was almost limitless with the usual pub fare coupled with ‘build your own’ pizzas and an entrees list that went from curries to fish and all the way back to steak and pasta.

At the server’s recommendation we tried the Pulled Pork Nachos. What came was a healthy portion topped with a mound of pork and all the normal nacho toppings. Tasty, but not remarkable in any way, and the amount of topping-less dead space at the bottom was quite disappointing. Hot wings soon appeared followed by a number of comments of: ‘Okay’, ‘Not stellar’, ‘Not that spicy’. Following another suggestion, my Axis Club sandwich soon arrived. A Pub staple, the clubhouse has almost as many variations as there are pubs. This club was well prepared, but again not remarkable. Combining chicken breast, ham and bacon on whole wheat bread it was pretty standard, much like what you’d find in a veteran diner or truck stop.

Overall, Axis Gastropub does not live up to its name. It doesn’t really feel like a Pub and there isn’t anything remarkable about the food. Maybe it is a case of higher expectations, but I can’t imagine returning when there are so many other better options nearby.

- Guest Contributor

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Joy Bistro

Posted on December 8, 2010 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Leslieville

3 stars

- Joy Bistro is a beautiful, sophisticated resto just inside Leslieville on Toronto’s East side. It’s likely that you’ve heard of it, or at least driven by and noticed the huge signage. It’s become somewhat of a Leslieville landmark.

First things first, I’ve heard a lot of negative comments about this place. By the sounds of it, it’s one of those places that’s hit-or-miss and completely different from one visit to the next; amazing one time, awful the next. Because I’ve never had dinner there, I can’t vouch for evening dining, but I can say this: if you truly don’t want run the risk of being disappointed, stick with their weekend brunch. This place is known for brunch. While they may have their issues, Joy Bistro has no problems delivering an upscale brunch experience that is chock full of style.

Brunch at Joy Bistro is not really bistro-ish. The brunch food here is mostly just what you’d expect to see on a brunch menu in most Toronto restaurants, but they do their brunch stuff particularly well. Eggs benny is served up in numerous styles like Benetine (with spinach and peameal bacon), Norwegien (with stacked smoked salmon), and Teddy (with peameal bacon, roasted tomatoes, and spinach). With their near-perfect hollandaise, eggs benny at Joy Bistro is a solid choice.

That, and they’ve got a killer patio. Intimate and relaxing, their patio is probably one of the best things about this place and the likely reason that a lot of people still frequent it even after having poor experiences. Leslieville has got a few patio spots, but for sheer space, warmth, and location sitting on a busy little Leslieville corner overlooking Jimmie Simpson Park, Joy Bistro’s patio is in a league of its own. Worth the sit down in the summer.

They’ve recently undergone mass renos, which has resulted in Joy Bistro Bar. Although this may have helped the space modernize, it’s also contributed to changing their clientelle base. Neighbourhood locals that frequented Joy over the years seem to have gone looking for other spots while those looking for a more trendy experience seem to take over. I guess as Leslieville becomes more popular, Joy Bistro wants to change with the neighbourhood, and while change can be good, in most cases, if it isn’t broke them why fix it?

Despite that new clientelle, it’s still a great place for brunch. So the next time a nice, summer weekend rolls around, head out to Joy Bistro for brunch on the patio. By the sounds of it though, I certainly wouldn’t do anything but brunch.

- Andre

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