Tag Archive for restaurant

| January 23, 2012
One comment

Hitting the Spot

The Auld Spot Pub

A review of the Auld Spot Pub

by Leslie Clark

While wandering the Danforth, one thing’s for sure — you’ll never go hungry. Although the area has always been a hotspot for the finest Greek food in the city, its landscape has broadened to include many different types of cuisine. You can find Japanese, Italian, numerous coffee shops and bakeries, and of course, a few cozy neighbourhood pubs. One of these is The Auld Spot Pub, where I had the chance to drop in for a visit recently to unwind after a hard day.

The atmosphere is inviting and cozy. We were seated at a wide, comfortable booth, and when the sun went down, the candles on the tables created a welcoming glow. Service was friendly and attentive, but not overbearing.

The menu is fairly small, but includes most of the options you’d expect at any good pub — burgers, fish and chips, poutine — plus a few surprises. My friend and I shared a sampling of appetizer dishes. We started with raw oysters, which arrived fresh, cold, and attractively presented — my three basic requirements. The PEI mussels with gorgonzola cream were delicious, and I was glad to have toast to soak up the rest of the light and flavourful cheese sauce. The shrimp and cod cakes were moist, flaky and complimented perfectly by a subtly spicy aioli.

The Auld Spot Pub offers a good selection of beers, with many local breweries included. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can try one of their martinis or sample from the scotch list.

In addition to their Danforth location, there’s another Auld Spot Pub on College Street. The restaurant also caters, and according to their website, they specialize in pig roasts and freshly shucked oysters — both a great way to make a statement at your next special event. They also state that their food is locally sourced where possible.

347 Danforth Ave.
416-406-4688
www.auldspot.ca

Hours of Operation:
Monday and Tuesday – 4:00pm to midnight
Wednesday to Friday – 4:00pm to 2:00am
Saturday – noon to 2:00am
Sunday – noon to midnight

Kitchen Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday until 11:00pm
Thursday to Saturday until midnight

Category: Food & Drink | Tags: , ,
| January 11, 2012
3 comments

Sushilicious

Cassandre Cadieux, Toronto, 2011

One of the city’s best sushi restaurants may be closer to home than you think.

by Cassandre Cadieux

Katsu Sushi is one of many Japanese restaurants in East York (found on the north side of Danforth Avenue near Carlaw Avenue). The modern-looking brown and cream colour scheme fools the eye into thinking that this could be one of the upscale trendy restaurants in the area, but as soon as you notice the sushi counter near the back, there is no doubt that Japanese cuisine is this restaurant’s specialty.

The menu is quite extensive with approximately 75 types of sushi à-la-carte and over 150 entrées. The most extravagant choice on the menu is a $90 sushi or sashimi boat for four people. Whether you are looking for noodles, bento boxes, teriyaki, or simply sushi rolls, Katsu has high-quality food at an affordable price. The restaurant also offers all-you-can-eat (AYCE) lunches from Monday through Thursday for $9.99 ($10.99 on weekends), and dinners that range from $14.99 to $18.99, depending on the day.

Although the AYCE menu does not have a lot of choices, it does contain everything a sushi-lover would crave. The Japanese Sweet and Sour Chicken (only available on the AYCE menu) is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted! Similar to a lot of Japanese restaurants that have AYCE, you must beware that your eyes may be larger than your belly, because they charge for every item you cannot finish as though it were on their full-price menu.

Despite the high praise above, the service does not live up to Katsu’s delicious food. The staff is usually pleasant, but they can be quite slow when it comes to taking your order and giving you your bill at the end of the meal. They are very good at refilling water and tea as well as clearing plates away as you finish with them. I’ve been there half a dozen times now, and I have yet to have a bad experience. The food is always high quality, and I always leave feeling full and content, even though I’m usually there longer than I’d like to be.

For people looking to take home some food after a long day, Katsu offers takeout (at a 10% discount) as well as offers free delivery in the area between 5 pm-10 pm on orders $25 or more every day. Their takeout menu has misprinted their hours though, stating they open at 11am. Instead, they are open from 11:30 am–11 pm Monday to Sunday. Even without this extra half hour, I would recommend Katsu to friends and family visiting the city. Definitely a must!

Katsu Japanese Restaurant
Phone: (416) 466-3388
572 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K 1R1

Cassandre Cadieux, Toronto, 2011

Category: Food & Drink | Tags: , ,
| February 10, 2011
4 comments

Pan Review: Danforth-licious

photo by Jude Kahn

Photo by Jude Khan

It’s Winterlicious time! Citizens of Toronto rejoice – especially all you students and young professionals pinching pennies in order to afford rent. Bring your significant other, your parents, or your besties like I did, and come to Pan on the Danforth for a gourmet meal, a steal at only $25.

The Atmosphere

My lovely dinner dates and I were seated in the front section of the restaurant near a large window looking out on the hustle and bustle of the Danforth in the evening. The restaurant has such a warm feel with exposed brick, wooden tables with a rich brown finish, and candles in red holders sprinkled throughout. It’s a truly beautiful space to enjoy a relaxing dinner.

The Menu

Pan’s menu is rather extensive for a Winterlicious event. This was, on one hand, unnecessarily overwhelming and almost like reviewing the regular menu, hunting for the ideal meal. On the other hand, having so many options was a nice treat. My one friend positively squealed with excitement at all the delicious sounding Greek dishes available for tasting.

The Meal

After musing over the menu, I settled on Kolokithokeftedes to start, though I had a heck of a time trying to order it! (I’m still now sure how to pronounce it.) These zucchini croquets were stuffed with feta and kefalograviera cheese making them oh so soft and creamy on the inside, like eating a deep fried cloud. Delicious. They were served with tzatziki for dipping and a small green salad with vinaigrette. The salad greens were a refreshing side, paired with the rich croquets.

For my entrée, after much deliberation, I chose Caria Lemon Roasted Chicken, and it did not disappoint! It was served stacked on the most tender, moist, and perfectly seasoned potatoes I have ever had the privilege to consume. Piled on top of the delicious lemony chicken were homemade onion rings – thin, crunchy, and not at all oily – and on top of those were grilled veggies. The whole meal was cooked to perfection, filling, and most delicious.

The vegetables were cool compared to the rest of the dinner (whether intentional or not is hard to say) which I wasn’t a big fan of. Had they been piping hot like the incredible potato, this dish would have been perfect.

And finally, dessert. Being lactose intolerant has practically ruined my life and my love of dessert. All things delicious seem to be served with ice cream, whipped cream, or custard cream, which, don’t get me wrong, are delicious toppings, yet utterly destructive to poor souls like me. Pan on the Danforth proved me and my jaded dessert misconceptions wrong. I had Ravani, a traditional Greek cake, smothered in honey and almonds – no cream in sight! The cake was moist and dense but lovely with such light honey flavours.

We finished off the evening with sweet Greek red wine, and a toast to a wonderful Danforth Winterlicious night out.

Pan
Mediterranean Cuisine
3-course dinner, $25
516 Danforth Ave.
Closest subway station: Chester
www.panonthedanforth.com

Category: Past Issues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 3, 2011
No comments

Your Guide To Winterlicious On The Danforth

Roasted Confit of Duck Leg at Midi BistroWinterlicious, the winter foodie festival we longingly look forward to this chilly time of year, is back in full swing in Toronto.

From January 28th to February 10th, over 150 of Toronto’s most sought-after restaurants are offering three-course prix fixe menus drawing in both die-hard foodies and curious newbies alike.

Interested in trying a new Italian restaurant? Check out the amazing selection of Italian eateries in Little Italy and Corso Italia. Fancy a dinner at a small French bistro? Try using the ‘sort list’ button on the Winterlicious website. You can search by price, by cuisine, or by neighbourhood.

Also, check out the culinary event series with 14 extraordinaire food adventures featuring a range of unique cuisine and celebrated chefs.

Check out the Danforth’s Winterlicious participants:

7 Numbers Danforth
Globe Bistro
Lolita’s Lust
Ouzeri
Pan on the Danforth

Reviews will follow in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

 

Category: Past Issues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,