Donairs in Toronto?
Jim Butterfield
(For the tor.eats group just added: Marc wants to find a place that
delivers Donairs in the west end .. Bloor and Jane).
Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
: By Donairs, I'm assuming you mean Gyros which is the Greek name for the
: the same *delicious if done right* fast food.
Doner Kebab (often called Donairs) is a similar Turkish item. There are
many different Kebabs in Turkey .. Doner Kebab is the one using lamb
blended with other meats and spices.
: There's a little place (I doubt that they deliver, though) steps north of
: the Danforth (I think at Chester but I'm not sure of the street).
Much of the Danforth, Broadview to Main, has this kind of thing, and
falafels too. Be sure to call it a Gyros (prounounced "here-oss", but
with a German style "ch" at the beginning if you can manage it) if you're
in a Greek place, and a Doner Kebab if it's a Turkish one .. you might get
hostile glances if you use the wrong name in the wrong joint. The main
concentration of Greek places is between Chester and Pape.
As you drift further east, the Danforth turns more Arabic and falafels
are more visible.
Wendy Guy (cq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: I think there's a place just around the corner from the TFN office that
: serves falafels.
Hey, Wendy: falafels are vegetarian! (Not knocking them, they are just
not the same).
: I think I've seen a huge clump of meaty stuff on an upright spit there.
Most often a Gyros, sometimes a Doner Kebab, and rarely a Shawarma (which
as far as I can tell seem to be mostly beef).
The intent of the vertical spit is to allow fat to run off the meat,
giving a relatively "dry" or fat-free meal. But the joy, of course, it
to get it loaded up with tsatsiki sauce, chopped onions and cucumbers ..
love that garlic afterburn!
: Don't remember the name of the place, but it's just
north of Sam's on the east side of Yonge. The falafels are good. :)
North of Wellesley (591 Yonge Street), there's the "Souvlaki House" that has
just about the whole range at quite reasonable prices: Souvlakis (the
Turkish equivalent is Shish Kebab); Gyros; and Falafels.
Unh .. delivery? Not sure about that, Marc. Couldn't find anything in
the Yellow pages "Foods - take out" that seemed to fit, either.
--Jim
Jim Butterfield
Late thought, Marc: from the phone book, I find: Falafel World, 2396
Bloor W., 769-9336. They must be close to your area, and might well do
Gyros-on-a-pita and like that. (By the way, don't just say, "send some
Gyros" .. you're likely to get a packet of cooked meat, which is what
Gyros really is).
Marc Bissonnette (fo...@internalysis.com) wrote:
: Ok, it's been six years now, since I moved up from Ottawa to the great
: city of T.O. (despite it's lame-brained politicians and higher violence)...
You come from OTTAWA, and you say WE have lame-brained politicans???
: and I have
: only one complaint/request of it;
: Where are the donairs??? In Ottawa, these were THE treat to order in
: amongst my friends! Better than pizza! Better than subs! They taste
: great! ...
Like the Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich, I find that it's the junk
they toss in there that really turns me on. That, and the expression on
people's faces when I breathe on them after eating one of these.
: And yet, I : can't find a place that delivers them in T.O. :(
: The closest we've found is shawarma's (sp??) which are good, but just not the
: same.
Your spelling is fine, Marc. The Shwarmas I have tried seem to be of
North African origin, and I thought I detected more beef than lamb in the
ones I sampled.
: So if anyone knows of places in Toronto that makes these tasty treats,
: especially in the Bloor / Jane area, I'd be much appreciative if you'd post it
: here :)
You can find some of this on Yonge street, but the real pig-out area is
the Danforth, between Chester and Pape. My favorite is the Omonia
(pronounced "Homonia"); but once I settle in there, I order a bottle of
Botrys Retsina (the finest varnish-flavoured wine in the house), a
presentation of Saganaki Opa! (watch out in the outdoor patio; the
flames come dangerously close to the awning above), and of course, the
Gyros on a pita. Yummy. Darn... Now I'm hungry.
But I don't know what the heck you do when you're out there in the West
End. There must be someplace ...
--Jim
Linda Freedman
Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : By Donairs, I'm assuming you mean Gyros which is the Greek name for the
: : the same *delicious if done right* fast food.
: : There's a little place (I doubt that they deliver, though) steps north of
: : the Danforth (I think at Chester but I'm not sure of the street).
: Much of the Danforth, Broadview to Main, has this kind of thing
Same name - different product. The ones at the parkette on the Danforth
are the type they have in Greece made from chunks of meat, not a ground
and pressed commercial product, which is what is found in most other places.
: Be sure to call it a Gyros (prounounced "here-oss", but with a German
: style "ch" at the beginning
Actually YEE ROS will do quite well.
: The intent of the vertical spit is to allow fat to run off the meat,
: giving a relatively "dry" or fat-free meal.
Jim, you're making it sound like health food. It isn't. Watch your
cholesterol count rise with each and every delicious bite!
Take care, Linda
T R A V E L O G U E S
GREECE ITALY PORTUGAL SLOVENIA SWITZERLAND
TRAVELZINE ONLINE
A Non-Commercial Source Of
IDEAS FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS
http://www.twenj.com/travelzine/
LINDA AND DON FREEDMAN
--
Marc Bissonnette
In article <Eosz1y.1o...@torfree.net>, f...@torfree.net is reputed to have
said...
>
>You come from OTTAWA, and you say WE have lame-brained politicans???
Well, I meant the municipal ones :) Federal lame-brainedness was a given :) :)
:)
>But I don't know what the heck you do when you're out there in the West
>End. There must be someplace ...
Damn, guess I have to go downtown to fill the craving. Around here, the really
good places to eat are;
Dairy Dell (Jane & Annete) excellent omelettes and wicked sandwiches
Bert & Ernies (Jane & Runnymede) OK nachos, good steak
Some sports bar (can't remember name) great anchos :)
Not so near here, I've found:
Max's Restaurant (Bathurst & 401) The best darned sunday brunch you will EVER
eat, best darned Wings & Ribs combo you will EVER eat (well, unless you visit
Regina, Saskatchewan, in which case they win the ribs competition anywhere :)
January's (Kennedy & Concorde) Best Souvlaki on the planet
Fatso's (Steeles &... damn, I can't remember) really tasty Souvlaki
Ummm... there's more, but I can't remember. One good thing about T.O. is that
you can eat food from anywhere in the world within a half hour of your house
(now I have to take everybody's advice and go on a Donair hunt!!!)
Hmmm... thinking of all this food, I'm gonna pack up the baby and head over to
Scarberia for some January's souvlaki (droool)
-Marc
--
-Marc Bissonnette
Internalysis
Corporate Competitive Intelligence, Research and Results
- J. McCall
Dear Sir,
Hunt no more! For I will guide you to not only the world's best but also
the biggest DONAIRS you've ever seen!
Plus, it is located in the WEST END no less...
Try C&W Burgers, located on Dundas Street West just east of Dixie Road
(yes, it's in Mississauga!) on the south side. It is a very small place,
it kinda looks like a barn with windows up front. There's only about
five tables inside and combined with the staff, you'll barely have room
to move (inside joke...when you get there you'll see what I mean...).
Now for the good part: everything in here is freshly made from an open
kitchen/grill and everything is mega-sized! The burgers, gyros (it's
Greek-owned), poutine, everything is HUGE!
The pita for the gyros is about the diameter of a small cafe table!
Yowza!
They serve a "Sumo Burger", a full pound hamburger! It's so big that
it's cooked as two half-pound burgers so it cooks faster.
The prices are very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food
served. Bear in mind though that this is not a "first date" type of
place. However, I sometimes prefer greasy spoons and this is one of the
better ones :-)
Speaking of greasy foods and Philly Cheese Steaks...
I can't wait to return to Buffalo's Galleria Mall food court. There's a
concession in there that serves a mean Philly Cheese Steak.
Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name (Doh!).
They serve several varieties of it, with different toppings and cheeses.
It's a little longer than a foot-long sub, I swear it must weigh a pound
from all the meat they pile onto it.
It's a pretty good deal too for about $6 US.
Does anyone else have any suggestions for good, greasy foods that I can
try? I'll travel up to two hours for good grease :-)
However, local grease is more convenient ;-)
Regards,
Joseph
Marc Bissonnette wrote:
>
> Ummm... there's more, but I can't remember. One good thing about T.O. is that
> you can eat food from anywhere in the world within a half hour of your house
> (now I have to take everybody's advice and go on a Donair hunt!!!)
>
Lawrence Walker
On Tue, 24 Feb 1998 13:43:43 GMT, f...@torfree.net (Jim Butterfield)
wrote:
>Lawrence Walker (lwalke...@interlog.com) wrote:
>
>: In Montreal they're also known as donar kebabs (lamb, pork, beef)
>: Here in T.O. they're known as souvlaki on a pita ...
>
>Souvlaki is chunks of meat, (Souvlaki is the Greek name; the Turkish
>equivalent is Shish Kebab), grilled on skewers; traditionally lamb.
>Gyros/Doner kebab is a blend of meats and spices packed together and
>cooked on a vertical spit.
>
>The Turks have so many different kebabs that I have trouble keeping track
>of them all. I recall sitting in a cafe in Kusadasi and having a
>companion order "fish kebab" .. the waiter seemed to recognize it. And
>there are also such dishes as "adana kebab", etc. etc.
>
>: ... and can usually be found in most Greek restaurants.
>
>Souvlakis are widely available. Gyros depends on the installation of the
>vertical spit; at a guess, about 50% of the Greek restaurants on the
>Danforth have 'em.
>
>: As Linda mentioned , the most delectable can be found in Greektown on
>the Danforth. Such places : as the Astoria, Omonia, and Mr. Greeks
>
>Slather on the Tsatsiki! Heave it lots of chopped onions and cucumbers!
>Sneak in a little yogurt and spicing! Roll it up, enclose it in wax
>paper, and eat it like a banana! Pig out! Pig out! Pig out!
>
> --Jim
You're right of course. My altheimers must have kicked in when my
"virtual" gastromic juices started flowing and I remembered some
Montreal favorite places which referred to different meat kebabs as
"donar kebabs". I used to get "hero"sandwiches in the early 60's
in Boston and N.Y. loved them as a "regional specialty" but never
made the connection when I much later encountered Gyros.
Toronto's best contribution to me was the Italian sandwiches
from the original San Francesco's on Concord St.. Alas, S.F.
quality declined. Fortunately there's still Califonia Sandwiches on
Bellwoods. Another great sandwich are the Vietnamese subs on Spadina
south of Baldwin. And at $1 and $2 each are hard to beat pricewise.
Damn !! I'm getting HUNGRY !!
ciao larry
"Common sense is actually nothing more than a deposit of
predjudices laid down in the mind prior to the age of 18."
...Albert Einstein
Ed McCrudden
In article <Eou8MJ.LE...@torfree.net>,
Linda Freedman <li...@torfree.net> wrote:
>The ones at the parkette on the Danforth
>are the type they have in Greece
What do you mean by "the parkette"? Talking about the one on the
northeast corner of Logan? Please post the name of the place serving
these genuine gyros.
-Ed
Jim Butterfield
Linda Freedman
- J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: Try C&W Burgers, located on Dundas Street West just east of Dixie Road
: (yes, it's in Mississauga!) on the south side. It is a very small place,
: kitchen/grill and everything is mega-sized! The burgers, gyros (it's
: The prices are very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food
: Does anyone else have any suggestions for good, greasy foods that I can
: try? I'll travel up to two hours for good grease :-)
Hi Joseph, Will great spicy food do? Have I got a tip for you! There's a
place called Bacchus, on Queen Street West (Toronto, east of Lansdowne,
north side) where they make homemade rotis that are incredibly good,
especially the vegetarian ones with hot sauce. They are made to order
with fillings of your choice and are a delicious and satisfying meal.
Truly the best rotis I've had anywhere. Enjoy!
Thanks for the tip on C & W - always up for a new destination when it
comes to great eating. Certainly rather see more posts about food in
this ng than be subjected to the daily barrage of religiousity:-( Linda
--
Phil Alexander
Most Donair places buy their donair/gyro meat from one of two places:
Corfu or Kronos Gyros...
Corfu makes DRY Gyros. (But, they have better pita bread)
Anyone know of a place that makes HOMEMADE gyros?
Phil
Kurt Wismer
Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Souvlakis are widely available. Gyros depends on the installation of the
: vertical spit; at a guess, about 50% of the Greek restaurants on the
: Danforth have 'em.
a place quite close to the tfn that has them (i think - the description
fits - formed meat on a vertical rotating skewer) is a semi-block south
of carlton on church... a fish and chips place as i recall on the east
side of the street...
i can't vouch for the quality of the food there, though... i've never
eaten anything there... i'm a sub kinda guy...
--
"my memory is muddy,
what's this river that i'm in,
new orleans is sinking, man,
and i don't wanna swim"
Bruce Becker
In article <Eow5Fq.5...@torfree.net>,
Linda Freedman <li...@torfree.net> wrote:
|
|Hi Joseph, Will great spicy food do? Have I got a tip for you! There's a
|place called Bacchus, on Queen Street West (Toronto, east of Lansdowne,
|north side) where they make homemade rotis that are incredibly good,
|especially the vegetarian ones with hot sauce. They are made to order
|with fillings of your choice and are a delicious and satisfying meal.
|Truly the best rotis I've had anywhere. Enjoy!
& while you're in the area, check out Island Foods
on King St. just east of Dufferin, for another take
on Rotis and various wonderful dinners! They are
also very nice friendly people...
--
,u, Bruce Becker Toronto, Ontario 1 416 699 1868
a /i/ Internet: b...@gts.org Uucp: ...!gts!bdb
`\o\-e The entire universe is like this fractal goof on hydrogen
_< /_ - Marie de Chapelure
Jim Butterfield
Kurt Wismer (cr...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: a place quite close to the tfn that has them (i think - the description
: fits - formed meat on a vertical rotating skewer) is a semi-block south
: of carlton on church... a fish and chips place as i recall on the east
: side of the street...
It's becoming evident that we need some serious research here. One item:
"Pita Falafel", 355 Yonge Street (north of Sam the Record Man)
Window sign: "Beef Donair and Pop - $4.49".
... anybody?
--Jim
: "my memory is muddy,
: what's this river that i'm in,
: new orleans is sinking, man,
: and i don't wanna swim"
: "This River I Step In Is Not The River I Stand In" :
: --Sign over the Queen Street bridge at the Don River :
: (Dunno what it means, but it sure sounds arty) :
Jim Butterfield
- J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: Hunt no more!
I KNEW that as soon as we started crossposting to tor.eats we'd get some
REAL food maniacs in here!
: Try C&W Burgers, located on Dundas Street West just east of Dixie Road
: (yes, it's in Mississauga!)...
Think they would deliver? That's Marc's _real_ yen .. to have a party
and get a mess of Donairs arriving halfway through. If he can get that,
he might even invite US... How much is taxi fare (to Jane and Bloor)?
: Does anyone else have any suggestions for good, greasy foods that I can
: try? I'll travel up to two hours for good grease :-)
Hey, you already mentioned poutine. I doubt that there's any comparable
dish which matches its cholesterol level. Unless it's that other Quebec pub
dish: Lard sale'
: However, local grease is more convenient ;-)
You could always find a local ethnic eatery that does Pork Hock soup. I
always used to think it was Hungarian, but then a Polish family got mad
at me for so ascribing it.
--Jim
Linda Freedman
Hi Ed, Yes, that's the street - Logan! Thanks - just couldn't think of it
when I made my original post. Can't help with the name - but you can't
miss the place. The front entrance is IN the parkette. Linda
Ed McCrudden (em...@vex.net) wrote:
: What do you mean by "the parkette"? Talking about the one on the
: northeast corner of Logan? Please post the name of the place serving
: these genuine gyros.
--
Jim Butterfield
Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
: ... Certainly rather see more posts about food in
: this ng than be subjected to the daily barrage of religiousity:-( Linda
You probably know this, Linda; so (ahem) I'm posting it for the
information of other TFN members who might not.
Anyone who posts from TFN to tor.eats will get what appears to be a nasty
message saying that the newsgroup is unknown. You got such a message
when you posted; I'll get one when I post this.
But the posting does go out, and there is such a newsgroup. Here on the
TFN, we'll see it arriving in tor.general, where it gets mixed in with
all the other junk (heavy on political flaming) that appears there.
At other sites, people interested in food will read tor.eats as a separate
group, and might ignore tor.general entirely. That's why I added
tor.eats to the thread .. 'cause it will go to different people that way.
Gosh, the comments on food and restaurants are almost the only reason I
still read the tor.general group as it appears here on the TFN. That,
and to laugh at the flat-footed antics of the neo-nazis (who, I'm sure,
never enjoy their food).
--Jim
: Some painters paint the sapphire sea, And some the gathering storm; :
: Others portray young lambs at play, But most .. the female form. :
: 'Twas trite that on that primaeval dawn When paining got its start, :
: That a lady with her gaments ON Was life .. but was she art? :
: By undraped nymphs I am not wooed. I'd rather painters painted food. :
: Ogden Nash. (More of this poem on request). :
Wendy Guy
Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
<snip>
: But the posting does go out, and there is such a newsgroup. Here on the
: TFN, we'll see it arriving in tor.general, where it gets mixed in with
: all the other junk (heavy on political flaming) that appears there.
Ah yes, nothing like a gyros or souvlaki roasted over an open flame.
:-d Mmmm!
--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." (John Wooden)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Dmytri Kleiner
On Tue, 24 Feb 1998 13:43:43 GMT, Jim Butterfield wrote:
+ Lawrence Walker (lwalke...@interlog.com) wrote:
+
+ : In Montreal they're also known as donar kebabs (lamb, pork, beef)
+ : Here in T.O. they're known as souvlaki on a pita ...
+
+ Souvlaki is chunks of meat, (Souvlaki is the Greek name; the Turkish
+ equivalent is Shish Kebab), grilled on skewers; traditionally lamb.
+ Gyros/Doner kebab is a blend of meats and spices packed together and
+ cooked on a vertical spit.
And for Donair/Gyros lovers there's also the Middle Easter version called
"Shwarma" usually available in Chicken or Beef.
The most amazing, delicious, Chicken Shwarma can be obtained at
"Ghazelle's" -- a little hole in the wall take out place beside the Bloor
Cinema, on Bloor St just east of Bathurst. $2.99!!!
Simply amazing.
+++
Dmytri Kleiner <dmy...@syntac.net>
W. Christopher Martin
Jim Butterfield wrote:
> Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
> : By Donairs, I'm assuming you mean Gyros which is the Greek name for the
> : the same *delicious if done right* fast food.
>
> .... But the joy, of course, it
> to get it loaded up with tsatsiki sauce, chopped onions and cucumbers ..
> love that garlic afterburn!
I thought one of the differences between gyros and donairs was the type of sauce
used. Normally gyros have tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber and garlic) while donairs
have a sweet sauce (that is extremely sticky when you inevitably get it on your
fingers). I prefer the sweet sauce on this type of meat, but I love tzatziki
with souvlaki.
Chris
bt351
Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Hi Joseph, Will great spicy food do? Have I got a tip for you! There's a
: place called Bacchus, on Queen Street West (Toronto, east of Lansdowne,
: north side) where they make homemade rotis that are incredibly good,
: especially the vegetarian ones with hot sauce. They are made to order
: with fillings of your choice and are a delicious and satisfying meal.
: Truly the best rotis I've had anywhere. Enjoy!
bacchus is ok (i've gone there on and off since they first opened
the original store a block west of the present location), especially for
vegetarian fare, but THE goat roti is to be had at island paradise (in
strip mall on north side of king just east of dufferin).
sweet - not stringy - as if it is done slowly and gently in oxtail
stew.
and a few blocks east of bacchus (beaconsfield & queen) is
addis abbaba. ethiopian to the core (you
like spicy - this will make you grin). possibly the world's best coffee
(yes, and at $5, it's cheap - they even bring out the freshly roasted
beans for your inspection before brewing) served accompanied by the
fragrance of frankincense.
--
- J. McCall
Hi Linda,
I think I have tried Bacchus, however, your directions may be a little
off. I don't remember the exact name of the roti place I tried (it
probably is Bacchus though) but it's in the same general area that you
stated. However, this roti place I went to was located on a side street,
south of Queen Street West and just east of Lansdowne. The front of this
roti place faces the 7-Eleven.
By the way, I guess by now you've figured out that I do like spicy
foods! Hell, I like all kinds of foods!
I usually have potato roti at Island Foods (both at Queen/Dufferin and
Dufferin Mall at Dufferin/Bloor). I find that they're not bad, the price
is good and their locations are convenient.
I have another great restaurant to share.
Portofino Restaurant, 600 The East Mall in Etobicoke. They are located
in a small strip plaza on the northwest corner of The East Mall and
Rathburn Road, in the same plaza as the Price Chopper.
It's Italian (the name kinda gives it away...) and wonderful. I can see
many people passing it by because it really doesn't look like much from
the outside. However, it's a very nice and cozy place inside. Cozy as in
the surroundings not size-wise :-)
The food is prepared fairly quickly and the portions are very large.
While you are waiting they bring a big basket of very garlicky garlic
bread (I am not complaining...I like it that way). If you happen to
finish that basket of bread at some point in the evening, they simply
bring another (very nice touch...)!
The wait staff is dressed very formally in tuxedos but the service is
friendly and informal.
This place is generally frequented by locals, however, they must be
doing something right because they've been there for over 15 years.
> this ng than be subjected to the daily barrage of religiousity:-( Linda
What daily religiousity are you referring to? I only check in here once
in a while but this ng is pretty good about staying on topic compared to
most newsgroups out there.
Regards,
Joseph
Linda Freedman wrote:
>
> Hi Joseph, Will great spicy food do? Have I got a tip for you! There's a
> place called Bacchus, on Queen Street West (Toronto, east of Lansdowne,
> north side) where they make homemade rotis that are incredibly good,
> especially the vegetarian ones with hot sauce. They are made to order
> with fillings of your choice and are a delicious and satisfying meal.
> Truly the best rotis I've had anywhere. Enjoy!
>
> Thanks for the tip on C & W - always up for a new destination when it
> comes to great eating. Certainly rather see more posts about food in
Kenneth Edward Smith
- J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: I think I have tried Bacchus, however, your directions may be a little
: off. I don't remember the exact name of the roti place I tried (it
: probably is Bacchus though) but it's in the same general area that you
: stated. However, this roti place I went to was located on a side street,
: south of Queen Street West and just east of Lansdowne. The front of this
: roti place faces the 7-Eleven.
: By the way, I guess by now you've figured out that I do like spicy
: foods! Hell, I like all kinds of foods!
: I usually have potato roti at Island Foods (both at Queen/Dufferin and
: Dufferin Mall at Dufferin/Bloor). I find that they're not bad, the price
: is good and their locations are convenient.
: I have another great restaurant to share.
: Portofino Restaurant, 600 The East Mall in Etobicoke. They are located
: in a small strip plaza on the northwest corner of The East Mall and
: Rathburn Road, in the same plaza as the Price Chopper.
I can vouch for this one, too. A little pricier than the places
elsewhere in this thread, though.
: It's Italian (the name kinda gives it away...) and wonderful. I can see
: many people passing it by because it really doesn't look like much from
: the outside. However, it's a very nice and cozy place inside. Cozy as in
: the surroundings not size-wise :-)
If you didn't know it was there, you'd never even think to look for it.
But this is a place which cries out for a car to visit...TTC to this site
from anywhere except close by would be a bear.
: The food is prepared fairly quickly and the portions are very large.
: While you are waiting they bring a big basket of very garlicky garlic
: bread (I am not complaining...I like it that way). If you happen to
: finish that basket of bread at some point in the evening, they simply
: bring another (very nice touch...)!
: The wait staff is dressed very formally in tuxedos but the service is
: friendly and informal.
: This place is generally frequented by locals, however, they must be
: doing something right because they've been there for over 15 years.
Nope. People come from some distance around. Used to be well written-up
in the food column in The Star.
: > this ng than be subjected to the daily barrage of religiousity:-( Linda
: What daily religiousity are you referring to? I only check in here once
: in a while but this ng is pretty good about staying on topic compared to
: most newsgroups out there.
I take it you missed the Medugorje (sp?) thread and its spawn...
[snip]
Ciao, Ken Smith <*>
cg...@torfree.net
--
Linda Freedman
Hi Joseph,
: I think I have tried Bacchus, however, your directions may be a little
: off. I don't remember the exact name of the roti place I tried (it
: probably is Bacchus though) but it's in the same general area that you
: stated. However, this roti place I went to was located on a side street,
: south of Queen Street West and just east of Lansdowne. The front of this
: roti place faces the 7-Eleven.
Same place! They moved. The new place has some tables which is a big
improvement.
: By the way, I guess by now you've figured out that I do like spicy
: foods! Hell, I like all kinds of foods!
I could tell right away we had alot in common:)
: I usually have potato roti at Island Foods (both at Queen/Dufferin and
: Dufferin Mall at Dufferin/Bloor). I find that they're not bad, the price
: is good and their locations are convenient.
At Bacchus I order squash, potato, chick peas and spinach with HOT sauce.
Drop dead delicious!
: I have another great restaurant to share.
: Portofino Restaurant, 600 The East Mall in Etobicoke. They are located
: in a small strip plaza on the northwest corner of The East Mall and
: Rathburn Road, in the same plaza as the Price Chopper.
Thanks for that - definitely worth a try!
: What daily religiousity are you referring to? I only check in here once
: in a while but this ng is pretty good about staying on topic compared to
: most newsgroups out there.
Bit of confusion here - caused by the fact that I read tor.eats via
tor.general, which was inundated with said postings until yesterday when
I was encouraged to use my KILL file for the first time ever. What a
pleasure it is now! You're lucky you can read tor.eats in its pure form.
Happy hunting! Linda
--
Marc Bissonnette
In article <EowDLC.AMz...@torfree.net>, f...@torfree.net is reputed to
have said...
>: Try C&W Burgers, located on Dundas Street West just east of Dixie Road
>: (yes, it's in Mississauga!)...
>
>Think they would deliver? That's Marc's _real_ yen .. to have a party
>and get a mess of Donairs arriving halfway through. If he can get that,
>he might even invite US... How much is taxi fare (to Jane and Bloor)?
Oh yeah, delivery is key for me :) Being your stereotypical geek, I'm locked
away in my basement office for most hours of the day, surfacing every hour to
check on/play/feed/stare with pride at/ my daughter, then back down to running
the next multi-billion dollar empire :)
Since I rarely go out (except when I can convince my wife that I really, REALLY
need to spend $800 on a new CPU) delivery men are a common site at my door :)
Taxi fare from TFN to here? About $20, though you'd all have to have a tendancy
towards sardine-ism, since our home is definitely classed as a "starter" being
tiny :) (Although at least the tax re-assessment was fair, as opposed to some
of the horror stories I'm reading in the papers these days :)
On the food issue, I actually trekked out to Scarberia to January's for their
souvlaki over the weekend, and it was sooooooooo worth it!!!!!!
I'm almost tempted to make a web page out of all the suggestions this thread
has come up with, there's enough restaurants in the list to satisfy my food
explorations for a year :) :) :)
Bruce Becker
In article <Eoy7xH.6s...@torfree.net>,
Linda Freedman <li...@torfree.net> wrote:
|Hi Joseph,
|
|: I think I have tried Bacchus, however, your directions may be a little
|: off. I don't remember the exact name of the roti place I tried (it
|: probably is Bacchus though) but it's in the same general area that you
|: stated. However, this roti place I went to was located on a side street,
|: south of Queen Street West and just east of Lansdowne. The front of this
|: roti place faces the 7-Eleven.
|
|Same place! They moved. The new place has some tables which is a big
|improvement.
|
|: By the way, I guess by now you've figured out that I do like spicy
|: foods! Hell, I like all kinds of foods!
|
|I could tell right away we had alot in common:)
|
|: I usually have potato roti at Island Foods (both at Queen/Dufferin and
|: Dufferin Mall at Dufferin/Bloor). I find that they're not bad, the price
|: is good and their locations are convenient.
|
|At Bacchus I order squash, potato, chick peas and spinach with HOT sauce.
|Drop dead delicious!
Also there is the Vena restaurant on the north
side of Queen a few blocks west of Bathhurst.
The first time I went there I had a combo roti
that was totally incredible - what a wonderful
experience! Then I went back to repeat this
delight & ordered the same roti, but which was
merely good, sigh ... must have been a different
cook, or different phase of the moon... in any
case, still also recommended
Jim Butterfield
Lawrence Walker (lwalke...@interlog.com) wrote:
: Toronto's best contribution to me was the Italian sandwiches
: from the original San Francesco's on Concord St..
Seems to me that the original San Francesco is still in place on Clinton
Street, south of College, next door to the Monarch house pub. Family
members spread out and opened other outlets, but the Clinton Street site
is still just the same as always. A hot meatball sandwich, with beer to
wash it down! Ambrosia! Of course, I recall when you could buy it for
50 cents .. those days are long gone.
: .... Another great sandwich are the Vietnamese subs on Spadina
: south of Baldwin. And at $1 and $2 each are hard to beat pricewise.
The Bahn Mi Thut sandwich is quite a pleasure, and an inexpensive meal ..
they can be found in any area where there are Vietnamese, such as
Broadview and Carlton.
: Damn !! I'm getting HUNGRY !!
Yeah. All this talk about food ...
--Jim
: (continuing)
: Food .. :
: Yes, food.. :
: Just any old kind of food... :
: Pooh for the cook, and pooh for the price, :
: Some of it's nicer, but all of it's nice. :
: Pheasant is pleasant, of course; And terrapin, too, is tasty :
: Lobster I freely endorse With pate or patty or pasty :
: But there's nothing the matter with butter, :
: There's nothing the matter with jam, :
: And the warmest of greetings I utter :
: For the ham and the yam and the clam :
: For they're food .. all food. And I think very highly of food. :
: Through think and through thin, I am constantly in :
: The mood :
: For food. :
: --Ogden Nash :
: (even more available on request .. this guy REALLY liked food) :
Linda Freedman
Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: The Bahn Mi Thut sandwich is quite a pleasure, and an inexpensive meal ..
: Broadview and Carlton.
What kind of fillings? And the bread, is it like sub sandwich buns? L
--
Jim Butterfield
Linda Freedman (li...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : The Bahn Mi Thut sandwich is quite a pleasure, and an inexpensive meal ..
: : they can be found in any area where there are Vietnamese, such as
: : Broadview and Carlton.
: What kind of fillings?
I've never dissected one, but my impression is:
--an assortment of sliced cooked meats (none spicy);
--a mixture of vegetables, the most prominent of which tastes to me
like "spicy lettuce";
: And the bread, is it like sub sandwich buns?
Smaller. A crusty bun (nice crunch to it) somewhat bigger than a hot
dog. Size varies, as is reflected in the quoted price range ($1-$2).
At one of the places I visit (west side of Spadina midway between Dundas
and College), it's called a "Saigon Sub". I seem them being made on an
assembly line basis, sealed in plastic, and stacked into large boxes. I
have often wondered: where do the boxes go next? Retail? Factories in
the Toronto area? Shipped to Quebec as a response to their poutine? :-)
--JimA
Howard
In article <Ep0KAA.Jv...@torfree.net>, li...@torfree.net (Linda
Freedman) wrote:
> Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
> : The Bahn Mi Thut sandwich is quite a pleasure, and an inexpensive meal ..
> : they can be found in any area where there are Vietnamese, such as
> : Broadview and Carlton.
Make that Broadview and Gerrard. (Carlton ends at Parliament).
Lot of good, cheap fill-up food round there.
hm
Jim Butterfield
Howard (how...@the-wire.com) wrote:
: In article <Ep0KAA.Jv...@torfree.net>, li...@torfree.net (Linda
: Freedman) wrote:
: > Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: > : The Bahn Mi Thut sandwich is quite a pleasure, and an inexpensive meal ..
: > : they can be found in any area where there are Vietnamese, such as
: > : Broadview and Carlton.
: Make that Broadview and Gerrard. (Carlton ends at Parliament).
Ya got me there; it's Broadview and Gerrard, of course.
But just to show that I don't accept defeat graciously: Carlton does NOT
end at Parliament; it jogs slightly to the north and proceeds east to the
Riverdale farm area (just past Sumach street). So there. Nyah nyah.
:-P (sticking tongue out).
:-) --Jim
Howard
In article <Ep22qF.3K1...@torfree.net>, f...@torfree.net (Jim
Butterfield) wrote:
Just tryin' to help out.
I kind of knew that about Carlton, having lived in Cabbagetown when it
really was was Cabbagetown and Riverale Frm was the Zoo, but thought it
would just get confusing.
Of course all the folk need to do is stay on the Carlton streetcar and they
get there anyway.
One of the other good things about Broadview-Gerrard is that one can get
something to eat no matter what time of day or night, season of year or
religious holiday.
And most certainly some of the best prices in town for good old Sino-Viet
workin' stiff's food.
howard.
Rob Dougald
I'll drive two hours to find good grease...Ahh this person will more than
likely have several heart attacks before he/she is 40...Try the Cherry
Street restaurant just north of cherry beach. They have great
breakfasts for 2.99 which gives you 4 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, 2 slices
of toast, homefries...um great and coffee and juice. cant get a cheaper
breakfast even if you cook it at home.
- J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: Dear Sir,
: Hunt no more! For I will guide you to not only the world's best but also
: the biggest DONAIRS you've ever seen!
: Plus, it is located in the WEST END no less...
: Try C&W Burgers, located on Dundas Street West just east of Dixie Road
: (yes, it's in Mississauga!) on the south side. It is a very small place,
: it kinda looks like a barn with windows up front. There's only about
: five tables inside and combined with the staff, you'll barely have room
: to move (inside joke...when you get there you'll see what I mean...).
: Now for the good part: everything in here is freshly made from an open
: kitchen/grill and everything is mega-sized! The burgers, gyros (it's
: Greek-owned), poutine, everything is HUGE!
: The pita for the gyros is about the diameter of a small cafe table!
: Yowza!
: They serve a "Sumo Burger", a full pound hamburger! It's so big that
: it's cooked as two half-pound burgers so it cooks faster.
: The prices are very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food
: served. Bear in mind though that this is not a "first date" type of
: place. However, I sometimes prefer greasy spoons and this is one of the
: better ones :-)
: Speaking of greasy foods and Philly Cheese Steaks...
: I can't wait to return to Buffalo's Galleria Mall food court. There's a
: concession in there that serves a mean Philly Cheese Steak.
: Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name (Doh!).
: They serve several varieties of it, with different toppings and cheeses.
: It's a little longer than a foot-long sub, I swear it must weigh a pound
: from all the meat they pile onto it.
: It's a pretty good deal too for about $6 US.
: Does anyone else have any suggestions for good, greasy foods that I can
: try? I'll travel up to two hours for good grease :-)
: However, local grease is more convenient ;-)
: Regards,
: Joseph
: Marc Bissonnette wrote:
: >
: > Ummm... there's more, but I can't remember. One good thing about T.O. is that
: > you can eat food from anywhere in the world within a half hour of your house
: > (now I have to take everybody's advice and go on a Donair hunt!!!)
: >
: > -Marc
: >
: > --
: > -Marc Bissonnette
: > Internalysis
: > Corporate Competitive Intelligence, Research and Results
--
Rob Dougald
Police Patch and Pin Collector
Looking to complete a set of all Ontario Police patches
Member of C.P.I.C.A.
Jim Butterfield
Howard (how...@the-wire.com) wrote:
: One of the other good things about Broadview-Gerrard is that one can get
: something to eat no matter what time of day or night, season of year or
: religious holiday.
: And most certainly some of the best prices in town for good old Sino-Viet
: workin' stiff's food.
Interesting bargain: at the southwest corner of that intersection, the
Golden Embassy (formerly the Golden Wave) does breakfast dim sum at $1.20
an item, if you get there before 10 a.m. Monday to Friday. And the
placed is jammed!
Oddly, takeout is full price, $1.70. But their dim sum (especially the
Har Gow) is very very very very very very very very very very good.
--Jim
Are we far enough off the thread topic yet? :-)
bt351
Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Interesting bargain: at the southwest corner of that intersection, the
: Golden Embassy (formerly the Golden Wave) does breakfast dim sum at $1.20
: an item, if you get there before 10 a.m. Monday to Friday. And the
: placed is jammed!
mmmmmm. dim sum. (homer imitation).
: Oddly, takeout is full price, $1.70. But their dim sum (especially the
: Har Gow) is very very very very very very very very very very good.
: --Jim
: Are we far enough off the thread topic yet? :-)
subject: 1. delivered donairs.
related topics: 2. anything in/on pitabread (or roti or injera,
apparently).
3. hot & spicy
4. containing animal matter
5. delivery
6. food
7. stimulating salivary glands
assessment (qualitative//quantitative):
1. 0//0 (it ain't either - some would say fortunately)
2. 1//0 (considering sticky rice is wrapped in
leaves - bit of a stretch here, spring rolls are wrapped in rice flour
wrapper, har gow, sui mai also. steamed chicken claws, beef tripe,
congee - no).
3. 1//1 (when dipped in chili sauce)
4. 1//1 (often & usually - although fried radish cake
and others defy this)
5. 1/2//0 (half points for take out)
6. 0//1/2 (dim sum? food? only technically -
more like sex - fine but finished long before it becomes tiresome).
7. 1/1 (no contest.)
ummmm. which begs the question. no mention of burritos yet?
--
Howard
In article <Ep3HHI.Ly...@torfree.net>, f...@torfree.net (Jim
Butterfield) wrote:
> Howard (how...@the-wire.com) wrote:
>
> : One of the other good things about Broadview-Gerrard is that one can get
> : something to eat no matter what time of day or night, season of year or
> : religious holiday.
> : And most certainly some of the best prices in town for good old Sino-Viet
> : workin' stiff's food.
>
> Interesting bargain: at the southwest corner of that intersection, the
> Golden Embassy (formerly the Golden Wave) does breakfast dim sum at $1.20
> an item, if you get there before 10 a.m. Monday to Friday. And the
> placed is jammed!
>
> Oddly, takeout is full price, $1.70. But their dim sum (especially the
> Har Gow) is very very very very very very very very very very good.
>
> --Jim
>
> Are we far enough off the thread topic yet? :-)
To carry it even further away.
A half-Chinese friend of mine who was sent to China for an education in the
late 1940s-early 1950s tells me the story about dim sum restaurants in
China in which the waiter totted up the bill by counting the stacked number
of used dim sum bowls at the table.
They had to keep a sharp eye out, though, 'cause some customers would cheat
on the bill by pocketing the bowls.
He also told me a lovely story about the carp fest held once a year in the
village where his father was born. I'll relate it if anyone is interested.
hm
Chris F.A. Johnson
On Tue, 24 Feb 1998 19:07:48 GMT, Jim Butterfield (f...@torfree.net) wrote:
: It's becoming evident that we need some serious research here. One item:
: "Pita Falafel", 355 Yonge Street (north of Sam the Record Man)
: Window sign: "Beef Donair and Pop - $4.49".
The various signs at "Pita Falafel" use the terms "shawarma", "donair",
and "gyros" interchangeably for the same item. Purely in the interests of
research I tried one there yesterday. (I usually have their "pita burger",
which is a bargain at $2.50.)
I found it quite tasty, though not what I am used to in a shawarma. The
meat was not proper sliced meat on the vertical spit, but some sort of
seasoned and re-formed meat.
My introduction to shawarmas came about 20 years, when I started working
in the College and Spadina area. There was a small place at the corner of
Huron and Spadina called Ali Shawarma. What made their shawarmas different
(and, as far as I am concerned, unequalled) was the hot sauce. Most places
use a tahini sauce, which I am not fond of (it's OK on falafels).
They moved to larger quarters a few doors east along College some years
later, then a few years ago moved to a new place at the west edge of
Kensington Market. They disappeared from there after a couple of years.
They re-opened in the larger College St. location last year, but have
disappeared again.
--
Chris F.A. Johnson, Executive Director, Toronto Free-Net Inc.
bq...@torfree.net http://www.interlog.com/~cfaj
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-= Everything in moderation - including moderation =-=-=
- J. McCall
Rob Dougald wrote:
>
> I'll drive two hours to find good grease...Ahh this person will more than
> likely have several heart attacks before he/she is 40...Try the Cherry
> Street restaurant just north of cherry beach. They have great
> breakfasts for 2.99 which gives you 4 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, 2 slices
> of toast, homefries...um great and coffee and juice. cant get a cheaper
> breakfast even if you cook it at home.
Yep, I've been there many times. It is a great place. There aren't many
greasy spoons that I haven't been to yet.
> Rob Dougald
> Police Patch and Pin Collector
> Looking to complete a set of all Ontario Police patches
> Member of C.P.I.C.A.
For your sake, you should hope that I don't have several heart attacks
before I am 40...I could probably help you complete that set of Ontario
Police patches :)
If you are looking for new ones, check out this store called Stokes Cap
and Regalia. They supply many of Ontario's police forces with their
patches, uniforms and various other police-related equipment. It's
located on The East Mall, just north of Queensway in Etobicoke.
Look them up and call first to see what kind of stock they have and
whether they'll sell to collectors.
Regards,
Joseph
Linda Freedman
Chris F.A. Johnson (bq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: I found it quite tasty, though not what I am used to in a shawarma. The
: meat was not proper sliced meat on the vertical spit, but some sort of
: seasoned and re-formed meat.
Now, if you check back to near the beginning of this thread I made mention
of the very thing you were served. The gyros on the east side of Logan
just north of the Danforth are made from *pieces* of meat, not the ground
and pressed variety of mystery meat so many other places serve.
I may have remembered the name - there's a chance it's Alexandros - anyone
have a phone book? They also have chicken gyros. They serve them with
tzadziki (yogourt/garlic sauce), which is how it's done in Greece.
: Ali Shawarma. >> the hot sauce.
: They re-opened in the larger College St. location last year, but have
: disappeared again.
If they reappear, please advise. This sounds like a real winner.
Speaking of hot and spicy, I don't think anybody has mentioned the Chinese
bun place on the north side of Baldwin about three blocks east of Spadina
(west of the street where Silverstein's bakery is located - sorry, I'm
drawing blanks) - great, spicy vegetarian buns freshly baked - yummy!
Other delicious varieties, as well.
So where's the best traditional pizza? I used to love Massimo's on
College, west of Spadina, until my husband saw a mouse running in and out
of a bag of flour on the kitchen floor and mentioned it to one of the
pizza guys up front. He just shrugged - like, so what else is new? Still
looking for a replacement. Cora's is good - wish it were more comfortable.
TRAVELZINE ONLINE
A Non-Commercial Source Of
IDEAS FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS
http://www.twenj.com/travelzine/
LINDA AND DON FREEDMAN
--
Jim Butterfield
Howard (how...@the-wire.com) wrote:
: A half-Chinese friend of mine who was sent to China for an education in the
: late 1940s-early 1950s tells me the story about dim sum restaurants in
: China in which the waiter totted up the bill by counting the stacked number
: of used dim sum bowls at the table.
Still the case in some Hong Kong restaurants, and some Chinese
restaurants in New York City. There are two different sizes of dish,
each with its own price .. so some fancy multiply-and-add work has to be
done to total the bill.
I ran into a "memory test" situation on Food Street in Hong Kong, where
there was a low-budget Dim Sum place. I started at the cashier, where I
had to name the dishes I wanted. I was given a receipt, and then
proceeded to the food counter, where I had to remember what the dishes
were. Halfway through this procedure, the kitchen person said, "How do
you say siu mai in English?". This stumped me; after a moment's thought,
I said "I don't think you can".
--Jim
Wendy Guy
: in the College and Spadina area. There was a small place at the corner of
: Huron and Spadina called Ali Shawarma. What made their shawarmas different
Just for the sake of being picky: they don't meet.
Chris F.A. Johnson
On Sun, 1 Mar 1998 15:08:29 GMT, Wendy Guy (cq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Chris F.A. Johnson (bq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : My introduction to shawarmas came about 20 years, when I started working
: : in the College and Spadina area. There was a small place at the corner of
: : Huron and Spadina called Ali Shawarma. What made their shawarmas different
: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: Just for the sake of being picky: they don't meet.
I meant Huron and College.
Ed McCrudden
In article <Ep484M.Ay...@torfree.net>,
Linda Freedman <li...@torfree.net> wrote:
>I may have remembered the name - there's a chance it's Alexandros
Not a chance, a certainty. It is indeed called "Alexandros", I made
a point of checking the name as I drove by last night. Too bad I
was on my way to work and didn't have time to grab a donair/gyro.
But I assure you I'll be hitting this place one day this week.
Looked like a little hole-in-the-wall joint, and they are usually
the best.
Ed <em...@vex.net>
Joel Grossman
>So where's the best traditional pizza? I used to love Massimo's on
>College, west of Spadina, until my husband saw a mouse running in and out
>of a bag of flour on the kitchen floor and mentioned it to one of the
>pizza guys up front. He just shrugged - like, so what else is new? Still
>looking for a replacement. Cora's is good - wish it were more comfortable.
I also used to love Massimo's, but I no longer go to school nearby. It's
been some time since I've tasted their "Marguerita" pizza...*sigh*...
Anyways, my favourite pizza of that style is now from La Lucciola Pizzeria on
Eglinton, west of Bathurst. Yummy pizza and a great selection of toppings.
YMMV of course :-)
Joel
================================================================
Joel Grossman
Email: jo...@interlog.com
Business Page: http://www.capitaltea.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it
has been sober, responsible and cautious, but because it has
been playful, rebellious and immature."
- Tom Robbins ===============================================================
- J. McCall
Howard's story brought back some fond memories of my own...
About twenty years ago, Chinese restaurants in Toronto were still using
the plate-counting technique to tally the check at the end of a dim sum
lunch. A waiter told me that one of the most notorious tricks to get out
of paying for the entire meal was to hide some of the plates UNDER the
table!
Of course, now they use the tally sheets... :)
I especially enjoy the old-style dim sum restaurants that still use the
carts to display the foods as opposed to simply offering the choices
from a menu. It's easier this way because you see what is being offered,
then choose whatever you find appealing. There are no surprises
(usually...).
"International" (third floor) on the south side of Dundas Street West
near McCaul, offers a cart-based dim sum lunch. The price isn't bad,
some of the food is cooked on the cart in front of you. All of the
offerings are very fresh.
The decor is traditional tacky Chinese restaurant, ie. dominantly red
and gold. However, the food is why the people come to this place. It's
usually packed at lunch.
Regards,
Joseph
Howard wrote:
>
> Are we far enough off the thread topic yet? :-)
>
> To carry it even further away.
> A half-Chinese friend of mine who was sent to China for an education in the
> late 1940s-early 1950s tells me the story about dim sum restaurants in
> China in which the waiter totted up the bill by counting the stacked number
> of used dim sum bowls at the table.
bt351
- J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: About twenty years ago, Chinese restaurants in Toronto were still using
: the plate-counting technique to tally the check at the end of a dim sum
: lunch. A waiter told me that one of the most notorious tricks to get out
: of paying for the entire meal was to hide some of the plates UNDER the
: table!
: Of course, now they use the tally sheets... :)
exceptions remain.
: I especially enjoy the old-style dim sum restaurants that still use the
: carts to display the foods as opposed to simply offering the choices
: from a menu. It's easier this way because you see what is being offered,
: then choose whatever you find appealing. There are no surprises
: (usually...).
and the food gets cold and greasy rolling about on a cart.
hmmm.
most dim sum houses (imho) make every attempt to translate to
some extent.
if you ask for steamed chicken claws (mmmmmm), that's what you
will get, and they will be succulently steamed to the point where they
dissolve in your mouth and leave your tastebuds in an orgasmic furvor.
there is no such thing as scary food here.
just people squeamish to see what is less palatably stuffed
within the hotdog "condom".
for those not indoctrinated:
sui mai: little rice flour wrap over shrimp and condiments.
har gow: ground pork w/ 1 green pea topping lain in rice flour wrap.
most dim sum are steamed (yes, spring rolls are deep fried,
radish cake is fried etc.)
most other items are english on the menu (and if you see soup in
a pouch, get it - you won't believe it).
: "International" (third floor) on the south side of Dundas Street West
: near McCaul, offers a cart-based dim sum lunch. The price isn't bad,
: some of the food is cooked on the cart in front of you. All of the
: offerings are very fresh.
: The decor is traditional tacky Chinese restaurant, ie. dominantly red
: and gold. However, the food is why the people come to this place. It's
: usually packed at lunch.
red and gold are good luck colours.
which is less than i can say for corporate gray.
pls make my new neighbours tacky garish red & gold cooks rather than k
and x - car oil belcher owners (trying to appease the corporate bottom
line).
: Regards,
: Joseph
--
Bill Chow
bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: - J. McCall (x@y.z) wrote:
: : I especially enjoy the old-style dim sum restaurants that still use the
: : carts to display the foods as opposed to simply offering the choices
: : from a menu. It's easier this way because you see what is being offered,
: : then choose whatever you find appealing. There are no surprises
: : (usually...).
Dim sum carts are still the norms in Hong Kong and even in Vancouver.
: and the food gets cold and greasy rolling about on a cart.
When there are plenty of customers/diners, the food are consumed quickly
with fast turnovers so that they are always hot and fresh. In Toronto,
there is not the client base so most restaurants went to menus, which
defeat the purpose of dim sum (point to heart), i.e. point to whatever
you desire and you can eat it immediately; whereas you need to wait 15
minutes if ordering from menus.
: : "International" (third floor) on the south side of Dundas Street West
: : near McCaul, offers a cart-based dim sum lunch. The price isn't bad,
: : some of the food is cooked on the cart in front of you. All of the
: : offerings are very fresh.
There are some more cart-based dim sum restaurants in Scarborough (near
Victoria Park/Steeles) and in Mississauga (Chinatown Centre on Dundas W.).
--
|Board member Bill Chow, B.Com.|
|Toronto Free-Net Inc. Toronto,Ontario,CANADA|
|___________________________________________________________________________|
|___________________________________________________________________________|
bt351
Bill Chow (ch...@torfree.net) wrote:
: When there are plenty of customers/diners, the food are consumed quickly
: with fast turnovers so that they are always hot and fresh. In Toronto,
: there is not the client base so most restaurants went to menus, which
: defeat the purpose of dim sum (point to heart), i.e. point to whatever
: you desire and you can eat it immediately; whereas you need to wait 15
: minutes if ordering from menus.
aha! the other problem with carts. how do you get a seat close
to where the carts begin their circuit?
i've sat for an hour in establishments without seeing har gow
(ummm, on the cart when it reaches my table - plenty being eaten).
--
Bill Chow
bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: aha! the other problem with carts. how do you get a seat close
: i've sat for an hour in establishments without seeing har gow
: (ummm, on the cart when it reaches my table - plenty being eaten).
: --
Four Solutions (for popular dishes sold out before your turn):
1. Ask hostess to seat you near kitchen or at least near the main aisles.
2. Ask waiter to get it for you from the kitchen before they are loaded
onto the carts.
3. Shout (politely) at cart tender for the order (e.g. "TWO PLATES OF
HAR GOW OVER HERE PLEASE!") before it runs out.
4. Get up from your table, walk to the cart with the tally sheet, pick
up the order yourself and let the tender mark down the order on the
tally sheet.
I have done all four myself, although Ms.perfect manners might not
approve of the last two solutions.
bt351
Bill Chow (ch...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Four Solutions (for popular dishes sold out before your turn):
: 1. Ask hostess to seat you near kitchen or at least near the main aisles.
hmmm. usually consider myself fortunate to get any seat.
: 2. Ask waiter to get it for you from the kitchen before they are loaded
: onto the carts.
waiter is a busy guy. don't want to overtrouble him or
everything may end up cold.
: 3. Shout (politely) at cart tender for the order (e.g. "TWO PLATES OF
: HAR GOW OVER HERE PLEASE!") before it runs out.
this is best done if one has a) a bright, friendly bill chow-like
disposition.
or b) a demanding mature woman
countenance (everything her way, or she will make life miserable for all
concerned).
: 4. Get up from your table, walk to the cart with the tally sheet, pick
: up the order yourself and let the tender mark down the order on the
: tally sheet.
:
armed with steel tongs and an asbestos apron.
: I have done all four myself, although Ms.perfect manners might not
: approve of the last two solutions.
i'll have to remember to leave her at home occupying herself
in usenet the next time i go.
humour aside, dim sum is a serious business, which, when properly
attended to (read properly prepared and presented) has few peers in
producing euphoria amongst the privileged few who will have the pleasure
of enjoying it so (ummm, sushi is up there too - although sushi lacks the
richness and diversity of flavour & texture dim sum presents - although
this can be compensated for by adding teppenyaki, steamed, simmered and
tempura dishes - and tends to be much more costly).
carts present the opportunity to inspect an item before purchase
(ie. is the rice wrapper too loose - suggesting the item may have been
overcooked or is cold - is the radish cake too brown - do squid and tripe
curl too much suggesting they are tough and rubbery). is the place too
busy or the kitchen too small for the number of staff to work
efficiently? is the cook having a bad day? these all contrive to reduce the
euphoria.
granted. kitchen staff live in hell (long periods of idleness
between intense, brief episodes of busyness).
(and i guess that is why they call it business).
but when clients have to call out for a favourite (for whatever
reason), the euphoria is disturbed.
sorry bill. i'd prefer to put faith in the chef and get pot
luck. if it is truly disgusting (preparation-wise), it can be sent
back (i've never done this-btw, just in case the chef has discovered
an unusual and pleasing flavour).
but, then again, i've never had a truly disgusting experience in
a dim sum house.
now...western restaurants that serve cheez whiz contrived nachos (on
salted or otherwise bogus corn chips)..or grease fried wings...
--
Wendy Guy
bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Bill Chow (ch...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : 3. Shout (politely) at cart tender for the order (e.g. "TWO PLATES OF
: : HAR GOW OVER HERE PLEASE!") before it runs out.
: this is best done if one has a) a bright, friendly bill chow-like
: disposition.
: or b) a demanding mature woman
: countenance (everything her way, or she will make life miserable for all
: concerned).
HEY, I HEARD THAT!!!
;-)
bt351
Wendy Guy (cq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : or b) a demanding mature woman
: : countenance (everything her way, or she will make life miserable for all
: : concerned).
: HEY, I HEARD THAT!!!
exactly.
: ;-)
: --
: <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." (John Wooden)
: <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
--
Peter Tinnelly
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Organization: Toronto Free-Net
Distribution:
bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: Wendy Guy (cq...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : bt351 (bt...@torfree.net) wrote:
: : : or b) a demanding mature woman
: : : countenance (everything her way, or she will make life miserable for all
: : : concerned).
: : HEY, I HEARD THAT!!!
: exactly.
: : ;-)
...
made MY day!.... <apoloGIES> `EATS`...
p
--