Cheap Eats Toronto restaurant guide blog

C'est What Festival of Local Wineries

I just got the following note about C'est What's Festival of Local Wineries TONIGHT - Wed June 25th.    

I know that C'est What has a reputation for craft beer but our love of all things local extends to wine as well.

On Wednesday June 25 from 5 to 10 p.m. we will be featuring a fine selection of almost forty different vintages for you to sample. Representatives from Calamus, Dan Aykroyd, EastDell, Harbour Estates, Henry Of Pelham, Hillebrand, Reif, Silver Peak Wine Cellars, and Vineland. will be on hand to help you increase your VQA IQ.

Admission is free, samples are $1.50 each or eight for $10 (all taxes inc.)

Cheers, George
C'est What Brew/Vin Pub-Restaurant
67 Front St. E. (at Church)
Toronto, ON

It's short notice, but if their recent Porters & Stouts Tasting was any example, this should be a excellent opportunity to sample a range of wines and learn a little at the same time.

Technorati Tags: toronto, c'est what, wine tasting, local wineries, festival of local wineries, dan aykroyd, calamus, eastdell, harbour estates, henry of pelham, hillebrand, reif estate, silver peak wine cellars, vineland

We've Come A Long Way, Baby

Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, will join nursing mothers and their babies to give a “Breastfeeding Anytime Anywhere” decal to Commensal Vegetarian Restaurant, the first restaurant in Toronto to register as Breastfeeding Friendly under a new Toronto Public Health program.

Commensal Vegetarian Restaurant
655 Bay St, N of Dundas
More Info on Commensal in CheapEats Toronto pg. 94

Later this week, 6000 restaurants across the city will be receiving information packages on Breastfeeding in restaurants, the legal right to breastfeed anywhere anytime and some techniques for "handling" customers who complain about it.

While it's natural and very good for the babies, breastfeeding is still highly controversial in restaurants.

Will the new "Breastfeeding Friendly" signs influence which restaurant you chose to go to?

What the WIFI?

When did Lettieri stop offering WIFI?

I dropped by the Yorkville location last week for a quick coffee and email check only to find there was no access.  So I asked and woman behind the counter told me if I sat near the window I might be able to pick something up. 

I was sure that all Lettieri locations had WIFI.  It was one of the great things about them.  Did I miss something?

Technorati Tags: lettieri, wifi, yorkville, cafe, ceto

A Taste For Life - April 16

On April 16th select Toronto restaurants are participating in A Taste For Life by donating a portion of the cost of meals sold to Fife House a not-for-profit agency that provides 75% of the supportive housing to people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto.

With 6 CheapEats Toronto restaurants participating, you can get a great meal without breaking the bank and still support these great organisations. But why not splurge a little, it's for a good cause.

7 Numbers     416-469-5183 - 307 Danforth Avenue
(check their profile on page 131 of CheapEats Toronto)

Allen's Restaurant     416-463-3086 - 143 Danforth Avenue
(pg 32 of CheapEats Toronto)

Clafouti Patisserie     416-603-1935 - 915 Queen Street West
(pg 54 of CheapEats Toronto)

Ginger     416-413-1053 - 546 Church Street
(pg 74 of CheapEats Toronto)

Mitzi's Sister     416-532-2570
1554 Queen Street West
(pg 103 of CheapEats Toronto)

Queen Mother Cafe 416-598-4719
208 Queen Street West
(pg 121 of CheapEats Toronto)

Reservations are strongly recommended!!

Check out the other participating restaurants below:

Winterlicious - Make Your Reservations

While it may feel like spring out there, it's actually time for Winterlicious!  Reservations start January 10th, 2008. (Yes, TODAY!)

This annual dining event includes not only the standard $15-35 prix fixe menus at restaurants all across the city, but this year we're also being offered the Winterlicious Chef Series.

Check out the restaurants participating in this year's Winterlicious

The Winterlicious Chef Series offers us all the "ultimate dining experience with top local and international chefs".  I.e. no more complaining that Winterlicious is just a Dinner Special with a fancy name and lots of hype. This sizzle comes with steak.

Chef Series Events:

(warning - these are not even remotely CheapEats!)

Living Well is now Arrabiata Trattoria

Living Well, on Yonge, south of Bloor is in the process of becoming Arrabiata Trattoria RestoBar. Arrabiata, 692 Yonge Street, is still being setup and since they haven't posted a menu (or opening date) we won't know for a while whether it is a CheapEat or not.

Red Pen: pg. 96 of CheapEats Toronto, Living Well - closed.

While it's sad to see this neighbourhood fixture go, it won't surprise our friends who went to Living Well for a very disappointing dinner during Pride.

Technorati tags: living well, ceto, arrabiata trattoria, yonge street, restaurants, red pen updates, closures

Purple Onion reopened!

The Purple Onion has reopened!

It's now on Dundas West, just West of Pacific Ave.

James will be so happy.

[Red Pen update:
The Purple Onion - CETO pg 120
new address: 2998 Dundas Street West

Didn't know it closed? Check this]

Technorati tags: the purple onion, new locations, restaurants, toronto, junction, cheap eats, cheapeats toronto

Purple Onion reopened!

The Purple Onion has reopened!

It's now on Dundas West, just West of Pacific Ave.

James will be so happy.

[Red Pen update:
The Purple Onion - CETO pg 120
new address: 2998 Dundas Street West

Didn't know it closed? Check this]

Technorati tags: the purple onion, new locations, restaurants, toronto, junction, cheap eats, cheapeats toronto

Spring Fever on St. Clair [May 31-June 10]

This the second year for Spring Fever on St. Clair, the week-long restaurant event offering Prix Fixe menus at restaurants across this vibrant but still mostly under-discovered neighbourhood along St. Clair from Bathurst to Dufferin.   

Prix Fixe menus include appetizer, entree and dessert and are priced at either $20 or $25.

Restaurants participating this year include:

Atlas One - 820 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B6 416-656-4817 Café Neo - 782 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B6 416-789-9022  Da Gianni & Maria Trattoria - 794 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B6 416-652-3982  Dave's Gourmet Pizza  -730 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B3 416-652-2020  Dona Luz Pancho Villa - 807 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B9 416-652-7430  El Fogon - 543 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1A3 416-850-8041  El Palenque Casa del Mariachi - 816 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B6 416-653-5593  Ferro Bar Cafe - 769 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B4 416-654-9119

Filippo's - 744 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B5 416-658-0568  Mezzetta - 681 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1A7 416-658-5687  Mi Tierra Restaurant - 828 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1C1 416-654-8886  Nama Sushi - 750 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B5 416-652-0711 Regal Heights Bistro - 1077 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6E 1A6 416-651-2109 The Rushton  - 740 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B3 416-658-7874  Vanipha Lanna - 863 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1C4 416-654-8068  Zemra Bar Lounge - 778 St Clair Ave W Toronto, ON  M6C 1B6 416-651-3123

See also www.springfever.ca

The Skylark's New Facade.

The Skylark's New Facade.

After years of threats of renovations, unfinished drywall and most recently months of being closed, the Skylark on Gerrard East is open again with a shiny new facade and twice the seating. 

The buffet prices remain unchanged from the last edition of CETO: Lunch Buffet for $8.99 and Dinner Buffet for $10.99, still a deal for all that tummy-rubbing goodness.

We plan to drop in to check out the fancy new space in the next week or so, but if you've been in already we'd love to hear what you think of the new shiny Skylark.

Skylark - 1433 Gerrard St. E. - Cheap Eats Toronto pg. 133 - get your red pen prepared to up that Style rating.

Technorati tags: toronto, restaurants, skylark, gerrard street bazaar, little india, indian buffet, renovation

Summerlicious 2006 Restaurant List

Summer's strange weather is here with way too hot, way too wet, way too windy, but it also brings the city's coolest restaurant festival - Summerlicious!

It's never too early to start booking your reservations for Toronto's Summerlicious Festival from July 7-23rd --Toronto's feeding frenzy of 3-course prix fixe menus at 130 restaurants across town.    

Reservations started on June 22nd, so check the list below the fold, then book soon and book often to sample Toronto's not-so-cheapeats-restaurants at almost-cheapeats prices.

This year's prices are Lunch for $15 or $20 and Dinner for $25 or $35 and at those prices the restaurants fill up fast.  So check out the list below, give them a call and make sure to mention you are making a Summerlicious reservation.

If you do hit Summerlicious we'd love to hear about your experience and your meal  Feel free to Trackback to this post, or add a comment telling us where you went and how it was.

Happy Summerlicious

Quick Notes & Gossip

The Golden Mile (or the 3rd floor of 421 Dundas W) is closed… One of the helpful cart ladies told me that Yiu Wah (on the 2nd floor) is renovating the space and moving upstairs by the end of October. No info on what's going to go into the 2nd floor location. Hopefully it will be another dim sum place, 'cause it would be a shame to lose all that old-school chinese restaurant ambiance to a dollar store.

Lahore Biryani House is under new management and is being renovated… No details yet on when they will be reopening. Sadly this means they aren't going to be in the next edition of cheapeats because they'll be too green.

While Azul is closed, they may be opening a rice bar in Kensington Market across from Supermarket. This gossip is based solely on two printed pages taped up in the window at 319 Augusta.  One - a menu titled "Rice Bar" and the other - a full page Azul logo... but hey, we've found great new spots based on way less info than that.

Oh, and the 5 Alarm Diner looks like it has closed. I heard a rumour from PB that this might be teh case so I called to get the dirt.  When no one answered the phone or returned my calls, I swung by, only to find the windows completely papered over. How much does that suck?

Summerlicious - book your tables now!

It's finally summer!  The season when you can justify skipping off early to sit on a patio by saying "the beer commercials made me do it!"

This also means it's time to start booking your reservations for Toronto's Summerlicious July 8-24th -- Toronto's restaurant feeding frenzy of prix fixe menus.

The 120 restaurants involved are taking reservations starting tomorrow, so book soon and book often to sample Toronto's not-so-cheapeats-restaurants at almost-cheapeats prices.  Check out the list of almost-cheapeats and if you head out to enjoy any of the Summerlicious restaurants let us know what you think.

Happy Patio Season All,
lex

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Summerlicious 2005 Almost cheapeats are listed below.  Just click "continue reading"... it's a long list.