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Oh man, where do I start. I don't live in the city at the moment so my recommendations might be outdated, but here are a couple:
Best pizza: Marcelo's on St. Clair West. Best burger: Burger Priest on Queen St. E. Best sushi (affordable): Fune Best Chinese: Lai Wah Heen in the Metropolitan Hotel just north of Nathan Phillips, Szechuan Szechuan in the downtown core. Best Ice Cream: Dutch Dreams on Vaughan Rd. Best Candian cuisine: Canoe, in the TD Bank building. Best fine dining: Splendido on Harbord; Momofuko in the downtown core. Best bagel: Gryffe's on Bathurst St.
I know many more, but can't think of them right now or can't remember their names. I'll think about it and try to post some more. I know there is an amazing BBQ place almost directly across from Dutch Dreams on St. Clair West, but I can't remember the name, and they have a very specific schedule about when certain items like ribs and brisket are available. You can go in any time and eat a great meal, but the best stuff is available only at specific times, and you have to show up early, because lots of people know about it and know its the best BBQ in the city, by far.
Also, lots of excellent, mid-priced eateries serving amazing home style and comfort foods have opened up along Queen St., west of Bathurst, and on Dundas west of Shaw.
Thanks SO much!! I'm looking up these places right now. I found the bbq spot you mentioned. It's The Stockyards. Looks yummy. The area looks real residential. Thanks again!
Another, newer BBQ spot that is getting rave reviews by critics and was listed among the top
10 new restaurants of 2012 in the city by Toronto Life magazine is Barque on Roncesvalles. I've never been, but have reservations for this Saturday. I'll let you know my opinion afterwards.
Remember, I haven't lived in Toronto for a couple years, and that's a LONG time in terms of culinary trends. There are awesome new spots opening up all over the city every week, and I don't know about them because I don't read NOW magazine every week or stay in touch with Toronto foodie websites anymore. Best thing to do is check Toronto Life Online for recommendations, but note that their recommendations are pretty high-end.
As I mentioned before, some culinary hot-spots are Queen St. West around Trinity Bellwoods and west to Dufferin. Also, Ossington Ave., from Dundas West south to Queen St. West has some excellent, intimate restaurants. Dundas St. west of Shaw, all the way to Dufferin has tons of new excellent spots that have opened in the last few years (the Black Hoof being one of the pioneers in that area) and new spots opening all the time. I'm not happy about it, but a formerly working-class stretch of Bloor West is gentrifying and bringing highly acclaimed new restaurants with it. The area between Christie and Dovercourt seem to be the centre of the action. BTW, one of the best Indian restaurants in the city - Banjara - is located on Bloor St. west of Christie. Finally, Yorkville and Yonge St. north of Bloor and the area around it (like Davenport) have some of the priciest restaurants in the city. Some of them are excellent, but some of them are way overpriced for what you get.
BTW, Stockyards is the place I was talking about. But you should call to find out when items like rib, brisket, BBQ chicken and other favourites are available. The everyday menu is fine, but the items they make only on certain days is what makes this place so special. It's also much cheaper than the aforementioned Barque. The area is a mix of residential and retail/commercial. St. Clair West is a long retail/commercial strip with lots of flavour and variety, culminating in the Corso Italia where the pizza place I mentioned - Marcello's - is located. If you are coming during the warmer months, you must finish up your meal at Stokckyards with a visit to Dutch Dreams - it's a Toronto tradition and the lines can extend a long ways on summer evenings. The area immediately bordering St. Clair West to the north is mostly dense urban housing (mostly semis), with some spots really worth exploring to see an authentic Toronto neighbourhood outside north of Bloor. Walking west to Oakwood, and then checking out Oakwood and the area around it is worth the trip if the weather is warm. Even the Corso Italia is kind of neat, but much more middle / lower income compared to Little Italy on College where very few Italians live any more. Visiting the neighbourhood on a warm summer or late spring evening is the best time to see people hanging out on their porches or on the street, smoking in front of bars and coffee shops. Maybe make it a two-part visit, hitting the Stockyards whenever good BBQ is available, then hitting Marcello's in the evening for pizza and a walk around the area, east to Oakwood Rd.
There have been some good recommendations made. The best local spots are not really downtown in the core, at least IMO, so I recommend you come off the path and into the neighborhoods if you want the real deal. Stay away from anything on Yonge Street including Yorkville. I second Stockyards, Burger Priest, and Marcello's. Barques is good and not that expensive but its not as good as Stockyards, which is a more authentic greasy spoon -- the fried chicken & ribs are as close as you can find to the south in TO. If you want some cooler more unique spots, try Foxley (Ossington Street - Asian style tapas, lots of delicious choices here if you like asian flavors), Keriwa in Parkdale (Native themed restaurant, only one of its kind in the city), Black Hoof (Dundas W - Meat haven, very popular so go super early) and Ruby Watchco (Queen E, western modern cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients. Reminds me of an SF-type spot).
Last edited by johnathanc; 04-08-2013 at 08:25 AM..
Oh yeah, I never mentioned that along with some high end establishments that have recently moved onto Bloor St. between Christie and Dufferin, there are also a number of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants that are really worth checking out. There are a number to choose from, but I can say from experience that Lalibella is a good one. Most of these spots are on Bloor St. between Christie and Ossington.
There's also The Danforth which has something like the most restaurants concentrated on a single continuous strip in North America or something stupid like that. The heart of the area is Danforth and Pape, and while most of the restaurants are Greek/Mediterranean, some new restaurants have been opening up that add some diversity to the area. I lived just off the Danforth for more than two years, but it was a while ago so I don't know what's what anymore. I'm sure you can find some good options browsing the Internet.
Queen St. East in Riverdale is also a blossoming foodie area, with lots of new bistros, bakeries and eateries opening up. I lived off of Queen East in Riverdale when it was a food desert in 2000-2002, but now there are all kinds of places worth checking out. The old staple is Bonjour Brioche at DeGrassi St. Apart from having one of the best affordable brunches in the city, they also have amazing baguette and baked goods. Further east is my favourite bakery in the city, Sweet Bliss. The hours are kind of irregular, but I am a connoisseur of baked goods and this place has some of the best I've ever had. They are famous for their cupcakes, but you can't go wrong with anything in that place. Saturday and Sunday mornings are when they have the most variety of goodies available, and also when they are most likely to be open, so that's when I'd choose to go. Besides that, there are at least a dozen little spots between Broadway and Greenwood along Queen. Perhaps someone one this board more familiar with South Riverdale these days can recommend some more places.
Earlier I recommended Lai Wah Heen as having some of the best Chinese food in the city (if not the country), but keep in mind that it's high end and though not too expensive, is much more expensive than your average Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. But if you're looking for cheap eats in Chinatown, one of my favourite spots is just south of Dundas, on Spadina's west side. It's called Gold Stone, and they have great, fresh Cantonese food, great Chinese BBQ and noodle dishes made with noodles made right at the entrance. The fried dough is also a tasty treat to go along with a bowl of BBQ pork and noodle soup (my personal fave). If you like Vietnamese fare, Pho Hung is an inexpensive but reliable spot with locations on Spadina, Bloor and even in Mississauga. Their Pho is fine, but browse the menu a little further to find the real treats. One of my personal favourites are the fried frog legs.
While in Chinatown, make sure you wander into Kensington Market, which is adjacent to it and is one of Toronto's neatest little neighbourhoods. The jumbo empanadas are famous, Wanda's Pie in the Sky has great pies and baked goods, Cob's has great fresh-baked bread, and there are a handful of little eateries, cafes and inexpensive restaurants worth checking out.
Finally, there is the Korean Business District on Bloor between Christie and Bathurst. Unfortunately, I've come to find that you really have to speak Korean or know a lot about its food to get the best stuff (having gone out to eat with Korean friends, I always am amazed at how good the dishes they order are compared to what I find on the English menu). The restaurants in this area are all inexpensive, but to find the best ones you simply wait until early evening, then walk down Bloor (the south side has more authentic spots) and choose one that is packed with people. The food is sure to be fresh and tasty. As for what to order, ask your server for recommendations and then follow it up by crossing to the north side of Bloor to the Korean Bakery for some fresh Walnut cakes.
I hope we've helped you out with our recommendations. I'm sure more posters will chime in with other suggestions if given a few more days. You can also check news | Urban Toronto - a much busier Toronto-based forum with lots of threads about TO's food scene.
I've always loved the chicken fried rice being sold in the Agincourt area. Most of the people who buys those stuff are Filipinos and even though the people cooking those stuff are Chinese, I haven't seen any Chinese buying them.
I've always loved the chicken fried rice being sold in the Agincourt area. Most of the people who buys those stuff are Filipinos and even though the people cooking those stuff are Chinese, I haven't seen any Chinese buying them.
I've heard they have some great Chinese places in Scarborough, but I don't know any of them. I would certainly like to get to know them though
There's also some great spots in Sauga. Especially for Dim Sum. Love that Dim Sum. Lai Wah Heen has a la carte Dim Sum that is the best (and priciest) I've ever had. But much cheaper and very good Dim Sum spots can be found in Sauga.
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