My Top Ten

Not necessarily the ten best restaurants in Toronto, but I think they are certainly up there. I love these restaurants for their great food, atmosphere, and versatility. All ten places work great for hangouts with the friends, romantic dates, and catch-ups with the parents.

1. Mengraii

A beautiful restaurant with a friendly owner and the best lychee martini you can find. I’m not a big fan of their pad thai, but everything else on the Menu makes up for it. Their Red Curry and lychee dish is out of this world, as are their fish dishes.

2. Rodney’s 

The city’s best oysters served up with fresh beer from some of the friendliest and most helpful servers around. Quality seafood in a great atmosphere.

3. Guu Izakaya 

You better get here early, or you’ll be waiting a while. Delicious Japanese Tapas and a fun waiting staff who gleefully welcomes each party in Japanese await you at this hidden gem.

4. Pizzeria Libretto

Arguably the city’s best pizza served up in a trendy bar loved by hipsters. A cool atmosphere to down glasses of wine and some of the freshest ingredients you will find on a pizza.

5. Black Hoof

I stay away from the horse meat, but it’s hard to turn down anything else. The killer drinks make everything go down easy.

Next 5 (no real order): 

Bier Markt

Southern Accent

Splendido

Julie’s Cuban

Lahore Tikka 

Honorable mentions: Khao San Road, Tacos El Asador, Kit-Kat, and Terroni

Toronto’s 5 Best Sandwiches

1. California Sandwiches – Veal Sandwich

Sloppy. Delicious. This family run restaurant certainly isn’t cheap (especially if you elect for all the gourmet toppings), but that hasn’t stopped me from ordering at least one veal sandwich a week since I started working. The toppings are incredible, and you’ll never leave feeling hungry.

2a. Black Camel – Beef Brisket / Pulled Pork

2b. The Stockyards – Pulled Pork / Beef Brisket

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either. For whatever reason, I tend to order the beef brisket at Black Camel and the Pulled Pork at Stockyards, but you can’t really go wrong with either at either place. Just hit up the place that is more convenient for where you are. The beef brisket is probably the “better” sandwich, but the pulled pork is definitely my favorite.

3. The Fish Store & Sandwiches

Fresh fish sandwiches for those days when you need a break from the heavy sandwiches listed above.

4. The Sandwich Box*  

A build you own sandwich joint that starts with great breads and unique spreads. Quite a few options for fans of every sandwich.

*I wanted to give the fourth spot to Petite Thuet’s lobster salad sandwich on pretzel bread, but after not serving it for an entire year, who knows when it will re-appear on the menu.

Honorable Mentions: Petite Thuet, Caplansky, Hey Meatball, and Reggie’s.

Meat Overload!!

I have always loved California Sandwiches. One of, if not, the best sandwiches in Toronto. If you watched me devour one of their fully loaded veal sandwiches, you wouldn’t even be able to guess that I normally hate peppers. Everything between the buns is fresh and delicious.

The problem is, I have never really had one located so close to me. They recently opened a store at Warden & Eglinton, and I can be spotted there for lunch at least once a week. As happy as I am for the new location, I would have appreciated if they didn’t open right next to Five Guys (noticeably less busy since CS opened). Every time I eat at one, I pretty much leave craving the other. Of course, I always feel a bit more guilty leaving Five Guys, since – as delicious and juicy as it is – it looks like a heart attack on a plate. At least I recently discovered the egg plant sandwich at California, which is equally tasty and usually served spicier. Unfortunately, the eggplant sandwich also tends to mean a few more trips to the bathroom.

For the 2-3 working days I’m not at Five Guys or California Sandwiches, you can probably find me eating some of the freshest and best kabobs Scarborough has to offer at Mr. Fresh Meat Chicken (80 Ellesmere) or at Ibrahim’s wolfing down a shawarma.

No longer the Places we Fell in Love With…

I almost feel as if I’m in a relationship I know is going no where, yet can’t jump ship because the sex is still good. You can still probably spot me wolfing down a burrito at Burrito Boyz or a burger at Big Smoke, but the spark is definitely flickering.

Perhaps it’s because I know the two started seeing more and more people as they expanded their business, but it doesn’t stop there. Maybe Burrito Boyz is just trying to tell me something, but their switch from jumbo shrimps to regular peeled shrimps just isn’t doing it for me. Sure, they added some condiments, but that doesn’t really make up for the smaller shrimps, almost flavorless (yet still delicate) halibut, or skimpier helpings of guacamole.

As for Big Smoke, ever since losing the name “Craft Burger,” I feel like they have just lost their Mojo. The King/Bathurst location is still a favorite of mine, but I find the others tend to serve rather dry burgers and fries. At least I can forgive them there since they still offer up their premier toppings like gourmet cheeses and avocado. I’m also pretty happy that they joined the Eaton Center family, since despite the beautiful new food court, there’s not really many options I hunger for.

How about the rest of you. Any favourites that have gone down hill since expansion or their first taste of success?

Honourable mention: Salad King. This used to be my go to place. Mengrai probably turned me into a bit of a Thai snob, but I just haven’t felt the same since they moved across the street. I have only been twice since, but the food seemed to be lacking some of the flavour and kick it used to have.

Showcase: Pizza Libretto

True Neapolitan pizza at its finest!! A creative and authentic pizza joint located in the heart of Toronto’s hipster community. There’s nothing quite like fresh, creamy mozzerella over thin crust pizza. For $15 a pie, you can’t ask for much more. The Duck Confit pizza is a fan favorite and the Rapini is just as tasty for the vegetarians out there. Because of its location, you can expect an artsy crowd. Libretto is a social gathering place perfect to share a bottle of wine and enjoy some authentic Italian pizza. It helps that the staff is so friendly and experienced.

I really enjoyed my first visit to this place, and it certainly will not be my last. From the three pies I sampled, I think it definitely needs to be thrown into the discussion when talking about Toronto’s best pizza.

However, I’m always a bit cautious when recommending this place to friends. Some people can happily sacrifice fresh ingredients as long as their pizza is huge, greasy, and full with meat. If so, and/or you’re scared of hipsters, this place might not be the place for you. 

Located 221 Ossington (just off Dundas).

The Fifth Social: Stay Away

Unless you’re thirty or older, I would stay away from The Fifth Social aka Easy on the Fifth. I “went” there a few weeks ago to celebrate a friend’s birthday. She got there maybe 30 minutes before my party and got in easily. Meanwhile, my party and I strolled by arround 10:30pm and were told that we would have to wait at least 2 hours to get in. After waiting over 30 minutes quietly, we saw the powertrip Bouncers continue to let people in without even waiting. All were clearly above the age of thirty, so maybe it was a money thing. We then tried offering cash to get them to allow in the birthday girl’s boyfriend (25 years old). The bouncers turned us away and continued to spew more and more BS as they let more and more people go straight in – even with a huge line behind us. All they were letting in were women and old dudes – none of which were particularly good looking. So unless you belong to one of those two groups, I advise that you stay away.

My Toronto

Toronto’s downtown core boasts an exciting nightlife and vast variety of cultural tastes and experiences. Both Bloor and Yonge Street provide quality shopping for the average shopaholic, while College Street and Kensington Market – both very dear to my heart –  offer delicious meals at reasonable prices. Kensington Market is a must see, as it is home to some very unique specialty shops. There’s a great variety of food available including, but not limited to, Chilean Empinadas, Mexican Burritos, Jamaican Beef Patties, Turkish Delight, and grand selections of fresh cheese or fish. College Street, home to Little Italy, meanwhile, is full with great bars and Italian restaurants. It’s hard to go wrong at either location. My personal favourite place to eat in Toronto is a small Latin American restaurant, ‘Tacos el Asador,’ located in Korea Town (on Bloor Street) that serves very Authentic and unique Latin street eats. It does not take much to find similar great places that serve unique and delicious dishes – usually at fairly reasonable prices. Toronto’s great mix of cultural flavours is really what sets it apart from most other cities. In addition to the different tastes already mentioned, Toronto has some of the best Thai food available scattered around the city. For those who are more about the party scene, Toronto’s clubbing district is very popular with the night owls of the city; and has several popular night clubs to choose from that vary in crowd and genre of music. Surrounding the many clubs are larger restaurants that cater to big and rowdy groups. If you find yourself wandering these parts very early in the morning, you can be sure to see huge lines of people waiting for their hotdog from one of the many street vendors.