Ruby Beets, 11 St. Clair West
Fran’s, 21 St. Clair West, voted best 24 hour restaurant in Now reader’s poll/97, Toronto Life/95 says best rice pudding in city, this is the only Fran’s to go to, where we used to go with Alison at Christmas before listening to carols, Glen Gould used to go here at night.
Sports Rock Café, 49 St. Clair West, voted best sports bar in Now reader’s poll 95/96/97, formerly Bocca which closed ‘89, personalized tv’s for sporting events, part of basketball court where diners can shoot baskets, epicures stay home, but Peter Zezel likes for coed atmosphere
62-64 St. Clair West, art moderne apartments
110 St. Clair West, art moderne apartments, where Glenn Gould lived, in penthouse 902, for last 20 years, John Bentley Mays says gem of depression modern style, 1938, u-shaped edifice is fine orchestration of virtually every decorative gesture we look for in North American deluxe apartment construction in its day, dark brown brick streamlined and stripped of all ornamentation except for firm, subtle horizontal courses of raised parallel brickwork binding exterior all around, usual chrome-steel and spare fluted concrete trim to entrance, horizontal sweeps of windows to move eye effectively out from sheltered, modestly theatrical set back entrance, around corner curves to flat curtain walls of two wings, most characteristic is near universal, immediately recognizable trademark of 30s, swept around corner, only thing missing was gleaming glass blocks, depression modern is only distinctive 20th century style native to North America, big city sophistication and small scale bourgeois elegance, there aug/94
Timothy Eaton Church, 230 St. Clair West
SPADINA ROAD:
Primi, 427 Spadina Road, 2½ stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, casually elegant, dozen pastas, eye says superb food and professional service, among best Italian restaurants in Toronto, prices higher than would ordinarily pay at $70-80, epicure may/91, bustling, simpatico, moderately priced for the area, surroundings spare, rustic Italian stucco style, adjoining wine bar, spaghetti alle vongole is exemplary treatment of quahogs in light tomato cream, noodles correctly al dente, carpaccio smothered in parmesan, caesar salad as good as his own
The Village Restaurant, 420 Spadina Road, nnn, hospitality textbook study in quality and service, from 60s, menu short and to the point, hamburger patties house made and moist, omelettes with mountain of fries and toast, lemony chicken souvlaki, bountiful Greek village salad, great turkey sandwiches, real diner
Dakota Kitchens, 417 Spadina Road, was David Wood, Joanne Kates june/91, service good but food not
Village Idiot, 392½ Spadina Road, nnn, dark and verging on grungy, welcoming oasis for modern basics, beer and jazz on Thursday nights, bests are punchy tomato bruschetta with chèvre, grilled cheddar and chicken quesadillas with oozing cheddar, idiot burger, slightly sweet but rockin’s pad Thai, $20 per person, good wine by glass, half or full bottle, this is above St. Clair.
BATHURST:
1592 Bathurst, Suite 26, Cherie, December 21/90
St. Michael’s Arena, 1515 Bathurst
El Plebeyo, 1453 Bathurst, corner of St. Clair, Star nov/04 likes, best dish is “Peruvian Chinese dish” which is grouper, Joanne Kates may/03 says most attractive of South American restaurants on St. Clair, marvellous décor, Peruvian, menu encyclopaedic, don’t eat particularly well but do eat cheaply, quantity makes up for quality, 3 stars in eye mar/02 says homespun Peruvian fare, strip mall, menu overwhelming in magnitude, fish and seafood predominate, this sounds really good, Toronto Life says can order takeout,
Charmers, 1385 Bathurst, charming restaurant that serves seductive Mexican food, good for children
Wychwood Park Gallery, 1362 Bathurst, where Nettie lived, described in Cycling in Ontario book
Banfi, 333B Lonsdale, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, 2½ stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, noisy open kitchen, pastas and pizzas, nnn, in heart of Forest Hill, lineups, warmly paneled little room, straightforward and sometimes exceptional value-driven Italian food, great service, caesar salad, other salads, skip house selections of antipasti, go for pasta, relentless flow of thin, crisp pizzas, build your own, designer list, consistently some of best in town, outstanding value
MORE ST. CLAIR:
St. Clair West restaurants, John Allemang aug/96, says broad, undulating chaotic stretch just west of Bathurst, culturally, ethnically and economically diverse to point of satire, no dominant cuisine, great unknown, Albert’s real Jamaican, Mexican at El Palenque, Egypto-Israeli at Mezzetta, Portuguese at Churrasco, Italian at Ferro, Filippo’s, and Calzone, Hungarian at Budapest Village and Matyas Cellar, Thai at Onkees, Peruvian at Dona Luz, Dominican at La Rancheta, plus Ethiopian and Aida’s falafel
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35 Raglan Avenue, where Andrew and Andrea lived
Fatso’s, 536 St. Clair West, voted second best burger place in Now reader’s poll/96
Albert’s Real Jamaican Food, 542 St Clair West, nnn july/02, voted second best Caribbean restaurant in Now reader’s poll/96, nnn jan/96, recently jazzed up to include few self-serve tables, best are all traditional Jamaican braises, jerk chicken, beans and rice, $8 per person with ginger beer, chosen by Toronto Life's great takeout ‘92 for jerk chicken, cornbread dumplings, chicken and goat curries, I had chicken curry june/94, had whole chicken parts like others I have tried, mound of red beans and rice which was sweet, coleslaw
El Fogon, 543 St. Clair West, nnn jan/05, lunch, great sandwiches, ceviche, honest food.
Thai Springroll, 630 St. Clair West, try curried venison
Flori Floral Designs, 633 St. Clair West, voted best florist in Now reader’s poll/95, Toronto Life says best florist, key is in beautiful arrangement, grand, naturalistic, loose, with obscure varieties and no dyed chrysanthemums
Folly, 649 St. Clair West, voted runner-up best store for unique gifts in Now reader’s poll/95
El Palinque, 653 St. Clair West, 2½ stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, backyard patio, northern Mexican, tacos, burritos, chimichangas and quesadillas, pozole, ceviche, Gina Mallet june/98, alive with spirit of Mexico, backyard with lanterns, good fresh food, cilantro, she likes, Toronto Life june/96 gives 1½ stars, good Mexican beer, sangria, and reasonable Chilean cab, can’t figure out if writer likes it or not, was El Escondite, there december/91, I had mole, she had appetizers
Churrasco of St. Clair, 679 St. Clair West, nnn aug/98, tastiest take out chicken, lineups, spice rubbed grilled birds with variety of sauces, roasted potato puffs, cornbread, shredded chicken sandwiches, where Anthony Walsh of Auberge du Pommier goes for chicken, wife likes sauces which are similar to ones she remembers from Argentina, Joanne Kates fall/97, overcooked, voted runner up best bbq chicken in Now reader's poll/95/97/99/01/04 and best in 96, chosen by Toronto Life's great takeout ‘92 for chicken, epicure mentions on Portuguese cooking for chicken takeout with piri-piri hot sauce, roast potatoes, perfect instant dinner
Mezzetta Cafe Restaurant, 681 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, 2½ stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, appetizers and nothing else, Joanne Kates feb/93, one feels welcome, home-away-from-home, eggplant and jazz, mezze means variety of appetizers, this is for the heavily addicted grazers, sample little plates ad nauseam, eastern Mediterranean, rich in olive oil, reliant on eggplant, baba ghanouj, ratatouille, only bad dishes are deep-fried eggplant and moussaka, tabouleh is fresh, hummus velvet, roasted green peppers sweet, falafel with wonderful spicy tomato and coriander sauce, daily soups based on lentil or yellow pea with cumin and coriander, perfect baklava, nnnn, friendly, buzzy, inexpensive, irresistible, Mediterranean grazing like Greek mezedes or Spanish tapas, 30 item menu from hummus to skewered meat, all offerings cost $2, accent is middle eastern, eggplant is reigning ingredient, mashed, fried and served hot with lemon and parsley, marinated, simmered in peppers, onion and tomatoes, sautéed and topped with meat sauce to make moussaka, may be best purveyor of eggplant in city, crusty pastry, dainty meat or potato pie, all with warm pita with hot sauce, great eatery that is eminently affordable and also fun, chosen by Toronto Life's great takeout ‘92, stresses take-out component, above average hummus, grilled skewers of chicken and lamb, eggplant marinated 5 different ways, there with brothers and sisters jan/03, see review in Toronto Life
World Class Bakers, 690 St. Clair, Now mar/02 says just opened, get bagels from Gryfe’s, baklava, date squares, lunch hot-table, ratatouille with rice, paella
Gerry’s Fast Food, 724 St. Clair, advertised in Now, jerk chicken rotis, looks good
Pain Purdu, 736 St. Clair West, all the bustle and charm of a left bank boulangerie, croissants, gateaux basques, Star aug/03 says new, raspberry tarts dusted with snowy powdered sugar, demure mille feuilles, slender éclairs, cookies, brioches, pains au chocolat
Filippo’s, 744 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, Joanne Kates jan/99, quietly moving up in world, risotto, stick with pizza, Gina Mallet july/98, comfort and wit, designer pizzas, no reservations, most wine by glass, large helpings, also pasta family restaurant, compact Cadillac of bright modish parlours, mainly attracts young handsome crowd with list of 26 sapid, little pizzas with twice as many supplementary toppings, several pastas, salads, calzone, tartufos, few Italian wines by bottle or glass, opera blares on soundtrack, children treated courteously, where Chris McDonald of Avalon goes for pizza, also decent wine by glass
Spargalo Grill & Wine Bar, 760 St. Clair West, Cynthia Wine mar/94, chic and attractive, seafood, lobster pasta for two $24, tasty, thin-crust pizza, pleasant
Ferro, 769 St. Clair West, mentioned in Toronto Life's Best Takeout January 2007.
Da Gianni & Maria Trattoria, 796 St. Clair West, Joanne Kates nov/03, gnocchi to die for, traditional Italian, loved agnolotti with squash, also zuppa di pesce, avoid risotto
Mercadito, 798 St. Clair West, Star nov/04, Venezuelan, didn’t sound very good
La Cocina De Dona Luz, 807 St. Clair, west of Bathurst, Amy Pataki july/02, 3 stars, hearty, they use the yellow chili pepper, potatoes figure prominently since this is where they began, one of the best dishes is cheese sauce on potatoes (papa a la huancaina), also she loves chicken in cheese sauce, 2 stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, nnn jan/96, Peruvian oasis, soulful South American fare, bests are chicken and pork tamales, simply fried white fish, seco de cordero, lamb shoulder with creamy beans and rice, dinners for $16
Pancho Villa, 813 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003
InsideOut, 814 St. Clair West, charming decor shop, has Lampe Berger.
Casa Miriachi, 816 St. Clair West, Star nov/04, liked chicken-lime soup, average mains, tacos, fajitas, found it so so
Atlas One, 820 St. Clair, Liz Allemang in Globe September/07 likes a lot, Egyptian/Moroccan, vegetarian platter, lamb kebab, mezzetta platter,
Mi Terra, 828 St. Clair, Gina Mallet june/98, Columbian, major macho food, ceviche, mildly hot, generally liked
Patachou, 835 St. Clair West, famous croissants and brioches.
IAVGO, 845 St. Clair West
Vanipha Lanna, 863 St. Clair West, mentioned in Toronto Life's Best Takeout January 2007, Laotian, which is rare in the GTA. Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, 2½ stars in eye may/02, on Saturday night clearly understaffed, better on a weekday night, 2½ stars in Toronto Life's 2002 Restaurant Guide, mains outshine starters, Joanne Kates Mar/02, this is same one that started out in Kensington and moved to Eglinton, Vanipha Southalack came from Laos as refugee, cooked at Queen Mother and Rivoli, moved here to put wholesale and restaurant together, bad service but lots of fun, famous spring rolls and salad rolls, Thai dumplings, seafood pinwheel, chicken satay, diversity of sauces, pad Thai is stellar, green curried chicken divine.
Corso Italia is between Dufferin and Lansdowne or probably just St. Clair and Dufferin
A & A Takeout, 954 St. Clair West, city’s best Jamaican patties, beef, vegetable and curry, down home fritters, johnycakes, fried saltfish, soup, goat, chicken or oxtail curries, jerk chicken
Khmer Thai, 1018 St. Clair West, mentioned in Toronto Life's Best Takeout January 2007, Cambodian.
Big Ragu, 1338 Lansdowne, at St. Clair, have no idea where this fits along St. Clair, Star feb/05, 2½ stars, friendly Italian, has gusto, antipasto for two sounds good, pasta and bean soup, magic mushroom salad, penne al ragu is from family recipe with chunks of lamb shoulder, great lasagna,
Bohemia Rhapsody, 994 St. Clair West, nnn mar/03, offbeat, high-end Cuban turista fare, Julie’s and La Carreta get it right, pleasant black bean soup, chef’s cold soup real surprise, pork chops with rum, Ropa Vieja good, Swiss-stuffed Cuban sandwich sounds really good
Khmer Thai, 1018 St. Clair West, nnn mar/04, Cambodian, subtle spicing, half is usual Thai, but other half is star,
Port Henderson Jerk Centre, 1028½ St. Clair West, Now july/02, Jamaican take-away, jerk chicken has sweet barbecue sauce
St. Clair Produce, 1036 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's where to get stuff cheap ‘95, for people who want vast quantities of tomatoes and peppers for winter, mass quantities, other veggie goodies, figs, basil, finocchio, dry goods like pastene tomatoes
A Capoeira, 1072 St. Clair West, Now may/02, rotisserie chicken is fabulous with piri-piri sauce
Regal Heights Bistro, 1077 St. Clair West, nnnn jan/05, open 3 months, sophisticated, yellow walls, Mark Zimmer from Acqua, Jump and Centro, generally very good.
163 Café, 163 Lauder, nnn jan/05, coffee and biscotti
Café Guilietta, 1123 St. Clair West, two and half stars in Metropolis, like religious men’s club, not good food
Buon Gusto, 1127 St. Clair West, Joanne Kates april/91, true Italian experience, vegetables overcooked, not into dessert, visual blandness, not into visual expressionism, there for a year, local, largely Italian following, anti-yuppie, properly Italian, real Italian food is plain spoken, grilled foods are great strength, grilled octopus, squid, trout or quails, oregano, olive oil and a hot grill bring out sweetness within and crispness without, pasta with admirable tomato sauce, skip gnocchi, start with minestrone and some bruschetta which is excellent
San Remo Florist, 1151 St. Clair West, there for 50 years, for budget-minded, arrangements combine unusual choices, calla lilies, chartreuse or fuchsia orchids, “Leonides” roses, and atypical naturals such as snake grass, river rocks, flax, croton leaves, European hand-tied bouquets, arrangements may include a framing of grapevine or water banboo
Marcello’s, 1163 St. Clair West, one of Now’s 10 best for 2002, neighbourhood favourite, noisy, family-style mixes old-school Italian techniques with upscale ingredients, European football on giant screen TV and wood-burning oven centre stage rolling out best thin-crust pizza in town, marvellous.
Very Good Food, 1193 St. Clair West, nnn dec/02, former pastry chef at Agora, charming café, upscale soups and sandwiches to eat in, salads and main to go, chicken pot pie, nibbles like risotto croquettes, curried beef and phyllo bundles,
Centro Trattoria Formaggi, 1224 St. Clair, palace of provolone and hearty cafeteria style fare, served as backdrop in film Moonstruck, hot meats, heart-stopping ricotta cannelloni and intricate entrées like veal plate, Toronto Life says best cannelloni in Toronto nov/94
Tri Colore, 1238 St. Clair West, billiards joint that serves good coffee
Café Romeo, 1239 St. Clair West, 3½ stars in Metropolis, espressos, mineral water, imported beers, cakes and desserts, mentioned by Toronto Life as best espresso in city
Sereno Lounge, 1256 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, Portuguese, meat, fish, chicken, pasta, antipasti
La Bruschetta, 1317 St. Clair West, Amy Pataki aug/02 says popular with film festival stars, warm welcome, no airs, gnocchi improbably light, veal medallions wonderful, she likes, nnn aug/02, upscale trattoria, old-school Italian home cooking, fettuccine Giuliana, jolly atmosphere, roguishly pungent pickled peppers arrive with the bread, pastas show best, bold garlic tomato three cheese sauce for delightful gnocchi grattinati and harmonious tomato cream for fusilli alla capriciosa, shrimp al vino have been correctly sautéed, chosen favourite by T.O. magazine, family run, restaurant is their life, don’t use machines, green fettuccine, capriciosi with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, whipped cream, Italian bacon, rosemary and black olives, mixed seafood platter with pasta, clams, mussels, shrimps and baby shark, excellent for children according to Joanne Kates and their move down the street considered worthy of mentioning in her article, Cynthia Wine may/01 says have the antipasto platter, mostly made on premises, otherwise stick to pastas
The Big Ragu, 1338 Lansdowne at St. Clair, Amy Pataki in November 2007 did not like. Service extremely slow taking over three hours, rigatoni alla carbonara was tasteless, gnocchi was gummy,
La Terrazza, 1331 St. Clair West, three stars in Metropolis, more relaxing than some, mixed crowd, North American like chicken wings or fish and chips and nine gourmet burgers, salad with homemade marinated artichokes, main events are desserts
Frank’s Pizza House, 1352 St. Clair West, Toronto Life's $25 Gourmet 2003, the real thing, 26 pizzas, pastas
O Farol Churrasqueira, 1474 St. Clair West, nnn may/02, family style Portuguese joint, for those who love meat, deft hand with grilled fish, simpler the better
Banh Cuon Pho Ga, 1772 St. Clair West, Now oct/03 talks about pho in Vietnamese restaurants in the area, next door is Pho Rua Vang, also Mi Gia Phung,
Canada Packers, 2200 St. Clair West
Executive Choice, 2445 St. Clair West, where you can rent exotic cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet for $299 a day
