BAK or other Toronto resident---
 

I am looking for a nice restaurant near Sam the Record Man on Yonge. It would be for a nice lunch..something special perhaps? Any suggestions? Thanks.

Try Il Fornello at 35 Elm Street.
(Tel: +1 416 598 1766)

Elm is two blocks north of Dundas
and is in the area of Sam's and HMV.

The restaurant is to the west of Sam's between Yonge and Bay.

Check out mapquest at
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/main.adp?countrycode=CA

I guess it depends on your definitions of 'nice' and 'special.' Everyone will have different thoughts on this one.

Although Il Fornello is a fine restaurant, it is also a pasta/italian chain and I personally wouldn't call it special.

Agora, the restaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario, has a great lunch in a unique setting. It's at Dundas just west of University so you would have a bit of a walk but not too much.
http://www.ago.net/www/services/agora/index.cfm

Oro, which is very expensive and has excellent food, is close by on Elm Street and is open for lunch on weekdays. It's between Bay and Yonge Streets, and Gerrard and Dundas Streets. www.ororestaurant.com

Perhaps some others will have more suggestions...

I guess defining "nice" is the key.

I'm an Il Fornello fan; good food, good service, and so what if there are several branches of it. Which raises the question of when does a restaurant with several branches turn into a chain. Two?, Three? 15?

But Elm Street is full of good places. Bangkok Garden has many fans.

Tehre's se veral other restaurants on the same street. Barberian's for a great steak.

Oro, mentioned above, is my favorite restaurant downtown for really, really good food. It's the place I took my friend Charles, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and a world traveller, when I needed to get hom a better meal in Toronto than he'd had the night before in Chicago, where people were trying to impress him, too.

If budget matters, ...

My friend Jana, who cares about food, had several lunches over three days at the Pickle Barrel, in the Atrium across the street from Sam's, a couple of months ago. The Senator, which is on Victoria Street just south of Dundas, only a couple of blocks from Sam's, has its following. I've never been disappointed there.

But, when it comes right down to it, I might just walk over to Il Fornello. Moderate luxury with moderate food at moderate prices, if my goal was to spend most of lunchtime talking to an old friend, without the restaurant getting in the way.

At Oro, I pay a lot of attention to the food, and don't want to be too distracted by conversation.

BAK

It is part of a Christmas gift. The couple doesn't drink and one is a vegetarian. I'm wondering about including in my gift a gift cert. to get into the Art Gallery and then have lunch there. However it appears that there is only brunch on the weekends..do you know if it is a fixed breakfast menu or a more elaborate meal? Thx.

I've been to Agora for a special occasion brunch and it was excellent. It's definitely not your standard brunch fare although they do have egg options - I'd consider it innovative and special. There were lots of vegetarian options. The restaurant as a sample brunch menu on their website at http://www.ago.net/www/services/agora/menus.cfm

Re: Agora

I was at the AGO restaurant a while back and I recall that lunch was pushing close to $30 and was underwhelmed by the value.

The exit from the restaurant returns you back into the art gallery.
Do you not have to buy a $12 art gallery admission ticket to get into the restaurant?

I was at the Modigliani exhibition today and the ticket cost $18.

My solution to your vegetarian/nonvegitarion issue is to send them to an Indian restaurant such as Dhaba at 309 King Street West (tel: (416) 740-6622)

The restaurant is located in the theatre district and about a 10 minute cab ride from the area of Sam/HMV on Yonge.

Ate there last week and the food was great as usual.

Lee's on King Street West and Portland is amazing. Its right next door to Susur and shares the same chef and management, just cheaper prices. Great vegetarian options. Open for lunch and dinner.

Le Commensal is a very good vegetarian restaurant at Bay/Elm, but it's not fancy (it's cafeteria-style), but people rave about it. Another option might be Spring Rolls on Dundas just East of Yonge Street. It has Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food. There will be a lot of veggie options, it's quite stylish-looking and it's moderately priced.

BAK,
Can you please post your website address again? - I can't find it on my computer.(I can't imagine deleting it!!) Your site has so many great food suggestions!