We will be in Toronto at the end of the month staying at the Residence Inn on Wellington. Are there any really good places to eat dinner close by?

There are tons of restaurants in that neighbourhood, armchairtravel.

The stretch of King Street west of University Avenue has zillions of them. There are also restaurants on the streets running north and south and you're just south of Queen West Village.

Is there any cuisine in particular you're looking for? Price range?

I don't know anything about chowhound.com but lots of people here seem to use it. Also, if you look at www.toronto.com and check restaurants in the 'entertainment district' you'll find lists.

We are planning to see Dirty Dancing and are looking for a really nice place to dine before the show. We love all cuisines, but would like to go somewhere the locals not just the tourists go!

No problem with that, armchair. It's a busy neighbourhood -- lots of locals!

If you're there a day or two before your theatre date, walk along King Street and check out the menus. If you see something you like, drop in and make a reservation. I personally like Fred's Not Here (lots of grilled meat). The downstairs, the Red Tomato, has a fun half prize 'small dishes' menu before 6.

There's really such a big choice in the neighbourhood, it's hard to give you some guidance without more specifics. Did you look at toronto.com?

Here’s a link to Chowhound’s Ontario board …

http://www.chowhound.com/boards/23

and a link to restaurant locations arranged by distance from the Residence Inn …

http://foodpages.ca/?SearchDD=1&lang...mp;submit.y=13 .

That map arranged by distance is nuts, incidentally.

In Toronto, we need more specific definitions tha "really good" places close by.

Senses coasts $250 for two; Kit Kat costs $125 for two, one will get you out in time for the show, and the other takes all evening.

And so on.

Japanese? Fune.

Indian, Greek, steaks?

Can you give ua an idea of price and kind of food and how long you think dinner should take?

BAK

The show starts at 8 so we need to be to the theatre by then obviously--so I was thinking of a reservation for 6 PM somewhere close by enough to walk--we are walkers so it doesn't need to be next door. Are open to lots of different cuisines but would like somewhere nice probably not exceeding 150 for the two us--does that help? I so appreciate your input!

The best advice has already been given, more or less.

Just two blocks north of the hotel, parallel to Wellington Street, are more than a dozen rstaurants on the south side of King Street West, more or less across from the Holiday Inn.

Earlier in the day, go for a walk and check out these places by looking trhough the windows, seeing what people are eating for lunch, and reading the menus posted or handed out by the staff.

Someone's already suggested Fred's Not Here and The Red Tomato; I like the Kit Kat myself. Thjese restaurants are all very experienced in getting people fed well and then out in time to get to the theatre -- The Princess of Wales and the Royal Alexandra are both only a few minutes walk away (So's Second City, for that matter)

BAK

After reading a lot of dining info on this site and others I have narrowed my before the theatre dinner to Crush or Kit Kat. I know the two are pretty different--why would you choose one over the other?

I've only been to Kit Kat once and I enjoyed the food well enough, though I found it quite crowded with the tables close together. I've only been to Crush for drinks so I can't comment on the food. It's more spacious but a little farther away from the theatre and although it's in a neighbourhood that in the process of becoming upscale (condos, restaurants), I don't think it's a particularly interesting walk from there to the theatre.

Others? What do you think?