toronto restaurants
 

I'm planning a trip to toronto next month and looking for a good upscale restaurant for a special occasion. Also, does anyone know if any of the restaurants included in the "It's time for a little toronto" package are any good? They're listed on the timefortoronto.com website.

Of the restaurants on the timefortoronto website I have only been to two:
Joe Badali - OK but nothing special
Milestones - pretty good. I love their appetizers. The pasta dishes I have had have been good and their 1 person sized pizzas are good.
Neither is really suitable for a "special occasion".

Yes, some of the restaurants on the list are "any good."

What you think is any good may differ from otehr opinions, and your definition of a special occassion may differ from mine.

That said, working down from most special to least special, of those I know.

Toula, on top of the Westin Harbour Castle
Roeswater
Courthouse Market Grill

These are all worrthy of your good suit.


Club Lucky Kit Kat Too
Marcel's
Tie -- Whistling Oyster, Strip House, Filet of Sole (same location)
RD's (which is the next one I'll go too, next time I want a nice meal. Has live jazz, great ribs)
Duncaan Street Grill

Next level down -- still good places, just more casual

Fred's Not here and Red Tomato (same management)
Badaldi's
Il Fornello
Baroote'sMilestone's

and then, remembering it's a pub,

The Duke of Argyle

Can't help on the Chinese, Indian, Greek, befcause if I did want to eat this cuisine, I'd go to other places.

The others I did not mention are restaurants I do not know.

In broad strokes, they are all good to very good restaurants, all care about food and service, all want your business...

You can get out of all of them (except maybe the Strip House) easily for $75 for two if you don't drink much.

For "upscale" there are lots of other choices. Best in the same neighborhood as most of those above is Avalon; budget $200 for two, plan to take a long time to eat, savouring every bite.

BAK

Try nearly anything along Elm between Yonge & Bay, there everything from a highend steakhouse (Barbarian) to Thai (Bankok Garden) and everything inbetween (including a little shop the does Nova Scotia style donairs).

Z

what a great help you all are. thanks so much.

Up in Travelmaster's suggested city block there is Oro, which is, if you want to spend around $150-200 for two on food you'll never forget, a great place for a refined, intimate special occasion, as contrasted to a loud, exhuberant, special occasion.

BAK

Just curious...what on earth are "Nova Scotia style donairs"?(sp??) :)

Hi,
We bought a TO package and enjoyed our dinner at the CN Tower. It is definitely suitable for a special occaison and the food is good. However, a bit pricey, about $30/entree not including the appetizers or desserts. (Then again, I don't normally eat at upscale places.)

Another place on the TO package list not mentioned here was Kama on King St. I can't comment on the price of their a la carte dinners, but they have a buffet each night for about 20 dollars which is excellent. There is lots of selection and it's some of the best Indian food I've had.

Hey WOW:

If you have to ask what a "Nova Scotia style donair" is you'll unlikely want one, if you do you'll search for the shop (its between the 911-11 pizza shop & the Barbarian).

There is also a nice stretch of very good small resturants on McCall/Baldwin (in behind the hospitals, just north of Dundas), my favourate is Cafe Gaffe.

Z

Z

So....it is stuffed w/ lobster? I really do want to know what it is! Seafood? Seaweed? C'mon Z TravelMaster, give me a break...I am in To tomorrow & wld. like to check this out!

Donairs are pieces of meat that are grilled on a rotating vertical spit, with the meat sliced off the roast and put into sandwiches.

Different meats in different places.

One donair store last night had beef and pork on parallel spits.

This one is in a food court building on Queen Street West, opposite CITY TV, near Amato Pizza, which sells about 20 different kidns of pizza by the slice. I just buy the pizza.

BAK

Hi Wow:

Nothing that exotic (or expensive), just a modified filafal sp), with a much sweeter (& runnier) sauce. A recepie is at -www.astro.umd.edu/~petitpas/Links/Donair.html

King of Donair is most peoples favourate but there are many throughout Atlantic Canada & very few elsewhere.

Z