starrsville

I'm headed to Toronto in May on a work-related trip but hope that I can come in early to play on my own. I've only been there once before - and we barely got off hotel grounds.

I haven't researched (yet) on this forum to find Fodorites' favorites, but any input, information, suggestions would be appreciated.

hdm, suggestions of the ethnic restaurants and neighborhoods you mentioned would be great!

I will be entertaining customers for dinner so suggestions of nice restaurants would be greatly appreciated.

And, any suggestions for a free day before the conference would be wonderful. Should a take a day trip somewhere?

Thanks in advance,
Starrsville

hdm

Hiya, Starrs,
Good to see you here on 'my' thread!

First of all, where's the conference being held and do you know where you're staying? Will you be downtown? Also, what preferences do you have for ethnic food? And do you have a budget limit for the nice restaurants?

Location, I guess, is the most important thing. You can get around town pretty easily by public transportation/taxi/walking.

If you do have a car, for a day trip you might want to consider Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's a very charming little town, about an hour and a half's drive from Toronto (and a further 20 minutes or so to Niagara Falls). It will be beautiful in the spring and the Shaw Festival will be on (www.shawfest.com), if you want to take in some theatre. Even if you don't go to the theatre, the town is full of charming little shops and restaurants. I suppose you can also do this by bus.

Give me some details about your location and preferences and I'll give you tons of info. There are many other excellent 'Toronto posters' here as well.

starrsville

The conference is in mid May, I'll probably be in a downtown hotel and the restaurants and transportation to them will be on expense account via cabs. So, although the sky isn't the limit, I won't be pinching pennies either.

Niagara on the Lake sounds great! I've never seen the falls either. It sounds like a perfect combination to come in early for. I'll get a rental car.

For lunches/ dinners that I'm not entertaining I love the idea of ethnic restaurants/ neighborhoods. I like almost all foods - well, not organ meats, but other than that, I like and will try almost anything!

Wallace_and_Gromit

I will make a suggestion and you can either take it or leave it ...

You might want to do your entertaining at the Famous People Players - You get a nice meal and an incredible show that you will not soon forget. Plus, all proceeds go back into the organization.

It really is an awesome experience!!

http://www.fpp.org/

BAK

There's still info we need.

When you are entertaining clients, do you want to be in a quiet restaurant so you can talk, or in a happenin' place, where conversation isd impossible but people fell like they are somewhere special?

And how complicated do you want the food to be. Toronto's full of extraordinary, expensive, small portions restaurants with goats eyeballs sauteed in calamari ink, and such.

People eating this stuff tend to shut up and concentrate on the food.

If your clients know and enjoy exotic, leading edge food, fine.

But if you want to talk, and enjoy food they can recognize, you need a different type of restaurant. Iften, hotel dining rooms are a great compromise.Truffles, at the Four Seasons, is the best high-end hotel restaurant in town.

Do you have hobbies or serious "study topic" interests? On your way to or from Noiagara, for instance, you could stop at the Canadian WArplane Heritage museum at the Hamilton Airport. But if you don't care about old warplanes, it's a place to skip.

Same for ceramics, shoes, dinosaurs, armour, at different museums.

There are acouple of great camera stores, probably better than in your hometown, unless you are from New York.

Narrow down your ethnic food, because everything is available in Toronto. And ifyou want Portuguese fish, for instance, Joso's is an excellent restaurant, and a good choice for business entertaining, too.

CAsual Greek? We'll just send you to The Danforth and let you look in windows of a dozen restaurants until you see one that appeals.

CN Tower is fascinating, too, depending on your taste and style Plus, the rotating restaurant serves excellent food, too.

BAK

hdm

Hi Starrs.

I'm glad to hear you'll likely be staying downtown. You'll be within a few blocks walk (or a short subway or streetcar ride) from:
the Eaton Centre (big downtown shopping mall with stores from bargain to poshy-posh; also lots of eating courts and restaurants)
the Rogers Centre (sports stadium with retractable roof; it will be baseball season -- do your clients like baseball?)
the theatre district
the groovy Queen West village and the funkier even west-er Queen Street area
the St. Lawrence Market (big indoor farmer's/craft market) and the antique market (can't remember if it's Saturday or Sunday) across the road (I bought about a dozen pairs of earrings and brooches there last week for a buck each)
the very posh Yorkville-Cumberland area (Toronto's 5th Avenue)
the waterfront (shops, restaurants, gorgeous arts & crafts, an international market, galleries, theatre, free concerts and other entertainment)
the ferry to the Toronto Islands (nothing much there but it's a nice boat ride)
the Distillery District (galleries, restaurants, entertainment, Sandra Ainsley's gorgeous glass gallery, shops, outdoor festivals)
about a million ethnic neighbourhoods where you can shop, browse, eat.

More to come.

hdm

Toronto is a great city for ethnic neighbourhoods and you can find good cheap restaurants just about anywhere. It's also safe to walk around in the evenings -- there are always lots of people about because Torontonians really appreciate spring! Try these neighbourhoods and here are a few restaurants:

Dundas & Spadina: Chinatown & Kensington Market (try noodle houses Kim Hoa or Goldstone)
Danforth Avenue: Greek (try the Pantheon and then Athens Bakery for dessert)
Broadview & Gerrard: Indian (Siddartha for Indian buffet)
College Street between Clinton and Grace (there are millions of restaurants and don't forget gelato)
Queen Street between University and Bathurst: lots of restaurants and the street gets funkier and more interesting the farther west you go
Bloor Street from Spadina to Bathurst: U of T neighbourhood, lots of shops and restaurants. At Bathurst you'll find Honest Ed's, a Toronto landmark -- a bargain house that's lots of fun to visit. On the west side of Honest Ed's is Markham Village, a cute little street with galleries, restaurants, artists' studios.
Bloor Street from Avenue Road to Yonge/Yorkville area: very ritzy, Toronto's Fifth Avenue, good for window shopping but leave your credit card at home.
St.Lawrence Market area: particularly fun on a Saturday; go to both the south and north building; you can have a great cheap lunch at the south market -- don't forget to go downstairs. Some other restaurants near the Market are A few are Springrolls (pan Asian), the Hot House (various), Papillion (Breton style crepes), Shopsy's (deli), Penelope's (Greek), the Keg (steaks).

You can get a great dim sum lunch at The Pearl at Queen's Quay Terminal. Ask for a table overlooking the lake. The stores in that building are touristy and pricey but you can walk just west to Harbourfront Centre for concerts, theatre, galleries, special events, etc.

Check out www.harbourfront.on.ca for what's happening there. Also check out www.distillerydistrict.com (I'm not exactly sure about that website, sorry). For general info, try www.toronto.com.

Toronto Life Magazine is not bad for finding out what's happening but you'll have to get the April issue for what's on in May. Best though is NOW Magazine, an entertainment newspaper you can pick up for free just about anywhere. It comes out on Thursdays and I think they have a website too.

Still more to come.

hdm

Tell us what kind of place you want to take your clients to. BAK's mention of Joso's is a good one -- the food is great, the atmosphere interesting and it's a favourite of celebrities. But there are tons of good restaurants, so give us a bit more info.

I'm also partial to posh hotel bars -- on Yorkville there's the lobby bar at the Four Seasons, a great Rooftop Bar across the road at the Park Hyatt, and another favourite of mine is Proof at the Intercontinental Hotel on Bloor.

Tell me what else you want to know.

CanadaKate

If you're downtown in May, a trip to the Toronto Islands is easy and fun. Take the subway to Union Station, then the underground streetcar one stop to Queen's Quay. Walk a block to the ferry docks.

A 15 minute ride will bring you to Ward's Island where a small community of people live close to but far from the city.

A few minutes walk will bring you to the Rectory Cafe http://rectorycafe.com/. If it's warm enough, have your lunch under the trees. If not, eat inside surrounded by art. Great food.

If you want to walk off your lunch you can head west and take the ferry back from Centre Island.

For other dining adventures, take the subway to Broadview or Chester station and explore the Danforth -- Egyptian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Greek, Mexican and more cuisines available in a friendly neighbourhood where people still sit on their porches to watch the world go by at night.

Welcome -- I hope you have a great time in my hometown.

CanadaKate

SallyCanuck

You might try Auberge du Pommier - http://www.oliverbonacini.com/ or any other bonacini restaurants. Canoe has a great view from the 54th floor.

Auberge du Pommier isn't downtown but easy to get to on the subway along Yonge.

hdm

SallyCanuck, I don't think Canoe is open to the public on weekends anymore. Last time I checked, it was only used for private parties on the weekends.

Good posh downtown or midtown restaurants for taking clients too (some I like better than others but that's just me):

Susur Lee (or Lee, next door, which is equally good but less expensive)
Thuet's Bistro
Mistura (good jazz bar upstairs)
North 44
Centro
Joso's
Boba
Monsoon
Boiler Room (in the Distillery District)
Auberge du Pommier (very good, yes, but as SC says, it's not downtown)

starrsville

Thanks so much. These are great ideas. When I find out exactly where I'm staying, I'll report back. But, cab rides to the restaurants will be just fine.

jamierin

I'll second Boba, Mistura (my fav) and North 44, and add Splendido on Harbord Street to that list for sure, esp. if you are on an expense account.

starrsville

Okay, crunch time.
I need to make reservations for a group of about 25 on a weekday.

Folks will be coming from the Convention center or the Sheraton or the Westin.

I want nice - but not over the top for such a large group.

What are your top 2 or 3 choices?

I've called Il Fornello on the water but the manager is busy. I can call back later in the day - but want more input from Fodor's experts! Thanks!

starrsville

Okay, mapping it and Il Fornello on King and Simcoe looks like it would be a good option. Between the Sheraton and the Convention Center.

I can't cab 25 folks to a restaurant

Would that be a good choice? Should I do the waterfront? On the water - but what if we are in a private room without a view - and further away for tired legs.

Monsoon seems to be in walking distance (from the ones listed above)

Other ideas?

hdm

Alice Fazooli's on either Adelaide or Richmond (can't remember which) is within walking distance. I haven't been for years but I remember having spicy crawfish there. It's casual but big and would probably have no problem with a crowd that size.

Has anyone been lately?

There's a Milestone Grill (large chain restaurant with decent food) on John or Duncan. There's always Wayne Gretzky's on Blue Jays Way but I don't know what the food's like. Great for the hockey fans, though. Penelope's on King Street (Greek).

Joe Badali's is big, casual, not bad food, and right across from the Convention Centre.

I'll keep thinking about it.

lucyp

Hi, maybe Tundra (specializing in Canadian cuisine) or Ruth's Chris Steak House at the Hilton (Richmond at University). The Brassserie (French bistro) on John St. (a few blocks west of University just below Richmond).

Also as suggested chains like Milestones or Montana's on the same street would also easily handle 25 people.

BAK

Are there really 25? Call Club Lucky / Kit Kat Too, on John Street, just north of Adelaide. It's half way between the Sheraton and the Westin, and sevral notches higher in almost any way from a branch of Ol Fornello.

For 25 people, the ownner will give you either a private area at the back or he'll open the second floor for you.

Italian, decent kitchen, good service, can be very relaxed if that's what you want.

There's another Kit Kat, on King -- that is NOT the place for a group of 25. Same owner.

BAK

hdm

I dunno, BAK. Normally, I agree with you on just about everything having to do with Toronto and environs.

But with a crowd as big as 25, you're going to get quite a few of those hard-to-please, I-don't-eat-this-or-that people. I think Il Fornello is well-priced, better than decent food, attractive surroundings, and MOR enough to please just about everybody.

starrsville

Okay, which of these three (others are booked or don't take reservations)

Kit Kat
Milestone
Montana