The Universal Grill is a great little gem that most people would drive past and not even give a second thought too. This great little diner which is painted a bright teal blue colour is located at 1071 Shaw St., right at the corner of Dupont and Shaw.
This location offers a very limited menu but numerous specials. Upon entering this very small diner you are greeted by whoever is behind the bar. There is no waiting area but you can either dine in a booth or at the counter, but that didn't matter because we were seated only minutes after we arrived. We received water right away but the refills were few and far between unless we asked. The service staff was friendly but not efficient. When we finished our meals we had to get up from the table and start putting our jackets on before we could even get our bill. Honestly I felt as though we could have walked right out the front door without anyone even questioning us.
The food was much different then the service. The menu was very small but offered unique items. We decided to steer clear from the menu and enjoy some of the amazing specials that were being offered that morning. We enjoyed an asparagus, mushrooms, and Gruyere omelet with home fries and the beet curred smoked salmon with poached eggs and home fries. The meals were absolutely delicious. We really enjoyed the food and agreed that we would love to come back to try the specials here again.
I would have to give this location an 7.5 out of 10. This location had so much more potential but lost out on the service side of the experience.
I would return to this location to give it a second chance. Just because service is below par doesn't mean you shouldn't return if you enjoyed the rest of the experience.
Happy Eating.
- The Hungry Ginger
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Bryden's on Bloor
Bryden's, the destination for unique beers. This location at Bloor and Jane in Bloor West Village has become very well known for appreciating the small guys when it comes to craft beer market. For this location though its not always about the beer selection, even though I would say its the most important start.
I have eaten at Bryden's on three different occasions. It has a great atmosphere but its not for everyone. It is a very small location and tight seating which causes for you to be involved in others conversations. The craft beer side of things actually brings out a vibe in people you don't get at most places. The craft beer industry is one of comradery, friendship, enjoyment and fun competition. These traits find their way right into the heart of this restaurant.
Moving forward, the food at this location brings different levels of interest into play. The menu is fairly impressive and diverse for this location. Its not your average pub food, but then again this isn't your average pub. Items like fruit salad and smoked salmon caught me off guard when browsing the menu.
One thing I was very surprised with is that, their menu isn't focused towards using their amazing selection of different beers to pair with the food. Which is very disappointing to me.
My experience here has been very positive surrounding the food program. Though on three different occasions I ordered wings at this location and their pound of wings has managed to get smaller and smaller. In fact the last time I ordered wings it was for two pounds, and when I got them there was only thirteen wings in the basket. THIRTEEN!!! These wings were no bigger then any average wing you would get at any other restaurant. When I asked if they had missed some they responded by telling me they weigh everything out. That's a terrible answer to tell any guest. The standard for a pound of wings in the marketplace is eight to ten wings. The worst part about only getting thirteen wings was that it cost me TWENTY THREE dollars. To me this is unacceptable. I appreciate that a restaurant needs to make money but that is just robbery. Being such a loyal person to the area I will no longer be ordering wings at Bryden's.
If you do decide to give it a try make sure you get in there for their half price appetizers. This deal is in the afternoon from 3pm to 6pm. This special gives you a great opportunity to sample the menu and appreciate the food for an economical cost, regardless of the portion sizes.
I give Bryden's a 7 out of 10. This location has great service, great atmosphere (even though the old style furniture is getting a little ratty), but has missed out on some portion control.
Give this location a try, support your local breweries, and local restaurants. Would love to hear about your experience here.
Happy Eating.
- The Hungry Ginger
I have eaten at Bryden's on three different occasions. It has a great atmosphere but its not for everyone. It is a very small location and tight seating which causes for you to be involved in others conversations. The craft beer side of things actually brings out a vibe in people you don't get at most places. The craft beer industry is one of comradery, friendship, enjoyment and fun competition. These traits find their way right into the heart of this restaurant.
Moving forward, the food at this location brings different levels of interest into play. The menu is fairly impressive and diverse for this location. Its not your average pub food, but then again this isn't your average pub. Items like fruit salad and smoked salmon caught me off guard when browsing the menu.
One thing I was very surprised with is that, their menu isn't focused towards using their amazing selection of different beers to pair with the food. Which is very disappointing to me.
My experience here has been very positive surrounding the food program. Though on three different occasions I ordered wings at this location and their pound of wings has managed to get smaller and smaller. In fact the last time I ordered wings it was for two pounds, and when I got them there was only thirteen wings in the basket. THIRTEEN!!! These wings were no bigger then any average wing you would get at any other restaurant. When I asked if they had missed some they responded by telling me they weigh everything out. That's a terrible answer to tell any guest. The standard for a pound of wings in the marketplace is eight to ten wings. The worst part about only getting thirteen wings was that it cost me TWENTY THREE dollars. To me this is unacceptable. I appreciate that a restaurant needs to make money but that is just robbery. Being such a loyal person to the area I will no longer be ordering wings at Bryden's.
If you do decide to give it a try make sure you get in there for their half price appetizers. This deal is in the afternoon from 3pm to 6pm. This special gives you a great opportunity to sample the menu and appreciate the food for an economical cost, regardless of the portion sizes.
I give Bryden's a 7 out of 10. This location has great service, great atmosphere (even though the old style furniture is getting a little ratty), but has missed out on some portion control.
Give this location a try, support your local breweries, and local restaurants. Would love to hear about your experience here.
Happy Eating.
- The Hungry Ginger
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Coppi
Well this will be my first review of three restaurants for Winterlicious.
Coppi, which is located at 3363 Yonge Street, about half way between Lawrence Ave W and Wilson Ave. I took the subway to get here and it worked out very well. My guest drove to the location and parking was not easy to find so make sure you give yourself some time. Coppi does have a valet car service, but we didn't use it.
We were greeted upon arrival by a man in a red coat. No idea who he was at first. He was wearing a ball cap at unshaven. I found this odd but continued in. We were then greeted and seated very promptly once inside the restaurant. Our young male server approached the table and introduced himself and got a drink order from us. The orginal bottle of wine that was ordered wasn't cold so we had to enjoy a different wine. The wine came out shortly after and we began to enjoy. We ordered our meal shortly after the wine arrived and it wasn't long before our appetizers came out.
To start my guest had the soup of the day which was very good, Cream of Cawliflower, and considering how cold outside it was that night it was perfect and I had the air cured beef tenderloin with grilled radicchio, topped with shavings of parmigiano reggiano. It was presented nicely and no complaints.
For our entrees we had the ½ cornish hen stuffed with vegetable farce served with rustic mash, french beans & cranberry demi and the grilled aaa beef tenderloin served with rustic mash, asparagus & mushroom demi. The cornish hen was amazing. Full of flavour and appointed very well. As for the beef tenderloin I wish I could say the same. The server only offered it to me to be cooked at either medium rare or rare. So I opted for the medium rare but arrived almost blue rare. The edges were cooked but the inside was still very raw, warm but raw. For most, they would have sent this back but having been in the industry and one that can handle a rare steak I decided to eat dinner with my guest. The presentation was accurate but nothing exciting and they had pre cut open the steak for the display effect. You would think if they had done this they would have cooked it properly. This raise alarm bells for me regarding this restaurant. It is very common that a chef believes he knows what a steak is supposed to look like when cooked to a specific degree but as I am sure you all know this can change depending on what restaurant you go to. So make sure you are clear about how you want your steak to come, describe it if you have to.
For dessert we enjoyed the tiramisu and the lemon flavored sorbet. Both were very good and very much enjoyed.
Other then my main course they did very well on the food part of the dining experience. It is the service that is in question for this restaurant. There were 4 servers and 1 bartender and each of them served or cleared our table. Don't get me worng it was great knowing that things were being cleared when finished but when it comes to the server that first introduced himself to us for drinks, we never saw him again, even for the bill! The problem here is that one server told us he was going to get us more bread and it never showed up. It became a running joke between my guest and myself as to which server was going to bring us something next. To me this shows that there was not enough servers on the floor and that our server who must have been new or less experienced couldn't handle the amount of tables in his section. Also we weren't asked once if we would like fresh ground pepper of parmisan cheese on any of our courses.
Our wait times between courses was also out of line. We waited about 5 minutes before our appetizers came out, then 20 minutes before our mains, then another 5 minutes for our desserts. Some bleieve this is the kitchen's fault, but in reality it is your server that has control of when your courses are sent through to be made. Usually the kitchen won't start making soemthing until they are told becasue they cannot see the table whereas the server can. This determines whether they are slow or fast eaters.
The atmosphere was too bright. They had plenty of candles throughout the restaurant and on each table and the lights were on full blast. There was also no background music. The mood was not set and the feel of being in an italian restaurant did not exist.
This restaurant did well with the food other then the beef, terrible on the service, and terrible on the atmosphere. I am giving this restaurant a 5 out of 10 and I would never go back to this restaurant.
Oh, and the guy at the front that greated us in the red jacket and ball cap, yes you guessed it, the vallet. Glad I didn't use that!
Happy Eating... somewhere else.
- The Hungry Ginger
Coppi, which is located at 3363 Yonge Street, about half way between Lawrence Ave W and Wilson Ave. I took the subway to get here and it worked out very well. My guest drove to the location and parking was not easy to find so make sure you give yourself some time. Coppi does have a valet car service, but we didn't use it.
We were greeted upon arrival by a man in a red coat. No idea who he was at first. He was wearing a ball cap at unshaven. I found this odd but continued in. We were then greeted and seated very promptly once inside the restaurant. Our young male server approached the table and introduced himself and got a drink order from us. The orginal bottle of wine that was ordered wasn't cold so we had to enjoy a different wine. The wine came out shortly after and we began to enjoy. We ordered our meal shortly after the wine arrived and it wasn't long before our appetizers came out.
To start my guest had the soup of the day which was very good, Cream of Cawliflower, and considering how cold outside it was that night it was perfect and I had the air cured beef tenderloin with grilled radicchio, topped with shavings of parmigiano reggiano. It was presented nicely and no complaints.
For our entrees we had the ½ cornish hen stuffed with vegetable farce served with rustic mash, french beans & cranberry demi and the grilled aaa beef tenderloin served with rustic mash, asparagus & mushroom demi. The cornish hen was amazing. Full of flavour and appointed very well. As for the beef tenderloin I wish I could say the same. The server only offered it to me to be cooked at either medium rare or rare. So I opted for the medium rare but arrived almost blue rare. The edges were cooked but the inside was still very raw, warm but raw. For most, they would have sent this back but having been in the industry and one that can handle a rare steak I decided to eat dinner with my guest. The presentation was accurate but nothing exciting and they had pre cut open the steak for the display effect. You would think if they had done this they would have cooked it properly. This raise alarm bells for me regarding this restaurant. It is very common that a chef believes he knows what a steak is supposed to look like when cooked to a specific degree but as I am sure you all know this can change depending on what restaurant you go to. So make sure you are clear about how you want your steak to come, describe it if you have to.
For dessert we enjoyed the tiramisu and the lemon flavored sorbet. Both were very good and very much enjoyed.
Other then my main course they did very well on the food part of the dining experience. It is the service that is in question for this restaurant. There were 4 servers and 1 bartender and each of them served or cleared our table. Don't get me worng it was great knowing that things were being cleared when finished but when it comes to the server that first introduced himself to us for drinks, we never saw him again, even for the bill! The problem here is that one server told us he was going to get us more bread and it never showed up. It became a running joke between my guest and myself as to which server was going to bring us something next. To me this shows that there was not enough servers on the floor and that our server who must have been new or less experienced couldn't handle the amount of tables in his section. Also we weren't asked once if we would like fresh ground pepper of parmisan cheese on any of our courses.
Our wait times between courses was also out of line. We waited about 5 minutes before our appetizers came out, then 20 minutes before our mains, then another 5 minutes for our desserts. Some bleieve this is the kitchen's fault, but in reality it is your server that has control of when your courses are sent through to be made. Usually the kitchen won't start making soemthing until they are told becasue they cannot see the table whereas the server can. This determines whether they are slow or fast eaters.
The atmosphere was too bright. They had plenty of candles throughout the restaurant and on each table and the lights were on full blast. There was also no background music. The mood was not set and the feel of being in an italian restaurant did not exist.
This restaurant did well with the food other then the beef, terrible on the service, and terrible on the atmosphere. I am giving this restaurant a 5 out of 10 and I would never go back to this restaurant.
Oh, and the guy at the front that greated us in the red jacket and ball cap, yes you guessed it, the vallet. Glad I didn't use that!
Happy Eating... somewhere else.
- The Hungry Ginger
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Gobo Sushi
I am a big fan of sushi. I could not tell you exactly why or even when I first tried sushi but I know that if you don't eat sushi you are missing out. Ever since working out at The Fairmont Banff Springs, I sometimes I get these cravings for sushi. Its because of the Japanese Restaurant there called the Samurai to which I may have frequented often.
On another note lets focus on the location at hand, Gobo Sushi.
This is a very new location found in the Christie Pits area. Otherwise known as the Annex at 256 Christie St. just south of Dupont.
We did take out but there is a dine in option also. It has seating for about 25 to 30 people and is becoming a very popular pick for the locals.
I was down the street at a freinds place and the decision had been made to order sushi. We ordered over the phone and they allowed us a 15% discount for paying cash which was great. We ordered the party platter which was 108 piece for $70. That was before the discount. This price is unbeatable when it comes to sushi so at that point it was all up to the quality of the food. We all enjoyed the assortment which proved everyone wrong, that it wasn't too good to be true. The platter had all the basics you would expect including sushi rolls, sushimi, vegetarian rolls, and assorted tempura. It was worth every penny and when you are splitting that much sushi everyone ends up being happy.
Customer service wise, this location also topped the charts. When we called to order they remembered my friends number and called them by name. We also forgot a full tray of sushi when we picked up the order and they brought it to us.
This location is fantastic and would highly recommend this location to anyone. With new sushi places openning up everyday it is important for these locations to understand the importance of hospitality and how far the simplicty of remembering someones name can really go. The value of that added customer service makes a huge difference when deciding on whether or not to go back to a restaurant.
I give Gobo Sushi a 9 out of 10. I didn't try anything crazy but from the service and what I was served they nailed it.
Yukai Kuchini! (Happy Eating)
- The Hungry Ginger
On another note lets focus on the location at hand, Gobo Sushi.
This is a very new location found in the Christie Pits area. Otherwise known as the Annex at 256 Christie St. just south of Dupont.
We did take out but there is a dine in option also. It has seating for about 25 to 30 people and is becoming a very popular pick for the locals.
I was down the street at a freinds place and the decision had been made to order sushi. We ordered over the phone and they allowed us a 15% discount for paying cash which was great. We ordered the party platter which was 108 piece for $70. That was before the discount. This price is unbeatable when it comes to sushi so at that point it was all up to the quality of the food. We all enjoyed the assortment which proved everyone wrong, that it wasn't too good to be true. The platter had all the basics you would expect including sushi rolls, sushimi, vegetarian rolls, and assorted tempura. It was worth every penny and when you are splitting that much sushi everyone ends up being happy.
Customer service wise, this location also topped the charts. When we called to order they remembered my friends number and called them by name. We also forgot a full tray of sushi when we picked up the order and they brought it to us.
This location is fantastic and would highly recommend this location to anyone. With new sushi places openning up everyday it is important for these locations to understand the importance of hospitality and how far the simplicty of remembering someones name can really go. The value of that added customer service makes a huge difference when deciding on whether or not to go back to a restaurant.
I give Gobo Sushi a 9 out of 10. I didn't try anything crazy but from the service and what I was served they nailed it.
Yukai Kuchini! (Happy Eating)
- The Hungry Ginger
Monday, February 14, 2011
Apache Vs. Jumbo Burger
The Battle of the Burgers was in full effect over the holidays and so I decided that it was time to try these vinatge locations. They both are unique and focus on being diner style to ensure their past is not forgotten.
In this Corner we have; Apache Burger.
This location was very busy upon arrival. Everything has to be purchased a la carte. This isn't terrible but I have to say, when it comes to wanting a burger, I feel as though it should just be understood you are going to have fries or onion rings with it. Having a burger and a salad just shouldn't be allowed if you ask me. You only live once so enjoy it. Just don't enjoy doing it that often!
The location was fairly clean but people didn't respect the place and didn't even clear their tables of garbage. Located right at 5236 Dundas Street West, its very close to the Kipling Subway stop, making it a very accessible place to get to.
The service was avaerage and those working there seemed to care less about what they were doing. To be honest that took away from the diner experince that one can get accustomed to when eating at any diner. It was designed with bright ansd vibrant colours to catch your attention, make you want to come in, feel welcomed and follow that up with friendly service. This location did all of the above but offer the friendly service. I felt as though when they called us up to get our burgers, the guy was just blunt, rude and uncaring as to what we wanted on our burgers. Another negative to this location is its "cash only"policy, so make sure you have cash before so you don't get hit by using their ATM. (How convenient.)
We got a Chocolate shake to split because it was $6 shake! Also, we had 2 burgers, 1 fries and 1 onion rings. You can't go to a diner and not at least try their home made onion rings. The burgers were ok and tasted salty. On a side note, it should be understood that Apache Burger has sold out to the higher costs of their location. They used to have fresh homemade burger patties and the burgers we had were definately not homemade. Its unfortunate to see a place that once had an amazing reputation for burgers, sell out to getting frozen products but keeping the prices high.
In the opposing corner, we have; Jumbo Burger.
Jumbo Burger is located at 685 Runnymede Road and looks like it is an old TTC car that has been transformed into a diner. This location might have 20 seats if its lucky. The bathrooms resemble airplane washrooms but the character of this location is AMAZING! When we first walked in it was just a one man show. He was rough around the edges but freindly. Jumbo is also a la carte, so we ordered the exact same thing here as Apache. 1 Chocolate Milkshake, 2 burgers, 1 fries, and 1 onion ring. This prices were the same but the quality of food went to Jumbo Burger. These burgers were definateky homemade and the atmosphere made you feel as though you were helping the small guy for eating there. The people in there were all locals and families. They cleared their tables and respcted the location.
Overall I would recommend heading into the up and coming Junction for the taste of a homemade burger.
Apache Burger gets a 6 out of 10 from me. Not empressed really for a place that once had one of the best reputations in Toronto for burgers. I would not go back to this location.
Jumbo Burger gets a 8.5 out of 10. The service could have been more inviting for a community focus restaurant.
Enjoy your ground beef!
- The Hungry Ginger
In this Corner we have; Apache Burger.
This location was very busy upon arrival. Everything has to be purchased a la carte. This isn't terrible but I have to say, when it comes to wanting a burger, I feel as though it should just be understood you are going to have fries or onion rings with it. Having a burger and a salad just shouldn't be allowed if you ask me. You only live once so enjoy it. Just don't enjoy doing it that often!
The location was fairly clean but people didn't respect the place and didn't even clear their tables of garbage. Located right at 5236 Dundas Street West, its very close to the Kipling Subway stop, making it a very accessible place to get to.
The service was avaerage and those working there seemed to care less about what they were doing. To be honest that took away from the diner experince that one can get accustomed to when eating at any diner. It was designed with bright ansd vibrant colours to catch your attention, make you want to come in, feel welcomed and follow that up with friendly service. This location did all of the above but offer the friendly service. I felt as though when they called us up to get our burgers, the guy was just blunt, rude and uncaring as to what we wanted on our burgers. Another negative to this location is its "cash only"policy, so make sure you have cash before so you don't get hit by using their ATM. (How convenient.)
We got a Chocolate shake to split because it was $6 shake! Also, we had 2 burgers, 1 fries and 1 onion rings. You can't go to a diner and not at least try their home made onion rings. The burgers were ok and tasted salty. On a side note, it should be understood that Apache Burger has sold out to the higher costs of their location. They used to have fresh homemade burger patties and the burgers we had were definately not homemade. Its unfortunate to see a place that once had an amazing reputation for burgers, sell out to getting frozen products but keeping the prices high.
In the opposing corner, we have; Jumbo Burger.
Jumbo Burger is located at 685 Runnymede Road and looks like it is an old TTC car that has been transformed into a diner. This location might have 20 seats if its lucky. The bathrooms resemble airplane washrooms but the character of this location is AMAZING! When we first walked in it was just a one man show. He was rough around the edges but freindly. Jumbo is also a la carte, so we ordered the exact same thing here as Apache. 1 Chocolate Milkshake, 2 burgers, 1 fries, and 1 onion ring. This prices were the same but the quality of food went to Jumbo Burger. These burgers were definateky homemade and the atmosphere made you feel as though you were helping the small guy for eating there. The people in there were all locals and families. They cleared their tables and respcted the location.
Overall I would recommend heading into the up and coming Junction for the taste of a homemade burger.
Apache Burger gets a 6 out of 10 from me. Not empressed really for a place that once had one of the best reputations in Toronto for burgers. I would not go back to this location.
Jumbo Burger gets a 8.5 out of 10. The service could have been more inviting for a community focus restaurant.
Enjoy your ground beef!
- The Hungry Ginger
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Delay
Ok, so I know it has been a while for those who had been following along and for that I am sorry. :(
As we all know Christmas has passed and budgets needed to be watched but I have a great line up of great small spots that you can try out for some great value.
So expanding outside of the box, you will find some small new hidden gems, some very high end restaurants, and even a few box stores. I know I know, you just read box stores and think I now have no idea about what I am talking about when it comes to hospitality but I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you will have to read.
Hope everyone is having a great new year so far and have been enjoying some great restaurants over Winterlicious as it just finished on Thursday Feb. 10th.
Enjoy the posts as they are going to be coming out everyday this week!
Happy Eating!
- The Hungry Ginger
As we all know Christmas has passed and budgets needed to be watched but I have a great line up of great small spots that you can try out for some great value.
So expanding outside of the box, you will find some small new hidden gems, some very high end restaurants, and even a few box stores. I know I know, you just read box stores and think I now have no idea about what I am talking about when it comes to hospitality but I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you will have to read.
Hope everyone is having a great new year so far and have been enjoying some great restaurants over Winterlicious as it just finished on Thursday Feb. 10th.
Enjoy the posts as they are going to be coming out everyday this week!
Happy Eating!
- The Hungry Ginger
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)