In 2009, I started work at my first real job and immediately budgeted a portion of each paycheque to eating out. Blackhoof was one of the first Toronto restaurants that I “splurged at” back in 2010, the start of all my restaurant adventures. The fiance, just a friend then, was also there 5 years ago and while he’s eaten there since, this was my first return visit. There was still a queue outside before the restaurant opened, but much more reasonable than the hour or two wait when they first opened in 2008.

Atmosphere: Before dinner, The Fiance and I were running errands in the neighbourhood and walked by Blackhoof around 5:15pm, there were already already a few diners lingering outside. Luckily, when we came back at 5:45pm, there were only 3 parties ahead of us. By the time the doors opened at 6pm, there were 4 more couples behind us. The restaurant was relaxed with a mix of diners from older couples to 20 somethings with big groups. Tables were cozy, and it was a tight fit to walk by. The food menu was hand-written on a large chalkboard at the back of the restaurant and beer and cocktails were listed on another by the bar. My trio was seated in a corner table that was private and great for conversation. I always prefer the background noise at a restaurant to be from conversation rather than loud music.

Service: Once we sat down, a server was by quick to get our drink order and fill water glasses. After rambling off the dishes we wanted to try, he recommended we add bread and pickles as they don’t come with the charcuterie board. Each dish arrived quickly and the charcuterie board was accompanied with a detailed explanation of each meat (which I promptly forgot).

Food: Between the three of us, we ordered 5 dishes (plus bread and pickles). Our friend was very concerned we were ordering too much food, but the tapas-style portions were just right, especially as we ordered the Horse Tartare and I had a feeling I’d be eating the lion’s share.

We started with a Charcuterie board that came with 8 types of cured meat, a intense grainy mustard and a salted butter. The variety of the board was great with savoury pieces, milder ones, one with walnut, a spicy one, a pate, and a delicious duck breast. My favourite was the strong, spicy salami and the bacon wrapped pate while The Fiance loved the duck breast and butter. The side of bread provided a nice base for the meat. While I enjoyed the pickled vegetables and liked the variety of ingredients used (including beans, carrots, beet), I didn’t need the palate cleanser in between bites.

Next up was the Horse Tartare with a raw yolk and lots of horse radish. I quite enjoyed the dish. There was lots of meaty flavour and I liked the coarse chop. The Fiance doesn’t like steak tartare unless it’s heavily spiced and the horse variant at Blackhoof had a lot of natural flavour. Our friend tried it but she’s not a huge fan of raw protein. This all just meant more deliciousness for me. I found the meat flavour milder than steak tartare and the texture was slightly more chewy.

The Roasted Bone Marrow, served with sea salt and chimichurri sauce, was on point. I described this to my friend like meat flavoured jell-o, but the fatty, creamy spread was more like concentrated meat butter. The surprise star of the night was our next dish, the Pig’s Ear Slaw. Cold pig ear salad is one of my favourite Chinese dishes so the ingredient wasn’t foreign to me, I was not expecting the creamy sesame dressing and crispy shallots topping. The slaw was crunchy, generously dressed and a great Asian fusion flavours. I would’ve loved a few more slices of crunchy pig ear.

Dinner ended with Pork Jowl and Clams. The fatty slab of pork jowl was fried to a crispy and reminiscent of thick cut bacon, aka amazing. The clams added an umami flavour to the dish and the black garlic reduction gave each bite an earthy kick.

Blackhoof is still one of my favourite restaurants in the city and it’s easy to see the rest of Toronto agrees.

Etobicoke is not my neighbourhood, but it was the compromise between Toronto and Mississauga where I met up with friends from high school to catch up. I chose Azaria’s Restaurant based on positive reviews online and their menu, which had great variety.

Atmosphere: Our group stopped by on a Monday night around 8pm, not exactly peak hours but quite a few tables were occupied. Tables were well lit and black and white photos decorated the walls. Speaking to the owner later, we found out that many of the pictures were of her dad (where Azaria comes from) and friends. We were seated comfortably in a booth that provided privacy and lots of elbow room. The restaurant was elegant and intimate with dark furniture and bif leather booths.

Service: Being a quiet night, our table ended up being the last to clear after two bottles of wine and dessert. The owner was friendly and welcoming, ensuring we should take our time and not feel rushed as we neared their closing time. Our server was efficient, equally friendly and dishes were served quickly. With Azaria’s tapas style menu, our server let us know we could increase portions from 4 to 5 right off the bat.

Food: 99% of the menu was priced from $8-$12 and were a good portion size. Between the 5 of us, we ordered 10 items and barely had room for dessert. Not all of the dishes are pictured below. While waiting for everyone to arrive, I started with an order of fries that came were crispy and came with a delicious spicy mayo.

We then ordered both the Fish Taco, special of the day and Spicy Shrimp Taco. Both had thin shells and lots of flavour. I liked the fish taco better, which had a big chunk of meat while the shrimp was heavier on the batter. For vegetables, we tried the Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Collard Greens and Cauliflower and Leek Smash. While I found the cauliflower smash interesting, it was a little too reminiscent of baby food for me. My favourite was the roasted brussels sprouts, topped with cheese and bacon bits.

After the fish taco, my second favourite dish of the night was the Montreal Smoked Meat Sliders. The flavours were authentic and the slices of meat were piled high was globs of yellow mustard. We also had the Risotto and Beef Tenderloin (not pictured), which were both well done. I couldn’t help but order a Tiramisu, one of my favourite desserts and a great way to end a meal.

Overall, the tapas menu at Azaria’s was solid with lots of highs, a handful of okays and only a few lows.

My train was scheduled to arrive in Montreal at 9:30pm. The 4 ½ hour trip went by quickly with the help of onboard wi-fi (way to go Via) and The Fiance’s kindle. Since I hadn’t eaten since lunch in preparation for our late dinner reservation, the wi-fi also distracted from my stomach grumblings. While planning this weekend, I had asked a couple of Montreal food bloggers for their recommendations. Taverne Square Dominion was one that made the cut for being close to the train station, having rave reviews and still serving dinner at 10pm.

Atmosphere: While boasting a menu full of British classics, I found the decor of Taverne Dominion a mix of Parisian and English. Large wooden chandeliers that could’ve been picked out of a castle hung over cute bistro tables and big leather booths. Lighting was dim and the bar was full of couples sipping cocktails. I could see myself starting or ending a night in the same fashion.

Service: One feature I loved about restaurants in Montreal was that they all seemed to have coat racks/rooms. This was amazing and so helpful. At Taverne Dominion, there was one coat rack at the door and hooks spaced out along the walls in between tables. Once settled into our table, we were well attended to. Our server was efficient, professional and checked in on us unobtrusively the entire night.

Food: While I starved in transit, The Fiance was already in Montreal waiting for me. He spent the wait at a bar over a couple of pints but no food. So we were both ready to eat. I also ordered a Mint Julep, which was kind of like a boozy snow cone. At first sip, I didn’t love it but each subsequent sip was much better once the ice started melting and mixing in with the bourbon and syrup.

To start, we ordered the Scotch Egg and Bone Marrow. With a $15 price tag, I had high hopes for the scotch egg and they delivered. My camera also ran out at this point, so I have no photographic evidence of the perfect yolky goodness, but it was worth every penny. The fried crust was crispy, the sausage tender, flavourful and the yolk was liquid gold. Not to mention there was a generous dollop of creamy Swedish sauce. The platter of bone marrow was served with a stack of crostini, sea salt and brussel sprout salad. Both bones yielded a ton of fatty marrow. The bottom half could have been roasted a touch more. I won’t be able to understand any restaurant that serves only half a bone anymore.

For entrees, we split an order of Mussels with Fries and the Meat Ploughman’s Platter. The mussels were light, lots of rich natural flavour accented by the thick cut bacon. I polished off the bowl of fries and much of the mayonnaise. We mainly ordered the mussels because we spied the awesome looking fries on another table and it was an excellent decision. With the Ploughman’s platter, there was a pork rillette, cured duck and a sausage along with apple slices, cheddar cheese, a deviled egg, carrot sticks, celery sticks and whole raw red radishes. For condiments there was a beautiful fruit preserve and a strong dijon mustard. Of the three meets, I favoured the rillette while The Fiance loved the fatty duck. All of the vegetables were extra fresh and crispy but the radishes really threw us off. They were really big, and crunchy but radish alone has very little taste. We each ate one but left the rest.

One thing North York lacks is cheap and tasty Chinese food. True there’s plenty of restaurants if you drive East or North but few within the 5/10 minutes commute I prefer for a quick dinner. When Congee Queen opened at Yonge and Steeles, it was a happy addition to the neighbourhood.

Atmosphere: While the restaurant is situated in CenterPoint Mall, the main entrance is external and separate. The interior was similar to other Congee Queen locations with lots of booths and large round tables. High ceilings, chandelier lights and Asian inspired decor made the restaurant feel elegant.

Service: Service was mixed, not great but not terrible. Generally we were ignored at our table and it was hard to flag down servers. When we did, they were really helpful. Two girls stood right by our table, chatting and looking outside. As soon as I needed to ask for something, they walked away. I couldn’t tell if servers were assigned to specific tables and just grabbed anyone who was around.

Food: Going into the meal, I wanted to order enough food to bring home leftovers for lunch the next day. I normally do not order 4 dishes for just two people (most of the time).

We started with a bowl of pork and century egg congee. The congee was the strongest dish of the meal; savoury, a good consistency and had lots of meat. As side dishes, I always order turnip cake and fried dough fritters. The dough fritters were standard while the turnip cakes were disappointing, especially since I love the version at other Congee Queen locations. That night, the cubes of steamed turnip weren’t fried enough, under seasoned and not spicy.

The flavour was great for the garoupa hot pot and there was plenty of battered fish and vegetables. There was however a ton of bones in the garoupa. We had to eat very carefully and it was a tedious process. I liked the salt and pepper pork chops that were lightly battered and generously seasoned. A little more heat would’ve added to the dish.

Overall, Congee Queen at Centerpoint Mall was hit or miss. I think there’s room for improvement with some of the staple dishes but their congee was excellent.

Winterlicious 2015 is Marben’s first time participating in the event and their menu was a hot pick. Offering the same dishes for lunch and dinner meant lunch reservations were quick to get booked up.

Atmosphere: I’ve been to Marben several times for dinner and drinks but this was my first visit during the day. The restaurant was packed and much more relaxed and casual than at night. Servers hustled from table to table and conversations were lively. Our group of 5 was seated at a comfortable booth with plenty of elbow room.

Service: Did I mention they were full? So full that service was behind and we waited about 30 minutes for our table. Winterlicious can really crowd great restaurants. The hostess was friendly, helpful and kept us updated on our status. On a positive note, our seating was at 1pm so by the time we were finished our meal, the lunch queue was done and we could take our time sipping coffee. Our server was also efficient and friendly, cutlery was changed in between courses and she checked in on us throughout the meal.

Food: Usually I get the charcuterie plate at Marben, but with their Winterlicious menu, I was eager to try the dishes with a more Spanish influence. For starters The Fiance and I split the Ontario Apple and Manchego Cheese Salad and Steamed PEI Mussels. The salad was tossed in a light mustard-herb dressing, the leaves sat on thin apple slices and was topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and slices of manchego cheese. The dish was everything I like in a salad, a light cheese, touch of crunchy and a light dressing. The bowl of mussels were fresh and cooked well with strong Asian flavours. We ended up dipping all of our bread in the lemongrass, ginger and chili flavoured sauce.

For mains, I started with the Spanish Seafood Stew and then switched with The Fiance to try half of his Johns Burger. Our table all agreed that the hand cut fries were amazing and there wasn’t a single one left. All of the seafood in my stew was fresh and cooked to just past raw. I found the saffron flavour rich and overpowered any seafood flavour. The snap peas were barely cooked, sweet, crunchy and perfect. My favourite bite was the octopus. Between the two entrees, I prefered the Johns Burger more. I loved the sweet chutney paired with a slice of aged cheddar cheese on the meaty patty. And there were those fries. I had one forkful of the vegetarian option, Cauliflower Tagine, but had to take a picture at the beautiful presentation. The bright colours almost made the dish too pretty to eat.

Between the three desserts, my favourite was the Nutella Creme Brulee, followed closely by the Vanilla Panna Cotta, which beat out the Chocolate and Olive Oil Truffle by a hair. I loved the flavour of the creme brulee, not too sweet and rich. The filling was more cream than custard and the top was very charred.

Since graduating university, many of my friends have moved out of Toronto. Of those who stayed in the city, a few of us ended up in North York. We met up recently to catch up over some tasty Korean food. Despite the cold weather, I couldn’t visit Cho Sun Ok without ordering a bowl of their famous cold noodles, Mool Naengmyun.

Atmosphere: Walking into a packed restaurant at 7pm on a Friday night, looking for a table of 8 without reservations was risky. Lucky for us, tables cleared quickly and a few members of our party was delayed. While the restaurant stayed busy the entire night, turnaround was quick. Our group of 8 was split between two booths with a partition in the middle. We were confused at first, but then the server slid open a window in the partition that joined the two tables, pretty cool.

Service: At many Asian restaurants, service can be lackluster. I’m used to being semi-ignored and most restaurants favour efficiency over friendliness. At Cho Sun Ok, I felt welcome and taken care of. Our large group was accommodated, it was easy to order refills on side dishes and servers came by to refill tea without prompting.

Food: When our group was deciding on a restaurant for dinner, someone suggested “the place with really good cold noodles”. I couldn’t not order it. The Fiance obliged and agreed to split a bowl of Soondae Gook (sausage and pig organ stew) and Mool Naengmyun with me even though I had the sniffles. True love right?

We also ordered a side of Galbi with the cold noodles. The two pieces arrived on a separate place along with scissors. The meat was tender, well seasoned and lean.

My stew was served with a bowl of rice and was very satisfying. The opaque broth was rich and had a great depth in flavour from the organ meats (ear, tongue, stomach) and sausage. All of the meats were thinly sliced and cooked to a tender texture. This was the kind of stew I would crave. Salty, spicy and meaty. On the opposite spectrum of cravings, the Naengmyun in slush was refreshing, mild and wonderfully light. The thin arrowroot noodles were chewy and I liked the sweet crisp slices of pear in the soup. The level of spice was present but not overwhelming. We didn’t use any of the mustard of vinegar as there was no need.

Writing this review makes me want to go back to Cho Sun Ok tonight. If you’re going, I’d recommend bringing someone who’s willing to share because it’s hard to pick just one item for dinner.

Every year for my birthday, I go out for dinner with a group of girlfriends to celebrate. There was 8 of us in total this year and two weeks before the date, I started calling my short list of restaurant choices. It was surprisingly difficult to secure a Friday night reservation at a decent time. Many restaurants also only did set menu for groups of 8 or more. Thoroughbred was able to accommodate us at 7pm and we took over their big communal table.

Atmosphere: Since opening in September this year, Thoroughbred has won plenty of acclamations for their cocktails and inventive food menu. The restaurant was dark, cozy and relaxed. There were flannel shirts and thick rimmed glasses but the feel was subtle, more backdrop than in your face. I loved the long open shelves, lined with bottles of liquor, behind the bar. By our third decanter of wine, our group was lively and Thoroughbred was a great venue to catch-up, relive memories and gossip.

Service: All of the servers, bartenders and wait staff we met at Thoroughbred were excellent. Friendly, patient while we debated on what to order (and ended up ordering everything) and professional. At dinner, Thoroughbred offers a bar menu and a dinner menu. 80% of the items overlap and diners are able to order from both menus, which made the two menus confusing and somewhat redundant.

Food: Along with copious amounts of wine and a couple of cocktails, we nibbled through 10 dishes. All of the dishes at Thoroughbred had strong flavours, intricately assembled with playful presentation. Simple, fresh ingredients were transformed and elevated with spices and innovative technique.

Kung Pao Cauliflower, Chicken Liver Mousse and Roast Broccoli Marrow were the first three dishes to arrive and all delicious. I loved the heavy seasoning on the cauliflower and the richness of the liver mousse. Broccoli is my least favourite vegetable, but deconstructed and cooked perfectly, I could become a fan. The stalks were roasted and the broccoli head shaved, creating a bed of quinoa like beads.

The Roast Mennonite Lamb and Duck Confit nachos were both meaty with crispy elements. There was little gaminess to the lamb and the shredded duck confit was lean. One of my favourite dishes was the Sweet Potato Mac n Cheese. I don’t recall all the toppings, but each spoonful was creamy and rich. With the heavy hitter starts, I found the Miso Poached Pickerel and Brussel Sprout Caesar to be forgettable. Still solid plates, but not the ones I’m raving about.

On the other hand, the Assador de Chorico was hot in spice and presentation; the sausage was served on a flaming pig and then carved at the table. The platter was presented with roasted vegetables, toasted crostini and a whole grain mustard; perfect for sharing and a great accompaniment to Thoroughbred’s drink menu.

Dinner ended with a platter of dessert selections including decadent homemade truffles, tart lemon meringue and a classic apple crumble. If I had to choose just one, the truffles would win.

Pizzeria Libretto specializes in Neapolitan pizza and can usually be found on lists celebrating the best pizzas in Toronto. I do not know pizzas. I like to eat them, but my tastebuds are not discerning nor knowledgeable. I do know that the pizzas I ate at Libretto were delicious, tender and full of flavour. For me, there’s nothing more I could ask for.

Atmosphere: My friend and I stopped by Libretto on a Tuesday night. Originally, I had planned or arriving at 5:30pm but after a multitude of TTC delays, we walked in at 6:15pm. There were still tables available and we didn’t have to wait, but as we left close to 8pm, a line of diners were queued out the door. The restaurant was cozy and comfortable with solid wood furniture. Libretto would be a great date spot or catching up with friends.

Service: Our server was friendly and efficient. She knew the menu well and helped us pick our pizzas, which arrived warm from the oven. Throughout our meal, our waters were kept filled, she kept an eye on our beers and offered lots of smiles.

Food: With wedding diet in full swing, I had prepared for dinner. Meaning a meager lunch and plenty of room left for all the pizza. My friend and I ordered two pizzas to split, a classic Margherita D.O.P. and a House Made Sausage. Between the two, the Margherita was my favourite. The full flavoured tomato sauce, fresh basil and generous globs of melted mozzarella were all perfect. Simple ingredients creating balanced, traditional flavours.

The House Made Sausage pizza was topped with chunks of sausage, caramelized onions, chilli oil and mozzarella, no tomato sauce. This topping combination was much more savoury and rich. While still delicious, I found I missed the sweetness of a tomato sauce. Both pizzas were cut into quarters and the crust was thin and tender. So thin and tender that the slice did not have enough structural integrity to be picked up. A knife and fork was needed to eat a few bites from the centre first.

Overall, the pizza was tasty, light, made with fresh ingredients and I had no problem eating a whole one by myself. If the restaurant is busy, Pizzeria Libretto also offers take out on their full menu of pizzas.

5 years ago, I celebrated a friend’s birthday at Yuzu no Hana and have been meaning to go back ever since. With so many restaurants to try in Toronto, I’ve been distracted. With this return visit, I’m reminded of all the great restaurants in Toronto that I need to eat at again.

Atmosphere: My girl friend and I stopped by Yuzu on a Monday night before a Tiff showing. While we easily grabbed a table with no reservations, tables filled up quickly and many were reserved. Decor was sophisticated with dark woods, pendent lights and recessed wall displays of sake. Yuzu occupies the second and third floor of a building with the main dining area on the second and rooms for private events on the third.

Service: After showing us to our seat, our server was friendly and gave us ample time to peruse the menu. We were asked about drink refills before reaching the last sip and our water glasses was consistently attended to. Our dishes arrived quickly with beautiful presentation.

Food: Between the two of us, I ordered the Sushi Regular and Yuzu Maki to share. The Sushi Regular comes with 8 pieces of nigiri and 6 pieces of maki. I love that all the sushi and sashimi served are the chef’s selection. This makes each visit unique and guarantees the best fish each time with no restrictions. Our 8 pieces of delicious nigiri included salmon, tuna, butter fish and mackerel alongside 6 pieces of california roll. Each piece of fish was fresh, fatty and full of flavour. The rice on the exterior of the maki was only one grain thick and perfect.

The Yuzu Maki was the most expensive roll on the menu and it was worth every penny. With a fiery presentation and high quality ingredients, this signature roll is stunning. The roll, similar to a dynamite roll with shrimp tempura, was topped with slices of salmon and spicy scallop. There was a real kick to the salmon that was stronger than wasabi and the scallops were buttery soft. Each bite was heavenly.

Yuzu no Hana continues to be one of my favourite sushi restaurants in Toronto, one that I need to visit more often.

This year for our group summerlicious meal, I wanted to try an established restaurant, one that has proven to deliver great meals over time. Having had lovely dinners at other Oliver & Bonacini’s restaurants, Luma and Auberge du Pommier, I had high expectations for Jump. Unfortunately, while the service and atmosphere were top-notch, the food was underwhelming.

Atmosphere: Walking into Jump, I felt the decor was masculine and contemporary. I loved the wall of scotches and the glass wine cellar. Cube pendant lights hung below the glass ceiling, which made the transition from natural to artificial light smooth and barely noticed. With the strong leather furniture, dark wood tables and dark wall drapes, I felt like a cigar and scotch neat were needed (although we went with wine for the table). Our fellow diners ranged from groups of Asian girls to older couples and families out for a nice meal.

Service: Our server was outstanding. She was friendly, efficient and professional. Water and wine glasses were kept full, each dish arrived promptly and we had no trouble having the bill split. One of my friends ordered the soup for her appetizer, didn’t enjoy it and our server was more than happy to switch her bowl for a plate of salmon tartare.

Food: As per all meals during summerlicious, I tempered my expectations. Even so, for a $35 dinner menu, I was disappointed. There was a lack of finesse to the dishes that may have been due to a busy kitchen but still couldn’t be overlooked. One friend had bones in his sea bream while The Fiance had greens that were yellow in his salad. These small details really put a damper on the meal.

We started with an order of Jump fries while we waited for our entire party to arrive. It was a good plate to share and snack on. The tomato mayo was light and still more mayo than tomato.

For appetizers, I ordered the Salmon Tartare while The Fiance had the Prosciutto Cotto Salad. Between the two, the salmon tartare, an okay plate, was by far the winner. Every component of the salad dish was mild in flavour and I expected the green goddess dressing to be more tangy than it was. Entrees were better. I enjoyed my broiled sea bream, which had a nice crispy skin and I liked the sweetness of the corn succotash. The fish was tender and flakey and the kernels of popcorn added a crunch. Both The Fiance and I liked the flavours of the Beef Cheek Vindaloo, but the piece I had was 90% tendon and hard to chew through. The level of spice was good, hot but not sweat inducing and the pilaf was a great blend of savoury and sweet.

Dessert that night was the highlight. I chose the Buttermilk Panna Cotta while The Fiance had the Peach and Passion Fruit Trifle. Both options satisfied my sweet tooth with the trifle being slightly better with more texture in each bite. The panna cotta was rich, creamy and complimented wonderfully with the drunken blueberry sauce. Each spoonful of the trifle was crunchy (meringue) and creamy (custard), and sweet (peach) and sour (passion fruit).

Based on this summerlicious experience alone, O&B has lots of other great restaurants I would re-visit or check out before returning to Jump.