After moving into a new neighbourhood, my usual MO is to try all well reviewed restaurants nearby. In North York, this was a daunting task. In Richmond Hill, the list of places to try was shorter but more planning was required, especially with Alivia in tow. One of our first stops was 3 Coins Open Kitchen, an all-day breakfast diner on Yonge north of Major Mackenzie.

Atmosphere: 3 Coins was a quintessential diner with lots of primary colours, bar seating and cozy leather booths, mini jukeboxes included. Each booth also had its own coat hook, which was a great touch. The diner had two seating areas and a lot more tables than it appeared from the outside. Most tables were occupied with families and groups of friends. There was one other baby while we were there.

Service: Parking was available behind the restaurant off Arnold Cres, one benefit of the suburbs that I will not tire of. Our server was friendly, brought us over a high chair and even wiped it off for us. So far in my experience dining out with Alivia, this is not a common occurrence and I really appreciated the extra attention. Plates arrived quickly and our coffees were refilled before they were empty.

Food: Stephen ordered the classic 3 eggs special with bacon, home fries and toast while I ordered my usual, eggs benedict with bacon for protein and a side of home fries. We added a side order of breakfast sausages, a plate of 4, that we had trouble finishing. Stephen’s plate was solid and a filling meal for under $10. His over-easy eggs were cooked well with runny yolks and the toast well buttered. The cook on the bacon was a tad crispier than how we fry it at home, but no complaints. I really liked their home made hash, which was well seasoned and crispy.

My eggs benedict had perfectly poached eggs (makes me want to ask what mould they’re using) and a creamy, lemony yellow hollandaise sauce. This was A+ sauce in terms of the smooth texture and rich flavour. Overall our breakfast at 3 Coins Open Kitchen was comforting and homey.

On our never-ending quest to find hidden gems near home, The Hubby and I headed to T Bones for a steak dinner under $20. Found through RFD, I was curious about the no-frills Scarborough restaurant that’s open 24/7 and had great reviews online. I wasn’t disappointed, but I also wasn’t wowed. There’s no question that T Bones’ prices were a great value compared to other steakhouses (although it seems their prices have increased from $14.99 for 16 oz ribeye to $17.99), but The Hubby cooks up a pretty delicious steak at home that ends being around the same cost.

Atmosphere: T Bones was a stand alone restaurant and looked right out of an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. The quick service restaurant had an old school interior including metal frame chairs and artificial greenery. Many of the table were filled with families of four. After placing our order at the counter, we sat down at an empty table (with plenty of natural light) and waited for our number to be called.

Service: Being a quick service restaurant, we didn’t interact much with the staff. Orders were served up on cafeteria trays, including utensils, for customers to pick up when ready. Our steaks were cooked quickly and there wasn’t a long wait.

Food: In addition to steak, T Bones’ menu has burgers, souvlaki and fish and chips. Although I was tempted by the homemade burger combo, both The Hubby and I did stick to ordering steak. For him, a 16oz ribeye with mashed potatoes and gravy. For me, an 8oz sirloin topped with grilled onions with roast potatoes and salad. Each plate came with little paper cups of steak sauce and butter. For sides, the mashed potato and gravy was excellent, smooth potatoes and a rich, savoury gravy. The roasted potatoes were more stewed with a light tomato sauce. I was not thrilled with the grilled onions, which had some burnt parts, but then others that were quite soggy.

As for the steaks themselves, not bad for the price. The ribeye could have been more marbled and the sirloin more rare, but overall, decent. Both The Hubby and I would have preferred a heavier hand with the salt, but a dip in the steak sauce fixed that for me. My sirloin was tender and the portions were large.

Overall, I’m not sure if I’d be back, but only because it seems like prices have gone up. If the ribeye special continues to creep up and gets to over $20 including tax and tip, I’d rather buy a steak and cook it at home.

Living in Toronto, my family used to visit Niagara Falls a lot. Whenever we hosted out of town guests, a drive to see the falls was guaranteed. My favourite part of the trip was always a stop at one of the 24/7 American diners that had made their way across the border. Today, I can get my all day breakfast fix right in the heart of Toronto at the Denny’s near Yonge and Dundas.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

I was surprised to learn that Denny’s had 73 locations across Canada, including 3 in the GTA. The Hubby and I stopped by the downtown location a few weeks ago for dinner after some window shopping in the area. We were seated and handed menus by our server, who was cheerful and friendly. At 6pm on a weekday, most of our fellow diners were students lamenting over their recent exams. Our booth was clean and comfortable, but the restaurant decor did feel dated with muted neutral colours and warm yellow lighting. Our server was attentive, checking in on us throughout the night.

I was also surprised at the plethora of menu options Denny’s had to offer, way more than just omelettes and toast. From burgers, to pasta, to fish and chips. The menu also featured lighter dishes like the Fit Fare grilled salmon that had less than 15g of fat and was under 550 calories.

Even with all the choices, The Hubby couldn’t resist all day breakfast and ordered the Lumberjack Slam, which included two fluffy buttermilk pancakes, a slice of ham, two bacon strips, two breakfast sausages, hash browns, toast and two eggs cooked any way. All of that food was served on two hefty plates arrived. He ordered his eggs sunny side up and they were cooked perfectly with golden, runny yolks. Personally, I would have liked the hash browns to be crispier. The stack of pancakes, topped with a ball of butter, was soft and soaked up syrup like a sponge. Delicious. Portions were very generous and this was a lot of food for one person.

Sticking to the breakfast section of the menu, I chose the less traditional Steak Skewer Skillet. Served on a sizzling pan, my dish had a bed of seasoned red-skin potatoes, roasted bell peppers, onions and mushrooms, topped with a skewer of bite-size steak pieces and two perfect sunny-side up eggs. The skewer was brushed with a sweet bourbon sauce that really flavoured the meat. I enjoyed the plentiful amount of vegetables and found the red-skin potatoes very sweet (almost mistaking them for yam).

Alongside dinner, I sipped on a thick, creamy strawberry milkshake that was more dessert than drink. This was an indulgence worth an extra hour at the gym.

Club 120 is a nondescript nightclub occupying the second floor of a small building on Church St. The owners have been running the club for almost 9 years and recently took over the restaurant space on the main floor as well. Their aim was to create a relaxed, modern diner that features live comedy or music each night. I was invited by Todd, one of the owners, to stop by and sample their menu.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: The space used to be a Spring Rolls and the decor still features many of their signature red elements, however not knowing ahead of time, it would be hard to tell. A full bar was situated at the back of the restaurant, a stage was set up along one wall and comfy booths lined the wall opposite. Several tables and chairs were set up to face the stage, allowing diners to enjoy their meal and the show. Although the kitchen opened at 5pm, the space was pretty empty until the show started at 8pm. On the night I stopped by, there was a comedy podcast live recording and most of the comics were pretty funny. The content was PG-13, but nothing super scandalous.

Service: Service was great, friendly and efficient. Todd was there to answer any questions I had and came to check on me while I waited for my late friend. All of our food arrived from the kitchen piping hot and empty dishes were cleared away promptly. As the crowd grew louder with the show, Todd and the server continued to check-in and take care of each table.

Food: While I browsed the menu at 120 Diner, I was impressed with the wide selection. There were wraps, burgers, salads, sandwiches and other entrees. I also appreciated the many vegetarian (veggie burger, wrap or rice bowl) and healthy options. Basically for any of the mains, the protein could be substituted for haddock or salmon.

For both the appetizer and entree, I decided to try a classic bar item, and something unique. With the appetizer, I was immediately drawn to the “Build Your Own Nachos or Poutine” section of the menu. Starting with a base of fries or chips, there was plenty of add-on options including meatballs, double smoked bacon or garlic shrimp. I chose the Mexican Spiced Ground Beef. To offset the comfort dish, I ordered the Grilled Calamari with Puttanesca Sauce as our second, healthy, appetizer.

Both dishes were great. The puttanesca sauce had lots of flavour and was heavy on olives and garlic. I did find the squid a bit on the raw side, but better than overcooked and tasty. I loved the nachos; crispy chips, melted cheese, generous toppings, spicy jalapeno and the Mexican spiced ground beef added even more heat. The portion was also more than enough for two people.

With entrees, my friend went with the 120 Grilled Cheese Burger and sweet potato fries while I went healthy with a Rice and Grilled Vegetable Bowl, topped with homemade meatballs. Hands down, the cheeseburger won this round. The burger was really more grilled cheese than burger and there was so much delicious melted cheese. The rosemary focaccia “bun” was toasted perfectly and spicy mayo added just a touch of heat. Her side of sweet potato fries were also crispy, sweet with a dash of salt. Compared to this decadent burger, my rice bowl didn’t really hold up. The rice was a little wet and I couldn’t taste the cilantro or coconut. I was expecting the rice to be more like Chipotle rice. There was a lot of grilled vegetables, but the meatballs were underwhelming.

Overall, 120 Diner does good comfort food. While there’s plenty of healthy options, the kitchen shined with  classic bar dishes. That Grilled Cheese Burger was worth every calorie