Two Toronto restaurants: Asuka and Aroma. One Japanese/sushi up in Yorkville, the other Northern Indian down on King Street. When I go out for dinner it's a well thought-out plan. Never random, never out of desperation, and never something I don't expect to be excellent. I knew … [Read more...] about Because Sometimes Dinner Isn’t About the Food: Asuka and Aroma
Restaurant Reviews
Back in the Village, Part 2: Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
I needed a sugar fix like I needed a punch in the head. But I went to Wanda's Pie in the Sky anyway. It used to be in Yorkville in Toronto but relocated to bohemian-friendly, Prada-mocking Kensington Village a few years ago. Now it even tries to cater to vegans! Vegans! At a … [Read more...] about Back in the Village, Part 2: Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
La Succursale
La Succursale 3188 rue Masson Montreal, QC ●●●●●●●●○○ 8/10 Brewpub There's a new Brewpub in the city that rivals Dieu du Ciel. Yes, I said it. I didn't say it's better. I just said I like it a lot, and I'm picky about my brewpubs. Atmosphere and beer quality and selection are … [Read more...] about La Succursale
Best of Montreal: Cupcakes at Cho’Cola
Cho'Cola 5601 Monkland Avenue Montreal, QC ●●●●●●●●●☺○ 9 1/2 out of 10 Cupcakes I'm a cupcake snob. Ever since I discovered 4-D cupcakes at Toronto bakery "For the Love of Cake" I've know that a cupcake can be an amazing thing. I'll admit that until that moment a year ago I'd … [Read more...] about Best of Montreal: Cupcakes at Cho’Cola
Villa Wellington: Finding Peru in Montreal
Villa Wellington 4701 rue Wellington Verdun, QC ●●●●●●●○○○ 7/10 Peruvian When I wasn't playing music in Lima last May, I was hunting down food. I tried ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice and salt with onions and chili pepper, pescado surdado (steamed fish in a sort of … [Read more...] about Villa Wellington: Finding Peru in Montreal
Syrian Cuisine at Kaza Maza: Interview with Fadi Sakrand
Kaza Maza, a Syrian restaurant located on avenue du Parc between Mont-Royal and Saint-Joseph, celebrated its two year anniversary last week. In a city of continuous consctruction, one of the major areas of difficulty in the past two years has been this exact strip of avenue du … [Read more...] about Syrian Cuisine at Kaza Maza: Interview with Fadi Sakrand
East Africa Restaurant: Ethiopian in NDG
East Africa Restaurant is a new-ish homestyle hole-in-the-wall on Sherbrooke next to the Caribbean restaurant, Ma's Place, and down the road from some tasty Middle Eastern options. So in a, maybe, three block stretch you can take a gustatory tour of the world. That was maybe not … [Read more...] about East Africa Restaurant: Ethiopian in NDG
La Fourchette d’Or et la Cie: Cuisine Antillo-Francaise in Montreal
Cuisine from the Antilles Islands in the Caribbean could mean anything from Jamaican jerk chicken to Cubano roasted pork and swiss cheese sandwiches, but French-Caribbean means something a little different, so when a new restaurant with a gorgeous terrasse opened on Parc just … [Read more...] about La Fourchette d’Or et la Cie: Cuisine Antillo-Francaise in Montreal
Tant’a Restaurant and the Reign of Gaston Acurio
The story of fine dining in Lima, and cultural food pride in general, all stems from one man. Seems like a very broad statement, but every single person in Peru knows the name Gaston Acurio, and they say it with pride. This man went abroad, studied, hated his course of study, and … [Read more...] about Tant’a Restaurant and the Reign of Gaston Acurio
BU and DNA: Molecular Gastronomy and the Price of Fine Dining at Montreal’s Highlights Festival en Lumiere
This morning on CKUT 90.3FM radio I spoke about two dinners I experienced at the Festival en Lumiere this past week. Both were presented by internationally-respected female chefs. Click here to download the audio segment. At DNA Restaurant: Elizabeth Falkner of San Francisco's … [Read more...] about BU and DNA: Molecular Gastronomy and the Price of Fine Dining at Montreal’s Highlights Festival en Lumiere