Ethiopian House (Africa/Ethiopian)
4 Irwin Ave (Yonge and Wellesley)
416-923-5438
http://www.ethiopianhouse.com/
Located away from the glamour of Yonge Street, Ethiopian House still manages to attract a fair share of people to its humble establishment, mostly due to word-of-mouth. The kitchen serves up generous portions that one would not expect from the dated look of its decor. Gored-Gored includes chucks of tender beef that are just perfectly spiced. Aib (cottage cheese) and collard greens are blend in comparison but work well to balance and take away the spiciness. Moist and spongy injera (bread) add zest to many dishes. Coffee service is a must for first-timers. Menu has a large section devoted to vegetarians. Service is friendly but not intrusive.
Atmosphere: 2.5 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Food: 4 / 5
Price: $13-$15 per dish
Overall: 3 / 5
Visit Again: Yes
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Bodega Restaurant - The Full Story
Click here for summary.
Baldwin street is always a good choice for dinner when one is indecisive. Bodega is one of those restaurant that stands out from the rest.Although the entrance is conspicuous and mild compared to the rest of the bright and flashy signs that fill the street, This place offers a large variety of dishes and includes some European classics, like the paella and the bouillaboise. Seating arrangement mostly for the twos and fours, which indicates the groups this restaurant likely targets and serves. Dim lighting and decor offer a great mood for couples.
Food is what you'd expect for a restaurant of this standard. Good sauce, good taste and very good on the eye. The biggest annoyance in the restaurant is the service. An order of braised rabbit leg comes as braised lamb shank. A not-so-minor mistake, but forgivable. The unforgivable mistake happened when Darren orders a glass of the tawny port and the waiter brings back a ruby. When Darren tells the waiter that this is not a tawny (he did not have to drink to tell), the waiter gives him a funny look and assures him that this is indeed a tawny port like he ordered. Darren proceeds to almost argue with waiter until the waiter decides to ask the bartender. When he returns, he tells Darren that they have actually ran out of the tawny port and if he wants he can make do with the ruby. Darren gets very annoyed and informs the waiter he would rather have nothing, and the waiter finally offers him anything on the menu.
The waiting staff is good at fixing the problem, and I admire that as many places would just say, "tough cookie." I understand that anyone can have a bad day and make mistakes once in a while. My criticism comes from the fact that they are not able to achieve what restaurants of their standard are supposed to (taking wrong orders, apologizing and informing about out of stock items), and instead decides to act on their own by substituting an order (the port). If it wasn't that, it would've been a good evening.
Baldwin street is always a good choice for dinner when one is indecisive. Bodega is one of those restaurant that stands out from the rest.Although the entrance is conspicuous and mild compared to the rest of the bright and flashy signs that fill the street, This place offers a large variety of dishes and includes some European classics, like the paella and the bouillaboise. Seating arrangement mostly for the twos and fours, which indicates the groups this restaurant likely targets and serves. Dim lighting and decor offer a great mood for couples.
Food is what you'd expect for a restaurant of this standard. Good sauce, good taste and very good on the eye. The biggest annoyance in the restaurant is the service. An order of braised rabbit leg comes as braised lamb shank. A not-so-minor mistake, but forgivable. The unforgivable mistake happened when Darren orders a glass of the tawny port and the waiter brings back a ruby. When Darren tells the waiter that this is not a tawny (he did not have to drink to tell), the waiter gives him a funny look and assures him that this is indeed a tawny port like he ordered. Darren proceeds to almost argue with waiter until the waiter decides to ask the bartender. When he returns, he tells Darren that they have actually ran out of the tawny port and if he wants he can make do with the ruby. Darren gets very annoyed and informs the waiter he would rather have nothing, and the waiter finally offers him anything on the menu.
The waiting staff is good at fixing the problem, and I admire that as many places would just say, "tough cookie." I understand that anyone can have a bad day and make mistakes once in a while. My criticism comes from the fact that they are not able to achieve what restaurants of their standard are supposed to (taking wrong orders, apologizing and informing about out of stock items), and instead decides to act on their own by substituting an order (the port). If it wasn't that, it would've been a good evening.
CLUCK, GRUNT & LOW (and BOOOOOO!)
Cluck, Grunt & Low (Southern BBQ)
362 Bloor St. W.
416-962-5050
http://www.cluck.ca/
Built on the location of two previous failed restaurants, Click Grunt & Low tries to offer Toronto a taste of the South. Nicely decorated southern interior is wasted with the slow service and mediocre food. Restaurant works on a quantity over quality basis. Kansas ribs are average, using sauce to hide the toughness of the meat. Potato salad has an abundant of onions and collard greens are bacon-less with an overwhelming amount of garlic. New Orleans dirty rice is blend and tasteless. Service clearly needs work as hour-long waiting time comes without an apology. Waitress misinforms about lack of cornbread as we watched the adjacent tables receive them, and late-comers experience faster service than early arrivals. Bar offers beer and wine at a reasonable price.
Atmosphere: 3 / 5
Service: 1 / 5
Food: 2 / 5
Price: Sandwiches at $10, BBQ dishes at $15
Overall: 2 / 5
Visit Again: No.
362 Bloor St. W.
416-962-5050
http://www.cluck.ca/
Built on the location of two previous failed restaurants, Click Grunt & Low tries to offer Toronto a taste of the South. Nicely decorated southern interior is wasted with the slow service and mediocre food. Restaurant works on a quantity over quality basis. Kansas ribs are average, using sauce to hide the toughness of the meat. Potato salad has an abundant of onions and collard greens are bacon-less with an overwhelming amount of garlic. New Orleans dirty rice is blend and tasteless. Service clearly needs work as hour-long waiting time comes without an apology. Waitress misinforms about lack of cornbread as we watched the adjacent tables receive them, and late-comers experience faster service than early arrivals. Bar offers beer and wine at a reasonable price.
Atmosphere: 3 / 5
Service: 1 / 5
Food: 2 / 5
Price: Sandwiches at $10, BBQ dishes at $15
Overall: 2 / 5
Visit Again: No.
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