Liu Loqum, the Turkish café on College at Euclid. This is the iced coffee with chocolate.
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I had one great meal there last year but a follow-up this year was less exciting.
If only they could find consistency!
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The server today was attentive, but fairly inexperienced , and a little undertrained , relative to the servers you might find at Bar Isabel, Bar Raval or Bar Vendetta.
While I liked Patois,it wasn’t quite at the same level as Bar Raval ,Bar Vendetta or Bar Pompette. I still haven’t tried Restaurant Pompette, which I would expect would have service a step up from Bar Isabel, Bar Raval or Bar Vendetta.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dog & Tiger stops offering brunch and focuses only on dinner this fall.
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Dog and Tiger is closed permanently. But the place has already been transferred to a new team.
New restaurant at same location opening soon. Stay tuned.
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I had read on IG that the Dog & Tiger is closed and the restaurant is changing its concept.
Does that mean the the same owners, or does new team mean new owners and new staff?
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Very nice lunch with my pal @magic at Mamakas today. We had the melitzanasalata, keftedes, spanakopita and lamb shakshuka.
Worth the splurge!
I wish Mamakas would serve frappe coffees.
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I will!
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Enjoyed a patio dinner at Isaan Der on Dundas W in the Junction last night. Not worth a special detour for the food. I liked the pad si ew. The panang curry was decent. I would say the food is at roughly the same level as Khao San Road or BKK, better than Chrystal Thani, maybe slightly less to my taste than Nana.
I appreciate a Thai restaurant that keeps a patio going, so that in itself would be a reason for me to return. My friend sent this photo of our dessert since my phone battery was at 0%.
Coffee on the I Deal Coffee patio on Ossington this morning. (Skip the $7.99 breakfast sandwich- they have the eggs pre-cooked then reheated with bacon and cheese. So many better breakfast sandwiches within a 10 minute walk of this one!) Good patio for a coffee, with shade.
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Two recent concerts at Scotiabank Arena prompted patio visits to nearby restaurants for dinner. First up was Aria, which we last went to about 7 years ago. At the time we liked it, though thought it somewhat pricey. The menu has become less adventurous, so the food is well executed but not as interesting (and still pricey for what you get).
For wines, we had glasses of:
- 2020 Falanghina, Bonea, Masseria Frattasi - pleasant, sort of sauv blanc style but a little richer, quite acidic, like a mix of grapefruit peel and lemonade.
- 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhyton, Masseria Frattasi - very fruity, nice.
Burrata panzanella:
Creamy burrata, sweet tomato, and focaccia, tomato dressing - very tasty, solid.
Tuna Nizzarda:
Seared albacore tuna, green beans, cherry tomato, onions, taggiasche olives, hard boiled Conestoga egg, lemon dressing - well-executed Italian version of a salade niçoise.
Gnocchi:
Potato gnocchi, basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, parmigiana reggiano, toasted pine nuts - nice but could have used more salt or cheese and tomatoes.
Mushroom Ravioli:
Egg ravioli, white truffle butter, parmigiana reggiano - delicious, very truffle-y.
Torta Caprese:
Flourless chocolate cake, almond praline, macerated Ontario strawberries (actually mainly blueberries) - a bit too sweet.
Baba al rum
Essentially a sundae, with pastries soaked in rum, gelato alla crema, wild berries underneath, whipped cream - OK.
We asked for one of Italian dessert wines but instead were served the 2005 Sauvignon blanc botrytis, Voss Vineyards, Rutherford, Napa Valley - pleasant, honeyed.
Next concert we went to the patio at La Bettola di Terroni, another place we hadn’t been to in years. This was all-around a better meal and also much better value.
We focused on newer additions to the menu that we hadn’t previously tried. First up was
Capesante Gratinate:
Scallops baked on the half shell, carrot, celery, onion, smoked pancetta, parmigiano - as decadent as you might imagine.
There was also a carpaccio di pesca spada as a special:
House-smoked swordfish, fennel, orange, pistachio, lemon, olive oil - really lovely, with smokey notes balanced with some citrus, nuts, and the mild licorice of the fennel.
There was also a pasta special: Tonnarelli con Fiori di Zucca:
Homemade tonnarelli pasta, guanciale, zucchini flower, pecorino, parmigiano, saffron - totally inhalable, even though there were only 4 tiny zucchini flowers and undetectable saffron. Perfectly cooked pasta.
Busiate al Pesto:
Busiate pasta (like thin rotini), basil pesto, pine nuts, parmigiano, garlic, potatoes, green beans - vibrant flavours and neat to have potato in the pasta.
For wines, we had two glasses:
- 2020 Rebelle Langhe Bianco, Brandini, Piemonte (viognier) - wildflowers and honey, ripe apricot.
- 2019 Carema Classico, Piemonte (Nebbiolo) - cinnamon, nutmeg, stewed fruit.
Both desserts suffered from being a bit too sweet.
Creme brulee:
Otherwise well-executed.
Mousse al cioccolato:
Dark chocolate mousse (with little crunchy balls on top) - not very chocolate-y.
We finished off with a fine camomile-infused grappa.
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You know you could adopt me. Jus’ sayin.
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Not quite a patio, but La Piazza at Eataly had all the big windows open, so we were eating in the open. The food was significantly better than the last time we ate at Eataly, although the service was somewhat haphazard and uninformed.
For wine, we ordered a bottle of Bombino Bianco 2020, Demaio, Puglia - a beautiful orange wine, with lots of peach and tangerine.
Our friends ordered the verdure fritti, which we sampled. It was very well-executed, crispy and not oily. The accompanying pesto Calabrese had plenty of kick.
To start, we had two of the crudos. The capesante crudo featured creamy Atlantic bay scallops, burnt grapefruit, sea salt - a gorgeous combination.
The halibut crudo was also very good, with fresh and slightly firm halibut, lemon agrodolce, chili, and mint - light and clean flavours.
The pastas were both excellent, a few notches up from any we’ve previously. Particularly enjoyable was the mafaldine al nero di seppia con frutti di mare (fresh and sweet bay scallops, manila clams, PEI mussels), with an earthy tomato sauce with capers, olives, and oregano.
Almost as good was the casarecce alla Trapanese - al dente twists with a delicious tomato-almond pesto, basil, pecorino romano DOP.
By then the kitchen had closed, but we were too full for dessert anyway.
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Tried Amal again they have outdoor seating. Both good signs as service and food have improved. The tenderloin kebab is new and done quite well. I also enjoyed the dip trio.
The place was getting quite busy. Though with impending rain I chose to dine indoor
I
(food was decent last time as well)
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Taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, we also revisited the patio at Lapinou. Food and drinks remain lovely and the patio remains nicely sheltered from the elements while still being very open air. We arrived before 7:00 and were able to take advantage of some cinq à sept drinks and apps:
Hemingway daiquiri [right] - Bacardi ocho rum, Luxardo maraschino, grapefruit, lime - nice if rather strong (spirit forward).
Solstice [left] - charred pineapple infused rum, Bacardi 8-year rum, lime, pineapple, cardamom, cinnamon - lovely balance of tropical, sweet, and spice.
Unfortunately they have taken one of their best dishes off the menu: house-smoked ham with truffle, celery, caper, and comte cheese. We were able semi reconstruct it by ordering the ham off the cinq à sept menu, plus their great bread (paired with castelvetrano olives with orange and fennel):
Crudos continue to be a strength. Sea bass came with pineapple, chili, ginger lime, olive oil vinegar - light and simple. Ahi tuna tataki was paired with crisped sunchokes, pickled mushroom, truffle ponzu - also delicious.
We ordered the baby gem salad (with pistachios, meyer lemon, avocado dressing) as this was a favourite from a previous visit. They put the almonds on the side as our friend couldn’t eat nuts.
A new item was fried zucchini blossoms filled with lemon ricotta and dressed with mint, lemon zest, and espelette honey - crispy outside and a lovely cool creaminess inside.
Another new option was the lightly grilled calamari, served with green chili chutney, coconut yogourt, gunpowder spice - a great South Asian deviation from their usual French-Italian base.
We revisited the great squash rice, with french curry, toasted pumpkin seeds, and gouda - still yummy.
And they had a delicious pasta special: chittara with truffle, chanterelles and pecorino.
Desserts remain good, if not exceptional:
- Hazelnut crémeux in a little coupe with chocolate cake and chocolate mousse, salted caramel, hazelnuts, cocoa nibs.
- Coconut sorbet with stewed pineapple, coconut rum, toasted coconut, lime zest, and Maldon salt.
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Both the Amal and Lapinou meals look great.
I’m so sad it’s becoming too cold for patio dining. It’ll be interesting to see which winter patios continue into November. I have a feeling only a handful will keep at it.
I have a lunch coming up at Bar Raval this month.
I was hoping to visit Restaurant Pompette before their patio season closes.
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Lapinou has strong heaters so they usually continue well into the fall.
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Bar Piquette’s back patio is fairly enclosed, though we were near the open window. We hadn’t been in some time. Fortunately the food remains excellent. They have no kitchen per se, so all the dishes are either cold prep or heated in a little oven. And the wine selection remains superb.
Our glasses of wine included:
- 2021 Lost Vineyards, The Ride, Gewurztraminer (orange wine), Niagara - floral, stone fruit
- 2022 Pasji Rep, Vipavska Dolina, Zelen, Slovenian white - fresh and crisp, ripe apple and pear
- 2020 Vite Ad Ovest, Ghammi, Marsala (Sicily), Nero d’avola - raspberries and very light
- 2021 Merumalia, Coqui, Pet-Nat, Bombino Bianco, Italy - a nice accomapaniment for dessert, despite not being a dessert wine
Mortadella sandwich - this remains our go-to; one of our favourite sandwiches in the city:
Boquerones with pickled celery, radish slices, confit tomatoes, chilies - fun, salty, pickly and quite spicy:
Radicchio salad - pear (a few thin slices), honey, champagne vin, manchego, crispy prosciutto - nice balance of mild bitterness, sweet, salty/porky:
Mushrooms Duxelles - tartare of chopped mushrooms with slices and sprouts on top, pistachio, truffle garlic aioli, 6 small toasts - light and mild umami:
Little gem with braised leeks, Dijon vinaigrette, blue cheese, bacon - like a deconstructed wedge, delicious but maybe just a little too salty or too much dressing:
Duck liver mousse (creamy, rich) with toast, pickled shallots, sour cherry - great!
Autumn squash agrodolce - delicante squash, guanciale, pumpkin seeds, chiles - sweet squash with salty crisy pork and a bit of heat:
Baked apple - chantilly cream, caramel and a big cinnamon stick on top - not too sweet and the caramel had a complexity that made the dish extra special:
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Whoa there. Is that sandwich more than 6" tall? 
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It’s tall and mighty delicious. Normally we split our dishes, but in this case we got one sandwich each.
The patios of Queen St W, Dundas St W and College St folded up over the last 10 days. I guess that’s a wrap for Patio Season 2023.
I will still be seeking out outdoor seating.
For coffees, Fika in Kensington, Krave on St Clair W and The Shmooz on Pape keep some outdoor seating in chilly weather.
In terms of restaurants that keep their heated patios going all winter, the only restaurants serving food I consistently enjoy, that has reasonably good ventilation at brunch, is Union on Ossington.
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