Snacking Southern Ontario

Coach and Lantern, Ancaster

2009-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Coach and Lantern
384 Wilson St E
Ancaster, ON
L9G 2C2
http://www.coachandlantern.ca/

Coach and Lantern is one of those neighbourhood standbys that I just can't stay away from. The atmosphere is the main draw. This British pub is in the - reportedly haunted - stone building that was once the old hotel. Its creepiest claim to fame was as the location of trials for the "Bloody Assize" of Ancaster just after the War of 1812. The decor reflects the British pub style, the stone walls seem original, and the furniture fits the theme: heavy, dark wood. There is also a great but narrow patio - get there fast, because it fills up quickly on nice nights!

The menu is mostly pub grub, but it's well done. My favourite dishes are the perogies with bacon and caramelized onions ($8.99 - listed as "Lighter Fare" aka Appetizer; you might want a salad on the side); the Classic Coach Burger ($9.99 with side, definitely tastes homemade); and - oh yes - their mashed potatoes which made with redskins and always fresh. The dessert menu seems to rotate slightly, but I've never been disappointed.

Beyond that, there's other classic pub fare, and a few standout peculiar offerings. Try out the deep fried dill pickles ($7.99) or the "Irish Nachos" with potato instead of chips ($12.99) - I haven't gotten brave enough to yet.

There is always something going on, whether its live music or trivia night. The management is friendly and helpful.

That said, there's something I've been missing the last few times - good service. Maybe it's because I've been sitting on the patio, but the last three visits I had issues. Someone needs to tell the waitresses that even if someone is enjoying themselves on the patio with a drink, they still might want to order something - please ask, I usually want my dinner! And then there was the waitress that never brought cutlery and then disappeared. Hm. But they're generally friendly and apologetic, at least.

All in all, I would definitely recommend the Coach - for casual dinner in the cozy indoors, drinks on the patio, or listening to some music.

Stoney's Bread Company, Oakville

2009-09-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Stoney's Bread Company
321 Kerr St
Oakville, ON
L6K 3B6

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived, except the order of service: you make your order, then you pay, and finally you sit to wait for your food. I was pleased to see that it was a classy place with a slightly shabby chic vibe. Lots of heavy wood tables with chattering girlfriends and older couples scattered throughout the restaurant.

The menu is certainly creative, if also carb-focused (look out Atkin's types!). There is a big list of 'real' pizzas with classy, well-thought-out toppings, a sandwich list with the same description, a good number of pastas, and - yes - salads. The Sunday brunch menu made me wish I could be there on a Sunday morning too.

After much deliberation, I settled on a 4-cheese penne. . . hold the penne - I requested a change to linguine, which was no problem at all. It came out quickly, and was a good size: not the usual restaurant 'giant', but an edible portion. The cheese was to die for, and the dish was accompanied by garlic toast on a nearly-nutty bread.

Harry ended up getting the sandwich of the day - a bison burger (so tender) with a hefty list of toppings, including goat cheese, on a whole wheat panini bun. Also well-planned and different from the usual restaurant fare.

Even our drinks were special - we both chose a pop from the independent soda line they sell there. Mine was "Diet Cream" (which done right, is not pink), and his was Black Cherry. Yum yum. A great addition to the meal.

The bill came to just under $40, which is reasonable for what we got. Stoney's is a pizza/pasta/sandwich place upgraded to a chic hangout, with a menu to match. I definitely hope to return.

Pho Dau Bo, Hamilton

2009-09-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Pho Dau Bo
15 Cannon St E
Hamilton, ON
L8L 1Z6

More Vietnamese, yes please. I figured I'd try out this 'staple' Vietnamese restaurant in Hamilton that people on review websites seem to rave about - it's also a chain throughout Southern Ontario.

Harry and I started with the fresh shrimp spring rolls. They seem to be uniformly tasty at any authentic Vietnamese or Thai restaurant, and these were no exception. Oddly, they came after the rest of the meal showed up (all within a matter of minutes though).

I couldn't resist going for a 'bun' vermicelli bowl, though I was a bit disappointed to see there was no meat + shrimp + spring roll combo's. I went for a grilled pork + spring roll 'bun' - served over shredded carrots, shredded lettuce, shredded cucumbers, and vermicelli, with a sauce to pour over it. It was very tasty, but I've been spoiled by the 'bun' at Little Saigon (66 Mall Road, Hamilton). The Pho Dau Bo vermicelli was thicker than I consider to be vermicelli, there wasn't quite enough sauce to pour over it, and, yes, my favourite combo option was missing.

Harry got the original pho with rare beef, and was definitely not disappointed by the huge spicy bowl of broth + beef + noodles presented to him (and it was the small size!). He didn't know the size would be quite so large, and also got a massive Pad Thai, which was a spicier, less sweet version than the ones I usually have.

To top it all of, we got milkshakes. Coconut for him, strawberry for me. We each preferred our own flavour. They were a bit smaller than we were expecting, but sufficient.

All in all, the meal was reasonable ($30 total for way too much food), and tasty. But I've been spoiled by Little Saigon, so that's where I'll return when I'm craving 'bun'.

My Thai - Ancaster

2009-08-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

My Thai
43 Wilson St W
Ancaster, ON
www.mythai.ca
(+ 4 other locations - Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, & *NEW Waterloo)

This is one of my favourite restaurants, and one I continually return to. The original restaurant was the Hamilton location, but it's the Ancaster branch that I go to again and again. I'm glad to hear they are expanding even further with their new Waterloo locaton!

I had lunch there on Friday. They have a shorter, cheaper, seasonal lunch menu, though the portions are still very filling. For about $10 I got a huge order of Pad Thai which came with deep fried spring roll.

A few menu favourites:
- Pad Thai - I have to really make an effort to get anything else. Pad Thai is one of my favourite foods, and My Thai's Pad Thai is excellent. The sauce is sweet (not too much spice in this one), and the tofu cubes are plentiful ( my favourite part). It also comes with shrimp and chicken and, of course, egg, peanut, and bean sprouts. Fabulous.
- Fresh & Fried Spring Rolls - both everything you'd want in a spring roll, both come with sweet chili dipping sauce
- Siamese Beef - thin strips of perfectly grilled, tender beef (slightly peppery) served with a spicy and sweet chili sauce
- Cashew Chicken - big juicy chunks of chicken in a somewhat sweet sauce, with peppers and orange slices - great on their jasmine rice
- Satay - skewered, barbecued strips of the same juicy chicken with a touch of coconut flavour served with a delicious peanut dipping sauce (even though I barely like peanuts, this sauce is awesome!)

All in all, we've never had a bad experience with My Thai. The servers are always friendly, the service is speedy, and the restaurant is decorated very nicely. It is a bit dim, but it sets a nice mood for chatting and dining. It's a great restaurant for take-out, as well!

SSO at Summerlicious - Hot House Cafe, Toronto

2009-07-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hot House Cafe
35 Church St
Toronto, ON
M5E 1T3
http://hothousecafe.com/
(Church & Front)

I wanted so badly to like the prix fixe $25 Summerlicious menu of Hot House Cafe: the restaurant was packed and looked funky with its red & purple accents, the location is great - nice big patios and big windows for people watching in the St Lawrence Market area, and the descriptions of the dishes seemed excellent. I guess I just made the wrong choices.

My sister, Heather, loved her starter: two different types of breads with three different types of spreads (a tapenade, a goat cheese spread, and a sundried tomato spread). I was less lucky with my deep fried croquette bites filled with brie and risotto. Served with a thick handmade tomato sauce, I could picture this being delicious if it was just the brie. Unfortunately, with the risotto inside it just made it taste like I was biting into a pile of deep-fried mush. Hm.

I will say that the leek, chive, and mascarpone mashed potatoes had a big, different taste and were much enjoyed. The rest of my main wasn't as great. My rib eye steak was done properly and had a nice BBQ sauce, but I had to cut it to pieces to find pieces that weren't fatty (I am not a fan of fatty steak!). Heather didn't have trouble with hers, the lucky dog. And the mixed vegetables were a toss up. The cauliflower, zucchini, and pepper were flavourful and delicious but the broccoli and carrots were flavourless. In fact, they even seemed like they may have been frozen. Very suspicious.

After such an up-and-down dinner, we were both looking forward to our blood orange sorbets. They looked beautiful and were covered with fresh berries. . . but the taste didn't match! They were very bitter, almost like it was made only with blood orange rind, and none of the sweet parts. We ate a bit and finally let our sorbets melt.

All in all, I thought the location was great and with the pleased-looking crowds they must be doing something right with their regular menu. I was salivating as I saw pizza and pasta dishes passing me by. I would definitely go back to try their regular menu, or for their Wednesday Pasta Bar Buffet or the Sunday Brunch that the folks on Restaurantica seem to rave about.

In the neighbourhood: Stroll down Front Street, or hit the St Lawrence Market right around the corner.

SSO at Summerlicious - 5th Elementt, Toronto

2009-07-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

5th Elementt
1033 Bay St
Toronto, ON
M5S 3A5
(Closest intersection: Bay & Wellesley)
http://www.5thelementt.com/

I headed up to 5th Elementt (yes, the extra 'T' is not a typo) with three friends from university. The large amount of choice in their Summerlicious prix fixe menu (six each of appetizer and main!) meant that everyone could be happy. When we heard "Indian/Italian fusion" we were picturing curry pasta, but it was a lot more subtle.

Amanda, Katie & I all started with seafood. I got to sample the bacon wrapped scallops and the skewer of big, beautiful, butterflied shrimp. The scallops were melt in your mouth soft, and the saltiness of the bacon was a great contrast. The shrimp were perfectly grilled, and came in a light parsley butter sauce. Both came with sides of greens. Ro was the only one who chose the rack of lamb and mashed sweet potato appetizer - quite a feast for an appetizer, and she found it especially tasty as well.

The baseball steak main was one of the best steaks I've had in a long time. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I was glad I had over-ordered though - I asked for medium-well, and I got what I considered medium (which I actually prefer). They had no problem with my switch to mashed potatoes for the side, and Amanda enjoyed her side of sweet potato frites, which seemed almost like they might have been baked rather than fried. Katie & Ro got "mehti crusted tandoori chicken" with a side of rice. However, the chicken was in a curry-flavoured sauce - and generally, in my experience, tandoori is dry. They did enjoy it though.

We chose two of the desserts: the lightest version of mango cheesecake I had ever tasted - almost like a mousse in cake form; and a "peanut butter chocolate feast" which was a cheesecake with Reese's Pieces topping. Very rich, but good if you're a huge chocolate peanut butter fan!

This was my best (of three) experiences at Summerlicious 2009. It seemed like they didn't go wrong on any dish. I was pleased when the manager dropped by the table to see how we were doing, and pleased to see the place was bustling with others who recognized the quality of 5th Elementt. My only problem? The bathrooms! The sketchy decor and mothball smell did not match with the hip restaurant.

Newsflash: 5th Elementt's Summerlicious menu is still running until August 2, so get it while you can!

SSO Away: Laurentian View Dairy - Deep River, ON

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Laurentian View Dairy
33387 Highway 17
Deep River, ON
K0J 1P0 --> Cross Street: Ridge Road

A few friends and I visited Deep River, Ontario, halfway between North Bay and Ottawa, for a friend's wedding.

We stopped by the Laurentian View Dairy Bar (known locally just as "The Dairy") because my soon-to-be-married friend had worked at it when she was younger - and, yes, because it's one of the few restaurants in town. It's half ice cream shop and half 50's-style diner. We even wondered if the menu was also the same as it had been in the 50's: it was that good, cheap, somewhat fattening diner food.

The best part of The Dairy, however, is that it is an actually dairy! They make their own dairy products (the local grocery stores sell their milk, etc.). The ice cream, therefore, was delicious!

While we were there we talked about how the LVDB would be a suitable candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (if only they visited Canada too), and then were surprised when the bill arrived. For a grilled cheese sandwich, a burger & fries, a pop, an ice cream cone, and a milkshake: under $18. Beautiful.

In the neighbourhood: Get outside! The 'river' in Deep River is the Ottawa River, and DR is in a great location to take advantage of everything the Canadian Shield has to offer.

SSO at Summerlicious - Southern Accent, Toronto

2009-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Southern Accent
http://www.southernaccent.com/
595 Markham St
Toronto, ON

Summerlicious is an annual festival in Toronto (or bi-annual, if you count Winterlicious) where a large number of restaurants develop "prix-fixe" multi-course menus. I chose a few of the $25 dinner options with different dining partners.

As a total New Orleans freak, Southern Accent was especially exciting for me. Cajun/Creole/New Orleans food in an old Victorian house with piles of Mardi Gras decorations (tacky? somewhat, but the sheer numbers of them makes for a great atmosphere), scarves and curtains swathing areas throughout the many rooms, and the occasional wandering psychic. Yes, please.

Our meal started with an "amuse bouche" (making this the only '4-course' $25 menu I encountered) of hummus & fresh bread. Tasty but not too New Orleanian, except that both my boyfriend and I got a bowl of gumbo with it as our appetizers. The broth was dark and spicy, the sausage bits were tasty. . . except I had a problem identifying anything else in it. (Was it vegetables? Meat?). Hm. I enjoyed it with trepidation.

The drinks were also a lot of fun - we both got non-alcoholic Southern classics: fresh lemonade and handmade iced tea ("sweet tea", of course!). I would have got another glass. . . if the refills were free. The only drawback to handmade, I suppose.

Main courses were a beautiful blackened chicken for me, and jambalaya for him. My chicken came with a garlic beurre sauce that contrasted perfectly with the somewhat spicy chicken (even though the coldness of it was a bit shocking), super whipped mashed potatoes, and a strange vegetable dish: bok choy with BBQ sauce. I had never eaten bok choy outside of a 'dish', and BBQ sauce seemed a strange option - but it was good! He enjoyed his jambalaya, but the two shrimp on it seemed a bit stingy.

My chunk of strawberry rhubarb pie - with a giant dollop of fresh cream - was to die for (though I didn't see it on their regular menu). His "fresh sorbet of the day" was pineapple, and also quite tasty - if also a much smaller portion than that pie! Ah well. I chose correctly.

The staff was extremely laidback, but also very knowledgeable and easily rhymed off answers - in detail - to my multiple questions (such as: what's a hushpuppy ?).

I would definitely go back to Southern Accent - and maybe catch the psychic this time!

In the Neighbourhood: Southern Accent is in Mirvish Village, so drop by Honest Ed's, or hit up the many little shops nearby.

Spice Avenue - Hamilton

2009-07-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Spice Avenue
http://spiceavenue.ca/
1066 Upper James St
Hamilton, ON

I felt underdressed when I walked in the uber-chic Spice Avenue, despite it's location on the commercial strip of Upper James. It took a few minutes to realize all the diners were 'underdressed', the restaurant just seemed to think itself fancy. Luckily, the prices reflected the casual - and not the classy.

But I digress. Spice Avenue seems to be a primarily Vietnamese/Thai restaurant for people who might be uncomfortable going to an authentic Vietnamese or Thai restaurant - and prefer the term "Pan-Asian", and clearly English-speaking servers. That said, both the menu and the food we received definitely compared with the more 'authentic' restaurants. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

We split fresh shrimp spring rolls, which don't seem to vary too much from restaurant to restaurant. These were just as tasty as always.

For my main I got one of the Vermicelli Bowls (which at a Vietnamese restaurant go by the alter ego of "bun"). Mine came with a big skewer of shrimp (generous!), a fried spring roll, and tender grilled pork slices - in addition to the prerequisite vermicelli, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, bok choi, and a dish of sweet chili sauce to dump on it. Delicious and filling and very similar to when I've had it at a Pho restaurant.

My dining partner got the Mongolian noodle bowl - nope, it wasn't quite Thai or Vietnamese (I guess this is the "Pan" part of the Asian), with nice thick noodles and a spicy bean sauce with veggies.

All in all, I feel like this would be a classy place for martinis (they did have a very intersting martini list), despite the location. And I liked the food enough that I would go back - unless whoever I was eating with also wanted a vermicelli bowl/bun, or other Vietnamese food. Then I would choose to instead go to one of the Pho places in the city!

Camp 31 BBQ - Paris

2009-07-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Camp 31 BBQ
http://www.camp31.com/
22 Paris Road
Paris, ON

Due to my obsession with the Deep South, finding Camp 31 - a real Alabama Bar-B-Que joint - out on the road to Paris was a delight. And yes, it got even better.

Heather & I did lunch, but we didn't do ribs (sorry about that, maybe next time). We started with "onion straws" which were like a spicy haystack of onion rings. It came with a cool dip, but we headed for the award-winning BBQ sauces to dip them in. The original was my favourite, Heather's was the honey mustard, and the Cajun was just too spicy for the already spicy onion straws.

We were excited to see the portion sizes (big) and the prices (small) of our lunch entrees. I got Saddlebags (tortillas packed with meaty chili and baked with cheese), and she got a Duke Sandwich (Buffalo chicken finger on a giant "hoagie" bun with all the fixin's). Both under $10, both filling and delicious.

All in all, it was the atmosphere that did us in. I'm a big True Blood fan, and the interior of Camp 31 looks just like "Merlotte's Bar & Grill" in fictitious Bon Temps, Louisiana. Minus the vampires. That said, it kind of looks like a Southern-style. . . shack. So if you're into that sort of thing, it comes highly recommended by me!

In the neighbourhood: head into Paris (follow the signs for Paris "business district") for a quaint downtown on the Grand River. Stop for an ice cream at the little parlour, or shop for antiques at the General Store or vintage items at the very cheap thrift store. Continue a little further to Mary Maxim, the epic crafts & needlework store, also in Paris.