Iliana & Sergey's Palette: authentic

Mon Cheri eyed this little family diner ever since we moved to the neighborhood. We thought it might be a good introduction to the East part of town for us.

APPEARANCE
Situated on a corner of a small plaza, Jim's had a local feel to it. I would have definitely passed it by, if it was not for Cheri's sharp eye. Their narrow horizontal sign really made this place seem like a variety store. "Jim's Restaurant" written in a simple sans serif followed by the tag line "the Best Westerns". With two Coke logos on either side, we knew what we were in for. Some metal chairs lined the front, for those who wanted to observe local folks passing by. In a case of chilly weather, like that day, there was another line of chairs (high chairs, to be exact) right by the window. Overall, not very easily approachable setup, I would say

NOSE
We were faced with an open concept once inside with some seating by the bar and plenty of light from the large front windows. The shades of brown inside make the place cozy and out-dated at the same time. Plenty of laminate everywhere added to the diner feel.
Despite our initial reactions, we were really charmed with our elderly yet swift waitress - Debbie. She asked for tea of coffee straight away. I decided to try their beer, which our waitress couldn't comment on as she confessed she is not a beer drinker. In reality it was a light and plain ale - food friendly and good for the price.

SWIRL
We submerged in the atmosphere as we waited for our order. The demographic was mixed - family with kids, older couples, college students, middle-aged men... There was no music, but plenty of chatter and kitchen sounds. It seemed that the owner was the chef as well. He was not shy to remind the two waitresses when a new customer had entered. There was a large TV in the corner with CP24 on (definitely a powerful distractions). Overall it is a pretty tiny place with tables nice and close - keeping the community bonding.

PALATE
My home-made burger arrived open and loaded with thick slides of pickles (a must), lettuce, tomato, onions, relish - note that I opted in for all the toppings. It was a great burger and with a side of fries, which I luckily upgraded for Greek fries. This means that the potatoes were served with grated cheese and a light vinegar, oil and pepper dressing. Took me back to fries back home at the Balkans, where feta is an essential addition to almost everything.
Cheri had to order their famous Western. He was smart to ask for a side of salad instead of home-fries. We managed to see the pile of them ready in the open cook top - definitely a heavy dish, probably ideal for a hung-over morning. Their house salad had a Greek theme with plenty of feta, olive oil and olives. I was not impressed with the Western though. It was light on veggies and overall salty, heavy and a bit over-done. The portion was generous though.

FINISH
We should note that as our sweet Debbie was writing down our order on carbon copy paper, she did warn us that changing sides meant a change in price. She inquired to check with the owner for us but we decided that it can't be that bad. Also, note that they only accept cash (with an ATM in-house).
Despite all the not-so-perfect details, we really enjoyed this place. Felt very true and warm.

8.10.15

Milagro Cantinas

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7.5.15

The Pie Commission

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26.3.15

Sultan's Tent

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26.2.15

Lou Dawg's

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15.1.15

Pizzeria Libretto

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7.12.14

Crepe & Co European Cafe

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18.5.14

Spice Market

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1.5.14

Aragvi

http://aragvi.com

APPEARANCE

We chose Aragvi for a family gathering on a Thursday night. It is not a type of place you would just randomly walk into: located in a small strip mall on Sheppard, it is not immediately noticeable when you drive by it. At the same time, the promise of authentic Georgian (not US Georgian like chicken and corn on a cob, rather the ex-Soviet Georgia origin) cuisine enticed us.

NOSE
The restaurant space is elongated with a small curtained store front. We had a reservation for nine and got a stretched table next to the window. It is a bit cramped inside, to be honest. The interior is simple, reminded me of a banquet hall - chairs dressed, artwork on the walls and yet a TV in the corner. I'd say, the total capacity of this place is about thirty.

SWIRL
The simple menus are loaded with traditional Georgian dishes as well as some more conservative options like house, Greek or Caesar salads. Our waitress attended to us promptly and provided some suggestions to start. She assumed we can speak Russian - a small community restaurant we thought. We chose the appetizer platter and a large hachapuri (cheese pastry).

PALATE
The platter arrived very promptly and we started exploring the assortment. It had pkhali, izpanahi, eggplant rolls, marinated peppers, mushrooms and babagaoush. Izpanahi became an instant favorite. It is a flavorful Georgian spinach salad with ground walnut, spices and herbs. An absolute delight with their freshly baked bread. We asked for a few portions of sacivi salad (cold chicken in walnut sauce) as well – a worthwhile dish. Just as everyone arrived, the hachapuri (cheese pastry arrived). It was mouth watering - served as a fresh breaded, heavy cheese based pizza.
We also decided to try their harcho soup, which ended up a bit too spicy for our taste, although it was definitely a hearty meal with loads of veal and rice. This soup can make an entrée of its own, considering the size of the portion. A great choice for under $10 if you like spicy! Lamb lula kebab with rice was our second main dish. The grilled meat was very flavorful with some smoky notes and herbaceous hints coming through. The white rice was not the best choice in retrospect. It was a bit too plain; their roasted garlic potatoes might have made a better selection.
A bottle of Mukuzani semi-dry wine topped our order list. The wine is lightly oaked, but ultimately not too memorable. Most popular Georgian wines are of a sweet variety such as Kvantchara, Kintzmarauli or Alazankaya Dolina -Aragvi has all.
Our table also ordered tarhun juice. We had to try it, due to its washing-liquid look. It turned out to be a pleasant anise-flavored lemonade.

FINISH
We would recommend this place for a taste of something different. The restaurant is popular with locals (it was full at some point of the evening even on Thursday night) and the food is aplenty. The dishes are heavier than usual on average, but make for a great dinner alternative. One more option is to order some takeout to try it out prior to plunging all in. There were several takeout orders coming through as we enjoyed our meals. Our own leftovers made for a great lunch the next day too – the portions are generous.

11.3.13

Burgernator

http://theburgernator.com/

In exploring our quick dinner options, we walked up Augusta. The idea was to have something good and relatively healthy. I remembered about the burger place recently opened with original design - I used to pass it on my way to work.Behold the Burgenator - an army themed burger joint!

APPEARANCE
ruby red, very dark and viscose
Inconspicuous from the outside (kind of camouflaged) and yet distinctly different, the place definitely attracts attention. Lots of well executed white type and small imagery occupies black walls inside.

NOSE
a hint of cherry, some cured meats
We spent first five minutes just walking around in awe and literally reading the walls. Everything, from quirky menu items to "you'll be back" type next to exit, was screaming with originality and a sense of good design touch. An interesting interior element - large sheets of plexiglass covered in writing about their locally sourced milkshakes and never frozen patties.

SWIRL
long legs with more intense smells coming out
A very friendly Lebanese owner (he chatted with us aftermath and we established his nationality) greeted us and offered to seat ourselves. Atmospherically, this place was definitely a step up from your regular burger shack. We made our choices, paid on a check-out repurposed iPad and seated ourselves.

PALATE
clay, savoury, heavy tannins
Now our meal - I got myself the Sergeant burger and ma cherie went for the turkey option (The Resistance). The vanilla milkshake made from local ice cream was ordered as well. Five more minutes of staring around and chatting about the place and our burgers landed on the table. The milkshake (which came two minutes before) was delicious! I am no big fan of ice cream, but this was truly well balanced. Not too sweet, just liquid enough to be enjoyed through the straw and not overly cold. A real delight. My Sergeant burger was relatively small (4 oz patty) and looked lonely when served in a metal tray without fries. Very tasty nonetheless. I would only complain a bit about dryness, but I find most beef burgers dry anyway. Grilled bun accented the charcoal notes in beef and made it well rounded. I added some relish to it, but probably should have dropped more condiments in. Since the patty was small, it would have helped for me to ask to grill it lightly.Ma cherie's option was more interesting - masala turkey burger with some curry. The meat was more tender and indian spices made the overall taste interesting. It was definitely loaded with sauces and veggies. She added some mustard as well. I would recommend hers over mine any day. Although, to be fair, my burger was only $5 comparing to $8.50 for the Resistance.Both burgers went well with the milkshake.

FINISH

A heavy, but well rounded aftertaste. Lighter than what was originally expected.
A bit more chatter on the way out with our host/restaurant owner. The place was designed by a recent immigrant lady from York University from start to finish. We agreed that it was quite an accomplishment – original and well balanced.I was kind of tempted to try their Burgenator challenge from the Burgers of Mass Destruction side of the menu. Uh, well...next time...the writing on the wall told us to be back and will gladly oblige.

Overall... a relatively young Chianti, I would say.

27.12.12

Arepa

http://www.arepacafe.ca/

Living in the Bathurst/Queen area, we are walking around the block quite a lot. A byproduct of these promenades is a mental map of local food places we definitely need to visit. Every now and then, the list of candidates gets too long so we are urged to drop an item off it.
One of these places was Arepa – a Venezuelan eatery specializing in, getting it straight from the name, arepas. When Ma Cherie’s grandpa decided to visit us in downtown, we thought it would be a great place to take him to.

APPEARANCE
from a foreign land, the transparent bottle does not reveal any detail and the label is intriguing and somewhat confusing (we'll see)
We walked by numerous times. First guess was Crepo… Ma Cherie loved the typeface, but we were pretty certain it was a breakfast place serving crepes. A downside of an interesting sign is in its obscurity - interesting although a bit confusing, especially when arepas are not that popular downtown. Other than that, bright windows with a lot of light inside were very welcoming on the chilly evening.

NOSE
a quick pour into the glass forms some foam blocking the view, still obscure and difficult to make out the details; smells like a true thirst cruncher though
We entered to some lounge music and a friendly, young waiter who was eager to educate us about arepas – a traditional Venezuelan corn bread used for sandwiches. Learning something new made me excited about the place. One wall was lined with flour packs and some words in decorative typefaces, looking very authentic. Ma Cheri was very happy to see restaurants experiment with type. The bathroom sign was made of bright and happy squares, with white "banos" letters on top. We also really liked the brick walls, tall ceiling and candle-like lights.

SWIRL
bubbles are rising from the glass’s bottom, a slight bitterness smell is coming through
After the presentation about arepas, we dived into the menu. A nicely laid out piece of laminated paper was a but busy but easy to read. We both made excellent choices, at least we were assured of that by our waiter. Pabellon Veggie Arepa for Ma Cherie and La Pelua Arepa for myself paired with two local beers sounded great to us as well. We both went with Mill Street beers – a tankhouse ale and an organic. There were quite a few menu choices available, and almost all of them sounded equally intriguing.

PALATE
malty with a hint of wheat, bitter foam
The sandwiches and beer came within 10 minutes, an excellent turnaround! We did not quite know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised. Ma Cherie’s Pabellon Veggie was very stuffed with beans, avocado, plantain, topped with mozzarella - quite the challenge to eat. My La Pelua was on a drier side at the beginning, but near the end it was soaked in juicy sauces (to make up for it). On the side of mine was a green pepper and garlic mayo sauce, and like all dishes it came with a radish-coleslaw mix.
Our waiter left us three bottled sauces, about one of which we were warned about as being very hot. The beers we ordered were only half pints so they were gone in no time. Eating was more fun after downing both glasses anyway so no regrets there. The arepas were remarkably filling despite being the size of an English muffin at most.

FINISH
filling and creamy while appearing lighter and less engaging from a first sight
A great place for a quick dinner or a lunch! Not much of a romantic night, but there is some soul to it. We liked it very much, definitely in the spirit of this neighborhood – original, welcoming and a bit rebellious.

Overall, an unfiltered Ale beer.

18.2.12

Russell Williams

http://www.russellwilliamsrestaurant.com/

On my visit to Burlington, mon cheri's sister suggested we go for brunch. This place fit our criteria of old, authentic and family-owned.

APPEARANCE
old, dark pink - brown shades

From the street it seemed like an dull house in brown and beige. It has a stand-up vertical restaurant sign, very hotel-like. There are a few benches outside, which would be great in the warm days.

NOSE
violet flowers, red fruits, hint of oak

Inside there was a wait list. Even the wait area bleacher-sofa and chairs were full, but 15 min later we were at a table near the back and the kitchen. The front area seemed great though - bright from the big windows, open-concept, large booths and hanging plants all around. I really wish the light spread all the way to the back sections which had no windows around. Overall the interior was mainly wooden with brick walls. Drawings of the house from before, as well as awards, cute animated illustrations and vintage objects decorated the walls and kept the homy charm in this rather large restaurant.

SWIRL
hints of ponderous fruit
- lacking freshness
Our waitress asked us for coffee and tea as she put down the menus and cutlery. The menu was the regular three-fold plastic sleeves with old-style gradient yellow background and a red frame. It used the same script typeface as the restaurant's logo for the dishes names. I am not a big fan of having the body description type in 4 colours. Nevertheless the menu did get a mom-pop feel across. I ordered a Williams Eggs Benedict, while cheri got the Smoked Salmon Benny and his sister built her own omelette (cheddar and mushrooms). When we opened our cutlery, both cheri and his sis needed new forks. Their washing machine is really slacking. Under the menus there were papers with lots of different ads and coupons.. it was a sort of entertainment to read though them, but also a bit on the tacky side.

PALATE
sweet beginning dry near the end, medium bodied
Our dishes came quickly. My benedict was great. The paprika in the perfect-textured Hollandaise in combo with honey mustard, I believe, and the back bacon made the dish sweet and special. Their famous home fries had lightly burned crusts at times, which I'm a fan of. Cheri's salmon benny was also lovely. I was not crazy about the omelette as the egg base almost seemed paper-like dry and plain. The top combo of cheddar and mushrooms was quite pleasant though. It took our waitress quite a few long minutes to move out dirty plates out of the way. Oh wait, it wasn't even her who did it. Lastly we ordered a fluffy buttermilk pancake to share with raspberry topping. The pancake was neither fluffy nor flavourfull, but perhaps that is because it is not necessarily ordered as a sweet dessert. The raspberry sauce just came in a little bowl on the side.. someone really didn't want to worry about presentation.

FINISH
easy and light at the end, although initial aromas seemed complex and a bit aggressive
This was packed with families. It had an old and cozy feel, no doubt. I would've loved to sit near the front or even outside, when the weather gets warmer.

overall.. an aged rosé, a little generic near the end