Toronto Uncovered

Posts Tagged ‘Restaurant’

Long time no contribution. I must admit, I’ve been slacking off a little but here’s why – it’s summer! Patio season is here folks so slather on the SPF and get your mmm on outside like I did the other day.  Java House, located at 537 Queen Street West on the southwest corner of Queen and Augusta, is without a doubt a hipster hot-spot. Personally, I’m not all that hip but I still appreciate quality food that doesn’t break the bank.

Their eclectic menu features lighter pub fare and a variety of Thai entrees in the $5, that’s right $5 price range, not to mention daily specials, all day breakfast, and a good selection of coffee, teas and cheap pitchers.

Upon first impression, Java House looks like a dive bar and a coffee shop had a one night stand, but that’s precisely the restaurant’s charm. Though be warned, the bathrooms are of the, to quote my friend Angela “flush with your foot” variety.

On busy days, inside can be a little cramped with a line-up for the large patio. Luckily for my friend and I we arrived at Java House before yesterday’s dinner rush. We were promptly seated outside at a wobbly table but brushed it off as that small price we were willing to pay for sunshine.

Service at Java House is whimsical. If you go in expecting to be treated like royalty chances are your expectations will not be met. I’ve returned to Java House many times and I’ve had adequate service and terrible service but never the type of service to sing praises about, but then again I’m not picky. What keeps me coming back to Java House is the great prices, yummy food and, as I fancy myself a people watcher, the quirky clientele. Still, I don’t want to speak ill of the servers at Java House. It’s not that the servers are rude to their customers, rather in most cases they are in general a bit green and sometimes forgetful. Our server yesterday spilled our water (though the wobbly table was partly to blame) and of another server my friend requested an ashtray, which never came. Neither of those things particularly irked either of us,  as said before we weren’t all that concerned about the quality of the service. We were just hungry.

We both ordered the stir-fry and vegetables. Angela had the tofu option while I went with the chicken. Portion size was large enough that Angela didn’t finish her rice where as I stopped short of licking the plate when I was finished. We also shared a pitcher of Amsterdam Blonde between us. In the end, the sum total for everything was around $28 and we left Java House happy enough with our experience yesterday that I’m sure we’ll both continue to gravitate there this summer and many summers thereafter.

I have mentioned a few times that I am completely in love, and possibly have an unhealthy obsession, with all things food. Luckily, I am active enough to stave off severe weight gain as a result of my never ending quest for delicious delicacies. Last weekend, I discovered a new restaurant on Queen West called Vdara (aka mmmm Vdara).  It has since been added to my ‘must go back and try everything else on the menu’ list.

Before I get too carried away with the details of the actual meal, I want to quickly highlight the ambiance and atmosphere. For a restaurant to be truly successful on Queen West, it needs to meet a few conditions: First, low yuppy appeal. Check. The decorative wall art featuring nude dancers left little to the imagination and should promptly scare away any easily offended,  square types. Second, it needs to appeal to a diverse crowd. Check. Whether you’re looking for drinks, dinner, P. Diddy’s Ciroc cocktails, or a dimly lit corner to rehash the latest pitfalls of your life, you wont be disappointed. Third, it should have a trendy name that new comers aren’t quite sure how to pronounce – think Czehoskis, Noce and Addis Ababa. Check.

Now, onto the meal itself. There was a large group of us for dinner so we ordered six or seven appetizers to share. The herbs and spices fried chicken strips and empenadas stuffed with pulled pork were amazing, but the real show stopper was the breaded and baked mac ‘n’ cheese cakes topped with smoked bacon and home-made ketchup.  I literally dreaded swallowing every bite for fear it would be my last. In short, moanfully good. For my main, I ordered the blackened tilapia with fruit salsa and baked sour cream and chive potatoes.  I’m a huge fan of blackened anything, so this was right up my alley. The poor, unsuspecting guy sitting next to me ordered grilled beef tenderloin (my second choice) which smelled so good I insisted on sampling his more than once.

I’ve been promoting Vdara to everyone who is looking for a really great meal, at a reasonable price (expect to pay approx 60.00-70.00 with wine, tax, and tip). If you’re in the area its well worth stopping in – let me know if you do.