Electrifying tacos at Grand Electric

Be prepared for a line up and a wait as this new taco joint in the Queen west hood is hot!
On a brisk Tuesday evening, we arrive around 7pm to find that the resto-bar is packed with rowdy diners.  We are told that the wait time would be more or less an hour which we expected and we put our names down/ cell phone given and we go across the street to the Rhino for a drink.

County General

In the old Oddfellow space on the corner of Queen and Shaw is the rustic newly opened County General.  The brains and proprietaries of Splendido are behind this and were inspired by one of my favourite gastro pubs in NYC - the Spotted Pig; this woodsy jewel, in the Queen West neighbourhood which has already become a hot spot.

Czehoski

Czehoski is a Toronto institution.  The faded namesake sign is the original sign from 1924 when it was a butcher shop and deli owned by a Polish/Czech family.  It is also my local bar where I consider myself a regular.  In fact, I go there so often that I've been declared the 'mayor' on foursquare (a social network). But I usually go there for late night drinks after I've eaten dinner.  This was because Czehoski's reputation as a restaurant was not stellar; it was just a fun place to have drinks. 

Arepa Cafe

I've been curious to try the Arepa cafe on Queen since I've moved down to Queen West mainly because I had no idea what an Arepa was.  Being the food-thusiastic curious person I am, I needed to figure that out.  So on a Sunday morning, my friend Andrew and I met there to try some arepas for brunch.  Walking into the cafe, with exposed brick, we parked ourselves at a table and started our culninary journey there.  The thing about the cafe is you can order at the counter to take out your meal or wait to be served. 

Poutine Plus

Another poutine restaurant has cropped up in my neighborhood and is conveniently located across the street from Smoke's Poutiniere.  Now this is dangereux as the market for late night hangouts and inebriated snack time becomes populated with my favourite snack and when there's a long line up at one resto - i can just pop into the alternative yikes!  Reminder that I need to figure out my gym routine!!

An Ode to Amuse Bouche

My friend Pete and I have been trying to go for an indulgent dinner at this romantic and quaint spot but between our hectic schedules and life in general, we hadn't t set a date.  However upon finding out that this dear sweet place was closing at the end of May this year, lit a bit of a fire under both our bums and we quickly booked a dinner date.  My gosh!  Why did we wait so long? We actually started talking about a second visit while we were eating our 10 course dinner before it closed it's doors for good.

Ravi Soups for a little bowl of comfort

Spring showers are a perfect time to seek a little warm refuge. My co-workers and I went to find some wholesome goodness to warm us up on this wet day.

We found what we were in the mood for; Ravi soups which is the second location for this downtown staple.  This location is next to the Drake Hotel on Queen Street near Lisgar while it's premiere location is on Adalaide near Spadina.

Dinner at Swan - FTguest blogger Laine Cole

Laine Cole, my lovely hairdresser and also an avid food lover shares her thoughts on a local favourite- Swan!  Enjoy!  
You can find Laine at B Suite Salon, 132 Atlantic Ave, 416-953-8710

Terroni

Going to Terroni on Queen West has become a staple in my life.  This is the original Terroni restaurant - it all started here in 1992 and then they expanded uptown, towards the east end and one in LA.   Casual and good Italian fare with a bustling atmosphere of eclectic people, it's a place that I enjoy meals, and catching up with friends.   Be warned as the line ups can be ridiculous (most of the time). 

Staples at One of a Kind Pasta

This is my boss' favorite restaurant and his constant 'go to' restaurant for team lunches hence I have been there several times as a result.

The decor is modest and even gets lost in the hubbub of artsy Queen West as it's very under stated and the sign on the outside looks like it's calling an antique shop out more than an Italian restaurant.  When you walk in past the heavy velvet curtains, you are greeted to a homey restaurant filled with dark wood and very intimate lighting.  There are less than 30 seats in this restaurant so if you are coming with a big group, you should think about reserving a table. 

Getting Lei'd at Irie!

*UNFORTUNATELY CLOSED*
My co-worker Carly is getting married in 2 weeks and going to Hawaii for her honeymoon. To get her in the mood, a bunch of us went out last night to celebrate 'island' styles at Irie Food Joint which is the closest thing to Hawaii even though it's more Caribbean styles. There is a stained glass multicolored garage door that opens up freely to the street, and a nice casual dining area inside with an old school typewritter welcoming you inside and a wall of Red Stripe Bottles you can't miss.

Nota Bene

Walking past a gorgeous and sleek exterior on Queen street west of University with a little bit of mystere and modernism with it's neon lights inside has peaked my curiosity to try Nota Bene for some time now. This restaurant sticks out like a sore thumb as it's a bit out of place as it was next to the divey jazz bar - the Rex and across from the Condom Shack store so of course it caught my eye.

Eating with your hands - Ethiopian dinner

There was this restaurant that I used to go on special occasions in Montreal called Le Nil Bleu which served Ethiopian cuisine and had quite a romantic setting with a waterfall in the restaurant so I was excited to set up a dinner in Toronto to this cute spot that I've been eying for a while. It's on Queen West sandwiched between the Drake Hotel and the Gladstone with a big patio that's perfect for people watching! So my friends Matt, Stacey and Julie (who was in from Winnipeg) and I went to Addis Ababa where we got prime corner seats on the patio to enjoy the weather and the people walking by. This restaurant has been around for 19years and has a jazzy live band play for dinners as well.

Vroom vroom - Cadillac Lounge

There are many gems in Parkdale and one of them is the Cadillac Lounge. You can't miss it when you are on Queen Street just passed Dufferin - there's half a pink Cadillac protruding out the store front.

the Drake Hotel

I have not been the biggest fan of the Drake hotel due to it's pretentious overcrowding and the influx of tourists to 905 crowd however I will say that recently I have been there on a few occasions and I think it deserves some honorable mentions:

The Art of Molecular Mixology at Barchef

My big sis and I decided to have some cocktails at Barchef and these drinks were SOMETHING! definitely a huge WOW factor with their innovation, creativity and showmanship! Not only is it an uber sexy bar, darkly lit with chic decor but the guys behind the bar were very dapper as well.

Red Tea Box- a perfect date place

When you walk by this place- there are delicate cakes and a wide selection of teas in the storefront and it's a cute shop however this place is the PERFECT place to catch up with friends or to go on a date. It's quaint, intimate and very unique. There is coach house behind the shop for additional seating and when the weather is warm - the terrace area is picturesque too.

You can have brunch or lunch here but the highlight is the high tea which is between 11am-2pm on week days and 2-4pm on weekends. These high tea settings are served in japanese bento boxes and are a variety of pan asian delicacies.

Apple Pie with Cheese, OddFellows??

Since Oddfellows opened, it's been on my radar of places to definitely try. The concept is very cool with a 34 person communal table and an earthy laid back feel within the place, where you could stop in for a conversation, a drink or to dine at...