May’s lobster
It’s lobster season: time to walk around town with a bib on, ’cause you just never know when the craving for the red backed crustacean’s gonna bite. It had been my plan to check out May’s weekday lunch deal — [read more]
Summer rolls at Chez Bien
Chef Bien of Chez Bien used to cook in Italian restaurants on Preston Street. My first visit was lunch, but if you come back for dinner (recommended) you should give his Asian marinated lamb (lemongrass, ginger, garlic, star anise) served with [read more]
Lunch at Thai Flame
I wouldn’t ever do this in my own kitchen. This is a dish you clearly leave home for. Pla Sam Rot: described on the Thai Flame menu as “Deep fillet crispy topped with sweet and sour sauce.” Translated literally, pla sam rot [read more]
Lunch at Cyranos: revisiting an old haunt
I’ve been packing up my sons and putting them in boxes. Removed from shelves and walls, they’ve been protected with bubble wrap, labelled, and stored on a basement shelf. This is a process real estate agents call “depersonalizing” and apparently [read more]
The Elmdale Oyster House: a first taste
The captain’s chairs have the gnarly look you want from a place that calls itself a tavern. So do the checkered linoleum floors and the beat-up table bases. But where did the white linen napkins come from? The reclaimed wooden [read more]
Changing of the guard at El Meson
In the 20-some years I’ve been walking into El Meson I’ve never not been greeted by José Alves. He’s been very much the man in charge of this rock steady Iberian restaurant for 25 years. So it was something of a shocker [read more]
Brunch pick
We call it brunch. They call it “That Weekend Thing” at Murray Street, and best to recall its Mission Statement before you waddle over: “Pork Fat… we put that #%$# in everything!” Indeed they do. Come hungry and come keen, ’cause [read more]
