Downtown

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8 Reasons to Visit Great Cooks on Eight… Especially Today

August 12, 2011 in Downtown, Lunch, Queen St West by Plato Putas | No comments

Today marks Executive Chef Andrea Nicholson’s last day at Great Cooks on Eight (401 Bay St.), the terrific lunch destination on the eighth floor of the Simpson Tower. Here’s every reason you could possibly need to make a visit.

Reason #1: The Pasta Special
I was lucky enough to be the guest of my friend Mike, who worked as a Field Director on Top Chef Canada Season 1. Andrea generously presided over our 5-course lunch which easily became the most food I’ve ever eaten in the middle of a day. One of the courses was the Daily Pasta Special: Orecchiette with guanciale, fava beans, caramelized shallots and seasoned bread crumbs. Each weekday Great Cooks announces their daily specials via twitter, and they are continuously delicious sounding.

Read on for the 7 other reasons to get your butt there. Number 2 is especially time sensitive!

Introducing Eaton Centre’s Culinary Saviour: Trattoria Mercatto

July 3, 2011 in Downtown, Italian, Pizza, Yonge-Dundas by Plato Putas | No comments

Blame Mr. Greenjeans, JJ Muggs and Baton Rouge as the reasons why I’ve never considered the Eaton Centre to be a satisfying culinary destination. Thankfully the addition of the fourth Mercatto location, Trattoria Mercatto (220 Yonge St., across from Roots near Sears), has officially changed my opinion. The menu is slightly different than their other restaurants but was still developed by Executive Chef Rob Rossi (pictured above), who’s currently one of the three chefs remaining on Season 1 of Top Chef Canada.

Read on to see Chef Rob’s Mercatto creations and to hear about his surprising announcement.

Memories of Buenos Aires

May 29, 2011 in Buenos Aires, Downtown, Queen St West, Snack, cafe by Plato Putas | No comments

Prior to visiting Argentina, I had tried Yerba Maté only once. My friend Rodrigo described the taste of this herb, that’s brewed like tea, as similar to “hay.” And he was correct, I wasn’t a fan.

Then the two Plato Putas hit Buenos Aires, where we discovered that maté is basically their national drink. Locals walked around sipping it from goards through metal straws, with a thermos of hot water for refills tucked under their arms. It was drunk by professionals, bus drivers and young lovers making out in the parks. Our new friend Martin from creative studio Amautalab talked us through our first proper sips out of a goard, and before I could say “hay,” I was converted.

Read on to find out where you can try your first taste of Yerba Mate in Toronto.

The Apps are King at E11even

April 19, 2011 in Downtown, Sports by Plato Putas | 2 comments

I’m a fan of making a meal out of appetizers and E11even (15 York Street) — the upscale restaurant located near the Air Canada Centre — makes this easy to do. Take their Crab Cake ($19), which is truly the best crab cake I’ve ever had in my life. Sure, it’s priced like a main entrée, but when you’ve been on a seemingly pointless quest to find even a decent crab cake, stumbling across this gem turns an ordinary day into a special occasion.

Why, in the words of Drake, is this crab cake the Best I’ve Ever Had? Read on to find out.

Ravenous at a Raptors Game

March 22, 2011 in Downtown, Snack, Sports by Plato Putas | No comments

Let’s be honest here, with Toronto Raptors wins few and far between this season, attendance at their Air Canada Centre (40 Bay St.) games has shrunk. However, the addition of some specialized food stands definitely beefs up the experience. I strongly believe that eating at a sporting event is just as important as the athletics itself (see my indulgences at Toronto FC and Blue Jays games), so at a recent b-ball outing, I visited the new Jamie Kennedy Fries stand and Burkie’s Dog House (both on the 300 level near section 322).

Fancy fries and at a game? Yep, I did it. Read on to see if it’s worth dropping $6.50.

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