THE KEG STEAKHOUSE AND BAR 

165 York Street, Toronto, On. (416) 703-1773, Open for lunch Mon - Fri, dinner and late night every night

The four of us went to the Keg on York Street in downtown Toronto (near city hall).  We have been here many times before.  It was boxing day, so the office crowd which usually fills this bar and steakhouse to the brim on a Thursday after 5 was not here.  It was relatively a quiet evening.

The inside of this keg, like all kegs, has a comfortable feel.  There is a fireplace that invites you to enter on a cold evening.

The interior is always easy on the eyes, even though it is quite dark.

My wife and I began with a caesar salad.  As always it was cool and crisp.

My son Thomas had the sirloin oscar - the toppings of scallops and shrimp were delicious- however under it the steak had a lot of gristle in it and parts were inedible.  The garlic mashed potatoes are always a good choice (they are delicious).

My son Mark began with the escargot stuffed mushrooms, which always smell and taste delicious.

For his main he had the creole chicken, it had a nice amount of scallops on it and he found it very good.  The vegetables were nicely cooked.

My wife had the salmon (she has had it in Kegs before) it was delicious and not overcooked.  It came with a small caesar and nicely cooked beans.

I had my usual sirloin dinner.  My steak was undercooked (I like mine medium).  The baked potato was nicely cooked and delicious.  The mushrooms and vegetables were very good.

We completed our meals with their signature dessert Billy Miner Pie.  It is delicious and even if you feel full it is light and easy to eat.

We came to the keg to have dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday and I indicated that to the waitress as we were being seated.  In previous visits to the Keg (on the Esplanade) we were asked if we were celebrating anything and when we told them we were celebrating our two boys' birthdays, they provided a complimentary dessert and a handwritten birthday card (see my blog entry for the Keg on Esplanade).  We found this Keg a little less personal and lacking in service this time.  Maybe it was just an off day, we always enjoy any Keg we go to.

https://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/locations/ON/toronto/york-street/

BAR ON LOCKE 

178 Locke Street South, Hamilton On., (905) 521-9116, Open for lunch and dinner Mon. - Sat.

Went to Bar on Locke with my son Thomas on a dreary, rainy, December Saturday, late afternoon.  It is located on Locke street in Hamilton (a trendy street of cafes and restaurants). This bistro has been here a long time and is quite popular, with a regular clientele.

It has an easy vibe - playing soft jazz and a laid back feel.

It has an inviting bar and a variety of diner like booths.
Notice the Christmas wreath made of wine corks.

We began with a half litre of Chilean wine.

Thomas ordered the hot hamburger dinner - it was very large and delicious - it had a great gravy and a good variety of ingredients.

I had their pad thai with chicken and it too had a nice selection of ingredients that blended well in a spicy sauce.  It was very good.

The food was tasty, the service was pleasant, the atmosphere was laid back and the prices were fair.  We will definitely come back to try other dinner selections and libations here - it is definitely worth a visit!


http://www.baronlocke.com/

MALUCA WINE BAR RESTAURANT 

142 Lakeshore Rd. E. Downtown Oakville, (905) 842-6111, Dinner 7 days a week

We made reservations for Friday at 7 and the lads and I met for dinner and drinks at Maluca on Lakeshore road in downtown Oakville.

It was already starting to get busy and by the time we finished our appetizers it was full.  On the table there was a bowl of curried popcorn, which went well with the libations we started with.  

During our meal, we ordered several bottles of wine including a nice cabernet from California.

Since this restaurant's menu is mostly based on sharing plates, we ordered several - there were six of us.  Among them we had a couple of delicious trays of charcuterie (although the slices were extremely thin).

We also had a couple of platters of seafood that included calamari, the smallest scallops I have ever seen and a couple of deep fried smelts.  These trays could only be shared by two people.  We also selected a couple of mushroom pizzas that were very cheesy and loaded with toppings.

For mains most of us chose their burger.  The burger was juicy and filling and it was accompanied by roasted potatoes.

One of us ordered a nice salad. It was delicious.

He also had the mussels with pasta - it had a good amount of mussels on it.

Although we were all well fed, I found the platters rather small and we had to order quite a few of them.  The trays were unique but small.  I have had better sharing platters elsewhere. The burger was tasty and filling. We found our server very efficient and friendly.  The atmosphere and clientele that frequent this establishment made the evening very pleasant.  The place has a comfortable feel to it.

However, the best part of the evening was the company of the lads being together again!!