EL FURNITURE WAREHOUSE 

410 Bloor Street, The Annex, Toronto, On., (778) 938-7077, Monday-Sunday  11:00 am to 2:00 am.

My sons and I decided to try a new restaurant in the Annex area of Toronto.  It is one of the newbies in the area and boasts that all dishes are $4.95.  Although a new arrival in the city, it is the tenth version of the original one, hailing from Whistler B.C..  It is based on a simple premise - cheap food that is good in an environment that is very casual and hip!!  It delivers on all fronts.  The workers wear Vans shoes, the walls are decorated in a boarder theme and boarder and extreme biker videos play on the tv screens.  It is not a typical sports bar - it caters to hipsters and has found itself in the perfect location in the Annex.

The menu here is extensive and yet simple - everything IS $4.95.

There is also a good list of drinks at reasonable prices.

Mark and I had the garlic prawns.  They consisted of large tiger prawns sauteed with garlic, onions, tomato, jalapenos, chipotle butter, avocado, grilled bread and fresh lemon.  We both agreed they were delicious.

Thomas tried the maple bacon potato skins with cheddar and mozzarrella cheese, crispy maple bacon, green onion and sour cream.  He found them typical, but worth the price.

Mark and Tom both had the pulled chicken on a bun.  It consisted of pulled chicken, smokey bbq sauce, cheddar, crispy onion strings, macho sauce (like a thousand islands dressing), shredded lettuce on a brioche bun. They both liked this.

I had the braised beef dip au jus with slowly braised beef, horseradish butter, crispy onion strings on a toasted baguette with rosemary au jus to dip.  It was accompanied by a small kale salad with fresh kale leaves, creamy caesar dressing, croutons, parmesan cheese, maple bacon bits and fresh lemon.  It was a little short on beef, but still worth every penny!

We had a Bud draft that was warm and didn't hit the spot so we switched to Mill Street Organic.  It was a much better choice.

All in all the Ferny was worth the wait (no reservations).  We enjoyed the food, the vibe, the service, the prices and will DEFINITELY return.  Well done guys!!

http://warehousewhis.ca/

SPICE ROUTE 

499 King Street West Toronto, On., (416) 849-1808, Open for Dinner and Late Night 7 days a week.

On a Sunday evening (after the World Cup final) we decided to stay away from the downtown festivities and went to a quieter area of King West.  We decided to try Spice Route.  Mark, my son had been here many times but this was our first.  It is a beautiful space that has many different features to capture your attention.

There is an outside patio with lounge seating and a koi pond surrounding it.

A view of one of their renown washrooms.

Sundays are a good time to come here since it is all you can eat for $24.  So Mark, being familiar with the menu ordered a variety of appetizers from the appetizer part of the menu that included; naan bread and dips, wasabi crusted shrimp, crispy tuna dynamite rolls, lemon glazed chicken, Shanghai edamame salad.  

My wife and I ordered from the summerlicious menu.  We all began with a cool and tasty Citrus salad, that included spring mixed greens, asian pear, water chestnut and sesame ginger vinaigrette.  We also had a nice bottle of Italian red wine.

For the main my wife chose the teriyaki beef sirloin, sticky rice and wok fried asian greens.  The beef was tender and nicely prepared, while the vegetables were crisp not mushy.

I chose the lemon chicken with thai citrus sauce and kimchi fried rice.  It was good and filling.

For her desert choice my wife chose the tempura bananas chocolate caramel swirl.

I had the white chocolate coconut creme pie with a piece of strawberry.

The deserts were nothing special but they did finish our meal.
We had a tasty dinner here in a beautiful environment and will certainly return again.

http://www.spiceroute.ca/

WISH  

3 Charles Street East, (416) 935-0240, Toronto On., Lunch and Dinner Tuesday to Sunday.

Went to Wish, after having dinner at Dimmi in Yorkville and a long walk to wear off our meals.  We came upon Wish, located between Yonge Street and Church street, near the gay village.  

It was a funky and interesting place that had an eclectic mix of people, drinks, furniture, music and a nice vibe.  We didn't expect to get in, since it was peak time in the evening and it was Summerlicious, however, we found ourselves in a cabana like table partially surrounded by white curtains, cushions and a nice little banquette.  It was very South Beach on a beautiful July evening!

We began with some cocktails from their list.  Mark and Thomas (my sons) had the Hemingway.  It was made with spiced rum, lime juice, simple syrup, fresh grapefruit, heering cherry liqueur with a thin slice of lemon floating on top.  It was delicious!!

I decided to try the Wish Gulp.  It was made with Belvedere vodka, lemon juice, wild honey, blackberries, lemon and seltzer.  Although a little sweet, it went down very easily.

  After we had several of these tasty cocktails we decided to share the charcuterie.  The selection included pate, artisinal cured meats, crostini, grainy spiced mustard, marinated olives and assorted pickles.  It was perfect for our slight hunger created by the drinks!!

We spent a lot of time here and found the atmosphere unhurried and relaxing.  The staff was friendly and accommodating. Definitely worth a visit!!

http://www.wishintoronto.com/