THE JASON GEORGE

100 Front Street, East , Toronto (416) 363-7100 Open 11 am to 2 am daily

Went to the Jason George Saturday for some nachos and beer after a brisk walk along Front Street on a cold March day in Toronto.  It is located across from the St. Lawrence Market.  We have been here a number of times to have pints of Guiness or Kilkenny.  It has a comfortable feel and the prices are quite reasonable.  

The next time we come here we will try one of their specials that are written on the chalkboard.  Their specials all look very good and are reasonably priced - most in the 12 to 14 dollar range.  The last time we came here we saw a couple enjoying a bowl of the onion soup ($6). 

This time we decided to try their nachos.  They came on a large plate and although lacking in cheese, they were quite tasty (with some sliced hot peppers added). 

Of course nachos go so well with beer, so the three of us had a couple of pints of Guiness and Kilkenny

We will certainly come back again to try some of their specials soon!!


http://www.thejasongeorge.ca/

HARBORD HOUSE 

150 Harbord St. (647) 430-7365 Toronto On. Sun - Mon 11 am to 11 pm, Tues - Sat 11 am to 1 am  Serving brunch Sat and Sun and Holidays

Went to the Harbord House with the gang (six of us) for dinner on Saturday evening.  We had walked and biked (using Bixi bikes) by it a number of times in the past, so we decided to try it.  It is a very homey atmosphere on a winter's evening and just screams - have some comfort food.  

We began by ordering a couple of bottles of California Cabernet Sauvignon and one of us had the St. Ambroise oatmeal stout beer. 

The menu choices here are quite varied for a pub (gastropub) and include a range from French onion soup to chicken wings, to pulled pork sandwiches, to grilled arctic char.
We decided to share some apps so we ordered a couple of plates of calamari and a couple of plates of buffalo shrimp.  The calamari were rather small and ordinary, but the buffalo shrimp and the sauce they were in was delicious.

calamari with lemon aoli dipping sauce

crispy buffalo shrimp in tasty cocktail sauce

We decided on a variety of mains.  Carolyn had the vegetarian chili in tomato sauce with jalapeno bread.  

Katie had the house mac and cheese with cheddar, jack, and ermite cheeses, with herb and garlic crumb topping, served with organic greens.

Mark and Tom had the Berkshire pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries and coleslaw.

My wife and I had the potato crusted Jail Island salmon fillet with lemon horseradish cream, herbed basmati rice and grilled asparagus.  We really enjoyed this dish.

We were seated on the second floor of the restaurant which meant that our food had to be carried up the stairs (some of it could have been a little hotter).  The server was constantly going up and down the stairs, but she was fairly quick with our table.  The food was quite good, we found it flavourful and filling.  The atmosphere was quite homey and warm.




http://www.harbordhouse.ca/hh/

BEDFORD ACADEMY 4 out of 5

36 Prince Arthur Avenue, Toronto, On., M5R 2J9, (416) 921-4600 Mon - Fri 11:00 - 2:00, Sat - Sun 10:00 - 11:00

Went to the Bedford Academy after seeing the BYOW ad on their website.  I emailed them to find out the details and they responded right away with the details indicating that I had to bring the receipt that showed it was purchased at the LCBO, come after 5 pm and pay a corkage fee of $5.  After checking the menu in advance online we had noticed that they called themselves a gastro pub.  The food was definitely different from a pub, but they had a laid back pub like atmosphere.

We came at about 6 pm and were greeted and seated in the dining area, which seemed cramped with too many tables.  We ordered some appetizers and the waiter opened the wine that we had brought.  It was a nice Chianti.  We shared our apps including calamari fritti with Chipotle aioli and pomes frites.  I ordered the dry rubbed char grilled pickerel fillet on a grilled vegetable salad drizzled with garlic butter.  The pickerel was awesome, but there were too many grilled vegetables in the bowl and they overwhelmed the taste of the fish ($19).  My wife ordered the butternut squash ravioli with caramelized apples and brown butter sauce ($16). She liked the ravioli, but it was in too much oil.  My son had the prosciutto wrapped beef tenderloin with truffled potatoes and seasonable vegetables, and he liked it ($19).

The room was very noisy due to a group that really should have been in the bar area.  Also, we were sitting at a very dark table and my flash wasn't working, so the only pictures I could get were of the room itself, and even these were very dark.

The service was very good, and I like the BYOW touch.  We will probably try the Bedford again either in the summer on the patio, or on a brighter day, when we can see our dishes.

We have been here many times since our first experience and have come to like the Bedford.  The service is excellent and everything we have tried here is fabulous.  They have improved their wine selection and have kept the $5 corkage on Saturdays.  Their specials are always unique and tasty and we find their prices reasonable.  We would recommend you try this restaurant.

http://www.thebedfordacademy.com/