RED LOBSTER

20 Dundas Street West, Toronto On., (416) 348-8938, Lunch and Dinner, Monday to Friday

Went to Red Lobster on a very cold February Saturday evening.  It was located at the corner of Dundas and Bay street in a very nice office tower.  We have been to Red Lobsters many times and find that not many of them are surviving (probably because they are rather expensive for a chain restaurant).

Fortunately, while waiting to be seated we were given a buzzer and could wander in the warm mall.

It was Lobsterfest, which was a limited time special of lobster based dishes.

After being seated, with only a short wait, we ordered a bottle of standard valpolicella, while a basket of wonderful cheese and garlic biscuits arrived.  These were melt in your mouth delicious and we always enjoy them.  

One advantage of this type of restaurant is that you get a salad and main, as well as biscuits for one price.  My wife ordered the garden salad with balsamic dressing.

I chose the garden salad with a french type dressing.

Mark chose the caesar salad.

My wife chose the salmon New Orleans for her main.  It came with vegetables and a rice pilaf and she really enjoyed it.

Mark chose the double maritime lobster tails with garlic shrimp and mashed potatoes.

I had the same with a baked potato.

Both lobster dishes were accompanied with french beans and a dish of melted butter for dipping.  They were tender and cooked perfectly.  Although they appeared not to be filling, they were.  We found the food filling but expensive for the quality and portion.  The server was efficient but robotic and did not tell us we could have had a free main if ordering two lobster specials!  The restaurant was quite full and the atmosphere was warm on a really cold evening.

http://www.redlobster.com/

THE KEG STEAKHOUSE and BAR 

26 The Esplanade, St. Lawrence Market District, Toronto, (416) 367-0685 Dinner and Late Night seven days a week.

On Saturday night in early November, we decided to have dinner at the Keg in Toronto on the Esplanade - behind the Sony Centre.  Bon Jovi was playing a couple of blocks away at the Air Canada Centre, so the area was unusually busy.  We have been to this Keg before, for appetizers and drinks before a Leafs game a few weeks earlier and we wanted to try it for a full meal, since it had such a comfortable ambiance.

 While reviewing the menu we ordered some beer and wine.

A nice fresh warm loaf arrived with butter to get us started.

Our son Mark ordered the bacon wrapped scallops with a martini sauce as his appetizer and he enjoyed them, though they were rather small.

Our son Thomas ordered the baked garlic shrimp with herbs, Jack and cheddar cheeses for his appetizer.  He found them delicious.

I ordered the escargot stuffed mushroom caps in a curried butter sauce.  These are always amazing and the butter bun is great for mopping up the remaining sauce.

My wife opted for the caesar salad - it was cool crispy and delicious.

Mark ordered the Creole Chicken with shrimp and scallops sauteed in Creole seasonings, accompanied with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. He really enjoyed this dish.

Thomas had the Teriyaki sirloin steak done medium rare with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.  He found it very satisfying.

My wife had the Zesty grilled salmon fillet basted with a sweet and mildly spiced sauce, with rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables.  She said it was very good.  I tasted some of it and she was right.  It was a delicious piece of salmon.

I had a perfectly cooked sirloin with baked potato and butter, with seasonal vegetables - it was classic keg - the steak was tender and the taste was pure steak!

We all completed our dinners with the classic keg dessert Billy Miner pie, a mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds.  It doesn't matter how full you feel there is always room for this dessert which tastes lighter than it looks.

At this point we were treated to a nice surprise.  When we first arrived, our very efficient and personable waiter asked whether we were here for any occasion, or just dinner.  I had mentioned that we were here to celebrate our sons' birthdays (they were both near the end of October).  They received complimentary Billy Miner pies with sparklers!  This was a nice surprise which we did not expect.  

Also, the restaurant General Manager arrived with two cards wishing them happy birthday!  

A very nice touch, which we all really appreciated and will certainly bring us back.  Thank you Keg Esplanade, it was a very enjoyable evening.

http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/locations/ON/toronto/esplanade-keg/

BUCHANANS CHOPHOUSE

BUCHANANS STEAK AND SEAFOOD 

6039 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls On., 905-353-4111, 

After a little gambling in the Fallsview Casino we decided to have dinner.  It is rare to find a real restaurant that is not a tourist trap in Niagara Falls - this is definitely a real restaurant.  Unfortunately it takes some effort to find it, since it is located within the Double Tree Resort and Spa on Fallsview Avenue.  It is located on the mezzanine (upper) level above the beautiful lobby inside the hotel.

The interior is clean, well designed and quiet.

During dinner a guitarist played smooth, soothing jazz tunes (a couple behind us decided to dance during one of

the tunes).

Before we ordered, a basket of delicious and fresh bread arrived.

We ordered a bottle of Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Merlot which is always a good choice.

The menu is quite varied and simple to follow.

We decided on fried calamari as an appetizer.  They came with a nice sweet dipping sauce and were very good.

Both of us decided to order from the seafood selection on the menu. For our mains, my wife ordered the salmon.  It arrived on a bed of flavourful rice and vegetables including bok choy, which we both really like. (a piece of my fish selection (pickerel) is visible in the bottom of the pic). 

I chose the pickerel (walleye) and it was perfectly cooked and covered in a delicious simple sauce. My selection came with bok choy and alfalfa sprouts and the rice as well.

There was a special this evening - a 6 ounce lobster tail with melted butter for 9 dollars.  We decided to share it and it was wonderful.

We ended our savoury meal with a simple espresso, it was done perfectly.

This was definitely not a tourist trap restaurant (it is very good food at a fair price).  Its is definitely worth the effort to find.  We will soon return to try some other items.

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/ontario/doubletree-fallsview-resort-and-spa-by-hilton-niagara-falls-IAGDTDT/dining/index.html

KIT KAT 

297 King Street, W. Entertainment District, Toronto On., (416) 977-4461

My wife and I went to the Kit Kat restaurant after a long afternoon in the Auto Show at the Toronto Convention Centre.  It has to be the worst laid out convention centre in the world.  We walked for miles.  Needless to say we were hungry for a good meal.  After walking down to the King Street restaurant strip we decided to see if we could get into the Kit Kat without reservations.  The weather was nasty this Saturday night, it was a virtual blizzard in the downtown.  Luckily we got inside and were able find a spot in a short line waiting to get in, thanks to John Carbone, the owner manager who promised he would get us in without a reservation.  

We have been to this restaurant many times before.  I have even eaten at the short and narrow bar.  

After waiting for a while, a waitress came around and took our coats and hung them up.  Shortly after this we were seated at a table for two.

We sat directly across from the open kitchen.  If you look carefully you will see a tree trunk just beside the kitchen near the stairs - yes it is a real tree!

It was a good vantage point, though it felt like a highway.  We noticed how well the chefs enjoyed their job and were comfortable with all the staff, who kibitzed with them all evening.  These chefs were very efficient and certainly were skilled.  We noticed how everyone who worked here worked as a team to make sure things ran smoothly in such a small and extremely busy space.

We ordered a bottle of Masi Campofiorin Italian wine to start and decided on a light appetizer.  We ordered a caesar salad each and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The lettuce was crisp and the sauce was very good, as was the crisp garlic bread that came with it.  Since we were under a red spotlight, it made our food pictures reddish.

We were told the evening specials, which sounded very tempting, but ended up ordering what we have had here many times before.  

So we both ordered the veal piccata. It consisted of two large and delicious pieces of tender veal, garlic mashed potatoes, grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, grilled peppers in a lemon, wine, butter sauce that was wonderful.  It was a satisfying and delicious meal.

Unfortunately the pictures don't do it justice due to the red spot light.  But after I pulled the veal off of the potatoes it is more apparent how large the portion is.  

The waiters and waitresses have immense patience to work in such a busy narrow place, but they always smile and are extremely friendly.  John must be a good boss to work for, to keep the entire crew working so hard.  Hats off to all of them.  It is positively worth a visit!  You will not be disappointed.  The total before tip was just under $122.

http://www.kitkattoronto.com/