FAMOSO NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA (the annex) 

386 Bloor St. W. Toronto, On., (647) 748-2333 Mon. Tue. and Sun. 11:00 to 10:00, Wed. - Sat. 11:00 to 11:00

Five of us decided to try Famoso for dinner on a cold Saturday in March.  It is located in the people friendly annex area of Toronto.  I decided to call for a reservation earlier in the day and I am glad I did because this place gets very busy and is very popular in the area.

When we arrived we were greeted right away by friendly people that arranged a large booth for the five of us near the back.

There is a long open kitchen and an imported pizza oven in plain view as you walk through the restaurant.  These ovens cook pizza quickly and perfectly crisp.

We were ushered to our table and the unique ordering process used here was explained by our waitress.  We decided what we wanted for appetizers and mains (pizza) and I took the order to an order counter.  The rest was done by the waitress assigned to our table.  This seemed rather cumbersome, but it worked very well and was very efficient.  We ordered two bottles of reasonably priced valpolicella to get us started.

We began with some unusual but very tasty prosciutto wrapped mozzarella balls that were immersed in a wonderful light tomato sauce, they were accompanied by seasoned flatbread.

We each ordered a half salad (great idea), four of us had the caesar with prosciutto crisps, grana padano and house made caesar dressing.  They were a perfect size and great.  

Katie had the Napoli salad which included field greens, red onions, chick peas and balsamic dressing.  She really enjoyed it.

For our mains (they only serve pizza here) three of us, my wife, Mark and I shared the Capricciosa pizza.  This included italian ham, roasted mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil and pecorino romano.  It had a wonderful combination of flavours and ingredients.  This was a great pizza. It was light, flavourful, not greasy and perfectly cooked.

Katie and Thomas shared the Abruzzo pizza, which included oven-roasted italian sausage, slivered red onions, roasted mushrooms, fennel seeds, smoked mozzarella and pecorino romano.  They both really liked this combination.

All of us really enjoyed our evening at this restaurant, from the friendliness of all of the staff, to the efficiency of our waitress and to the wonderful food here.  We will definitely return and highly recommend this restaurant for its all round experience!!

Well done!!

http://www.famoso.ca/

THE BURNT TONGUE 
10 Cannon Street, Hamilton, On., (905) - 536-1146, Open Mon - Wed 11-8, Thurs. - Sat. 11 - 9, Closed Sunday.
I finally had the opportunity to try The Burnt Tongue on a Thursday evening with my son Thomas.  He has raved about it after trying several of their home made soup concoctions.  Located in the downtown core of Hamilton on Cannon street near James Street.  It is a rapidly changing area of Artists and Hipsters and has a lively street scene.

It has an open kitchen and a friendly welcoming staff.

The inside has several small tables and a bar and stools at the front window.

There are usually several choices of soup available.  The menu is displayed near the kitchen area and includes vegan choices and burgers.

Tom and I both chose the same soup - it was the split pea and sausage in the large size (there are 3 sizes, small, medium and large).

With the soup there was a choice of bun, carrot and celery vegetables or an apple.  We both chose the carrots and celery.  The soup was very hearty, large and very good!!
We accompanied our soup with an order of their Belgian fries, which are hand cut and double fried.  They come with a couple of dip choices - we chose the curried ketchup, which was sweet and spicy.

This establishment is not licensed, but it has quite a selection of soft drinks.  We chose the Coke, which comes in old school glass bottles.

Two large soups and 2 cokes with fries and dip came to around $35.  Although not cheap, the quality of the ingredients, the tasty fries and the friendly service are all worth it.  We will definitely return soon for more tasty soup concoctions!!  

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/

CANTINE 

138 Avenue Road, Yorkville, Toronto On., (416) 923-4822, Brunch 10 am - 3 pm Sat. & Sun. Lunch Mon. - Fri. 11:30 - 2:30 pm, Dinner 5 pm to close 7 nights

On a bitterly cold and windy February Saturday evening, my son Mark (http://www.markallen.ca/) and I decided to try Cantine.  We arrived at about 6:30 and were quickly seated (luckily) at a casual table in comfortable leather armchairs. They were a little awkward to eat from, but very comfortable to sit in. The interior of this restaurant is very comfortable and invites relaxation.  Most patrons were drinking vodka martinis during the evening.  We began by ordering a nice bottle of Refosco wine.

A nice bread platter quickly arrived with spicy olives and olive oil for dipping.

I ordered a fried calamari appetizer.  It was tender and nice and hot.  They were accompanied by a lemon and a chipotle mayo that was rather bland.

Mark ordered the crab cakes.  He really enjoyed them.  They were also accompanied by a chipotle mayo.

I ordered one of this evening's specials.  It was a house made ravioli dish filled with portabello and crimini mushrooms, onions and garlic.  They were tender and outstanding.  The ravioli were covered in a white wine cream sauce, that was light and very tasty.  Between the ravioli were short spears of very tender asparagus.  A sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano completed the flavouring of this plate.  This was a wonderful light dish that I would order again.

Mark ordered from the regular menu and had the grain fed boneless half chicken, with veal jus reduction and seasonal vegetables, that included bok choy and broccoli and mashed potatoes.  Unfortunately, the picture did not do this dish justice since it was to dark.  Mark really liked it.

We both complete our meals with a wonderful tiramisu that was light and delicious.  It was accompanied by sliced strawberries and chocolate sauce.

Our meals were very good and well presented.  The food was not heavy and the sauces were light and tasty.  The service was timely and efficient.  A number of patrons seemed to know each other and probably were regular patrons.  The restaurant was filled by 7:30, so reservations would be a good idea. We found the restaurant very comfortable and will definitely return to try other dishes.

http://www.cantine.ca/

THE OXLEY PUBLIC HOUSE 

121 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, On. (647) 348-1300 Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week

My two sons and I decided to try the Oxley, after searching out a new place to eat in Yorkville, on a very cold Saturday evening in February.  The Oxley doesn't look like much, until you step inside and experience its charm. 

The bar is well stocked and has a variety of draft beers.

The inside is very dark and extremely homey.  Once you sit down you just want to stay.

After selecting our pints, which included Innis and Gunn and Fullers London Pride, we decided to order from the bar menu.  The bar menu was typical of a pub with a new flair.  We reviewed the dinner menu and found it a little pricey and had items we were not familiar with.  We suggest you view their menu online before coming here.  

Mark (http://www.markallen.ca/) ordered the BLT with maple braised pork belly.  It was accompanied by a nice salad.  He really enjoyed it.

Thomas and I decided on the hand chopped burger and chips.  The burger looked small (like a slider), but it was far more satisfying than it looked.  It was very tasty and filling and accompanied by chips that were very good.  The chips came with an unusual tomato like dip that was unique and tasted like licorice. 

The atmosphere was comfortable, the service was efficient and friendly.  We noticed a variety of patrons here including families with children, couples and groups.  It is definitely an inviting and warm atmosphere.

http://theoxley.com/