My wife and I are shooting up to Toronto for the weekend for our 10th wedding aniversary and I am trying to find someplace that is highly recommended by those in the know. I would like to bring a few bottles with me and maybe one a night out to the restaurant (I have a stash of 1998's that I have collected over the years) and so am looking for rec's in I guess three areas:

1. Most important - a good vegetarian selection/option as my wife is a hardcore vegetarian.

2. Good wine list

3. corkage friendly.

We are staying, I believe, at the Mariott Bloor Yorkville Hotel and an additional question is how is the cab/transportation situation in Toronto? I would prefer not to have to drive, if possible.

Any big "to do" things while there?

thanks, Dale

If you want the restaurant with arguably the best service and food in the city, you'll go to Splendido. Tasting menus are the suggested route, they have corkage (not cheap at $40 per bottle, but it's at least available), and the service will be superb. Oh, and you can take a short cab ride from your hotel.

The will do a vegetarian tasting menu for your wife as well. I would notify them when making your reservation.

They have an extensive wine list, but it's not exactly inexpensive.

It will probably run you for tasting menu and corkage all in around $500 for the couple, depending on supplements, etc.

There are other options in the city, but you're not going to find much (if any) better.

If you're looking for something less expensive, I had a great meal at L'Unita a few weeks ago. It's also very close to your hotel, and everything was spot on. It can be a little loud in the main dining room, however. Corkage is $30, service is great, food is great.

You will notice that corkage is higher than what most people in the US, and definitely more than our friends in Montreal pay. Unfortunately, it's just the way it is. You'll be hard pressed to find a really good restaurant with corkage less than $25. Most restaurants don't allow it at all.

Let me know if you're looking for some other options aside from what I mentioned above.

BTW, make reservations at either place. You can do it directly or ask your hotel concierge, but I would call ASAP and take care of it yourself.

Your chances of getting a reservation for the weekend are disappearing by the second.

Futronic - thanks. I will check into both of these as soon as I get back to the office.

Dale

Dale, I've stayed in that hotel, and will again later this month, as a matter of fact. You will have no trouble finding a cab, though you may have trouble getting into it as the hotel is more or less at what is probably the single busiest intersection in Toronto.

It is also at the intersection of the two subway lines, however, and unless it's deteriorated greatly, you may wish to consider this option for moving around the city, rather than a cab. I'll let the locals chime in on this, but I've relied more on the subway for distances of what would be more than 5 or 10 minutes in cab, as it's faster than sitting in traffic.

Under no circumstances should you drive after you arrive at the hotel, unless you are travelling far afield (even then, the subway may be better).

Cabs will be fine at his hotel, bman. The hotel will flag the cab for him and just hop right in.

When going to dinner, take the cab. Don't worry about it.

If Dale wants to explore the city, he can walk around Yorkville or if he wants to go elsewhere, the subway can be considered.

Thanks guys. I understand that there is a big beer festival this weekend, and I believe that Earth Wind and Fire may be playing on Saturday night. Any (other) "don't miss" places to see/things to do when in Toronto? This will be my first trip sans kids. Are there any cool jazz/blues/live music clubs in that area that we can walk to or just stumble around?


thanks

I've always enjoyed the jazz at the RESERVOIR LOUNGE 52 Wellington Street East 416 955-0887 . It's not really all that close to your hotel, but a $10-15 cab ride (if that) would get you there.

King St West is the mecca for the club scene with tons of trendy bars, clubs etc.

You are right at Yorkville and Cumberland and although its been awhile since I checked out the clubs in that area, a walk through the area is definitely worth it. Lots of construction going on though unfortunately.

Don't get sucked into Taste of the Danforth in Greek town (Danforth Ave) this weekend. It's just a huge throng of people walking down Danforth Ave (street is closed) sampling various Greek foods. IMO its just too many people and long lineups for shish kebob.

theweb - thanks, I appreciate the advice. I am not sure what festival I was told about (email at home) but will check out what is around me and the Reservoir Lounge sounds great. thanks for the tip.

FYI...BYOW locations

Mezzo,

Just as a heads up, that BYOW location list is very much out of date. Several places have closed, corkage is higher, etc.

I find Toronto Life's BYO list to be more reliable and definitely more up to date. They generally don't list the corkage fee, however, so I'll call and ask when making a reservation.

Thanx for the update, Futronic.

As per our resident TWCer's advice...

Great, thanks everyone. That link has lots of cool things to see/do/try and I am looking forward to the weekend.

Dale

A good friend of mine is the chef at Amuse Bouche in downtown. It's my favourite place to eat in Toronto and the new menu is the best they've ever had IMO (rabbit poutine is brilliant and so is the foie course). If you phone ahead, they'll do anything for you in terms of dietary restrictions, so vegetarian shouldn't be a problem. Corkage is $30, which is reasonable for Toronto, and the wine list, while short, is very well put together.

http://www.amuseboucherestaurant.com/

If you want some place cheap but really good, go to Delux, which is on Ossignton. Kind of a sketchy neighborhood, but a very reasonably-priced restauarant by TO standards, and Jay, the sommelier really knows his wine and is a true ally of the wine drinker, pointing out the values on his list.

No website for this one, but the cuisine is Franco-Cuban.

Have fun and let us know what you pick.

CSM - thanks for the ideas. I am going to bring a couple of bottles with me and then see what happens. We are having dinner at Splendido tomorrow night, but Saturday night is still open.

This beer festival is turning out to be a difficult ticket, as it is sold out. Other than going on Craigslist in Toronto, any options for getting tickets to this thing?

also, as to your 'signature', I was always under the impression that it was Dean Martin that said that, not 'Ol Blue Eyes. anyway, fun quote.

thanks, Dale

Well thanks to all for some great suggestions/recommendations. We had a wonderful time. What a great town. But the overall friendliness of people in a big city to someone that used to live in Manhattan and uses that as a barometer was slightly creepy!!!!

First, what was the end result of the fire/explosion at the Tank Farm/Facility? Hopefully not too many people were injured. That was a scary thing to wake up to Sunday morning.

Okay, well first off, I think that next trip we will stay somewhere more down in the King Street West area, as that is where we spent a decent chunk of time, although the shopping on Bloor Street (Renvert? Louis Vuitton, Tiffany) was highly appreciated by my wife.

Due to traffic getting into the city, we missed our reservation at Splendida Friday night, and were unable to get in at all, but will make that a destination for next trip. Friday night we ended up at Amuse Buche, which was a wonderful little restaurant down in the King Street West area near Bay. Very small, in a residential area, and a wonderful menu. Drank a 1998 E&E Black Pepper followed by a 1998 Chateau Palmer, which was much better than my last bottle. Drinking very well. Dinner, by the way, was marvelous. Walked back to the hotel that night (bad idea - long, long way) but helped sober us up.

Saturday night we ended up at this little place north of Bloor off Avenue (on Bellair) called Vaticano. It was a sidewalk place that was actually a set of steps down from the sidewalk. But, we were able to sit out side, under the ivy, and had another very nice meal. I had a mushroom risotto paired with a 1998 Il conventino Nobile de montelpuciano riserva which was drinking very nicely. The meal was finished with a pistacio gelato that was one of the greatest that I have ever had. Just wonderful.

Oh, and no kids for the first time.... ever, as a married couple. 10 years in, going strong, can't wait for 20 to do it again.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Dale

Can't believe you guys walked all the way from Amuse to the Mariott. Certainly would have burned off a bunch of the food and wine.

Glad you and your wife enjoyed the meal.

I actually lost 4 pounds over the weekend, but ran through some socks!!

it was a hike!!