92 Ossington Ave
Toronto, ON
(416) 537-0134
Type of cuisine: French Bistro
Date of Review: March, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Okay
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: It was a Saturday night when we hit this energetic bistro at the border of Little Portugal and Little Italy. Eventually, we were taken past the booths at the front to our table at the less hectic back section of the restaurant.
Looking at the menu, the selection seemed reasonable and offered typically attractive French options. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived--which wasn't late--the goat cheese salad and the gnocci had both been consumed. As she helped us navigate our selections, our waitress was friendly. While she had heard the term 'gluten-free', she was not familiar with the meaning.
As for the eating, the bread, which should be a French staple, was dry and seemed a bit old. By contrast, an order of the fresh Massachusetts oysters went down clean and tangy. The pear and blue cheese salad appetizer was quite good and the charcuterie also earned kudos, particularly the pork roulette.
For the mains, two diners chose the bouillabaisse. It was agreed that the fish and scallops were very fresh, but one diner felt the dish was too salty. The steak frites were reported to hit the spot. My cassoulet was very good, with tender duck and a fresh and bright-tasting house-made sausage. The wine, a Weinert 2004 Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, was very good.
In part for reasons of time, we did not venture into dessert. As I think of it, the consumption of dessert tends to be a marker of restaurant quality. With divine food and good service, the dining winds will usually carry me to the island of sweets even when my overloaded stomach is warning of rocky shoals. If either food quality or service is off, the spell of the food can be broken, and we start thinking of the next item on the evening's agenda.
As mentioned, the wait staff were friendly, and water refills were steady. The biggest challenge from the service perspective was time. Out reserved table was not ready for perhaps 10 minutes, which is no crime on a Saturday night. But we were not able to place our order for a further 30 minutes, and the delivery of the main courses was substantially delayed after the appetizer. A leisurely pace is good for conversation and digestion, but when you begin to marvel at the passage of time, you have arrived at another pace entirely.
The ambiance was mixed. I confess that I am not one for loud restaurants, and the music and competing voices of the patrons were uncomfortable. In the front of the restaurant, we would have been yelling our conversation, while at the back it was more reasonable. Apart from not being relaxing, communication is important for careful gluten-free dining, so if you come on the weekend, ask to be at the back.
The atmosphere is casual and spare, with a touch of chic. The booths in the front looked comfortable, and the hanging fireplace in the back was 1970 groovy. The music was good, although too loud.
Would I come again? Yes, but probably only at somebody else's request. And ideally it would be on a weekday, when audio volume might be toned down and the service speed might be toned up.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Asahi
200 Carlton St.
Toronto, ON
(416) 962-6565
Type of cuisine: Japanese
Date of Review: March, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Okay
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: We stopped into Asahi for a quick bite before hitting the Pheonix for a concert, and in short, I would not otherwise consider it a destination.
The menu is fairly typical of Japanese, and for the gluten-free eater, the restrictions are the usual: no teriyaki as it contains soy sauce (which typically contains wheat), no tempura, rarely an appetizer as the sauces often contain soy sauce, and the usual caution even with the salad dressing (which here did contain soy sauce). I am near to the point of bringing salad dressing along with my wheat-free soy sauce on my Japanese dining excursions. Note that miso soup is also a hazard. Red miso can contain barley, and most restaurants are uncertain of their source.
As for the food, our edamame were fine if not perky. I stuck to sushi, and it was fine, although not the freshest I've had. My fellow diner was served a borderline mushy yellowtail, and it did not sit very pleasantly in the stomach. Her miso was standard and her tempura respectable.
The waitress, while pleasant, was not gluten aware. She was also in a rush, wrote nothing down, and so served my fellow diner her only allergen, avocado. (This did have the advantage of allowing me to play garbarator.)
Smelling mildly of cooking oils, this smallish restaurant is arranged in comfortable booths. The decor is simple.
In sum, this is not a sushi destination, but might be suitable for a bite before a concert when time is short.
As a sidebar, the concert that night absolutely rocked. Rodrigo y Gabriela originate from Mexico, have heavy metal roots, and now play as an edgy latin acoustic duo. These guys make latin rock, and they exude enough energy to power a city (or at least a good size concert venue).
Toronto, ON
(416) 962-6565
Type of cuisine: Japanese
Date of Review: March, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Okay
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: We stopped into Asahi for a quick bite before hitting the Pheonix for a concert, and in short, I would not otherwise consider it a destination.
The menu is fairly typical of Japanese, and for the gluten-free eater, the restrictions are the usual: no teriyaki as it contains soy sauce (which typically contains wheat), no tempura, rarely an appetizer as the sauces often contain soy sauce, and the usual caution even with the salad dressing (which here did contain soy sauce). I am near to the point of bringing salad dressing along with my wheat-free soy sauce on my Japanese dining excursions. Note that miso soup is also a hazard. Red miso can contain barley, and most restaurants are uncertain of their source.
As for the food, our edamame were fine if not perky. I stuck to sushi, and it was fine, although not the freshest I've had. My fellow diner was served a borderline mushy yellowtail, and it did not sit very pleasantly in the stomach. Her miso was standard and her tempura respectable.
The waitress, while pleasant, was not gluten aware. She was also in a rush, wrote nothing down, and so served my fellow diner her only allergen, avocado. (This did have the advantage of allowing me to play garbarator.)
Smelling mildly of cooking oils, this smallish restaurant is arranged in comfortable booths. The decor is simple.
In sum, this is not a sushi destination, but might be suitable for a bite before a concert when time is short.
As a sidebar, the concert that night absolutely rocked. Rodrigo y Gabriela originate from Mexico, have heavy metal roots, and now play as an edgy latin acoustic duo. These guys make latin rock, and they exude enough energy to power a city (or at least a good size concert venue).
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