474 Brant Street, Burlington, Ontario
(905) 633-9262
Type of cuisine: Vietnamese
Date of Review: April, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Good
Cost: Inexpensive
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: There is something comforting about a small, family-run restaurant. As a starting point, my bias is in favour of these establishments. But Saigon on Brant delivers on the promise.
The menu, to be honest, is quite restricted for the GF eater. As you flip through the miscoloured orange photographs of the various dishes, you may find yourself restricted to the pho, a stir-fry, rice, and a couple of other dishes. Most of the marinades and sauces contain wheat. If you can eat more broadly, your choice will include grilled meats (a bit fatty, some of it), spring rolls, and so forth.
The salad rolls are fresh, with crispy lettuce and firm noodles. Note that the usual dipping sauce is tasty but not GF, so opt for the fish sauce if gluten is an issue. The pho is comforting, with a tasty home-made broth and tender, non-gristly meat, in both beef and chicken versions. It comes with consistently fresh basil and sprouts. On previous visits, I have had a respectable stir-fry, with a sauce reminiscent of too-thick Chinese food sauces. As a GF eater who eats Chinese food very rarely, this is not a problem.
The service is straightfoward, friendly, and enthusiastic. I have always talked with the same gentleman, and he is patient with questions. The restaurant itself is simple and kitchy but comfortable.
Despite having a limited selection, the fresh food and enthusiasm of the owners keep us coming back to this little bit of Saigon.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
It's All Greek To Me
1811 Main St. W
Hamilton, Ontario
905-527-0003
Type of cuisine: Greek
Date of Review: April, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Good
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: Ranking a restaurant when you've inadvertantly eaten gluten is tough. In this case, I feel both stupid and angry. Take this as a lesson as to why you must ALWAYS err on the side of being a questioning pain in the posterior. In short, in this case I ate the rice without verifying the broth. It's All Greek uses prepackaged seasoned rice, and of course wheat is listed right on the box. I was a fool for not asking up front. The restaurant loses a point for using packaged junk, and it is taking a good deal of self control not to rank them as just 'okay' on account of it. The food industry loses two points for adding wheat to rice. Rice, for the record, doesn't need wheat--or anything else for that matter--to taste good.
If you can skip the rice, or if gluten-free eating is irrelevant to you, then this restaurant is good. You will find better Greek food, but you won't find a lot of Greek food at all in the Hamilton area. The menu has a reasonable variety for most eaters, and--with the removal of rice from several dishes--the GF eater can partake.
In this case, my dining partner had the fries. GF types beware, there will be breading in the oil on account of breaded calamari in the fryer. The fries were respectable if not fabulous, and the feta topping was a nice addition. Greek poutine lite? The gigantes, a dish of oversized beans in a beany tomato sauce with more feta was quite nice. The grilled octopus was tender, not chewy, and was richly grilled, seemingly over coals. The lamb chops were also well grilled and tasty, although they were a fairly fatty cut. They came with poisonous rice and a light salad with an herbacious dill dressing. The Psari Plaki was a nice white fish with a light tomato sauce but be warned that it sits on a bed of rice. Alcohol not being an option, I had the usual Canadian hypersweet ice tea. (If you travel to the USA, enjoy their superior natural ice teas, all of which are detained at Canadian customs.)
Service was pleasant, although the gluten issue was not familiar to our server. The setting is simple but comfortable, and we enjoyed a booth for this evening's dinner.
In short, I can imagine returning here, but I am angry at the unnecessary short cut the restaurant has taken in their rice. Rice is simple. Mixes are a sign of laziness. It's All Greek to Me should at least make themselves acquainted with a quality rice machine.
Hamilton, Ontario
905-527-0003
Type of cuisine: Greek
Date of Review: April, 2010
Overall Quality Ranking: Good
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable
Description: Ranking a restaurant when you've inadvertantly eaten gluten is tough. In this case, I feel both stupid and angry. Take this as a lesson as to why you must ALWAYS err on the side of being a questioning pain in the posterior. In short, in this case I ate the rice without verifying the broth. It's All Greek uses prepackaged seasoned rice, and of course wheat is listed right on the box. I was a fool for not asking up front. The restaurant loses a point for using packaged junk, and it is taking a good deal of self control not to rank them as just 'okay' on account of it. The food industry loses two points for adding wheat to rice. Rice, for the record, doesn't need wheat--or anything else for that matter--to taste good.
If you can skip the rice, or if gluten-free eating is irrelevant to you, then this restaurant is good. You will find better Greek food, but you won't find a lot of Greek food at all in the Hamilton area. The menu has a reasonable variety for most eaters, and--with the removal of rice from several dishes--the GF eater can partake.
In this case, my dining partner had the fries. GF types beware, there will be breading in the oil on account of breaded calamari in the fryer. The fries were respectable if not fabulous, and the feta topping was a nice addition. Greek poutine lite? The gigantes, a dish of oversized beans in a beany tomato sauce with more feta was quite nice. The grilled octopus was tender, not chewy, and was richly grilled, seemingly over coals. The lamb chops were also well grilled and tasty, although they were a fairly fatty cut. They came with poisonous rice and a light salad with an herbacious dill dressing. The Psari Plaki was a nice white fish with a light tomato sauce but be warned that it sits on a bed of rice. Alcohol not being an option, I had the usual Canadian hypersweet ice tea. (If you travel to the USA, enjoy their superior natural ice teas, all of which are detained at Canadian customs.)
Service was pleasant, although the gluten issue was not familiar to our server. The setting is simple but comfortable, and we enjoyed a booth for this evening's dinner.
In short, I can imagine returning here, but I am angry at the unnecessary short cut the restaurant has taken in their rice. Rice is simple. Mixes are a sign of laziness. It's All Greek to Me should at least make themselves acquainted with a quality rice machine.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Delux
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.
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.
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).
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Language and Travelling
On a recent trip to Argentina, we were fortunate that many people spoke English. In fact, I find it embarrassing that people in many countries speak my mother tongue while I struggle or am ignorant of theirs. Nevertheless, there are now a good selection of travel language CD's available. For the commuter, a fair bit can be learned during down time. (Warning: It must be the case that trying to learn a language in your car is as dangerous as talking on a cell phone.) Not only is learning a bit of a foreign language interesting, but my experience has been that people are quite generous with their patience when your effort is sincere.
For concise travel language, I have found the Teach Yourself series to be quite good, but would stick to the "conversation" sets, for example "mandarin Chinese conversation." For this trip to Argentina, however, we tried Penton Overseas Inc "Spanish, The Complete Language Course." Although this set was more involved, almost all the work can be done in the car and it built you up nicely. I personally find that I like to see some of the words to grasp them, and a little reading on verb conjugation doesn't hurt, but busy folk can accomplish much without this.
For concise travel language, I have found the Teach Yourself series to be quite good, but would stick to the "conversation" sets, for example "mandarin Chinese conversation." For this trip to Argentina, however, we tried Penton Overseas Inc "Spanish, The Complete Language Course." Although this set was more involved, almost all the work can be done in the car and it built you up nicely. I personally find that I like to see some of the words to grasp them, and a little reading on verb conjugation doesn't hurt, but busy folk can accomplish much without this.
Posada Los Juncos, Bariloche
Posada Los Juncos
Ave Bustillo, km 20
Bariloche, Argentina
I have to give more than a nod to the small inn we stayed in, Posada Los Juncos. It ranks 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, and it deserves all of them for the hospitality, chic/rustic atmosphere (there is more 'cool' in this inn than I shall muster in a lifetime), and great food.
Gaby, brother to the gracious hostess, Flavia, is the cook Defying apparent inefficiency, Gaby provides a choice of three entres, three principal plates, and three desserts every night to the five rooms...or not. It is up to you. While prices are not cheap by Argentinian standards, they are by no means outrageous for what amounts to a private dining room. The food itself if fresh and creative. Gaby plays a little strong on dessert flavours, but everything is homemade, including the bread. And here is where I was pierced through by an arrow of undying devotion; Gaby tried his hand at gluten-free bread. Simply trying is all it takes. Like burnt toast from a loving child, it is a gift you accept with heartfelt thanks. And yes, it was modest, and yes, it sucked the moisture out of your mouth like so many GF products do, but I could only encourage such bravery by asking for seconds.
Two small caveats would not dissuade me from staying again: first, it is 20km west of Bariloche, meaning it is well situated for some but not all destinations, and two, it is not at all secluded, although it is quiet enough at night.
Ave Bustillo, km 20
Bariloche, Argentina
I have to give more than a nod to the small inn we stayed in, Posada Los Juncos. It ranks 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, and it deserves all of them for the hospitality, chic/rustic atmosphere (there is more 'cool' in this inn than I shall muster in a lifetime), and great food.
Gaby, brother to the gracious hostess, Flavia, is the cook Defying apparent inefficiency, Gaby provides a choice of three entres, three principal plates, and three desserts every night to the five rooms...or not. It is up to you. While prices are not cheap by Argentinian standards, they are by no means outrageous for what amounts to a private dining room. The food itself if fresh and creative. Gaby plays a little strong on dessert flavours, but everything is homemade, including the bread. And here is where I was pierced through by an arrow of undying devotion; Gaby tried his hand at gluten-free bread. Simply trying is all it takes. Like burnt toast from a loving child, it is a gift you accept with heartfelt thanks. And yes, it was modest, and yes, it sucked the moisture out of your mouth like so many GF products do, but I could only encourage such bravery by asking for seconds.
Lago Argentino
Two small caveats would not dissuade me from staying again: first, it is 20km west of Bariloche, meaning it is well situated for some but not all destinations, and two, it is not at all secluded, although it is quiet enough at night.
Estancia Nibepo Aike, El Cafate
A ranch at the end of the road south of El Calafate, Estancia Nipebo Aike provided an experience I hope to replicate if ever I return. The two ranches we stayed at on our trip to Argentina offered beautiful scenery, a sanctuary from the busy life of the city, and the slower peaceful pace you associate with the country. Apart from some great horse riding and hiking and stunning scenery, this ranch offered great food.
Although I do not know the name of the chef, he earned my heartfelt appreciation. Meat is a feature of lunch and dinner here, but this posed no problem. In fact, they have an on site restaurant dedicated to meat. You don't really order; you just wait for the fresh meat to come in piles.
Like Los Juncos, the impressive thing here was the willingness of the chef to improvise. First, the soups were declared to be flour free and were fresh and simple. One night, in lieu of standard cannelloni, the chef prepared a corn version. Stuffed with cheese and spinach and topped with tomato and lamb, this dish had it all. The dessert that night was a delicious layered fruit, cream, and corn trifle, a one-off for the celiac. On another occasion, making something totally different than the other diners, he prepared a crispy corn bowl filled with vegetables and cheese. Finally, when we requested a picnic lunch to visit a nearby glacier, he procured a dish of meat, polenta, cheese, and fresh tomato sauce. Since that time, the chef has been kidnapped and now makes regular lunches for me from his basement cell.
One caveat here is that the breakfasts were poor from the celiac perspective. I was glad to have brought a stash of GF granola. In his defense, I don't think the chef gets the discredit for this.
Nipebo Aike -- Where every pic is postcard perfect.
Although I do not know the name of the chef, he earned my heartfelt appreciation. Meat is a feature of lunch and dinner here, but this posed no problem. In fact, they have an on site restaurant dedicated to meat. You don't really order; you just wait for the fresh meat to come in piles.
Real. Fresh. Lamb.
Like Los Juncos, the impressive thing here was the willingness of the chef to improvise. First, the soups were declared to be flour free and were fresh and simple. One night, in lieu of standard cannelloni, the chef prepared a corn version. Stuffed with cheese and spinach and topped with tomato and lamb, this dish had it all. The dessert that night was a delicious layered fruit, cream, and corn trifle, a one-off for the celiac. On another occasion, making something totally different than the other diners, he prepared a crispy corn bowl filled with vegetables and cheese. Finally, when we requested a picnic lunch to visit a nearby glacier, he procured a dish of meat, polenta, cheese, and fresh tomato sauce. Since that time, the chef has been kidnapped and now makes regular lunches for me from his basement cell.
Crispy Corn Bowl Creation
One caveat here is that the breakfasts were poor from the celiac perspective. I was glad to have brought a stash of GF granola. In his defense, I don't think the chef gets the discredit for this.
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