The Lakeview Restaurant

I can't say that I'm a Lakeview virgin. The 24 hour long lit lights have called to me more than a few days and nights. The sign hanging outside the haunt at 1132 Dundas has always been a warming greeting. The handshake says, come in, I'm the Lakeview, I'm here for you. It's the handshake of a friend. I can't go in without a premature sense of nostalgia. I haven't been in Toronto long enough to feel nostalgia. I probably haven't been alive long enough to feel a sense of nostalgia. But I get this funny feeling at the Lakeview, like I know that in 20 years when I'm living in a fancy condo on Manhattan island, sipping a microfoam cocktail while my attractive manservant arranges my comic books via a complex system based on art style and era of prominence and my holographic cat purrs at my feet, I will think of the Lakeview with a sigh. Why? Why.

With neighbors like Porchetta, the Black Hoof, and with the entire gastronomical fulmination of the Ossington strip to the South, it does seem easily dwarfed, easily derided. My eating roots are very simple, and I have great appreciation for what the Lakeview is doing by tidying up the concept of the diner. I like their polished and affordable classics, and their pop culture hinted menu.

Personally, I always try to sit in 'the magical murder booth'.

Thus for review #50, a year after starting this blog, here's some new thoughts on an old favourite.

Even though the Lakeview is a diner, it's no greasy spoon. They've always had a lot of fun spins on healthy classics. Their eggs are great. Still, tonight leaned quickly towards the indulgent. I dreadfully declare that our appetizer of deep fried mac'n cheese balls (6.00) set the tone for the night. I don't really know what I was expecting from this! They were decent, they hit the grease/pasta craving bullseye. They struck left of the cheese spot, though. What cheese sauce was gluing this super soft mac together had been absorbed, its flavour reduced by an unholy heat. I made myself food like this in first year uni. Still, when eaten with hands, lumps torn off, crust crisp and oily, dunked in a bbq more spiced and less sweet than ketchup, I was pleased. They are exactly what you can expect (and the ketchupBBQcatsup is a winner).

I am a little ashamed to admit how much I ate. We ate? I guess! One other trait of the Lakeview which is probably not oft lauded due to few Toronto artists writing about food (that I know!), is that they have big tables and a turnaround that means you won't get scowled at for whipping your 11"x14" sketch pad out and bustin' out drawings for a couple lazy hours. Lindsay and I were doodling as we ate, and we took our sweet time. The meal stretched out over a few hours, and at some point during this span of time immemorial, entrees arrived, and they were lovely.

I had some serious skepticism about the fishwich (10.00) because it is a self described as 'crispy filet'. Filet of what? Upon asking I am told it is basa, which I like. Basa holds up nicely to the fryer, it's got body. Not the most flavourful fish, but still enjoyably. It's sizeable! Two fried sticks top one another between a bun which is distinctly not steamed (as advertised). The bun is extremely airy, with a light crust that is as thin as skin. I don't really like steamed bus, and this is fine with me. The tartar is a killer, and I'm in love with its heavy herb and lemon. Dill, I think. The batter is light, layered and very fresh, the beer surprisingly noticeable. With it came a side of salad, which was a bland mixture of greens, refreshingly sweet but nothing to go on about.

While I did not try this terrifying, appealing thing Lindsay ordered, I have to say it was a mountain. Le plateau burger (14.50 or 17.50 for a double) is a thing which incorporates havarti, fried egg, bacon and comes with a size of poutine. It heaps high. I love egg on a burger, but even more so if it's over easy and runs into everything, gooing up the mixture into some mess of glory. I did have some of that poutine. It was not hot enough, and the fries should have been crisper, even under the curds and gravy. The gravy has a hint of bisto to it, hovering a step away from being gelatinous, but full of flavour. The curds were perfect- ripe, firm, fresh, flavourful.

Close to 11pm, after our filling dinners had settled and made room for one more thing to choose from the packed Lakeview menu, we got a dessert. There are things in this world that sound too good because they ARE too good- like the chocolate caramel walnut cheesecake (5.50) which was too rich and too sweet and too weighty.Don't get me wrong, it was good. It was just predictably tooth-aching. The cake was peppered with flecks of vanilla, and the cheese was not too cheesy of cloying- just right. At some points it was just like eating a toffee, there was so much caramel. If only there had been a nudge of contrast! And that, I suppose, is why cheesecake is traditionally had with fruit.

Gentrification comes and goes, neighborhoods change. They ebb. Will Ossington stay this hot and wild? If so, for how long? I think the Lakeview will have a firm foothold in the food loving latenight crowd no matter what. There's ALWAYS the 4$ Ceasar!

Sadies

Coffee starts with breakfast. No. Stop me, it's backwards. Breakfast starts with coffee, and without it I sometimes don't know my way around. Never mind that I'm writing this at 9 in the evening.

I wanted to wrack up a big appetite when I went to meet Willie at Sadies Diner (whose website exists in the Dark Ages of myspace) for brunch. It's a fair 6km from my house to the oldtimey vegan diner at Portland and Adelaide, and though I wasn't walking fast it did the trick to make my stomach growl, and for the last half of my trip I flat out craved that hot coffee!

And when it hit my tongue I was left with a strong and memorable impression of meh.

Sadly, it went for the whole meal. 

The brunch wound up with a funny vegan Tex Mex angle. Understand, Sadie's is in no way a Tex Mex place. It just so happened that on this occasion our appetites had migrated, as the geese do, to the south. Can't blame them. I had the vegan Huevos Rancheros (10$), one of my favourite brunch dishes usually. Willie got to tell me a bit about different soy based cheeses, since I am a blank slate. I know nothing. Do they pair well with wine? I am told, no, they don't. They don't melt, either...except for Daiya cheese, which is why it is a BIG DEAL for vegans. Sadie's uses Daiya. I did like it, too, though it is stiffer than milkcheese. It has a similar taste, but floury. That interesting newness aside, I don't think the tortillas were good. The tofu 'egg' was cold, and hadn't really been made 'eggy' in any way. It just tasted like tofu. Cold tofu, in big dry clumps. No turmeric to turn it yellow, even! I know that a lot can be done for vegan scrambled eggs, and this was a bottom line effort. You can't go too wrong with brown beans and a crunchy tortilla at least.
In instances like this, I praise my love of hot sauce, and soak that dish.

Keeping with a deep south theme, Willie went for a more lunch like nosh, and got the Quesadillas (9$). A mix of predictable veggies tasted good, but didn't open our eyes to anything new and delightful, and weren't handled in a way that made the stuffed tortillas seem rethought. It wasn't delicious, just plain. I complain a lot about the lack of inventiveness in the zucchini-eggplant-peppers trinity vegetarian dishes tend to favour, though it's most often a symptom of the token vegetarian menu item on an otherwise meat loving menu. Sadie's is mainly vegetarian and vegan! They should be doing something exciting- it's what I expect. So even though I like the Daiya cheese, and there was a fair amount, I think this dish could have been more inventively veganized. One could not even taste the sambal alleged to be in their vegan mayo! One thing I did like was that corny, soft tortilla- I wonder if it's actually made in house?

(You can read Willie's review here).

SWAN restaurant

There was a time when Queen West was like a second home to me. Every day would find me biking up the strip in hot weather for one reason or another, and every day I passed the SWAN restaurant (892 Queen West). It's got such a good reputation it's a shock it's taken me until now, the icky cold beginnings of winter, to go and try it out. SWAN is one of those Toronto classics that survives on solid food whose goodness is passed along by word of mouth- it's come up in conversation a couple times.

I adore the old fashioned decor. This is real vintage, and though it's called SWAN restaurant, there's something of the diner feel going on here. It's that retro beveled edge on everything look, the teak wood wall detailing along one wall. It's also the small intimate booths, brought to a greater romantic height by nothing but candlelight, with the overheads so far dimmed they're nearly off. It does set this good mood. But how good is the well known food?

Even though this is only my second time properly sitting down and trying some oysters, I wound up acting like an authority on them. Amanda and Stine hadn't ever tried them. There was some nervousness! When served with a plate of slippery shells, their pink grey contents look hard to tackle. There's only one piece of advice I could impart: just suck. As anyone whose eaten oysters knows, there's no particularly classy or clean way to enjoy the fruit of the sea. I was happy with the condiment selection, which had everything from lemons, horseradish and hot sauce to more innovative dressings like plum vinegar, smoked tomato chili paste, and one other thing which was never identified. The oysters were what I would hope for: fresh, watery, tasting like the sea, a delicate vessel for light seasoning, with a hint of natural musk.

There was a feeling of camaraderie and sharing at our table, and not one of us ordered a dish that wasn't to share. Decisions were made by troika! After the oysters we consented to a collation of salad with smoked arctic char and avocado. We then consented to the knowledge that no salad with so much avocado should be drenced in heavy, cloying mayo dressing. What thought spurred this action? It ruined the salad- like a coat of butter. I am not exagerating the heavy handedness of the sauce, which coated every lettuce leaf in entirety. The fish was good, though so full of natural salt it didn't taste fishy at all. The dill advertised as a main flavor was also very mild, and the potato nibbled involved were bacony. This should have been like a much improved version of a nicoise, but fell far from the mark.

For a heartier dish betwixt courses we chose a two cheese risotto, with asiago and chevre. The fat arborio rice was studded with half moon zicchini slices. It was piping hot! Using asiago made the risotto drier than the many creamy varieties I've had in the past, and there was quite the tug of war between the two cheese for a dominant flavour. Chevre wanted to be creamy, asiago wanted to bite, and in the end I was left with a flavour impression regretably reminiscent of mac'n'cheese. From a box.

Our entree was actually very good overall, and that was a nice turn on a meal that had quickly turned bad. A plump and generous pork chop sat above sundry sides. There was a fluffy cornmeal biscuit, whose grains rolled along my tongue with an ethereal fluffiness, piqued with jalapeno nibs for spice. There was the fine puree of sweet potato, like applesauce in texture and very sweet, surely mixed with brown sugar. I was reminded of thick molasses, as well as earthy root. Veggies came in the form of buttery green beans and the fattest brussel sprout I ever ate. They were still very crunchy and fresh, only lightly steamed. The meat itself had a definite grain, and was not so succulent as to fall apart. It was firm, with a thick rind of fat, and lots of flavor. I did like the presentation, with a roast apple ring laid on top.

The best thing we had at SWAN was the oysters- from Oyster Boy, which is just next door, and probably a better place to go if you're looking for dinner near Trinity Bellwoods.

Universal Grill

On the corner of Dupont and Shaw is a little teal building that I've been eyeballing for months. It's just something about that shade of blue green that I can't pull my eyes away from. Or maybe it's that the menu has been taunting me from the window every since I glanced it over. Yes, Universal Grill had sunk its hook into me. Time for a review! By some stroke of fortune, my buddy JJ lives right around the corner. A few of us rolled over there Sunday morning to see what they had to offer.

Universal Grill attracts the expected crowd of baby brunchers, and it's not very large on the inside - about eight tables and the bar. We wound up waiting nearly 40 minutes, and for some unexplained reason people who arrived after us were seated first.

Inside, it's a colour-coded classic diner, with mica flecked counter tops in black and silver, and sea green tile to match the exterior. With a proliferation of plants and vintage decoration, it really is lovely to sit in, with a cozy mothers kitchen feel. If you crane your neck, you can see into the kitchen.

Since it was a lazy Sunday, we started with some drinks- a Ceasar for me, a mimosa for JJ, and coffee all 'round the table! The Ceasar was spicy, sweet and heavy on the Worcester. There was some very pretty cucumber and lemon wedge to garnish it up. My sister had ordered a cappuccino, and it was traditional with a single shot and a full head of foam- the flavour was too watery for my preference, and the espresso and milk weren't married to a good consistency. The drip was spot on, though.

11$ - 'Huevos' is Spanish for eggs, and these ranchers eggs are a fun blend of Mexican bean chili and tortilla, and gringo fries and fried egg, all served like a tostada in layers (requisite sour cream and guacamole on the side, thanks). I barely had a second to grab a forkful and jot down some notes before JJ wolfed everything down! Even without our grumbling stomachs it was mouth watering. I tasted a lot of paprika in the chili, which made it complement the greasy flat egg. Major hangover absorption qualities sensed here. Fries and tortilla added crunch and texture. 

12.50$ - One of the daily specials was this horrifying tall mound of peameal, challah and egg called the P.L.T. Oh, the name cannot do it justice. The dry and fluffy challah was cut into generous hunks like ham fists to hold together the stacks of tender bacon, the thick frittata of egg, layers of lettuce, wedges of tomato, and a dripping lava of cheddar. There was a completely unnecessary side of spuds, crispy polyhedra with dense butter laden hearts weighing down an already intimidating meal. Mary was in trouble, that was plain, so we all helped out by grabbing bites of her meal. It was a juicy and bold creation, not shy on the meat, with lots of natural salt. The home fries were lightly seasoned if at all, and were pleasant in their simplicity.

11$ - The omelette of the day was a classic concoction of creamy and rich goat cheese mixed into very generous, salty heaps of sharp spinach, and halved crimini mushrooms. The omelette was very big, not just for it's diameter but for the depth of its stuffing. It was a round hill of filling, oozing fresh spinach juice onto the plate, and glistening with butter. There were four slices of crunchy toast to pile the garden grown creation onto, and a return of those simple spuds. When I tried this, I could swear I tasted a hint of lemon curiously hidden in with all the other flavours, and with something as creamy and rich as a goat cheese omelette, it seemed like a natural and clever decision.

7$ + 3.5$ - By itself this oatmeal is very filling. The bowl seems neverending, just like in the Grimms story 'Sweet Porridge'. It's thick and glutinous, not too dry or wet. Maybe I should be referring to Goldilocks instead, since this is just right? Very much like my go-to breakfast at home, which is porridge and banana, I felt comforted to slowly dig to the bottom of the gooey grey grain. The difference here is that this is not instant, which is why the texture is so much more satisfying than my 1-minute meals. Also, this porridge comes with a thick and zesty homemade compote of raspberry, which cuts through the weight of the banana and porridge and adds an amazing interest that maple syrup couldn't hope to compete with. There were also orange slices and melon, to add to the cornucopia of colours. I'm a big lover of chorizo, so I ordered a sausage on the side as a complement to what I didn't realize would be an obscene amount of oatmeal. This chorizo was dry and had a very noticeable flavour of onion. It was mild for spice, with a crispy, chewy skin.

 

12$ - One of the least traditional items on the menu is this fritter of potato and onion, a potato pancake of great ambition in size. I think the Universal Grill has a good thing going for fulfilling appetites. Nobody left the restaurant hungry. We may have left much rounder, though. Using gravlax instead of smoked salmon seems like a natural progression for a breakfast item. Unlike smoked salmon, the cured salmon of the gravlax is more tender, easily sucked apart. I find smoked salmon is stringier. There was a very long list of ingredients for the curing process, but Jack Daniels struck me. Hair of the Dog in a most concealed form? The gravlax also wound up with a beautiful raspberry colour, and altogether the dish was visually appealing as well as flavourful. The latke was filled with onion, carrot julienne and potato, fried until the outside became delightfully crisp. with a heap of fresh and crunchy greens, cucumber, carrot, lemon and tomato topped salad, it was a refreshing breakfast on a big plate.