100146 Tue Apr 06 08:22:13 -0700 2004 33 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 542091 What is the best place for lunch in the path. Tue Apr 06 08:22:13 -0700 2004 0 Stinky from USC 1 542102 Where abouts in the Path? The north end of the path is at Atrium on Bay and the south end is at Union station. That's about a 20 minute walk underground during lunch hour. Also, are you looking to spend <$10 or more than that? Either way, I would suggest that you go outside. If you're at the north end, then Salad King for sure. Or, try Tea Spot at the basement level of the Bay (OK, that's not outside). Not too familiar with the south side of the Path. I think the food court in First Canadian Place has decent option if you're looking to spend <$10. Tue Apr 06 14:44:35 -0700 2004 542091 0 SaladKingFan 2 542104 If you're around First Canadian Place, you could try Ho Shim for Korean/Japanese food. They have a take-out counter, as well as a dining room. Reasonably priced. Not the best Korean/Japanese food ever, of course, but considering all the other bland (and rather expensive) options around here, it's pretty good. Tue Apr 06 15:17:01 -0700 2004 542102 0 Heather 3 542111 My best recommendation for eating in the path is don't. Go a block away, which means somewhere upstairs with a glimpse of the outside. Mercato on Bay just north of King is a personal favorite -- wonderful sandwiches, salads, pizzas and risottos. But it gets very crowded after about 12:01 pm. Tue Apr 06 17:46:46 -0700 2004 542104 0 jhg 4 542112 My suggestion for path food is the salad bar at the "Kitchen Table" grocery store. They have everything you could possibly want in a salad. And they also offer a selection of hot foods, but I never tried any of them. There is also a pretty decent indian food takeout place at the food court in the TD centre. Other than that, there really aren't a lot of options. The korean restaurant mentioned I found a little bland and more than a little greasy. Tue Apr 06 18:12:22 -0700 2004 542111 0 tigger 5 542123 I've tried the bbq chicken. It was over-seasoned (too salty and bbq chip-type flavour) but the texture was good. They also have lots of fruit and soups at the Kitchen Table salad bar. One thing I appreciate there is the sliced real, rare roast beef (NOT preservative-filled deli-style). Wed Apr 07 09:16:57 -0700 2004 542112 0 julesrules 6 542295 Don't know if anyone's mentioned Kubo DX. It's a full restaurant, at the Ernest Young building, off of the TD Waterhouse, where the Design Exchange is. It's somewhat expensive, but fun to go to. Funky decor, cute menus, and excellent sake martinis. Thu Apr 15 06:15:17 -0700 2004 542123 0 ArtificialButter 7 542379 They also had a patio in the summer and two take out areas one directly beside the main restaurant and the other in Commerce court... Mon Apr 19 13:25:43 -0700 2004 542295 0 Rob 8 542554 And they have girls working there who are very nice and very nice looking! :) Plus their new burger is awesome! Fri Jul 23 10:47:53 -0700 2004 542379 0 mark 5 542125 Another good salad bar & serve-yourself takeout place is a new place next to the post office in the TD Center. They have a much better selection of hot foods than Kitchen Table and most of it is pretty good. They also have reasonably healthy options like steamed veggies, grilled mushrooms etc...they have lots of easy to grab office food...cheap, too. Wed Apr 07 09:22:40 -0700 2004 542112 0 chowkitty 5 542131 I find the Kitchen Table pretty gross, actually. It gets really crowded at lunch hour, and if you get there past 12:30 p.m., all the self-serve food (salad bar, hot foods, etc) looks all picked-over and man-handled. And it's all pretty bland or oily or dry. Strawberries are on sale there this week, but look carefully - several of the packages had moldy strawberries. Wed Apr 07 10:25:48 -0700 2004 542112 0 Stantheman 3 542117 I second the Ho Shim recommendation, if you don't want to step outside because of the weather or something. Large menu, including daily specials (e.g., Tuesdays are "low-carb" stir-fry days, if you're into that sort of thing). As far as take-out food goes..... uh.....Naturally Yours has acceptable-quality vegetarian stuff (see the daily menu link below) - they're also in the First Canadian Place food ghetto. Just avoid their mac & cheese - greasy, heavy and sleep-inducing. Otherwise, it's pretty slim pickings. French Sticks in the Scotia Plaza is good for take-out, but crap, are they expensive. Link: http://www.naturallyyours.ca/sotd.htm Tue Apr 06 23:33:23 -0700 2004 542104 0 Jaime B 3 542132 Yeh, Ho Shim seems to be the best of the lot in that general concourse area. One restaurant NOT to go to is Fusion - overpriced for such boring, barely competent food. Sezchuan Sezchuan is pretty good, but reservations are a must at lunch, esp. on Fridays. Wed Apr 07 10:28:54 -0700 2004 542104 0 P.Blanchette 2 542137 Hey SaladKingFan, Please don't shoot me, but do you find that the quality of Salad King food is halved from where it was 3 years ago? I used to live next door and eat from there almost every week. I hadn't gone for about 2 years and then went back a few months ago. I was happy to see they grew and renovated, but dissapointed when I ate the food, which seemed bland. So I gave it a second shot thinking it could just be that day, my taste buds that day, alignment of the planets, etc., but......no, same result. A little bland. I seem to remember it being very flavourful. I am talking about the red and green (emerald) vegetarian curries. Any thoughts? Wed Apr 07 12:49:42 -0700 2004 542102 0 Chris 3 542156 Yes i agree. the price stayed the same. the place 's much more upscale (check out the second floor)...but the food: the plates shrunk considerably, bland, very inconsistent quality. don't try the mango salad, it was not sweet nor sour enough. just...bland! my friends had the pataya chicken and the chicken curry...they were very disappointed. personally, i like my golden tofu, just a little too sweet for my taste. but i will still go back at least once a month...the service is unbeatable. and i just LOVE the ryerson crowd Wed Apr 07 23:54:18 -0700 2004 542137 0 Avocado Queen 4 542182 i find that Salad King is just too crowded, beyond other points mentioned. I am going to try Linda's upstairs though. Seperate note- someone mentioned the Tea Spot under The Bay. I looked for it once and couldn't find it (was in a rush). Where is it exactly within the bay building? Fri Apr 09 23:54:30 -0700 2004 542156 0 ArtificialButter 5 542226 Be sure to make a reservation at Linda's. Also the spicing has dropped a little - but just up your order from 3* to 5* and you'll find it as good as ever. Still the finest Thai restaurant in T.O. (IMO). The Tea Spot is in the basement around the middle of the South wall (but haven't tried it - the prices seemed expensive to me). Mon Apr 12 10:08:58 -0700 2004 542182 0 estufarian 5 542269 See Amy Patak's review of T spot at Torstar website, fairly recent over last month or so... Wed Apr 14 13:59:13 -0700 2004 542182 0 maureen 4 542277 Same experience; loved the Salad King, hadn't gone for a couple of years; went last month; not as good as I remembered (maybe I'll up the chilli next time) and talk about shrinkage! It used to be a great value, but there are a lot of other places that are cheaper and just as good. I'd take back the old decor for the bigger value. Wed Apr 14 15:59:20 -0700 2004 542156 0 haligonianhui 3 542397 I must say that I am very disappointed with Salad King. Nice renovations. I had a feeling I was in a cafeteria. The dishes are bland and I thought the chili factor would denote spiciness that is infused in the dish. Rather, the chili factor means sprinkling chili flakes on top of the dish which made it REALLY unappetizing. Service is great but the food is terrible. Too bad one of you said that you thought it was a bad night for the food and going a second time would mean a better experience but unlikely. This makes me say that I won't go there again. Tue Apr 20 07:32:44 -0700 2004 542137 0 m 1 542136 I am going to go out on a limb and suggest a very inexpensive baked potato that is wonderful IF YOU LIKE BAKED POTATO. "The Gourmet Spud" in Scotia Plaza has very reasonably priced baked potatoes with several options. My favorite, being a "non-meat-eater" is a potato (their potatoes are HUGE) with butter, cheddar, sour cream, chives and assorted vinaigrette veggies on top. If you are watching calories, you will presumably choose another option, but if you want some comfort food or quick, simple energy, this is a perfect choice at $4.00! No matter how I try, my baked potatoes at home never compare in fluffiness ;-( Also, the little couple that run the place are adorable and add a welcome chemistry to the ordering process. They respond especially well to humour. Bon apetit! Wed Apr 07 12:45:12 -0700 2004 542091 0 Chris 2 542138 I like the Gourmet Spud too. Used to go there a lot when I worked at the Scotia Plaza, back 5 years ago. There was always a line up. Chris - I have been working in the U.S. during the week for months now. I only come back for weekends and haven't been back to Salad King for a while. I should go back soon. The thing I like most, besides the food, is how Linda gets to know all the frequent customers. Nothing beats a personal touch. Wed Apr 07 12:58:51 -0700 2004 542136 0 SaladKingFan 3 542140 Yeah, funny thing is, when I used to go, it was the owner who was at the counter. Knew everybody's face, most names and even remembered favorite orders! I don't know Linda, but, again, haven't gone back for years now! Yes, personal touch is important. Wed Apr 07 13:15:43 -0700 2004 542138 0 Chris 4 542146 Linda really works the room in her eponymous restaurant upstairs. And she'll lavish special attention on you as soon as she finds out something about you - e.g., your name is also Linda, or you hate peanuts ("Hello there, No-Peanut!"). Wed Apr 07 15:04:53 -0700 2004 542140 0 membrillo 1 542151 Soup Nutsy rules!!! 20 soups,fresh bread, homemade and healthy right below Ernst and Young tower Wed Apr 07 19:58:05 -0700 2004 542091 0 dannyboy 2 542158 Soup Nutsy is very good, I admit (best: turkey chili, pensylvania corn & spinach chowder...) BUT - $8 for a container of soup is a bit much... Thu Apr 08 09:52:04 -0700 2004 542151 0 chowkitty 2 542163 Marcello's in Scotia Plaza - buffet style --take as much as you want in the containers they provide -homemade style food such as salads, steamed veggies, pasta, chicken, roasted potatoes New Wok New Wok in First Canadian - best for Chinese and cheap too! Santorini Cafe in First Canadian - grilled vegetable pita with feta cheese, low in fat and very tasty! Made In Japan Teriyaki Experience in Scotia Plaza - i always get the chicken and shrimp teriyaki, they give a lot of shrimp compared to the other teriyaki places (Edo Japan) and better service Thu Apr 08 11:17:34 -0700 2004 542151 0 Nisha 3 542202 Marcello's - hey, if you run into Marcello (the owner, a shorter Italian guy, who always looks on the verge of grumpiness), ask him about Italian football and how his beloved AC Milan are doing - back when he was at the 4 King West location, every once in a while he would heckle regulars about the performance of their clubs. Besides, it'll cheer him up :) Sun Apr 11 00:56:38 -0700 2004 542163 0 nigel 1 542355 The lasagna is excellent at Vinnie's in the food court at the Atrium on the Bay. Sun Apr 18 19:25:00 -0700 2004 542091 0 The Berserker 2 542541 Having worked at Atrium on Bay, Vinnie's is a good place to grab a quick bite to eat when you're in a rush to go to a meeting....fast and friendly service. I would recommend their 'deluxe' calzone, my favourite, however, their veal sandwiches leave something to be desired -- as an aside, if you have time between meetings, walk down to St. Lawrence Market to Moustacho's for a fine veal & eggplant sandwich, the best in the city! foodie Sat Jul 03 21:52:25 -0700 2004 542355 0 foodie 1 542542 New Wok (First Canadian Place) - They might hurry you along to take your order, even when you haven't made it to the front of the line, but they're efficient and their Chinese food is among the best in all of the PATH. Jimmy the Greek (Commerce Court) - Fast friendly service, I think they have the best Greek salad dressing in all of the PATH (BCE Place one is too creamy) and if you go there often enough, they'll remember your order! Thai Island (Exchange Tower) - Fast service and a daily soup special which will not disappoint...by far the most popular place in the entire Exchange Tower food court. Michel's Baguette (Commerce Court) - Great pastries and great bagels for breakfast, fast service and even a coffee club card for those out there still missing Second Cup's card. Ho Shim (First Canadian Place) - Excellent! Read all the other reviews. Indian Flavour (TD Centre) - Great food, try the butter chicken! Marcello's (Scotiabank) - Excellent! Read all the other reviews. Last....a little off the PATH, St. Lawrence Market: Go to Churasco's for a mean chicken sandwich or to Moustacho's on the lower level for the best veal & eggplant sandwich in the city! but wait... how about "Don'ts" in the PATH? Szechuan Szechuan (First Canadian Place) - "Americanized"-Chinese food (dark brown soy sauce-laden fried rice), high prices...good for the executive eating on the company's expense who couldn't care less. Royal Bank Food Court (Anywhere) - This food court looks like they haven't rennovated since the 70's, there is always an oily/greasy smell in the air (probably from the seafood place), horrible decor, bad lighting and very little choices in food. Reto and the Machine - Failed franchise, they shut down the Commerce Court one, food took way too long to cook and it didn't taste that great. High prices paid for all the fancy packaging that individual servings of sauce and noodles came in. Bagel Stop (Commerce Court) - Is it just me, or does the owner of this location look like you've short changed him everytime you get coffee from there? This guy needs to lighten up! Sat Jul 03 23:26:43 -0700 2004 542091 0 foodie 2 542545 I totally agree about the guy at Bagel Stop in Commerce Court! One time he checked me out and it made me feel even worse! And he charges more if you get the roasted red-pepper cream cheese and the others don't. I totally avoid that bagel place now and I go to the one in BCE Place. Thu Jul 08 14:21:08 -0700 2004 542542 0 Lisa 3 542556 That's too funny!! I'm glad that I wasn't the only who noticed his strange behaviour. I was lining up at Harvey's the other morning and saw that he was up to his old tricks with another female customer. I much prefer the lighter egg bagels at Michel's Baguette across the way and the fast and friendly service. Does the Bagel Stop at BCE Place always over-toast their bagels? Everytime I walk in that corridor I smell burnt toast! Mon Jul 26 16:02:06 -0700 2004 542545 0 foodie 4 542564 You're right, there is a burnt toast smell. But the bagel I order is always perfectly toasted. Only complaint I have is that they put too much cream cheese on it. Will try the egg bagel at Michel's Baguette, thanks for the recommendation foodie! :) Tue Aug 10 14:30:44 -0700 2004 542556 0 Lisa