104881 Thu Jan 19 10:02:03 -0800 2006 10 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 568458 Went last night for the 4th time since they opened. I feel like a sheep following the almighty media. Swedish meatballs(maybe at ikea?), lamb sausage (too loose and greasy), pate - good, fries (soggy and lemon mayo had no zip). Chocolate Almond torte was too dense lacking any finesse or refinement associated with a "celebrity" chef. Is this a wine bar? there were only 10 red wines on the list and the cheapest glass is $9 - thanks for the great selection. But hey, the ex-governor general sat beside us - it must be a great place with great food.... everyones says so. Thu Jan 19 10:02:03 -0800 2006 0 JC 1 568459 I've been about 20 times. All was excellent expect perhaps twice - over salted food. There is a huge wine list, you have to ask for it. The list on the table is for wines available by the glass. Thu Jan 19 10:07:04 -0800 2006 568458 0 toothpick 1 568483 I thought I was the only one in Toronto not gushing over JKWB. Leaving the issue of food for a moment, in my opinion, a wine bar is where you can choose dozens, even hundreds of wine by the glass (as in London England, where the wine bar is / was king). The food was tiny, lacklustre, soggy and under spiced. Disappointing. We ordered enough little dishes to make up for two very pricy entrees at other places, and it just wasn't worth the money. Thu Jan 19 13:26:46 -0800 2006 568458 0 Jay Jay 1 568489 I've written before about how I was disappointed with my first and only experience at JK last March. That being said, I'm going there tonight to give it a second try, as I'm taking a wine-loving, non-hound friend for his birthday. I'll post my review soon. Thu Jan 19 15:15:33 -0800 2006 568458 0 Food Tourist 2 568492 i can say that sitting at the bar (we sat at the kitchenette bar) makes for a vastly more entertaining evening than sitting at a table .. much better lighting as well .. i can imagine being a bit less enthusiastic about the experience if i had jus sat at a table .. Thu Jan 19 15:33:35 -0800 2006 568489 0 moo 3 568495 sitting at a table is incredibly dull in comparison to sitting at the prep bar. the chefs are more prone to being entertaining than the waitstaff is as i find that different people tend to bring the food and don't really stick aroung to talk to you about it. while i do really like jkwb and have really only had positive experiences, it isn't the best restaurant in TO but is definitely still on the top of my list. Thu Jan 19 15:45:34 -0800 2006 568492 0 pinstripeprincess 1 568493 I've said it before and I'll say it again....the bang for your buck in Toronto right now is at La Palette. Thu Jan 19 15:34:07 -0800 2006 568458 0 Rafer 1 568535 By the way - we sat at the prep-kitchen bar. It was the only highlight of the night. If you have a good publicist and a bunch of sheep, i think this is a great formula for a business. Fri Jan 20 09:20:59 -0800 2006 568458 0 JC 2 568573 i could honestly care less if it was jamie kennedy in that kitchen. in fact, i've never even seen jamie kennedy cook in that kitchen. my kudo's goes to the incredibly talented and friendly chefs that i've interacted with at jkwb. they've been knowledgable, fantastic to chat with and churn out great food. they have also proven to me that they will produce you a dish in 5 minutes with a smile if you just ask. Fri Jan 20 15:06:29 -0800 2006 568535 0 pinstripeprincess 1 568561 For me JKWB is a definite go-back-to place and it's because I like it not because I want to continue suffering by returning to a place I don't like - life is too short for that. I have been many times and never been disappointed with the many dishes I have tried. It is a Wine Bar so it doesn't take too much thought to recognize that hey, there must be a more extended list than the very abbrevaited version they give you with the menu - just ask and yee shall receive. Fri Jan 20 11:39:20 -0800 2006 568458 0 George W. 1 568735 I understand that people might find the wine a bit expensive, but at least you have to respect them for providing an interchangable and unique by the glass list. Not just the usual stuff that a lot of places roll out... Mon Jan 23 23:48:21 -0800 2006 568458 0 modin