419528 Mon Jul 09 18:16:51 -0700 2007 8 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 2734072 my name is hoppie. i'm the road manager for the dex romweber duo, on tour with cat power. we'll be in toronto for several days. looking for some foodie tips on places to eat in the area. delicious, reasonably priced, blue-collar local fare. we'll be headed to detroit afterwards. thank you to all that help. hop Mon Jul 09 18:16:51 -0700 2007 102523 hoppie 1 2734990 Hey, can you be a bit more specific? There are myriad choices in Toronto. What kind of food are you looking for? Blue collar can include everything from pub fare to Vietnamese. I see you're playing at the Phoenix. There's not a whole lot in the immediate vicinity, but you may want to head over to Chinatown East, and have a bowl of pho at Mimi's (Gerrard and Degrassi), or the grouper at Hanoi 3 Seasons (Gerrard and Broadview). Tue Jul 10 04:39:59 -0700 2007 2734072 48857 estragon 1 2735039 Try the Rebel House on Yonge just north of Bloor. Really great food done with mostly Canadian ingredients. Outstanding selection of local microbrews. If you're in East Chinatown, stop by Rose's Cafe for a Banh Mi. It's a Vietnamese sub and at $2 for the deluxe, it's a steal. Broadview south of Gerard. DT Tue Jul 10 05:26:23 -0700 2007 2734072 11291 Davwud 1 2735254 Estragon is correct, for what you seem to be looking for, the area around The Phoenix is not "target rich", but The House on Parliament Pub (Parliament just south of Carlton) is less than a 10 minute walk away. Very good food. Avoid Church St. If you're looking for mideastern (falafel, shawarma) in the immediate area, Ali Baba on Parliament just north of Gerrard is pretty good. The chicken shawarma has always been a nice crispy/moist contrast, and they have all the fixin's (love the pickled turnip!), and the beef shawarma (when they have it) has been good. That said, my fave in the downtown is Sarah's Falafel at Bloor and Brunswick. There's a current discussion thread on "best diner in Toronto" you should check out. Big Momma's Boy (Parliament between Carlton and Wellesley) does very good pizza, and I like the ribs (others have not, but they're wrong - lol). I like Davwud's suggestions, but the Rebel House is a bit out of the way if you're pressed for time. If not pressed for time, the RH is certainly worth the detour, with a very good kitchen, great beer selection, and a lovely back patio. Perhaps if you could be specific about interests, and your mobility, we could give you other suggestions. Tue Jul 10 07:09:26 -0700 2007 2734072 91415 hungry_pangolin 1 2735819 Hoppie, Go for breakfast at Mimi's on Bathurst. Tue Jul 10 09:45:20 -0700 2007 2734072 50683 Splendid Wine Snob 2 2735948 That's an excellent suggestion. Mimi's is on Bathurst, just north of Queen, in the same building as an extremely grotty looking steam bath. Wonderful food, great atmosphere, completely eclectic surroundings. The hours can be erratic (if she doesn't feel like opening, she won't), but pretty reliable on weekend mornings. Tue Jul 10 10:19:57 -0700 2007 2735819 39776 Minnow 1 2736923 The venue will likely steer you to The Red Lion. Nice place and people. Avoid the food. Go a block the other direction and make that a 3rd vote for House On Parliament. Easy walking distance. You will pass many places on Carlton St along the way that are also fine. Once you get to Parliament St the furthest south I recommend going is to the HoP. Otherwise if you walk north on Parliament there are many nice, reasonably priced spots. Doubt you'll have time to go much further. Tue Jul 10 13:58:04 -0700 2007 2734072 12072 Googs 2 2737557 Thanks, Googs. Your post put me in mind of Johnny G's... a decent hangover brekkie to be had there, though I find the coffee weak. (Parliament n of Carlton). I haven't been yet, but a friend of mine liked Piccolo on Carlton. Tue Jul 10 17:07:25 -0700 2007 2736923 91415 hungry_pangolin 1 2776580 Are your guys foodies and adventurous eaters? I would say go to Chinatown and eat at a Vietnamese spot. A bowl of pho noodles with rare beef is delicious. Or order a plate of rice vermicelli with spring roll, pork, vegetables. But if this is working class of the wrong ethnic food group, try some of the diners. Other spots to look for in terms of blue collar fare? Plenty of diners. There's Mimi's on Bathurst, north of Queen. A lot of the local musicians eat there. Keep in mind that her hours are a bit erratic. Use www.toronto.com to look up addresses. If you tell me the general area where you will be staying, I can probably give you some more solid suggestions. Welcome to Toronto! Mon Jul 23 17:28:32 -0700 2007 2734072 18056 Zengarden