The Anti-Licious

[sloweater]

This posting is for anyone that has ever suffered through a substandard summerlicious/winterlicious dining experience. I think it would make sense to compile a list of the best restaurants NOT participating in summerlicious.

Think of it as an oasis in a desert of rushed service, tiny portions, and substandard preparation.

[JamieK]

+

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Fusilli
531 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5A1V1, CA

Pastis
1158 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W2L9, CA

Opus
37 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto, ON M5R1B2, CA

Rosebud
669 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J1E6, CA

Jacobs & Co
12 Brant Street, Toronto, ON M5V 2M1, CA

Simple Bistro
619 Mount Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S2M5, CA

Terroni
57 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C1K6, CA

Black Skirt
974 College Street, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

[Negaduck]

Rosebud is participating and is listed as The Rosebud.

[georgebell11]

Toba - King/Sherbourne, SW corner. Great neighbourhood restaurant, friendly service, one of my favourite places to go.

[Negaduck]

Perigee.

Also I remember Le Select being so anti-licious last winter they even mentioned it on their site.

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Perigee
55 Mill St, Toronto, ON M5A3C4, CA

[JamieK]

lol, yeah, I remember that too

Adding Cava and Didier to the anti-licious list

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Le Select
432 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V1E3, CA

Didier
1496 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4T1Z6, CA

Cava
1560 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4T 2S9, CA

[Negaduck]

C5 is no longer on the 'licious. Hooray!

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C5
100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S, CA

Cowbell
1564 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6R1A6, CA

Jacobs & Co
12 Brant Street, Toronto, ON M5V 2M1, CA

[JamieK]

and, of course, Spendido, another licious-free option...

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Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA

[JamieK]

oh yeah, and Scaramouche, another non-licious

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Scaramouche
1 Benvenuto Place, Toronto, ON M4V 2L1, CA

[JamieK]

Here are a bunch of places on my to-go list (plus a few I've been to) that are not on Summerlicious. These are all over the map in terms of type, budget and geography.
93 Harbord
Abbot on the Hill (I know pubs aren't on Summerlicious but still)...
Alice's
Amuse Bouche
Barrio
Bravi
By The Way (I know this will get dissed but I like it)
Carens Wine Bar
Cru
George
Grace
Kultura
any of the Jamie Kennedy restos
Lai Wah Heen
L'Unita
Mengrai
Niagara Street Cafe
Rebel House (again, a pub)
Tabule
Weezie's
Zucca

JamieK
(NOT a chef)

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George
111 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1S2, CA

Rebel House
1068 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W2L4, CA

Weezie's
354 King St E, Toronto, ON M5A1K9, CA

Tabule
2009 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4S 1Z8, CA

Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CA

Niagara Street Cafe
169 Niagara St, Toronto, ON M5V1C9, CA

Barrio
896 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M, CA

By The Way
400 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S1X5, CA

Jamie Kennedy
9 Church St, Toronto, ON M5E1M2, CA

93 Harbord
93 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S1G4, CA

Bravi
40 Wellington St E, Toronto, ON M5E1C7, CA

Amuse-Bouche
96 Tecumseth St, Toronto, ON M6J2H1, CA

Cru
946 Royal York Rd, Toronto, ON M8X2E5, CA

Abbot on the Hill
1276 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4T1W5, CA

Mengrai
82 Ontario Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2V3, CA

Zucca
2150 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4S 2A8, CA

Carens
158 Cumberland St, Toronto, ON M5R1A8, CA

L'Unita
134 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R2H6, CA

Kultura
169 King St. E., Toronto, ON M5A 1J4, CA

Alice's
856 College St, Toronto, ON M6H1A2, CA

Grace
503 College St, Toronto, ON M6G1A5, CA

[happycamper]

What a fantastic list you have got.
My list also include
George
Scaramouche
Amuse Bouche
Grace
(Carens interests me, I have never heard of it)

I will add,
Colborne Lane
One
Dessert Trends
Luce
Foxley
Oyster Boy

[JamieK]

Good call on Foxley, that one should have been on my list ...

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Foxley
207 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J2Z8, CA

[jennjen18]

why would by the way cafe get dissed (brings me back to the 90's... ;)

[JamieK]

just because it has in the past when I've recommended in other threads. I always have such a good time there with my friends I can't even remember the food but I know it certainly wasn't bad. That I would have remembered.

[hippotatomus]

STEAK (the restaurant) was absolutely awful.. the most bland and chewy steak i've ever had.. it was basically them giving you a big slab of tasteless meat.. even the fries were bad... the only thing good was the key lime pie... but that you can get anywhere... the soup was a bit weird tasting as well... will not return even if they paid me.

[sloweater]

Hi hippotatomus,

I'm not looking to bash restaurants that participate in Summerlicious. I'm trying to find great restaurants to go to during Summerlicious that are NOT participating. Why? Like pinkskittles, and others that post on Chowhound, I am usually disaapointed with the Summerlicious experience - even at restaurants that I am normally quite happy to go to the rest of the year. My experience with Summerlicious is that most, but not all, restaurants are more concerned with cashing in on the Summerlicious craze. The result: rushed and harried service with meals that are not as good as they usually are leaving me feeling disappointed.

Where is one to go in early July?

[pinkskittles]

i love banu on queen west. fabulous if you like organic meat. ezra's pound is good for smoked salmon.

neither of these places are pretentious w/ small portions, but the latter is a little more laid back, it's a cafe.

live organic food bar is nice fresh for summer.

summerlicious isn't too bad, i like it, but i always feel disappointed by the places i go to..