birthday dinner- a wow place

[bsv]

My sister and mine birthday is next week and we always try somewhere new and interesting to eat for our birthday.

In the pass we have gone to:
sidecar - was nice
Terra- awesome
Massa - where we did for years Japanese place on Adelaide

I was hoping for some suggestions of place preferable not steak house since I do not eat red meat.

I like going to new places every year.

I can not think of anything myself being a foodie means I want somewhere wow

[ski break]

Scaramouche..the dining room

[mactabilis]

I agree with ski break. Scaramouche food is excellent and the view is wonderful. I can also concur with Canoe. Both would have that total wow factor that you're looking for.

[MeMeMe]

I've had a couple of 'wow' meals on Ossington lately. Boehmer (amazing when the kitchen has it together, gorgeous restaurant, fun vibe) and Union (great food, great vibe and super friendly staff). I'm not sure if you're looking for view, cuisine, atmosphere - but i'd recommend both places.

[jamesm]

I've had a couple fantastic meals at Union, but I'm not sure I'd call it a 'wow' spot, but I guess that's relative to each person and like you mentioned it depends on what you're looking for. When I think "wow" I think rooftop at George or Canoe, or old Splendido.

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

[JennaBean]

For Italian you might want to look at Mistura. I also still enjoy Splendido but it is not the wow it once was. My go to fine dining place in the city is George. Always amazing food and service and a very nice space as a bonus.

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Mistura
265 Davenport Rd, Toronto, ON M5R1J9, CA

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

[WestIslandian]

What could be more 'wow' than the CN Tower? Granted that it's the view that wows, but the food was good too. I've been twice. The last time I went I chose the vegetarian dish and it was simply delicious.. something along the lines of grilled portobello mushrooms with goat cheese over spinach and roasted red peppers. oh and there was a crust of some sort of nuts on the mushrooms. it was a little while ago so I forget what nuts they were exactly but I do remember it was tasty!

[ekim256]

I had a very different experience. I found the food at 360 to be blah for the price. Mind you, that was several years ago maybe things have improved since. For a nice view, I would go to Canoe and ask to be sat by the window.

[Rabbit]

Totally agree with Ekim256... for a room with a view I'd definitely pick Canoe. The bar there is great too if you don't want to commit to a full dinner.

The food at 360 is very mediocre sort of wedding banquet stuff. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about.

[ekim256]

I agree that the bar is pretty awesome! I've hung out there while waiting for the table, enjoying the view with a glass of wine and toasty almonds was super nice.

[WestIslandian]

I must be going to the wrong weddings! haha No wedding food I ever had was as elaborate, well executed, or yummy as the stuff I had at the 360

[ekim256]

I'm a downtown-er so:

I haven't been but Sushi Couture has been getting great reviews (still saving up for that one!)
Black Hoof/Hoof Cafe & Nota Bene get a lot of recs on this board
If you haven't tried Dim Sum and don't mind going for a brunch instead - Crown Princess or Lai Wah Heen?
I really enjoyed a recent dinner at Luma - they're full menu is now available
I've also enjoyed Canoe

It really depends on what WOWs you! The best "wow" I've had was Hoof Cafe's brunch (they also do bar snacks at night) - is dinner your only option?

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com/

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

Nota Bene
180 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2A1, CA

Crown Princess
1033 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3A5, CA

Sushi Couture
456 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M5S 1X8, CA

Luma
330 King St W, Toronto, ON , CA

[Herb]

How much did your dinner cost?

[kermit50]

La Veranda Osteria. Royal York and Bloor. AWESOME

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La Veranda Osteria
946 Royal York Road, Toronto, ON M8X 2E5, CA

[JennaBean]

Really? I went once and I won't ever go again. To me it was fast food trying to pose as something else. Not at all what I would call wow.

[kermit50]

OMG! You are so wrong. It is nothing at all like a fast food place. It is an upscale full service Italian restaurant. You must be thinking of something else.

[JennaBean]

I believe it is the place that used to be Cru right across from the subway station, correct? Totally personal opinion but to me it is not at all up scale. They may be trying to be that but they far from succeed. Even the website is weird. There is a note which reads something like "good food takes time, be prepared to wait". What?!? Who writes that on a website.

[JennaBean]

I just checked the website again b/c it was bothering me that I may have mixed it up but no it is the same place...

This is copy from the website:

Great food takes time to be prepared, 45min - 1hour.

If you are grumpy, bossy and only want things your way, you are definitely in the
wrong place.

We are Happy and Fun! We are Osteria!

Please don’t offend us by asking for scrambled eggs!

Who write this on their menu pages of a website??? So weird.

[jamesm]

That's hilarious. It's almost like a competitor wrote it or something.

[estufarian]

I like L.A.B. on College Street. Their menu has just changed, and I haven't tried it yet, but I've had excellent results (mostly - did have one 'misguided' dish) with their previous two menus.

http://www.labrestaurant.com/