Dining options near Exhibition grounds

[Mike from Hamilton]

I have a fellow foodie friend from out of town who is performing at the Ex this year and was going to take her out for dinner Sunday night.

I am looking for a place nearby the Ex grounds (Queen W? King W?) that would provide a low-key, interesting dining experience.

The key is that it has to be open on a Sunday night and have a service around 5ish...and the two of us will be in suitably "Ex" (ie casual clothing) attire...

Thoughts, suggestions?

[justsayn]

Caffino would fit bill if open. The Academy of Spherical Arts could be cool too.

[ingloriouseater]

the OP might not feel comfortable in EX-garb

[torontochris]

there is a pub called brazen head with decent food in liberty. there is a serbian place called jolly on dufferin just outside the dufferin gate which is nice too. roncesvalles offers tons of options if you want to go west a tad. or, if you're driving you could go over to sunnyside cafe, on the lakeside of sunnyside pool and eat on the patio right on the boardwalk.

enjoy, literally tons of options in the area i'm sure you'll have no problems

[ingloriouseater]

brazen head has lousy food and worse service.

a new option that i tried last night-miller's landing is everything good that the brazen head is bad...try that instead

[KhaoSanRoad]

williams landing (same group as joy bistro & south of temperance)

[ingloriouseater]

sigh, yes this is true, i haven't enjoyed joy bistro for a few years nor their take on the (former JK) wine bar...but i'll admit to going to s.o.t. with others after work....

but last night's visit (first) was a liberty village high light for a change

[KhaoSanRoad]

they are not associated with the current wine bar owners, that team sold joy to the current joy owners.

[ingloriouseater]

lets see if i follow this....so the bad former joy owners still own wine bar? the new joy owners own south and williams?

[justsayn]

I don't know - but if you ask me the current owner of Joy has ruined everything the original owner built up. I had many great meals at the old Joy and brutal food of late. We checked out the brunch buffet a couple weekends ago after reading the sidewalk sign. Took one look and walked out. Completely ill conceived and BAD looking food! Shocking in fact.

[ingloriouseater]

after i saw the condition and lack of cleanliness of the old joy's kitchen i couldn't eat there. thank goodness for the dine safe program

[KhaoSanRoad]

i have never dined at joy, so i wont say bad. but yes, you are otherwise correct.

[CarNut]

Joy has just been sold to two of the former chefs from Williams Landing

[sman]

How about something in Liberty Village? You could try Temple Kitchen for decent fare and I don't think casual clothing will be an issue here. There is also School restaurant - I've never eaten dinner there as brunch and service never blew me away but they do have a nice patio and casual would also work there. Both are open on Sunday around 5. Am now re-reading your post and I wouldn't put either one of these in the interesting dining experience category! But they are close and open on Sunday. You could head up to Ossington but at quick check of a few places, Pizzeria Libretto is the only one open before 6.

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Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[meowmix]

Why don't you just have a drink at a beer garden then go to the food building? People wait all year for this.

[Mike from Hamilton]

Inglorious - just a nice relaxed place where we can enjoy a good meal...

Meowmix - given that we both have worked the "fair circuit" across Canada and the US, the idea of eating fried crap in dingy surroundings does not appeal to us...after a long hot day of performing for folks we would prefer to sit in a nice air-conditioned restaurant and have a decent meal served to us...

[ingloriouseater]

Liberty Belle Bistro or Liberty Street Cafe, both would offer a calm oasis away from the CNE and both have patios as well. Both are smaller, more intimate spaces and I've worn shorts and sandals to both.

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Liberty Street Cafe
25 Liberty St, Toronto, ON M6K1A6, CA

[ingloriouseater]

what do you mean by low-key and interesting?