Category Archives: √√√

Good bet – worth the money, worth the travel, worth the time.

The ROM – Big, Overwhelming, Awe-Inspiring, Probably a Must Visit – Certainly a Must Shop


The newly redesigned entrance to this grande dame of the museum world says it all. The ROM is here to stay – and determined to stay impressive. We showed up at opening time – wanting to avoid the crowds that a civil holiday Monday were sure to inspire.

Like most major museums – there are the ‘permanent’ exhibits, and the traveling shows or special exhibits. We opted for a combined ticket that gave us access to everything – $26 each, but we’re talking a full day of walking, reading, listening and thinking. Worth it for adults, maybe not as child friendly as today’s kids might expect.

The ‘Special’ Exhibit during our visit was a very interesting one on Mesopotamia. Replete with some pretty new technology – like carved stone reliefs that came to life to show you the story they were telling in a more ‘modern’ fashion, seeing just this one exhibit took us most of the morning. That said – people shot past us frequently – either unable or unwilling to read and listen. But I found the content fascinating, the short ‘expert interviews’ appealing, and some of the technology on display impressive. My favorite, the recreation of the city of Babylon, complete with people walking the streets.

The permanent exhibits represent a quick look at just about every thing that caught the eye or interest of curators in the past. The guide gives you a handy hot list of the 13 or so ‘not to be missed’ exhibits – easily identified by the presence of a video monitor on a post nearby. Watching these quick intros into the why and wherefores of these major collectables was interesting to say the least. And believe it or not – took up all the rest of the day. It’s a huge place. Trust me on that!

For those who eat in Museums – I must say that I had some of the best food I’ve ever had in a museum in the unassuming ROM cafe. Delicious, reasonable, kid friendly, attractively presented. What’s not to like.

Is this my favorite museum in Toronto? No
Is this a must visit museum? If in Toronto, probably Yes
Would I see this one first? No
Would I see this one on my second day, or if the weather were terrible? Absolutely Yes

There you have it. The ROM
Visited August 2013

The Prune – Crazy name, great food, lovely restaurant


I adore eating a meal at the Prune in Stratford. Yes every option is Prix-Fixe – but there are lots of options – a ‘Chef School’ option for $49, a ‘Vegetarian’ option for $59, a 4 course meal for $85, and a 5 course meal (it includes the cheese course) for $95.

To challenge the kitchen we ended up ordering 3 different options. I was torn between the vegetarian option that sounded yummy and the ‘Chef School’ option which featured a Flat iron Steak. I ended up with the steak – which aside from being a tad over-cooked (I prefer raw, it was served without asking at Medium Raw), was delicious. I found my beet and Kielbasa salad delicious – and my desert of lemon semi-fredo was amazing.

My husband’s fresh pea soup was thick, creamy, and a delight on the tongue. I didn’t try my sister’s chicken liver mousse (I hate liver) – but she seemed to enjoy it! Her main course – a risotto – wasn’t as creamy as she expected, but she refused to let the chef know. Her choice, I guess. My husband’s main course was the clear winner – a pouched trout Napoleon. Layers of crisp pasty dough sandwiched between slices of pouched trout. Oh, it was wonderful.

For the cheese course, they offered 4 cheeses from Ontario – none of which I’d ever heard of. They were properly served with toasted walnut bread. Perfect.

But the most fun – the conversation. We were seated in a side section of the restaurant – and the people at the next table heard us discussing a play we’d just seen – and joined in. Eventually, our entire corner of the restaurant was engaged in a free-for-all discussion of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”. Only in Stratford, eh?

Bottom line – great looking restaurant – modern without pretention, excellent food, a variety of price points to suit many different budgets and requirements – and as an added bonus – fab conversation.

A winner, for sure a winner.

The Old Prune on Urbanspoon

Old Prune The on Foodio54

Raja – Elegant Indian food in Stratford, Ontario


Not quite on the main drag, the Raja has survived its location because of its quality. And despite the years, it continues to impress.

Stuck with having to eat between Matinees and Evening Performances – ie: 5:00 to 7:30 – and not wanting ‘fast food’, the Raja has always been one of our go to options. The room is lovely. Dark wood, quiet carpeting, table cloths, proper napkins, and attentive waiters win me over every time. The food is good as well.

We were 3 – so we opted for a combo dinner for 2 which included an appetizer sampler, butter chicken, rice, and several other traditional Indian dishes. I opted for the tandoori Chicken, served sizzling on a platter of onions. The butter chicken was delicious, the tandoori Chicken properly cooked and appropriately juicy, and my sisters Chai tea was excellent.

Just a bit more on the Chai Tea. We were warned when we ordered it that it would take about 5 minutes to prepare because it is done to order. And they delivered a tea with the milk and tea leaves properly steamed and combined by hand into a lovely bouquet of delicious smell and taste.

Bottom line – Great look, ok Indian Food – and fast. So perfect for a quick and relatively inexpensive but nice dinner pre-theatre.

Raja Fine Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Raja Fine Indian Cuisine on Foodio54

Aikawa – Best Sushi Lunch on the West Island


Ok – that’s my view, and if you disagree – let me know where else I should be going! No joking on that. I’m willing and able to try anything, but as of right now – today – I’m going out on a limb and saying Aikawa is tops.

First off – the lunch is just $15 for the ‘initiation’ – a plate of 15 maki’s – all different, all yummy. Included is soup and salad and tea. So to my mind – perfect. Well, ok – I’d rather it was less $$ – but still – it’s a pretty good deal.

The service at Aikawa is always excellent. Most of the staff has been there forever, and they know both their jobs, and their sushi. So they can answer questions, get your meal to you promptly, and disappear quickly when you look to be talking business.

And the tables are nicely spaced – you can’t hear the people at the table next to you – a delightful change from the bistro mode that is sweeping so many of the restaurants these days. The Aikawa harkens back to the old days of deep carpets and glass barriers between tables. Nice for those of us more interested in our dining companions than the people at the nearby tables.

And the maki are quite good. With 15 different tasting nibbles, you can forgive a miss here and there – because the next one is perfect for your taste. Completely works.

Complaints? I wish they’d put at least one of the really up scale maki on the lunch special – Tuna Flower say. And at my latest lunch, all the maki were wrapped in Soy wrappers not Seaweed. I liked it – nay – I loved it, but I can image some purists thinking that old school is better.

Other lunch options – none of which I’ve ever tried – include platters of sushi and sushi maki mixtures. And of course the traditional menu is always available, you don’t have to do the lunch special!

Bottom line – I like it. An easy A for effort, for food, and for surroundings.

Aikawa on Urbanspoon

Aikawa on Foodio54

The Female Perspective – Buying a Car S*CKs!


I admit it – I hate having to buy a new car. We lease our car 3 years at a time – so every 3 years we go through this absolute horrific (to me) and delightful (to my husband) routine of picking our next car.

I wish I lived on another planet.

The ritual starts with a visit to the annual car show. My husband argues that this allows him to see all the newest cars in one place. But in my experience, the cars he’s interested in are rarely displayed – and if displayed, rarely open. So he takes his list, goes from dealership to dealership, asking if the MTX5GL is available to see. After waiting in line to find someone who has not just been hired to look good at the show, but might actually have some car knowledge, the answer seems to be – No – we have the MLX4GQ here – but if you want to see the MTX5GL – it’s a) not available in this country, or b) only available at the showroom, or c) only due to arrive in Montreal in 5 weeks.

Sigh

For this I have to pay for tickets, suffer the crowds, and push pass stroller after stroller full of kids.

Best part of the car show – the free pens and the shopping bags. And I loved the simulators. But for seeing cars – it’s so close to a waste, it’s hard to defend.

Back at home, my husband pours over the colorful – but information empty – brochures. No one is going to say – this car is a road hog, or we are lying about the gas mileage. Nope – it’s pretty pictures of a smiling family on the road driving past glorious scenery. So little truth in advertising that they Photoshop out the windshield wipers. They ruin the sleekness of the cars. (Don’t believe me – check it out!)

Eventually – we pick 3 or 4 or 5 different brands that might offer a car that sounds like it might offer the right combination of price, drive-ability, comfort, and size for our needs. And then begins the test drive phase. For reasons known only to Quebec, car dealerships can not be open on Saturday or Sunday. So no test drives on the weekends. You have to either go after work, or during work. For those of us with real jobs that require real effort – neither option is going to result in a stress-free experience.

And getting an appointment is a joke. We had a 6:00 pm appointment at one dealership in particular (I’m not naming names – but you know who you are) and arrived on time to wait an HOUR for someone to recognize that we weren’t there is admire the cars on display. It’s really hard to get energized after cooling your heals that long. I’ve gotten more attention in the emergency room of a hospital!

Ok – test drive phase over, it’s now time to actually pick the car. We like specific colors, and certain options. The sales team want to sell the cars on the lot. So they work hard to convince us that blue isn’t that great – glossy pink is the hot color this year! Eventually we manage to make them understand that we don’t really want pink. Really not. So there’s a draft contract – and then the fun really starts.

The salesman is just that – a salesman. His job – get a draft contract for something – anything – in our hands. Then he has to call his ‘boss’ – who tries to make us think that our salesman has overstepped his bounds by offering us that price, that color, that combination of features. Something, anything to a) increase the price or b) get us to immediately hand over money. We’ve walked out countless times at this point – only to be called back and told – ok – you can have the car you want at the price our salesman quoted you.

What a joke.

Anyway – we’re now at the final phase – car delivery. And since that is yet to happen – let’s all imagine that it will go swimmingly. Should work. Right?

Koi in Biddleford, ME – Outstandingly Unique Sushi in a very surprising location


My daughter did the 5k ‘Kennebunk Library’ Race – and when it finished, asked for Sushi for dinner. Oops – I know lots of restaurants in Southern Maine – but not one serves Sushi. What to do?

Well – sometimes you just have to ask around. We spotted some ‘locals’ – and asked if they knew of a sushi place. They quickly suggested the Koi in Biddleford – and showed us the tripadvisor reviews – it’s #1 overall for that location.

Sounded like it would do the job so we headed North. Biddleford is about 10 minutes from Kennebunk – and the Koi is right on highway 1. The building has clearly been repurposed – I’m guessing a bar perhaps. There’s a main room, and a side room. Nothing about the space, except the cleverly designed tables that fake a sit on the floor look but are really just standard tables, says Oriental – let alone Sushi. But there is one hard-working Sushi Chef in the corner – so I figure – why not.

The menu covers the range from Chinese, thru Pad Thai, to Sushi. We focused on the Sushi selection – and it was pretty intense. There were standard offerings, but the Maki (rolls) which are my favorite option, were truly intriguing. I was particularly interested in the fresh fish options – I mean, we’re on the Maine coast, fish should be amazing. And it was. We tried the Amazing Roll – it was great. We also really enjoyed the UpTown Roll which mixed avocado with fresh salmon. The Sweet Potato Maki was another winner. Less impressive were the Eel Speciality, not bad, just not great enough to want to order again.

To illustrate how impressed we were overall – when my husband arrived a few days later, we suggested going back – and had another delicious meal. We repeated our orders from the first trip – and added the Iron Man Maki. Yum. We also tried the Tempura platter – but were less impressed.

Bottom line – the winners are real winners, and I will definitely go back again. I adored the Amazing maki, the freshness of the fish was outstanding. Equally good – Sweet Potato Maki, Uptown and Iron Man. The Chef’s special that night – which included real Crab meat was also delicious.

Less impressive (I’d suggest not getting these) were the Fantasy Eel and the Tempura Platter. We didn’t try any of the other ‘cuisines’ – so I can’t rate the Koi on those.

B+ for sure – an A if they got a better Tempura Batter!

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Koi Sushi Bar & Asian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Italian on the Beach in Maine? Why Not?


I admit it – I love pasta. And lasagna. Particularly lasagna. It’s probably one of my favorite foods. So despite the fresh fish, amazing lobstah, and of course the clams – I need my pasta fix.

And my go to option at Wells Beach in Maine is Varano’s. We started going there when nobody else went. It was a brand new restaurant – oddly located in a timeshare resort – but it advertised fresh pasta – and it was well located for us. We tried, we enjoyed, it became a family tradition.

We quickly learned not to go on a weekend night. An hour wait for even a great lasagna is not right. So we go on Tuesday or Wednesday – when the crowds are low, and we can relax and actually enjoy our dinner.

And so we did. Service wasn’t wonderful unfortunately. Our waiter tried – and somethings got done right – like the lid on the water for my 6-year-old grand-daughter, but some things were just – well – wrong. When we asked what the vegetables of the day were – the right answer is either “I don’t know”, or the names of the veggies. The wrong answer is “What ever the chef decides to throw on the plate”. Nope – I don’t think so.

We ordered 2 lasagna’s for 3 people – which was enough lasagna for us all to feel stuffed – and to leave 1/2 of each portion to take home for a super filling lunch the next day. That’s what I call extreme portion size! My daughter opted for Clams in the style of Scampi – that’s with white wine, olive oil and garlic. Again – no control on portion size – there was enough spaghetti on the plate to feed 2. More take-home.

But the food was delicious. The lasagna is one of the best I’ve ever had – fresh pasta, fresh ricotta cheese – and a delicious if too small portion of marinara sauce. We had to ask for more – which the waiter did bring.

For dessert, we all shared a single cannelloni – made with chocolate chips and way to rich for my taste. Which didn’t stop my grand-daughter from licking the plate. It was that good.

All in all – if you stay away from the crowded nights – Varano’s in a winner. Particularly good is the lasagna – but I think I said that already!

Varano's Italian Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Varano's Italian Restaurant on Foodio54

The Quintessential Maine Experience – Nothing is quite like it!


Fisherman’s Catch Restaurant – Simple Seafood, Fresh & at it’s best!

Nothing says Maine like fried clams, fried scallops, and fried Haddock. Sorry – but that’s the truth. Even thinking about Maine brings the taste of tartar sauce on freshly fried seafood to mind.

That – and “I ate too much”. Easy to do around here. You spend the day on the beach bouncing over and under the waves and you figure you’ve earned a decent dinner. Then – to compound the problem – you go some place like the Fisherman’s Catch – a rundown shack (on purpose) – that just serves fresh fried fish, clams, and scallops. And discover you’ve got an hour wait for dinner. By the time you are seated – well – control is clearly out the window.

Oh well – at least the fish is so fresh it could have walked to your table, and the fried clams and scallops are beyond yummy. The seating is on wooden picnic tables, the napkins are rolls of paper towels hung over your head, but the prices are reasonable, the portions large, the chowder delicious, and the service – once you’ve got a seat – fast.

Not much else to say – except that the great reviews aren’t kidding. This is the quintessential Maine experience – fresh seafood, salty breezes, and a waiting line.

Bring it on.

Fisherman's Catch Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Fidhermans Catch Restaurant on Foodio54

Bennington – and the Madison Brewing Company!


I’m supposed to be in Maine – on the beach – enjoying Lobstah. So why am I currently in back-woods Vermont? Excellent Question.

Turns out that my daughter let her driver’s license lapse – and that entailed a not so quick trip to a DMV. Problem – we’re in Maine! And Vermont is not the next state over – nope – that’s New Hampshire. So we drove, and drove, and drove… What I will do for my daughter!

The first DMV was an hour closer than Bennington – which is on the far side of the state from Maine – but they closed at 2:00 – and we didn’t quite make it. In fact – we never even found it, despite the very friendly advice and oh so convenient bathroom of Mr. Baker – of Baker’s Violin Shop. First bathroom I ever visited where the reading material was Music!

But driving on to Bennington was the only option – and we arrived there 15 minutes before their closing time! Adrienne rushed in to be sure to get a place in line, and Anais and Sophie and I prowled the Main Street. A few adorable shops, including a kid’s consignment store, and 5 ‘food’ establishments. The only one of which that had customers was the Madison Brewing Company. So despite the name – and despite our clearly underage for a drinking place group – we sauntered in, past the bar and into the, well, not quite so bar – restaurant area.

The menu was a surprise. Not only was there a fair sampling of traditional bar food (the nacho platter served to the table next to us looked awesome), there was fresh grouper! That’s what I had – and it was absolutely yummy.

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Sophie chose a reasonably priced hot dog off the kids menu – it came with carbs (mashed potatoes or french fries) or apple sauce. She went for the apple sauce. My daughter enjoyed their Cajun Blacked but beautifully raw in the center sliced tuna, served on a lovely bed of fresh greens, and Anais had a Caprese Salad with a slightly too strong Balsamic Reduction. I suspect the use of a bottled product – overly enthusiastically applied. Except for that, we were well fed!

Not bad for randomly selected restaurant in a town we probably will never visit again.

Sometimes the sun does shine! Unfortunately, even with the sun shining, it was still a long 4 hours back to Maine. Oh well, at least we were full!

Madison Brewing Co. Brew Pub & Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Madison Brewery Co on Foodio54

Tratoria La Festa – Consistency Counts – and Yummy matters even more!


Eating at the Trattoria is like eating at home – except you get better food, and you don’t have to do the dishes.

We eat at Trattoria La Festa almost every time we go to Stowe, Vermont – the consistency is so amazingly – well – consistent. You know you will have a great meal, you know the service will be pleasant, you know you will be greeted like old friends, and you know the price range will be acceptable. Given all that – you know why we go so often!

This time was no exception. We arrived and were greeted by all three of the owners – Patty, Johnny and Tony. The restaurant was nicely filled, but not packed. Which reminds of one of the things I so adore about the Trattoria – it’s not noisy! For some reason, the current in thing is to create a ‘bistro’ feel with hard walls, hard ceilings, hard tables – and the result is a very noisy restaurant. But not at the Trattoria – the rough wooden floors absorb sound – not reflect it – and even packed – you can easily have a conversation with your table-mates. Such a refreshing change.

But it’s about the food and the service, too! And as always – it was great, with one tiny exception. I had two orders of the Mussel appetizer – one as my appetizer, one as my main course. The best part was the delicious sauce – I needed a bread refill to enjoy it all.

My dining partner enjoyed the Luchame (Escargo in french) with sambuca – oh my they were divine. If you go – definitely order them! I passionately enjoy their speggitti carbonara – it’s the best I’ve ever had – and that’s including many trips to Italy, but it’s not really on my diet – so this time I skipped that pleasure. My husband generally gets Vittello a la Lemon, the Duck, or the Bistecca Pavaroti, but this time he tried something new – the veal chop. Itm looked great – but the taste just wasn’t blow you away. That’s the problem with the Tratoria – you get spoiled! So not perfect is disappointing.

Patty makes the desserts – and they range from delicious – to fabulous. And this time we hit fabulous – a lemon blueberry Zuppa Englese (Triffle). Oh my was it yummy. Just the right cross between acidic and sweet. Cool and refreshing.

We gladly paid the bill – full but not stuffed – and strolled out into the night. We’ll be back. You can count on it.

Trattoria La Festa on Urbanspoon

Trattoria La Festa on Foodio54