DANGEROUS DAN'S DINER

DANGEROUS DAN'S DINER

LOCATION:

714 Queen Street

(416) 463 7310

www.dangerousdansdiner.com

RATINGS:

Ambiance: 1. 5 / 4

Service: 2 / 4

Food: 3 / 4

Price: $$

In our search for Torontos best burger we made our way to DANGEROUS DAN'S. The food is very tasty but extremely greasy, this is something they pride themselves. They place itself is a bit of a hole in the wall, most things are outdated and unkept. But if all you care about is a delicious burger than you will enjoy your time at this vintage diner.  

I ordered The Big Kevorkian. The home made burger was topped with fried onions, fried mushrooms, 2 slices of crispy bacon, large onion rings, deep fried pickles, and garlic mayo. The burger was so big I had to smash it down to fit it all in my mouth. I have to say it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. 

Would we go back? yes

HANOI 3 SEASONS

HANOI 3 SEASONS

LOCATION: 

1135 Queen St 

toronto M4M1K9

(416) 469 3010

www.hanoi3seasons.com

RATINGS:

Ambiance: 2.75 / 4

Service: 3 / 4

Food: 2 . 75 / 4

Price: $$

Hanoi serves up traditional authentic northern Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant  has a spa like feel with carved wood decor and seating. In the summer they open a nice back yard patio. It only seats about 20 people so it can fill up fast. It wasn't quite warm when I went with my mom, cousin and aunt so we all sat inside while enjoying our dinner.

We had to get some Pho as we were in a Vietnamese restaurant. We went with the PHO GA. The soup came with chicken, basil and lemon leaf. The broth was light and full of flavour. I was glad that the bean sprouts came on the side so that they can stay crispy and fresh.

LR ordered the BO XAO RAU CAI. The garlic beef was served with stir-fried bok choy and steamed rice. She liked it but said it was a little too garlicky. The portion was quite large and as a result she had enough to take for lunch the next day.

My mom and I shared the THE GA NUONG XA SUA DUA and it was delicious. Stir-fried chicken cooked with a lemongrass and coconut milk marinade served over rice noodles and fresh crispy lettuce. The hot chicken and the cool lettuce added a nice flavour profile. My only wish is that it would have been a little more saucy. 

Would we go back? yes

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

The Pho

CZHOSKI

CZHOSKI

LOCATION:

678 Queen St W

Toronto, On

www.czehoski.com

RATINGS:

Ambiance: 3 / 4

Service: 3 / 4

Food: 3 / 4

Price: $$

After hearing about Czhoski for a few years we decided to give it a try. Don't let the worn out dive bar sign confuse you, the inside has a rustic yet charming vibe. The menu is interesting and quite eclectic from perogies and popcorn to steak dinners. We sat upstairs which is nice for couples and small groups providing a more intimate setting with candle light and fire places.

We started with the CHARCUTERIE. It was quite basic, prosciutto, salami a terrine and a beef-tounge salad. 

AM went with the 12 OZ STEAK AND FRITES. The 28 day aged angus striplion was served with russet frites and jus. The steak was cooked well and nicely seasoned.

I ordered the SMOKED PORK RAGU PASTA. Large chunks of braised double smoked pork belly and fresh made pappadelle were tossed in a tomato lobster broth. The flavours were wonderful but the dish was so rich and heavy it was hard to eat the whole bowl.

Would we go back? We do want to try the popcorn

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Smoked pork ragu pasta

THE DRAKE

THE DRAKE

LOCATION:

1150 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ont

(416) 531 5042

www.thedrakehotel.ca

RATINGS:

Service: 3 / 4

Ambiance: 3 / 4

Food: 2 . 5 / 4

Price: $$

The Drake is a pretty hip looking place attracting people of all kinds. The walls are lined with book cases holding an assortment of old radios and various knick knacks. I tried really hard to love The Drake for it has everything going for it great service, nice ambiance but the food was good, not great but also not terrible.

The POPCORN SHRIMP sounded quite interesting so we decided to give them a try.  The large tender white shrimp were tossed in a maple mustard sauce garnished with pecans and jalapeño peppers.  I was surprised how nicely these flavours combined together, my only wish was that they served them to us a bit sooner the batter on the shrimp was starting to get soggy from all the sauce.

The NICOISE TUNA TARTARE - taggiasca olive aioli, shallots, anchovy, cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes,and green beans were all mixed in the fresh tuna.  The flavours themselves were quite tasty but, I wasn't thrilled by this dish.  It seemed as though it was prepared and plated in the morning and then left in the cooler all day, every bit of the dish was cold, cold, cold.

The STEAK FRITES won us over.  The steak was cooked to a cool medium rare and toped with montepelier butter and fresh cut fries. Simple yet sufficient.

Would we go back back? Most likely not

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

The Steak Frites