A secure and trustworthy ATM in front of Scarlett on Queen West

Basking in brilliance, a.k.a. bummin’ around the barroom

^{Barrio Cerveceria}

I’m going to have to start taking my camera with me more often because some things, like the inside of Quinn’s Steakhouse &  Irish Bar, are worth snapping.

The decor is proper and pubby (dim and mostly indoors), and the establishment is clean, so they’ve got that going for them. The wait staff were pretty good, and the food wasn’t bad. Not great, mind you, but not bad.

Okay, to be fair, I did enjoy the bacon wrapped-Tenderloin that came with my prix fixe Summerlicious dinner, and the brocolli rabe was a nice addition. And everything was cooked well, so I can’t fault them for that either.

But nothing jumped off the plate and demanded that I pay attention.

Sarah ‘s Atlantic salmon underwhelmed us both with its blandness. There was a slight fishiness to the meat which I can deal with in some cooked fish if the flavour is enhanced somehow — in this case it wasn’t.

Again, I want to emphasize that technically, the food was well done. But for a restaurant that I would consider a “special occasion” place, the prices on the regular menu insist that I spend my money on better and cheaper options. And the drinks you can get at any Irish pub around town.

Okay, to be fair, I had a hankering for packaged pancakes and fake maple syrup on Sunday, so in that respect I found the New York Cafe Restaurant Bar & Eatery satisfying. Aside from the fact that Sarah has nice memories of the place, however, I can’t dredge up enough reasons for coming back. The prices were reasonable, but I would attribute that more to Aunt Jemima’s influence than to smart cooking. The staff were friendly enough, and the decor cheerful, but if you ask me those things should be secondary to the food. Maybe it’s because the Cafe is trying to be everything at once which, as is aptly demonstrated, usually results in not being good at anything in particular, but for a Danforth staple you’d think they’d have gotten over that problem by now.

New York, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Sarah and me had a tasty sampler meal courtesy of the brand-spanking-new St.Louis location at 528 Yonge Street. Thing is, I’m not keen on pushing a new joint just ‘cuz they stuffed me ‘n my gal’s gobs but, in all honesty, if they can keep up the quality of the food we scarfed down last week, I’ll happily recommend the place.

The two headliners, wings and ribs, did well with me; the rack was tender and ensconced in a thick, smoky, ribby sauce (thumbs up), and the wings were crispy and properly spicy (thumbs up again). They weren’t breaded or really very saucy, two things that would bother me on wings of lesser quality, but it worked out well with these ones.

I would’ve liked to have washed our din-dins down with a pint of Rickard’s White but they weren’t quite stocked up ahead of the official opening today. They’re also working on the patio to get it down to legal dimensions, I’m told, so in the meantime the best you can do is sit in the big window facing Yonge. I could think of worse things.

Today, of course, I heard all the stories. In the back of a cab on the way to the club with the boss; that was a good one. Certain alcohol-fueled flirtations upon arrival at said club. Good, good. Keep it coming :)

Unfortunately, I bailed from the office Christmas party at close to two in the morning. Technically, the party was over, but it usually just disperses to another locale. Took me some time to convince my cubicle buddy that we didn’t split at midnight as he kept insisting we did. I may have been sloshed, but if I can stand, I’m usually pretty with it. The service stopped at midnight … ah, that’s why it seemed like we left at that time. Right, right.

I felt like it was a pretty full night. We closed the doors on The Academy of Spherical Arts, a bar and restaurant with swanky pool tables and plush couches. You put your beer down anywhere and they leap out from behind the counter with a machete and cut you down like the savage animal you are.

Despite the plethora of criticisms I have for the company, their ability to throw a good party is without reproach. In the summer we gather at the top boss’ house (top boss in our office, anyway), get shitfaced and play baseball and other wholesome sports until the sun goes down. Then the hot tub cover comes off, someone gets naked (never anyone you want to see naked), and someone does a face plant on the lawn (because it’s so dark, of course).

But the Christmas party is the king of office parties, in my opinion. It’s the one where you’re supposed to tux around and act all grown-up, but that usually goes out the window at the sixth pint. It’s when people tell each other what they really think of each other, and it’s sometimes … less than flattering.

That’s probably why they chose some place with pool tables, it gives us a chance to settle scores like civilized drunkards: a bracing game of billiards. Here I am crossing swords with K.K., the marketing design whiz. Note she’s doing the rock horns while I’m saluting our dark overlord. That’s how the argument always begins. The gentleman in the back is the one who will administer the final coup de grâce once one of us lies gasping for breath and begging for mercy. None shall be given, of course.

Jeans in a sea of dress pants and dresses. I could’ve come to work all dolled up in the morning but that’s no way to get through the day – I sit near the rads and in the winter, stuff melts. The alternative is to run home, throw the getup on, and get back before the buffet gets cold. Unless they schedule the party right after the office closes. Some people actually still work at the end of the day, you know?

… Continue Reading

Breasts, bikes, and beer; the triumvirate of alliterative seduction is now complete!

At around this time last year, the Rickard’s beer company (one of a number Molson‘s subsidiaries), introduced a white wheat beer that I had absolutely no interest in. It’s not that I don’t enjoy beer but my interest in it wanes, much like my interest in full-time employment. Currently, it’s waxing.

Usually I imbibe my alcoholic beverages with deep political convictions; a pint of Guinness with a sipping shot of B52, for example. Rickard’s White, though, doesn’t really make a statement other than “I taste good” — which it does.

White ale, if you’re not familiar with it, is an unfiltered beer (hence the cloudiness), that has orange peel and coriander added to it to produce a slightly citrusy flavour. Unlike lager, ale is fermented more quickly and at room temperature (lager’s kept cold).

I’ve poured all sorts of fermented crap down my gullet and this drink is truly inoffensive. The slice of orange (sometimes lemon), shown in the photo is how it’s served at various pubs around Toronto. Friday afternoon’s tart and bitter post-work bitch-outs at Shoeless Joe’s just wouldn’t be possible without it.

I’m hardly a scholar of beer and it’s fair to say that the term “enthusiast” wouldn’t apply to me, but I can recommend this one. It’s the gateway drug of the legal alcohol world.

If I could leave just one parting note to our American neighbours, I would point out that Canadian beer tends to contain a man-level of alcohol (5.5%+), so take your time. And for the rest of you who may be wondering why this entry is uncharactersitically short, you will find your answer at the bottom of my pint glass.

Cheers!