Julianna "summerhater" B.'s Profile

Well, Chuck on St. Clair has gone under - it sported a "closed for renovation" sign for a week or so, but that's been replaced by a couple of inexpertly-lettered "for lease" signs.  I'm afraid the writing was on the wall from the day it opened.

1)  There is some stiff damn competition in this neighbourhood.  If you're looking for a place where two people can get a delicious, unpretentious meal for under $50, you've got Churrasco of St. Clair, Stockyards, Mezzetta, and Vannis - and that's all within 50 meters of the corner of St. Clair & Christie.  If you're willing to go another block or two, you've got great Mexican and good Indian, too.  

2)  You're selling burgers across the street from Stockyards.  Yes, Chuck had better seating and a liquor license, but the food wasn't as good and there wasn't much of a price difference.  

3)  The ambiance was all wrong for this neighbourhood.  Did I call it "nouveau abbatoir" in my earlier review?  I should have.  If I'm looking for a haven after a long day at work, I don't want  bare bulbs and an interior that looks like it was designed for easy hosing off.

It's a shame - the staff were always really nice, and the burgers weren't bad.  I hate to see a place go under in my area, but the mix was just wrong.

I dropped by for takeout poutine on election night; the place was dead silent, and I was a bit uncomfortable as I waited for my junk food.  The stench of death was on the place already.  I got home, and the portion was huge and piping hot - but the gravy was bland, and I pitched a good chunk of it out.  Better luck next time, Chuck owners.

I should also mention that they're a bit fuzzy about gluten content, so don't bring your celiac friends.  The place just south on Vaughan knows their gluten, though I don't prefer their food.

Really, this is a 3.5 star place; pleasant staff, not too busy, not too expensive, sparkling washrooms, and I like the silly loud music on the ten-pin floor.  Points off for some dinge: most things are well-worn, and sometimes the bowling computers go glitchy.

I give Di Moda full marks for service; I came in as a coupon buyer, but got very pleasant, helpful assistance.  The selection wasn't huge, but then I'm a bit 'above average' so I didn't expect to have tons of options in a boutique.  

I bought three bras: two colours of one style (and somehow I was talked into buying a size down in one, because she strongly suggested that the dying made the bra change size; I'm not so sure I should have gone along with that now) and one molded-foam type bra.  

That one has been a bit problematic; the straps hook to the band at the back so they can be reconfigured to cross the back, but they've proved to be likely to unhook themselves at random intervals, and the cup fit has been adequate, but not great.  For nearly $80/bra, I don't think I'm going back, though they were very pleasant to deal with.

I had an amazing experience here at the Yelp party a couple of years ago, so I looked forward to returning.  I dropped by with a friend, excited to have the pulled pork and succulent fries again.  My friend's pulled pork was a bit bland, but but my three sliders (pulled pork, pulled chicken, and brisket) were also tepid and dry.  The fries were hard, as if they'd been sitting in back for a while.  We did turn up early for dinner, but that's not really an excuse.  Pity!  We live around the block from Stockyards, so we really have no reason to come back here ever again.

I grabbed dinner here last week.  The service was good and cheerful, and they've put some money into the decor.  I ordered the curry pad thai, which was so sweet I didn't end up finishing it.  The noodle texture was good, but what's with the sugar?  If I'm in the area, I might stop by and try something else.

Oh, the Red Room.  Well, I'm feeling a bit old to drop by, but I have a friend who likes it, so I end up there every once in a while.  The beer list is actually okay, and yes, everything on the menu is very, very cheap.

I'd dropped in here before going, and saw the pad thai controversy.  I love a good pad thai, and even a tasty bad one, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to try it and weigh in, so here's my take.

OK, it's not authentic, and it is distinctly tomato-y.  It's like the bizarre love child of pad thai and a creamy curry.  It's a bit spicy, which is unusual.  There are no peanuts, no cilantro, and you get a lemon wedge instead of a lime.

On the other hand - it's cheap as can be, huge, hot, and actually quite tasty.  Once you get over your initial this-isn't-really-much-like-authentic-pad-thai reaction, you might enjoy it too.  I could definitely see myself ordering this calorie binge again some time.

Pros:
-easily accessible by transit from anywhere in the old City of Toronto
-okay number of screens & concession selection
-right near the Pickle Barrel, for mediocre before-movie food
-even nearer to Indigo, which is convenient for meeting friends, or grabbing a book that has to be better than the movie you just saw

Cons:
-god, the carpet smelled terrible this time.  It needs a cleaning badly.  Very, very badly.
-parking validation only covers 25% of the cost!  
-terrible cramped, confusing parking garage; go by TTC

Cons;
Overall, a bit basement-y feeling; the cement (masquerading as half-timbered) ceilings, tile floors, and uneven, glaring lighting.  The management should invest in new fixtures, or at least buy frosted bulbs to diffuse the light a bit; some of the booths are lit like a television set, and the decor doesn't bear much illumination.

Pros: half-price apps from 5 - 7, friendly and helpful staff, and food that's surprisingly good.  

The potato skins were a mess o'grease as they should be, but had solid bacon flavour.  The nachos were just fine, my friend was pleased by his burger, and I was downright surprised by my club - a real (greasy) grilled chicken breast with good bacon and real mayo on thin, lightly toasted multigrain.  On the other hand, my garden salad arrived doused in half a cup of Kraft Italian dressing, but I was happy to let it lie.

I agree that it's horribly cramped and busy, and though I've never needed customer service here, I get the feeling I'd have to be spouting arterial blood in the aisles before a staff member lost the glazed look in his or her eyes.  

Another thing that peeves me; why is practically all the fresh produce wrapped in plastic?  Why should I have to buy two packages of green beans when I only need one and a half?  May I decide if my lettuces may reside in a single bag?  Above all, why do I have to use all this extra plastic?