coquine - not the drug

without further adieu, i give you 'coquine':

i had my own reservations after weeks of hearing about this place and its nearly inappropriate name. nonetheless, i was excited to attend a dinner there after hearing it was a casual slash french bistro spot with an unpretentious style. and whoever told me this was right. the seating was curious (they put us in the back room because we had a large group), but the food, price point, and wait staff definitely made up for it. teamed with a busy and lively atmosphere, i thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

the food was great and reasonably priced. the same with the wine selection. if you are looking to check out a place that has great food, great staff, and budget pricing, i strongly suggest this place. some stand-outs from the meal were the steak / frites (a staple, i know, but i upgraded mine from a flat iron steak to a 6 oz new york strip for an additional 2 bones if my memory serves me correct), and the house 'coquine salad'. the salad had all the elements i drool over: arugula, figs, prosciutto, walnuts...jeeez, it was amazing. i opted to forego dessert (just got back from mexico, felt a little bloated), but was extremely jealous as those who did choose to have desert had clearly made the better choice. i tried some of my mate's vanilla creme brulee, and it hit the spot. definitely was the cherry to top off an enjoyable experience. i will definitely be back.

check out coquine's website for the menu and additional info at: http://www.coquinerestaurant.com/

coquine is located at 2075 yonge street at the corner of manor and yonge just south of eglinton av.

lee's gonzo

god dammit, more local talent gone. apparently lee's gotten too big for his britches and has decided to move to new york at the end of next month. he will be working at a thompson group hotel restaurant in the LES that should be opening in september. the thompson group have a great reputation and own hotels like the roosevelt over in la (think the celebutante hotspot 'teddy's') and 60 thompson in ny. curiously, the thompson group have partnered with a toronto devloper and will have a hotel attached to the popular 550 wellington project down at king and bathurst. lets hope lee screws up soon enough to helm the new restaurant at 550.

unfortunately, lee will close his flagship and keep the shitty one open (i did a little review in an earlier post). too bad. just like chef lynn crawford before him, lee will pick up in a hotel chain. lets hope he will be as celebrated as he was here. i never got to try susur's, but i guess now i have no choice. lets hope it's not already booked up (and i have an extra g lying around!)!

politikin'

SIDENOTE:

who loves obama? i do. sort of.

an excerpt from michael moore's endorsement (http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=225)


"....Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

kudos my man

can't get you outta my head, ms. perry

please check out dis video:



and piss your pants because i know 500 of you!

LOOKING FOR...

i made a song last thursday whilst porch drinking with toronto's finest. its called 'whip it out' and has a strong melody. so strong, it has stuck in peoples heads. get ready, for when my pal and i get our hands on a 'motherboard socket 939', it's ovah. if you, or someone YOU KNOW knows where i can pick up one of these bad 'MOTHERBOARD SOCKET 939', i will give you 20 bones. keep an eye out.

CHECK THIS OUT

WWW.ITSTHETASTEBUDS.COM !!!!


they update more frequently than me and are quite frankly just better

YOU WISH YOU ATE THISSSSSS!!!

omg, so i finally got 'round to it. i give to you the best bloody salsa i've ever ingested. it was amazing. the first picture is of our waiter preparing the salsa table-side. he explained the ingredients which consisted mostly of roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, roasted tomatillos, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, cilantro and a handful of other things that i can't remember off the top of me head.

second pic is of the end product: holy amaaaaaaaaayzing. that went so fast it felt like a cartoon sequence. happy faces all around. i stole a bit to hide on my side plate for the upcoming second course of quesadillas...soooo good.

beside the salsa in the second picture is fresh jicama with a house seasoning. my mum totally made a good choice of picking up a bottle of the seasoning which has a base of tamerind. this was also super tasty, and i have now become a big fan of the vege which tastes a little like carrot sans the orangeness.

you can find these dishes and more at Agave Grill located in the El Centro region of Puerto Vallarta, Morelos 589. plus, they let you try out different kinds of tequila...!

holy busy

so, been extra, super busy. BUT have been eating a lot, and hearing a lot. went to mexico, so as i get my hand on the pics, i will def. post some newbies. PLUS, ate at a new spot called 'coquine' up near yonge & egg. so delicious. give me some days, and this blog will be better than new!

hearts and kisses,

hungry