Monday, November 23, 2009

Relocation, Location and Food

Heya Food Savvy Hipsters!

Where the hell did 9 months go? I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden it's November! Well, here we are in the sunny Autumn of Toronto, and boy oh boy am I excited to get a writing about the places I've been eating!

One of Toronto's best known secrets is The Green Room, and I say best known secret because while most everyone knows about the place, I'm sure many can't remember where it bloody well is. Go knows I have to circle the area at least a few times before I remember exactly which alley it's tucked away in. Regardless of sobriety. The actuall address is 296 Brunswick, but for those who know it's in the alley around the corner from Future Bakery and Kula Yoga. Just head into the alley and look for the... sequin? Well, the sign.

The Green Room might have been a school house or a church at one point, at least the pews upstairs give you that worn "fear the wrath of god" feeling. This place isn't exactly clean, nothing matches, and at times it you will swear that the wait staff really did forget about you. Go outside of peak times if you want anything that resembles decent service, either this place is terribly understaffed or they seriously underpay them.

Highlights: they will leave you alone for hours on end regardless of how busy it is, and most everything on the menu is under $10. The beer is cheap and (so far) they have my favorite summer time patio. The patio is worth the visit really, it's a wonderful mis-matched oasis.

Order the nachos if you want a pool of greasy cheese with a few chips, the spring rolls if you want some greasy vegetables, and the samosas for a greasy carb snack. Everything has the same general flavor, and sometimes you can really only determine what you are eating by the sauce it's served with. The bread on the sandwiches is about an inch thick, and the curry looks as though it was made with yellow acrylic paint. Vegan options are available, however watch out on certain items as you can get differing answers from different staff.

The Pad Thai is the safest choice, and while it may vary on the amount of tofu/chicken/god I hope this is shrimp you get, it's the one thing they do well at The Green Room, and consistently tastes good. Weighing in at about $7, it's probably one of your safest bets.

All in all this is a great "I'm not sure if this is actually a date" place, and one of my favorites for catching up with friends (see cheap beer aforementioned). Worth the egg hunt to find it, but don't go trying to keep your diet.