Food we have eaten

This is just a quick list of the places we have eaten. We’ll try to keep it in numerical order of “goodness”. To spare the places on the bottom of the list we will not publish their names. (Last update on 12 August 2014)

  1. Docks Oyster House, Atlantic City, NJ — (Foster)This was the place we went to for Susan’s birthday. Service was great, the food was wonderful. My favorite was the pommes soufflés. Little puffed up french fries, it’s a life changer. Susan had raw oysters and crab cakes, I had Clams Casino, Oysters Parmesan and grilled shrimp. To be honest, I had to go look that up, since the pommes soufflés just rocked.
  2. 360 Restaurant at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto — (Susan)  We both had the prix fixe dinner, although Foster substituted his appetizer.  He had a pea and pancetta tart to start and peppered sirloin strip for the main, I had a seafood chowder to start and beef cheeks with morels for my main.  The amuse bouche and desserts were also quite good, but the best part is the revolving 360 degree view (which we captured on a video).
  3. The Queen and Beaver Public House, Toronto — (Susan) We both had Sunday roast beef!  Perfectly rare, with crispy Yorkshire pudding and veggies.  Perfect end to the day.
  4. Bistro By the Bay, Parry Sound, ON – (Foster) This is the place to eat in Parry Sound. They have steamed mussels five different ways. We had the thai garlic. The mussels and a small salad are enough for dinner. We didn’t know that and had mains of pork and beef filets. They were both very good. We went back for lunch the next day and split white wine and cream mussels and the roast beef sliders that were served on Yorkshire Pudding.(15 July 2014)
  5. Gerti’s, Peterbourogh, ON — (Foster) I love steamed mussels, these had onion, tomato, garlic in the sauce. To finish they sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
  6. The Killarney Mountain Lodge, Killarney, ON – (Foster). The setting is a 60′s corporate lodge, so it’s a number of large rooms made of whole logs. Susan had the pork schnitzel, I had the beef filet wrapped in bacon. My steak was cooked to perfection. Sides were mashed potatoes and cooked fresh red beets. Home made bread in the basket, but as a homage to the 70′s, they had breadsticks in cellophane. Next to the dining room was a round lodge, with a fireplace in the center. We had dessert, and Susan got the bartender to make here a special “creamy, peachy drink”. Service was really good, we had a great time. (28 July 2014)
  7. The Boathouse Grille, New Baltimore NY — (Foster) We ate here twice and both times the food was great. For dinner I had their Steamed Mussels Diablo, a little heat, but great taste and blending of fresh herbs and garlic. I embarrassed Susan by asking for more bread to get the last of the broth.Lunch the next day was their deep fried cheeseburger. It was good, the panko breading on the outside was crisp and crunchy. Yes, heart attack on a plate, but I substituted in green veggies for the french fries.
  8. Food Truck Rodeo, Rochester NY — (Foster) This wins in both the food category and the fun category. We went with my sister Cynette and tried to narrow our choices down to food from three trucks from over 50 food trucks. We settled for Poutine two ways, three Korean dishes and three kinds of Mac&Cheese. We had a great evening!
  9. The River Company, Lakefield, ON — (Foster) This is a super small place in Lakefield that used to do “fine dining” and gave it up since it was killing the chef. They now present simpler fare, but the fine dining cooking skills are really evident. The spicy corn and sausage chowder was my hit of the evening. Fresh off the cob corn, potatoes that were diced all the same size, sausage with just the right amount of spice.
  10. Lobster House Seafood Restaurant , Cape May, NJ — (Foster) This was one of our first places to eat out on our trip. It’s the quintessential nice place at the shore. Service was great and both meals were first rate.
  11. Shannon, Baie Fine, ON – (Foster) The crew of the Shannon made us freshly caught Northern Pike, it was cleaned to remove all the fat traces, lightly floured and pan fried. Sides were grilled slices of white potatoe and a garden salad. This is one of the best fish dinners either one of us has had. (1 Aug 2014)
  12. Quo Vadimus,Cape May, NJ — (Foster) Susan made steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus with lemon butter for dinner.
  13. Quo Vadimus,Fenelon Falls, ON — (Foster) Susan made steak, asparagus with lemon butter, stuffed potatoe skins and garlic bread for dinner.
  14. The Grand Hotel Lunch Buffet, Mackinac Island, MI– (Foster) A food orgy from start to end. We were there 90 minutes and pretty much tried everything but the salad station. If you are on Mackinac Island it’s the thing to do. (19 August 2014)
  15. Embers, Sault Ste Marie, ON – (Foster) we spent our last night in Canada here. They specialize in smoked meats. Susan had the mussels, I had the appetizer medly of duck, salmon, sausages and pork riblets. (13 August 2014)
  16. Tiny place in Chinatown, NY, NY — (Foster) We came here for soup dumplings. They fill dumpling dough with a meat mixture that has gelatin around it. When you cook the dough/dumpling the gelatin melts and you have a liquid filled dumpling. To eat you need to nibble a corner off the dumpling and slurp the soup out first.
  17. Rol San for Dim Sum in Toronto’s Chinatown — (Susan) there were things we loved and things we didn’t agree on (I loved the taro cakes).  We ordered a couple of dishes blindly, but did pretty well overall.  Ordered too much as usual.
  18. Solo, Sault Ste Marie, ON – (Foster) Classic Italian food. They start with home made bread and give you a head of baked garlic to spread on it. Some of the best Italian food on the trip!
  19. Voss’, Ilion NY, — (Foster) We were stuck in Ilion on the Erie Canal for 5 days and Voss’ was within 20 feet of the boat. We started off joking with the staff that we would be eating the entire menu. We came very close. High points were the dogs and the steak sandwich (4oz steak on a roll). The sundaes were also top notch. Fries rocked. BBQ pork was the only weird item, it was sliced pork tenderloin with BBQ sauce. Not what we expected, but pretty good.
  20. The Stinking Rose Pub, Campbellford, ON — (Foster) This is a tiny pub with 4 seats at the bar and 4 tables. We stopped in for Church Key beer, and had nacho’s. The meat, cheese were heated on the nacho chips and there were little dishes of fresh made salsa, peppers and sour cream. You could put as much or as little on, but most importantly: the chips didn’t get soggy.
  21. Banjo’s, Hastings, ON — (Foster) This is a small burger joint moments away from the marina. In life you sometimes get great burgers, this was one of them. Something about 70′s music
  22. Koi China Food, Orillia, ON — (Foster) The concept is for $24 you can eat all you want.  So we took them up on it.  We had thai shrimp spring rolls, lots of tempura (veg, crab sticks, scallops, shrimp) and a ton of rolls – Red and Green Dragon, Orillia Roll (Cooked salmon), Dynamite, Philly Roll and some others.  High quality fish, good assembly, good taste.  We didn’t get to the hot dishes,  but they looked good on other tables.  Green Tea Icecream was a nice ending. Beer and Wine, HST and Tip are extra.
  23. Haugen’s, Port Perry, ON — (Foster) We stumbled on this place on our way to Toronto.  Known for their chicken and BBQ, Susan had chicken and I had the pulled pork.  Both were very good.  The surprise of the day was the fries.  Clearly cooked in lard, they were some of the best fries ever.
  24. Ice cream and Sundae’s made with Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. We’ve had this at a few places. The ice cream is full fat, full flavor. They make about 35 kinds and we are working our way through them.
  25. Studebakers, Orillia ON – (Foster) Come to watch people, have some food while you are there.   We couldn’t score an inside seat, but got one by the window that let us gawk and not be noticed through the glass.  Good burgers, dry rub wings were perfectly cooked and presented.  Good selection of beers.  Best thing was they brought a 24 oz cup of hot, salty, buttery popcorn to energize my thirst buds.
  26. Cow and Sow, Fenelon Falls, ON — (Foster) We just came back from “Cow and Sow” a food place in Fenelon Falls. I wasn’t really hungry, but the reviews on the ribs were good and I went back and forth on full rack vs half rack. I ordered the half rack and when it came it was on a serving platter. It was the full and baby back ribs. I had a flashback to the place in Virginia where Mike and I both ordered the full rack and it came on the school cafeteria tray and was hanging off the sides. Susan had the perogies, kielbasa and onions. The kielbasa was very good.
  27. Wellington’s, Parry Sound, ON – (Foster) They had their menu posted on the marina wall. They had us at the four kinds of schnitzel. Susan had brown gravy and onions, I had bacon, swiss cheese, mushrooms and brown gravy. It was real, pounded out until it was thin schnitzel. Our second favorite place to eat in Parry Sound. (13 July 2014)
  28. Tre Sorelle, Orillia, ON – It means means 3 sisters in Italian, a family owned and run business. I had the manicotti and some meatballs, Susan has the chicken parm over pasta.  Both were good, hand made, just like momma would make.  We got frozen versions to take home of the lasagna  and sausages.
  29. Orchid Bistro Thai, Fenelon Falls, ON — (Foster) The spring rolls were great and the Basil Beef was very nice. Susan’s noodles were way overcooked, but still had a good flavor. We would try again on the “it was an off night” theory
  30. Moe’s Tap And Wings, Orillial ON — (Foster) Small dive bar with 5 beers on tap and a good selection of pub food (burgers, wings, fries, nachos, etc.)  The local  beer is Moe’s Sunshine Lager.  Tastes like Sleeman’s Lager.  I did a huge disservice since I go them to do and when I go them home they had suffered some, but not enough to toss them.  I had gotten dry rubs (lemon pepper and salt, Cajun and Garlic Parmesan) which meant that they were not a mush nest, the crispy was still there.   Highly recommended that you eat them there.  Monday is 3 LBS for the price of 2 LBS (but you get dorked on the carrot/celery and the blue cheese.
  31. Novotel Trio, Toronto, ON — (Susan) The breakfast buffet at our hotel in Toronto was the best ever!  They had perfectly cooked Eggs Benedict on the buffet line, along with great pastries, fresh fruit, and a variety of juices.
  32. St. Amant’s, Britt, ON – (Foster) This is the only place to eat in Britt. Susan had the panfried whitefish, I went with the double bacon burger. Not double the burger, double the bacon. Both were pretty good, but because they are the only game in town, they are expensive.
  33. Herbert’s Fish, Killareny, ON – (Foster) All they have is fried fish, either Pike, Perch or Whitefish and fries. We split a 4 piece order with fries and it was great. Crunchy but not hard outer coating. What makes this special is the fish are caught in the morning and served for lunch and dinner. There is always a line of 4-8 people out front. (29 July 2014)
  34. Henry’s Fish (Frying Pan Island and Midland, ON) – (Foster) The Henry’s on Frying Pan Island is the better of the two. The fish was cooked better and the service was much better. We had three meals from there. Lunch was roast beef sandwiches, dinner was the fried fish dinner with coleslaw, baked beans and fries. Lunch 2 was fish sandwiches. It’s a fish place, the roast beef was an error. The pan fried fish was good, but the deep fried fish dinner was the clear winner. 12 July 2014)
  35. Jack’s Family Restaurant, Peterborough, ON — (Foster) We’ve had breakfast here a few times and it was very good. Eggs perfectly cooked and real home fries. Toast comes with a homemade tasting strawberry jam that comes in a little paper cup.
  36. Donuts Delight, Rochester, NY — (Foster) I had the PB&J doughnut to start. It was a jelly donut with peanut butter icing and some Recees Peanut butter pieces and a peanut butter cup on top. I was able to eat this while driving and did not get any on my shirt. But there was much slurping of jelly filling. Susan’s honey glaze was reported as being wonderful. I ate my other donut the next day and it was still great!
  37. Tim Horton’s, All over Canada / Northern US — (Foster) Great Coffee, great dougnuts and pastries. Why Canadians don’t weigh 300 lbs since Tim’s are everywhere is beyond me.
  38. The Pines Inn, Killarney, ON – (Foster) The main street pizza, wings and beer place. The wings were good, they were lightly dipped in flour and deep-fried. Not the heavy batter dips you find at Hooters, etc. They were very crispy on the outside and were not greasy. This is what all battered wings should be like. (29 July 2014)
  39. Bush’s Dam Cafe, Port Severn, ON – (Foster) We were celebrating or last lock, we both had NY Strip steaks that were very, very good. The sides were stuffed baked potatoes and a garden salad. Atmosphere was good, we sat on the deck and watched the boats go by. As a bonus, there is an ice cream place across the parking lot. We got our last taste of Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. (4 July 2014)
  40. Big Chute Cafe, Big Chute, ON – (Foster) Tiny place under new management. We ate here twice and it was OK. Clearly Cisco level food, but they try on presentation and service. We were there right after the Canada Day Holiday, so they were out of most things. (3 July 2014)
  41. Just Eddies, Orillia, ON. — (Foster) They advertise breakfast all day, but we off roaded a bit. I had the open faced roastbeef sandwich and Susan had the NY filet sandwich.  Hers was all brown and pink and mine was all grey dumped out on white bread (after asking for dark).  With mashes that had been made hours before.  Standard diner food.  On the other hand, Susan’s steak sandwich is why I’d go back again to get a try at that.
  42. Riverside, Kagawong, ON – (Foster) A tiny trailer next to the Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong. I had the corndog (called Pogo, not sure why). It was one of the best that I’ve had. (2 Aug 2014)
  43. Anchor Inn, Little Current, ON – (Foster) This is the only dinner place on the main street in Little Current. I had the Pierogi with bacon and onions. Susan had a burger that was OK.
  44. Don Cherry’s, Parry
  45. Boston Pizza, Parry Sound, ON – (Foster) With our extra night stay in Parry Sound we opted to give this a try. Boston isn’t known for Pizza, but Susan gave them a chance. Boston still isn’t known for Pizza. I had the strip steak sandwich, it’s a 6 oz steak. I was good and got it with a baked potato and a salad. It was pretty good, I’d eat it again. (16 July 2014)
  46. Froggy’s Take Out,Ilion, NY — (Foster) Just as a change from Voss’ we ate at Froggy’s. I had the pulled pork and Susan had a burger. We are very sorry Voss’ that we cheated on you.
  47. Bay Street Cafe, Parry Sound, ON – (Foster) – Service was bad, the food arrived cold. Which was surprising since all we ordered was appetizers. Susan had the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and there was no Lobster, instead she got an extra quarter cup of bread crumbs. They took it off the bill and gave us a free piece of key lime pie. (14 August 2014)
  48. Place with “Loon” in the name, Lakefield ON — (Foster) One review said The only reason this place is still open is they are the only pub in town. . That turned out to be high praise indeed.
  49. Pub near the lock in Fenelon,Fenelon, ON — (Foster) We hated it and it may turn us off our quest for “dive pubs in Canada”. Proof that you should never leave high school kids unsupervised in a business.
  50. Take out Chinese Lots of places — (Foster) More proof that if it comes in a cardboard container it’s most likely it won’t be good. We are trying to avoid these places, but we slip and are soon slapped back to the real world. – This has held in Michigan, we had pretty good chicken and mixed vegs and House Special LoMein. But the Hot and Sour soup was just a mess, when we took it back she looked and said that they forgot to put the hot / spicy sauce part in. Sigh.

3 thoughts on “Food we have eaten

  1. I’m catching up on your posts (and postcard) since returning from vacation. Enjoying your food list – especially the Food Truck Rodeo. This summer, there are two food trucks each day on Rodney Square. Koi on the Go fish tacos every Wednesday and Friday!

  2. I LOVE the food list – it gives me lots more places to Check Pig into, and thus makes the ‘map’ really fill in nicely!

    And I had to giggle, because I’ve been keeping lists… Movies Drew and I have watched this year, concerts we have been to. He thinks I’m completely silly for doing it, but seems to me to be pretty clear where I got it from! Hugs!

    • Lists were always a Grand Moo thing. All of the trips had starts, places along the way, miles, etc. So it’s a multi-generational trait!

      Plus I think it helps later when people ask for a recommendation and I can quickly make a suggestion (Dock’s Oyster’s in AC) and steer people away from badly done Sysco food served by uncaring high school students.

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