Saturday, September 15, 2018

MENU - TORONTO - RATHSKELLER RESTAURANT - 121 FRONT W - OLD WALKER HOUSE HOTEL - 1966 - WHAT A HAPPY DISCOVERY THIS IS - FROM THE DATE I MIGHT HAVE HELD THIS VERY COPY - I SIMPLY ADORED THE RATHSKELLER - THE SAUERBRATEN WAS UNBELIEVABLY GOOD - IT'S A DISH I'VE HAD IN SO MANY PLACES OVER THE YEARS AND NONE CAME CLOSE - THE ATMOSPHERE WAS EXTREMELY PLEASANT WITH A FRIENDLY HOST, A LIVE ZITHER PLAYER, WOOD PANELLING AND SUBDUED LIGHT - I AM A BIT SURPRISED BY SOME OF THE DISHES I SEE HERE BUT ALL I EVER ORDERED WAS SAUERBRATEN WITH DUMPLING AND RED CABBAGE FOLLOWED BY APPLE STRUDEL AND COFFEE - ALWAYS TOO THE VICHYSSOISE WHICH WAS TRULY WONDERFUL AND SERVED WITH CHOPPED CHIVES - A NICE RHINE WINE TOO OF COURSE - I USED TO HAVE AN AUTHENTIC RECIPE FOR SAUERBRATEN AND I DID MAKE IT ONCE FOR A CHRISTMAS DINNER BUT IT IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF TROUBLE WITH THE MEAT MARINATING FOR DAYS


PHOTO - TORONTO - FRONT STREET W - LOOKING E GROUND LEVEL - RATHSKELLER RESTAURANT AND FRANZ JOSEPH RESTAURANT AT 121 FRONT W - CORNER OF UNIVERSITY - 1975 - EDITED FROM UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - TORONTO - LAKESHORE ROAD - PORT CREDIT - THE DUTCH KITCHEN RESTAURANT - 1963 - IT WASN'T MUCH TO LOOK AT INSIDE OR OUTSIDE BUT IT WAS A COMFORTABLE PLACE RUN BY A DUTCH FAMILY WHO MADE AUTHENTIC INDONESIAN FOOD - IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER TASTED SOME (LATE 1960s) AND I WAS CAPTIVATED BY IT IMMEDIATELY - THEIR "COMPLETE INDONESIAN DINNER" WAS FABULOUS - LATER LIVING IN A DIFFERENT PLACE I LEARNED TO MAKE THE SAME ITEMS AND HAD THEM AT HOME


PHOTO - TORONTO - DUTCH KITCHEN TAVERN - 71 LAKESHORE RD E - PORT CREDIT - LATER LOCATION FROM A RENOVATED OLD BUILDING MADE TO LOOK VERY DUTCH


PHOTO - TORONTO - UNDERGROUND RAILROAD RESTAURANT - 225 KING E - OWNER HOWARD MATTHEWS - 1978 - I NEVER SAW THIS LOCATION BUT THE FRONT APPEARS THE SAME AS THE EARLIER LOCATION ON BLOOR SOMEWHAT EAST OF YONGE - THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS - I ALWAYS HAD RIBS WITH CANDIED YAMS AND BLACK-EYED PEAS AND PLENTY OF CORNBREAD - AND OVER YEARS LATER I DEVELOPED OR DISCOVERED RECIPES FOR ALL THESE DISHES AND SERVED MY OWN SOUL FOOD DINNER MANY TIMES


AD - TORONTO - UNDERGROUND RAILROAD RESTAURANT - 9 CHURCH STREET - NEW YEAR GALA - 1989 - THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ITS LAST YEAR - THE AD SUGGESTS SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE BASIC PLACE I KNEW ON BLOOR IN THE LATE 1960s - I SEE IT IS HERE LOCATED ON CHURCH - IT STARTED ON BLOOR THEN WENT TO KING AND FINALLY CHURCH


PHOTO - TORONTO - THE PORTS OF CALL RESTAURANTS - 1145 YONGE AT SHAFTSBURY AVE - IT INCLUDED SEVERAL RESTAURANTS AND BARS - THE BALI HAI ROOM WAS MY FAVORITE - ALTHOUGH KIND OF KITSCHY CORPORATE TIKI PLACE IT WAS FUN WITH DRINKS SERVED IN PINEAPPLES AND SUCH - AND IT HAD THAT WONDERFUL AMERICAN-CHINESE DISH I DISCOVERED IN CHICAGO THAT NO ONE ELSE IN TORONTO MADE, PRESSED DUCK - YEARS LATER I MADE IT FROM A RECIPE I DISCOVERED AND IT IS A LOT OF EFFORT BUT SIMPLY DELICIOUS - GRANDPA LIKED THE DICKENS ROOM AT THE PORTS AND I DID TOO - 1960s