Hello friends. two major pieces of the second annual Toronto and Red Green Show weekend have fallen into place.

Before I go on I need those coming to the Toronto weekend to ***E-MAIL ME*** with confirmations by answering YES or NO to the following events so I can build up a master list:


Friday Light Dinner
Saturday: Senator Steakhouse
Saturday Night: Red Green Taping
Sunday: Old Mill SUnday Brunch.

I NEED CONFIRMATIONS BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST SO I CAN SEND A FINAL COUNT TO THE RESTAURANTS. THANK YOU!


PENDING is the dinner place for Friday night, Sept. 8th. Looking at RED TOMATO in the Theatre district. around 7-ish. Anyone has any other ideas?

Now what's in place:

5:30 pm: Saturday night/pre show STEAK! dinner: SENATOR STEAKHOUSE (AS recommended by RUDI) 249 Victoria Street. Reservations are for 15 people. This should cover everyone coming or not coming to the show and leave room for a few last minute guests.

10:30am Sunday, Sept 10th: SUNDAY BRUNCH at the Old Mill, 21 Old Mill Road (as Recommended by Flyme2) reservations currently for 12 people but more can be added. We will have to take the subway out there, it's about a 40 minute ride. so let's leave about 9:30am.

The other set event of course is the Red green Taping at 8:30pm at CBC studios. (within walking distance of Senator Steakhouse.)

Thank you for those who have confirmed. It's not too late to get on board.

Let's make sept 9th the first bi-coastal Flyertalk dual party events! (with Rudi's and Comicwoman's SFO gathering!)

KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE!

You've got mail

and more mail!

Hey, since there are two simultaneous events, what say we call San Francisco after the taping? We could ask Red Green to say hello to them all and let them know what they're missing!

Catman, you've got mail. I'll be there for all the events.


------------------
Cheers Scott

For a relaxing Saturday brunch, try the St. Lawrence Market (Jarvis / Front). I would recommend either the churrasco style chicken (upstairs), the Canadian back-bacon sandwich (upstairs), or the breaded eggplant (downstairs at Mustachio). Unfortunally, it is a market environment, and there is no "proper" seating and service. Still, wonderful area to include in your stroll on Saturday during the day.

I agree this is a nice relaxing way of spending Saturday morning in Toronto. My new place is three blocks from the St. Lawrence Market and I am looking forward to doing just that in 36-hours from now. It's been 30-years since I last lived in Toronto, and used to do that quite regularly.

Ok folks, the restaurants have been selected.

NOTE: the steakhouse MAY change because I"m looking into an alternate. I was going to do Ruth's Chris (It' syour call folks) but I wanted a local steak institution.

FYI: all restaurant reviews cut and pasted from www.zagat.com. Copyright Zagats 2000

FRiday night, Sept 8th, 7:30p

Verona Bar & Grill RESERVATIONS FOR **12** PEOPLE

Theatre District
335 King St. W.(bet. John & Peter Sts.) Toronto, ON, (416) 593-7771

"Underrated" insist enthusiasts of this burnished, upscale Theatre District bistro
where rich Northern Italian fare is prepared and served with obvious "attention to
detail"; the only gripes arise over the markup on wine.

Saturday September 9th, 530pm THE PRE-RED GREEN TAPING DINNER!

[b] Senator Steakhouse... reservations for **16**

Theatre District
249 Victoria St.(Dundas St.) Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8 (416) 364-7517

Red-blooded, "cigar-friendly" and "intimate", this Theatre District steakhouse is a favourite for its "excellent" variety of traditional American cuisine.

THis may change if this second place I'm checking turns out to be tastier

Sunday, September 10. 10:30am:

The Old Mill

Downtown West
21 Old Mill Rd.(bet. Bloor & Jane Sts.) Toronto, ON, M8X 1G5 (416) 236-2641

The grand old lady of Toronto", this "reliable" 85-year-old EtobicokeContinental in a historic and "picturesque" mill continues to win respect for its "traditional elegance", including tuxedo-clad servers and big-band dancing on Saturday night.


If there are questions please let me know.

Looking forward to this!



[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 08-28-2000).]

When I had access to an expense account, Hy's stakehouse (now on Adelaide just east of York) was the place to go. This was before Ruth Chris' was established in town, and the fact that it is REALLY central to the down town business district. Maybe worth researching it.

I didn't know that Toronto has a Hy's too. I believe (and have visited) the original (?) Hy's in Calgary and the Hy's-encore in Vancouver and Whistler. I like the (hot, swiss-style-) cheese-bread as an appetizer and ... yes ... their steaks!

Indeed, there is a Hy's here in Toronto. It's been here for over 30-years, though recently relocated a block further south on Adelaide in the ground floor of an office tower. And I believe the chain -- also one in Winnipeg, Ottawa and Edmonton, as well as Calgary, Vancouver and Whistler as mentioned by Rudi -- was actually started in Winnipeg, not Calgary, but I might be wrong.

I remember getting my first Chargex (now called Visa) card and taking my girlfriend there for dinner. Made my first charge (about $40 for dinner and wine for two!), and the deb it never appeared on my card!

Hy's is closer to the CBC studios than is the Senator, two blocks versus about one-mile, though the latter is a block from the subway which stops about two blocks from the CBC.

Had to go uptown to get my driver's license and health care transfered from Alberta to Ontario. I am almost a "citizen" of this province, but must wait another month for the health care to transfer over to be official. This walk, however, took me past both Hy's and The Senator steakhouses, so I thought I would copy down some of the menu information for people to compare, given thereseems to be some uncertainty about the choice for Saturday night.

The Senator, as I've noted in my earlier post, is a mile from the CBC studios, though right on the subway line. It will require our leaving 20- to 30-minutes before admission time to make the journey. It is an older building across from Toronto's version of Carnegie Hall, Massey Hall. There is a jazz club upstairs which would make it a better choice for Friday night, since we could migrate upstairs for a night cap, and not be in a rush to get anywhere but to bed. That would also make for a healthy 20-minute (at the most down to the Harbour Castle) walk back to various hotels. Much like our walk after the fireworks in Montreal.

Hy's is on Adelaide, which as also noted previously, is just a 5-minute walk from the CBC studios. It would make Saturday's dinner more liesurely without the pressure to get across town for the taping. (It is also just two blocks away from The Verona, which is the current choice for Friday evening, and is itself a mere block from the CBC.)

The menu is similar at both places: steak (with some seafood alternatives). The Senator's prices are a few dollars more than Hy's, if that is of concern to people. (These are Canadian dollars!) Both have excellent reputations, Hy's being the equivilent of Ruth's Chris up here.

Some excerpts from the menus with the price (including potato or rice, but not salads, soups or appetizers) from each:

Featured New York Strip 16 oz at Senator's $42.95
18 oz at Hy's $38.95

Regular New York Strips 12 oz at Senator's $29.95
10 oz at Hy's $28.95
16 oz at Senator's $38.95
14 oz at Hy's $33.95

Filet Mignon 8 oz at Senator's $29.95
7 oz at Hy's $26.95
12 oz at Senator's $38.95
11 oz at Hy's $33.95
16 oz at Hy's $39.95

Rib Steak 16 oz at Senator's $32.95
16 oz at Hy's $28.95

I didn't check out the wine lists at either place, though I am sure we will find some fine selections at both in the $20 - $30 range from California or Australia, or even a handful of very good Niagara reds.

Guess this really doesn't help much, but the more information one has the better a decision can be made.