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Food Food & Drink

21. Eat out without going out

Rating: NNNNN


Sick of the same ol’ soggy pies and dried-out rotisserie chicken? Here’s a clip ‘n’ save list of the best T.O. eateries that not only deliver, they deliver

Chinese Cantonese

Ginger Blossom

256 Christie, at Melville, 416-537-3388. The folks behind Chinatown’s now-defunct OPM Den and Shanghai Lily move west to offer takeout and delivery ranging from foodie-friendly to wretchedly retro. Bonus: french fries for the kids! Warning: unless you specify otherwise, MSG is added to nearly everything. Best: to start, lightly battered soft-shell crab over crunchy chow mein noodles, showered with stir-fried bell pepper unusual mains like fried rice studded with tomato and ginger long Chinese green beans and minced kalamata olives sautéed in fruity olive oil standard pad thai with chicken and crushed peanuts and telltale ketchup cool reusable and microwavable black plastic containers. Complete meals for $25 per person, including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday 4 to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday 4 pm to midnight. Delivery same hours. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN

New Ho King

416 Spadina, at Nassau, 416-595-1881. Late-night Cantonese spot with friendly service, better than average decor and lower than usual prices. Best: spicy Hunan Beef, pounded meat with al dente green pepper and onion Moo-Shu Vegetables with Pancake, a pile of shredded napa cabbage, onion and mushrooms to be folded into crepes along with raw scallion, English cuke and a squirt of hoisin Dry Sautéed String Beans Szechuan-Style, the dish that made nearby Peter’s Chung King famous back in the 70s Ho King’s Special Fried Rice, a humongous serving of short-grain strewn with baby shrimp, barbecued pork, fluffy scrambled egg and forgivable frozen corn. Complete meals for $20 per person ($15 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a Tsingtao. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday 11:30 am to 4 am, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 5 am. Delivery nightly 6 pm to close. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Contemporary

Big Mamma’s Boy

554 Parliament, at Amelia, 416-927-1593. Former Slack Alice and Looking Glass matriarch Heather McKenzie presents chef Michael Guenther’s health-conscious card in laid-back digs. Count on comfort food, pub grub classics and pizza that’s mostly organic, locally sourced and often gluten-free. Best: at dinner, slow-cooked Mennonite pork ribs in sugary barbecue sauce sided with cabbage slaw and baked kidney beans gluten-free vegan spaghetti squash tossed with garlicky asparagus, snow peas and beets, sided with organic mesclun in a Dijon vinaigrette veggie burgers, grilled portobello caps stuffed with lemony lentils on toasted sourdough spread with house-made chipotle mayo, sided with dill pickle, salad and Kettle Creek chips at brunch, rice-flour pancakes topped with fresh berries. Complete dinners for $45 per person (brunches $20), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $16. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday 4:30 to 11 pm. Brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm, dinner till 11 pm. Bar nightly till close. Delivery nightly 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Diner

Dangerous Dan’s

714 Queen E, at Broadview, 416-463-7310. Located across the street from a peeler palace, this no-frills steak ’n’ burger joint looks kinda scary. Dangerous even. But the friendly kids behind the counter and rock-bottom prices won’t frighten away the value-conscious. Best: the humongous 24-ounce Homeburger (yes, the equivalent of six Quarter-Pounders) served with crisply golden chunky fries Bronto Ribs Dinner featuring 2 and a half pounds of meaty dinosaur-sized beef ribs in spice-spiked barbecue sauce char-broiled 11-ounce New York strip with grilled mushrooms, a credible Caesar and fries enough for two poutine: cardiac arrest in a box first-rate Greek salad with creamy feta. Complete meals for $25 per person ($18 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $10/$7. Open Monday to Saturday 11 am to midnight, Sunday noon to midnight. Delivery daily noon to midnight. Closed Monday, holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Indian

Siddhartha

1450 Gerrard E, at Craven, 416-465-4095. Considering Little India’s low-rent standards, this charming north Indian eatery is easily the budget dining strip’s classiest. Most dig into the moderately spiced all-you-can-eat $9.99 lunch/$12.99 dinner buffet, but those who venture into the à la carte lineup will discover a few fiery gems. Other locations: 647 King W, at Bathurst, 416-703-6684. Best: Chicken Bolcha, yogurt-marinaded boneless tandoori chicken in tomato sauce spiked with chilies and soured with vinegar mataar and paneer pulao, deep-fried paneer on white basmati studded with garden peas bhindi do piazza, al dente okra fingers in turmeric-tanged sauce assertively spiced lamb vindaloo in sweet curried gravy lightly oiled and blistered naan. Complete meals for $25 per person ($17 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $9. Open daily for lunch buffet 11:30 am to 4 pm, dinner buffet 4 to 10:30 pm. Delivery nightly 5 pm to close. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Indian Vegetarian

Siddhartha Pure Vegetarian

1411 Gerrard E, at Hiawatha, 416-466-9777. Originally known as Kissan, this latest offshoot of Siddhartha offers an all-vegetarian lineup that marries the rich sauces of the north with the fiery chilies of the south. Warning: slim pickin’s for vegans, since nearly everything comes dripping with clarified butter or substitutes cheesy paneer for meat. Best: from the buffet, fabulously fresh onion bhaja with tamarind and mint sauces buttery lentil dal makhani tofu jalferezi with snow peas al dente aloo gobi with potato and cauliflower deep-fried kofta “meat balls” in creamy turmeric gravy whole-wheat paratha and aloo naan topped with curried potato from the à la carte card, baked tandoori tofu. Complete dinners for $20 (lunches $15), including all taxes, tip and a lassi. Average main $9 (à la carte). Open daily for $9.99 AYCE lunch buffet 11:30 am to 4 pm, $11.99 AYCE dinner buffet 4 to 10:30 pm. Delivery nightly 5 pm to close. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Italian

One of a Kind

746 Queen W, at Niagara, 416-203-2229. Owner/chef Raymond To’s northern Italian bargain-basement pasta parlour has evolved into a near-elegant space dominated by freshly cut flowers and polished mahogany tables. Only the oversized dripping candle in the front window remains. Spicing remains mild-mannered, but portions are plentiful. Best: squid-ink linguine with grilled calamari, ham, mushrooms and snow peas in white-wine cream tricolour meat ravioli with peppers and onions in mild curry sautéed shrimp Newberg with buttery broccoli over basil linguine in sherry-scented sauce grilled New Zealand rack of lamb with asparagus, peppers and garlic mash Pernod-spiked scallops over fresh spinach and grilled portobello with balsamic. Complete meals for $30 per person ($20 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $10. Open Monday to Friday 11 am to 11:30 pm, Saturday 5 to 11:30 pm, Sunday 5 to 10:30 pm. Delivery same hours. Closed holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Pizza

Bona Pizza Pasta

431 Donlands, at O’Connor, 416-406-5000. Reliable pies and amply portioned Italian noodle dishes make this a proven east-side favourite. Bonus: 72 pizza toppings including porcini mushrooms, asparagus, roasted garlic, steak and Drunken Goat Cheese! Best: thin, crisp-crusted ’zas like the Milan (garlic, basil, mushrooms, diced tomato, leek, kalamata olives and lotsa mozza’) or the Suicide (hot sauce, jalapeños, spicy Italian sausage) vegetarian lasagna with broccoli, cauliflower and ricotta spinach involtini – pasta layered with spinach and smothered in tomato sauce and cheese. Complete meals for $22 per person, including all taxes, tip and a Brio. Average main $12. Open Monday to Thursday 11 am to 11 pm, Friday 11 am to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday and holidays noon to 11 pm. Delivery same hours. Unlicensed. Access: bump at door, tight space, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Magic Oven

270 Dupont, at Spadina, 416-928-1555. Since Abby and Tony Saberwal – ex Bar Be Que Hut in Little India – opened their eastside take-away in the shadow of Pizza Pizza in 97, their thriving business has expanded to include two west-side outlets, and for good reason. Their thin-crust and health-conscious (!) pies are some of the most innovative in town. Bonus: several lactose-free and vegan versions. Other locations: 798 Danforth, at Woodycrest, 416-462-0333: 6 Wellesley W, at Yonge, 416-929-7888 788 Broadview, at Danforth, 416-466-0111 127 Jefferson, at King W, 416-539-0555. Best: Tandoori Magic, like all pizzas offered on a choice of traditional, whole wheat, organic spelt or gluten-free crust, here layered with sweet pink barbecued chicken breast, preservative-free tomato sauce, onion, garlic and ginger Gourmet Veggie Magic with grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper and chèvre free-range tandoori chicken wings and drumsticks. Complete meals for $30 per person, including all taxes and tip. Average main $30. Open Monday to Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Saturday noon to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 10 pm (all) holidays 3 to 10 pm (Dupont, Danforth, Wellesley) and 4 to 10 pm (Broadview, Jefferson). Delivery same hours. Licensed. Access: for all, one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Pizza Gigi

189 Harbord, at Borden, 416-535-4444. This bare-bones pizzeria (decor: dying palm tree) couldn’t get any more trad, dad, if it tried. Since the 60s it’s been dishing up authentic old-school pizzas with not-too-thick crusts and first-rate sloppy toppings that get as gourmet as goat cheese. Best: traditional Super-Special pizza with pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers and onions unashamedly retro tiki-tastic Hawaiian with pineapple chunks, ham and double mozzarella generous daily slices like veggie-friendly spinach with feta, parmigiano, ricotta and mozzarella, or eggplant, red pepper, sun-dried tomato and roasted garlic. Complete meals for $20 per person, including all taxes, tip and a Brio. Average main $10. Open daily 4 pm to 4 am. Delivery same hours. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Thai

Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen

141 Harbord, at Brunswick, 416-966-6955. Former Salad King cook Sushen Sun offers first-rate takes on Thai standards that equal those of her ex-employer. Add uncommon attention to detail and this inexpensive trat beats far fancier Bangkok-style boîtes. Dine in at a window-side lunch counter, but most do takeout or delivery. Best: New Zealand mussels in sweet chili sauce spicy eggplant or spicy tofu in basil-scented garlic chili cold rolls plump with carrot, mint, coriander, rice noodle, scrambled egg and shredded chicken, with crunchy peanut dip glass noodle salad with chicken and shrimp vegetarian Sunshine Dumplings in sweet ’n’ sour sauce with pineapple. Complete meals for $18 per person ($9 at lunch), including all taxes and tip. Average main $7. Open Monday to Saturday 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday 4 to 10 pm. Delivery same hours. Closed holidays. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, no washrooms. Rating: NNN

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