Cafe Polonez - Toronto, Canada

Café Polonez is a Polish restaurant that I got wind of by Anthony Bourdain on his showParts Unknown.

Upon entering the restaurant is fairly spacious and the décor is minimal with paintings and murals of the old country but clean.

Pierogi

The Pierogi ($5.50) is stuffed with ground pork.  They are large boiled dumplings, served with sour cream, and mix of fried onions and pork with glorious amounts of fat.  The pierogi on their own are somewhat bland but smothering the dumplings with the fried onion and pork mix takes it to a whole other galaxy.  I’m not a big fan of sour cream so I didn’t use any of that.  The pierogi themselves are worth the trip here.

Beef Tripe Soup

The Beef Tripe Soup ($5.75) comes in a tomato based soup.  The tripe was well cooked and chewy.  I was expecting something more along the lines of menudo, so the lack of spice was somewhat disappointing.  This is a good solid dish, but when expecting something spicy the soup was somewhat of a letdown.

Roasted Pork Loin

The Roasted Pork Loin ($15.95?) comes with a ton of side dishes, including a pickled beet salad, a coleslaw with tangy red wine vinegar, potatoes, vegetables (canned unfortunately), and two large slices of pork topped with a sour cream/horseradish sauce.  The pork was well cooked and fall apart tender.  The horseradish wasn’t all that spicy which was somewhat disappointing.  The vegetables would have much better if they were fresh instead of canned.

Potato Pancake Hungarian Style

The Potato Pancake Hungarian Style ($14.95) is a large potato pancake filled with goulash, a pork stew full of flavor.  In looking at the menu, I thought the potato pancake would be more like latkes, small potato pancakes, instead of this monster.  The dish also comes with a pickled beet salad, coleslaw and vegetables.

The staff is very friendly and willing to explain the dishes to you.  The portions are huge, and a great bargain for the price.  Like most Eastern European cuisine, the food is very hearty and will fill you up.  I highly recommend coming here for food that most people haven’t had much exposure to, as it is authentic and very good.

Ritz Carlton Toronto

TheRitz Carlton Toronto is conveniently located downtown, and is within easy walking distance of the CN Tower, Rogers Centre and the Air Canada Centre.

After a long red eye flight and arriving at the hotel around 7:00 AM, I was hopeful that my room would be ready for me.  I had emailed the hotel earlier advising them of my early arrival, and hoping that a room would be ready for me.

Ritz Carlton Sign

The hotel is somewhat easy to spot from afar as The Ritz Carlton sign has a pink background which can be seen from blocks away.

Unlike every other Ritz Carlton property that I have been to, there was no doorman to greet you and open the door for arriving guests.  There is a revolving door and two side doors to enter the hotel.

There is complimentary coffee, tea and muffins in the lobby during early morning hours, which is a classy touch.

The check-in desk is to the far left.  The front desk agent was pleasant.  Upon inquiring if it was possible to check-in that early, she informed me that there was a room available, but it was a double room instead of the king I had requested.  Since my goal was to take a quick shower before heading to Niagara Falls I said that it would not be a problem.

She did not recognize my being a Ritz Carlton rewards member, or even describe any features of the hotel other than the elevators being “around the corner and to the left.”

Hallway

The hotel is fairly new, being built in 2011.  The hallways are elegantly decorated.

Deluxe Lakeview Room

Upon entering the room, the bathroom is located to the right.

Double Sinks

There are double sinks with fairly limited counter space.  To the side of each sink there are also several shelves which help to provide extra space for your toiletries.

Tub

There is a separate tub.

Shower

The shower is fairly small, and only a little larger than a phone booth.

Toilet

The toilet is also placed in a fairly small space.

Across from the bathroom is a large closet with an iron, ironing board and bathrobes.

Coffee Maker/Mini Bar

Next to that is the coffee maker, snack items and alcohol for sale and the mini bar.  I find it somewhat unusual that the Ritz Carlton has a coffee maker that only makes one cup at a time, and features nameless coffee.  One would expect a Nespresso or illy coffee maker for a high end property.

Desk

Upon entering the bedroom, there is a dresser and TV, as well as a fairly large desk with ample working space.

Beds

The beds are super comfortable with high quality linens that are super soft.  Outlets were within easy reach of each bed which is a huge plus.

Sitting Area

There is a single chair in the corner with a small coffee table.

CN Tower at Night

Rogers Centre

I was given a room with a view of the CN Tower, Rogers Centre and Lake Ontario.  Views of the CN Tower at night are fabulous when lit up at night.

Rooms were going for about $500 a night during my stay, but thanks to the Ritz Carlton promotion last year in which two paid stays resulted in a free night at a Tier 1-3 property, this was a great use of the two free nights I was able to secure during the promotion.

Although recognition of Ritz Carlton/Marriott Rewards members could use a big improvement, especially for those with Gold or Platinum status, the ability to check-in a half day early and the great location made up for any oversights from the front desk.

The Carbon Bar - Toronto, Canada

TheCarbon Bar is located in a somewhat quiet location on Queen Street, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  Traffic is not a problem unlike many places in downtown Toronto.

The restaurant sits in a cozy space with a separate bar area that is quite lively on the weekends, and most nights I would imagine.

The restaurant space is also on the smaller side.  One thing I did appreciate is that tables weren’t stacked on top of one another, which is usually the case with smaller spaces and busier restaurants.

Shishito Peppers

The Shishito Peppers ($7) come with a pit-fired eggplant dip.  The peppers are very acidic as they are liberally sprinkled with what tasted like lemon pepper.  The eggplant dip got lost in the sour notes from the peppers.

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends

The Beef Brisket Burnt Ends ($12) comes with pickled cucumbers, coleslaw, chili and lettuce leafs to make wraps.  The brisket is super tender with just a hint of sweetness.  The cucumbers and coleslaw are very sour due to the acid from vinegar.  The chili, although present, is barely noticeable.  The burnt ends don’t need any accoutrements in my opinion.

TCB Caesar

The TCB Caesar ($11) is a slight variation of the classic Caesar salad.  The addition of kale adds some heartiness to the romaine leaves.  The veal tongue is very tender and is barely noticeable for those who might be a bit squeamish.  Once again, this dish is on the sour side due to the liberal amount of lemon juice.

BBQ Pork Croquettes

The BBQ Pork Croquettes ($9) are nicely crisp on the outside, and meaty on the inside.  The horseradish crema was not spicy.

Wild Halibut

The Wild Halibut ($26) comes with a leek and asparagus clam chowder, as well as potato spuma.  The halibut had a nice crust, but was slightly overcooked.  The portion of halibut was a little small for the price point.  The potato spuma was sort of lost in the dish due the foamy quality, and the bolder tastes of the other components of the dish.

TCB Burger

The TCB Burger ($19) is made with pork cheek which is rather subtle in flavor.  The Havarti cheese is both creamy and adds a bit of bite.  A recurring theme of the food here is the overpowering acidity of dishes, and it once again is present here with the pickles.

Hot Mess

The “signature” Hot Mess ($11) is a half sweet potato topped with cheese curds, chopped brisket, crema and pickled jalapenos.  There is so much going on with this dish that everything gets lost.  Depending on the bite you may detect some of each ingredient, but it doesn’t seem coherent in my opinion.  The price point is also rather high for what it is.

Banana Toffee Cream Pie

The Banana Toffee Cream Pie for 2 ($16) is basically a miniature version of a banana cream pie with a layer of caramel.  Although the crust is very good and buttery, there is nothing special that separates this from any other banana cream pie.  Although it is a good dessert, there is nothing to justify the price.

I wanted to try the Pit Master Platter and the Crispy Chicken Skin, unfortunately they were out of both.

I would definitely come back to The Carbon Bar to explore more of the menu with the forewarned knowledge that the food is heavily acidic.

Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown

The Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown is conveniently located adjacent to the MissionInn, and across the street from the Marriott.

The parking lot is somewhat small, but there is a security guard most of the time and maybe more importantly overnight, as there are some homeless people wandering the streets at all hours of the day.  Overnight parking is $10, but they seem to waive it for first time guests, or maybe for Diamond members on their first stay.

The hotel is square shaped with a small courtyard area in which the pool is located.  Having a room on the street side can be somewhat noisy, but having a room facing the courtyard can also have its drawbacks if there are loud, screaming kids at the pool.

The rooms have the familiar layout of all Hyatt Place hotels that I have been too with a couple of exceptions.

The front desk is located right as you enter the hotel.  The front desk agent was somewhat frazzled as she was on the phone when I approached the front desk.  She seemed unsure of how to handle being on the phone when a guest came to the front desk.  She finally asked the person on the phone to hold while she checked me in.

Couch with Ottoman

Upon entering the room there is the familiar L-shaped couch with ottoman.

Coffee Maker

There is a small wet bar area with coffee maker (which didn’t work), and a small refrigerator.

Desk

Extra Space

There is a small desk with limited workspace, but more importantly plenty of outlets.  The first difference is the amount of space between the desk and wet bar.  It is very spacious, unlike the cramped feeling in most Hyatt Place hotels.

Beds

The beds are comfortable.  There is a small nightstand, but there are outlets close enough to the bed in order to charge your phone or other electronics.

Like most Hyatt Place hotels, there is no central air conditioning, so the wall mounted unit can get somewhat noisy.

Bathroom Sink and Dresser

The bathroom is separated into two parts.

The sink is located outside of the bathroom.  There is limited counter space, but the dresser is located next to the bathroom counter so the amount of space is actually quite large.

Shower/Tub Combo

Toilet

The second exception to this Hyatt Place is located inside of the bathroom.  Unlike every other Hyatt Place I have been to there is a shower/tub combo rather than the walk-in shower with half door.  The water pressure here is excellent, almost like being in front of a fire hydrant.

The Hyatt Place offers free wi-fi to all guests however speed seemed to vary greatly depending on where in the hotel or room you were in.

The Hyatt Place also offers free breakfast to all guests.  There are usually a couple of hot items, along with fruit, yogurt, cereal, breads, muffins and bagels.  The signature Kitchen Skillet sandwiches were missing.  In its place were powdered scrambled eggs and sausage.  Other hot options included Cinnamon French Toast, and lumpy steel cut oatmeal.

The breakfast was somewhat disappointing given the lack of options.  I wouldn’t expect an extraordinary breakfast when it is offered free to all guests, but at least the Skillet Sandwiches add some consistency and familiarity throughout the chain.

The overall minuses of the hotel outweigh the slightly larger room.  I don’t see myself returning to this hotel unless the rate was an absolute steal.