General Food, Dining and Nightlife News

[tomh009]

I went to Raja in Belmont Village for dinner tonight and I must say it was very, very good.

Seconded!  We've been there twice and very pleased with the food and service both times.  And it's potentially the only nice/upscale Indian restaurant in town.  A bit of a long walk, but in nice weather I don't mind so much.

[MacBerry]

I went to Raja in Belmont Village for dinner tonight and I must say it was very, very good.

Seconded!  We've been there twice and very pleased with the food and service both times.  And it's potentially the only nice/upscale Indian restaurant in town.  A bit of a long walk, but in nice weather I don't mind so much.

I was there the first few weeks they were open (about 12-18 months ago?). Really great service and tikka masala was awesome. Great service . Other people attending there at that time were a bit (a lot) pretentious as the space is cozy for all to hear.

I've been back afew times and will continue to explore their menu. I think if you had a dish in mind and they didn't have it on the menu, they would try and cook it for you.  I give it 3 stars out of 4!

[Drake]

Yes I have eaten at Raja too. They have a good lunch buffet. The place is very clean. They obviously have high standards.

I understand this Raja is the second location, and the original is in Stratford.

[plam]

I went to Raja in Belmont Village for dinner tonight and I must say it was very, very good.

Seconded!  We've been there twice and very pleased with the food and service both times.  And it's potentially the only nice/upscale Indian restaurant in town.  A bit of a long walk, but in nice weather I don't mind so much.

I didn't expect much, but Empress of India on King St exceeded expectations by a lot. (weak praise?) In any case, I actually did like it. I haven't been to Masala Bay for a long while.

[Smore]

has anyone been into Gastro Pub 29 in its new location since they opened?

[panamaniac]

has anyone been into Gastro Pub 29 in its new location since they opened?

I didn't realize that they had opened.  Must get out to try it - I thought the food at the old place was above average.

[panamaniac]

has anyone been into Gastro Pub 29 in its new location since they opened?

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I didn't realize that they had opened.  Must get out to try it - I thought the food at the old place was above average.

So, I went in for lunch today.   Same menu as the old location.  The new space is much larger and has been fixed up quite nicely with plank ceilings, some stonework accents, etc.  There's a terrace on the River Rd side.  They offer a number of craft beers by the bottle (Descendants, Triple Bogey, Block 3, Beaus, among others), but none on tap.   More restaurant than pub, I would say, but it's worth checking out, imo.

[jamincan]

I'll have to check it out, cause that's quite close to my house. The patio looks pretty nice.

[Watdot]

The old Benny's location at the corner of Weber St and Lodge St in Waterloo is becoming a Mothers Pizza. Sign at that location.

[MacBerry]

The old Benny's location at the corner of Weber St and Lodge St in Waterloo is becoming a Mothers Pizza.  Sign at that location.

WoW! It is 1976 again #MothersPizza

[MidTowner]

Has anyone been to Mercato yet, in the old Hive space? It was open when I passed by on the weekend, but empty. I didn’t stop in to ask about their format or menu, but what they have done with the décor looked pretty inviting.

[panamaniac]

Has anyone been to Mercato yet, in the old Hive space? It was open when I passed by on the weekend, but empty. I didn’t stop in to ask about their format or menu, but what they have done with the décor looked pretty inviting.

I went in just after they opened, so I didn't want to judge based on that.  As you say, the space is pretty good.  I don't think the owners have much experience in the business, however.  They seem to be going for a neighbourhood sports bar kind of thing, but I'm not sure that they offer anything that would draw people in.

[TMKM94]

The KFC at Highland and Fisher Hallman is finally being renovated (hopefully there still combining Taco bell into the building, Supposedly that's why the Westmount Taco bell location closed a few years ago. I'm assuming since the building is going under a major renovation (temporarily closed) and all the other KFC locations that remained open were combined with Taco Bell's.

[panamaniac]

I haven't been in since shortly after they opened, but I think Amaya Express has made a few changes, most notably switching to a buffet format for their lunch service. I understand that they are adding live music (jazz) on Friday evenings.

[panamaniac]

An article in the Record about the "Factory Square" project at 451 Phillip St confirms that this will be the location of the new Matter of Taste café/roastery.