My love of the East side includes the EAST ENDER

East Ender
1214 Queen St E  Toronto, ON M4M 1L7
(647) 346-3278

Fowl Mouth Rating !@#$% of !@#$% = Excellent

I was a west end girl for about 7 years, I loved everything about living west; High Park, Roncy, Easy Restaurant, Walks along Bloor, hanging on the boardwalk…it was like heaven,  then I moved east.  Right smack in the middle of the Indian Bazzar Gerard Street East. Now I truly know what heaven is. It’s the perfect place, I’m a two minute walk from the BEST indian food in the city at Lahore Tikka House, 1km away from the Danforth, and 1km away from Leslieville.  We walk to do most of our shopping ROWE Farms and Leslieville Cheese Market see allot of us and there are farmers markets almost every day close to the house.

One evening in the early spring we were looking for a place to have dinner, walking down Queen St. East we passed East Ender and decided to give it a try.  I was totally blown away with the quality of the food. We have since been numerous times and have tried almost everything on the menu.  The Black Cod and Moroccan Lamb Shank of two of my favourite dishes they make, however whenever there is a fish special I always choose that, and I am never disappointed.

Their food is naturally raised, for the most part organic and local.  The Chef Greg Argent knows his way to my heart.  The flavours he presents in all the dishes are amazing.  You feel like you are being transplanted to another world via your mouth…you just want to lick your plate so the feeling won’t end.  Okay I’m being a little dramatic but DAMMMMMMM I love the food.  Below is a few snap shots of my meals at the East Ender.

 

 

Shrimp Cocktail, with Smoked Tomato Sauce

 

 

Wild Boar Cannelloni

 

 

Seared Albacore Tuna with Asian Slaw

I didn’t want to have to bring this up but I must if you are going there to try this delicious food.  Plan on at least 90 min for dinner. Service is SLOW! They never have enough servers on the floor and the ones they do have outside of the co-owner Hieu Nguyen serving tables are slow and their food knowledge is lacking.  Even with the slow service I still highly recommend everyone go there just to try the food. Oh I also should mention, the place has really cool atmosphere as well, you never feel like you are too close to the neighbouring table, lots of room, privacy, soft lighting and cool artwork.

I’ve had a ton of time this summer to explore the east end my new neighbourhood and I am truly in love, and very in love with the person I get to share all these great dinners, patio talks and smoked meat sandwiches with my JJ. Thanks East End of Toronto, I’m very happy to call you home!