Good Stuff Cheap: four standout dinner dates for penny pinchers
FOR A CINQ À SEPT
Devoted locavores should head to Beast after work Wednesday through Friday, when former Jamie Kennedy chefs Scott and Rachelle Vivian serve up nose-to-tail small plates—including pig’s head pappardelle for only $4. Lovely Quebec and Ontario beers for pairing are also just $4; a number of wines are $5 a glass. 96 Tecumseth St., 647-352-6000.
FOR A ROMAN HOLIDAY
When it opened last year, Enoteca Sociale (above), the rustic Italian restaurant, earned an instant and obsessive following. In true Roman tradition, it offers Nonna night on Sundays: that’s three courses, including one of the house’s fabulous fresh pastas, served on heaping family-style platters. $35 per person. 1288 Dundas St. W., 416-534-1200.
FOR DISCOUNTED DECADENCE
After jockeying with Joe Pantalone for a liquor licence, Harbord’s Içi Bistro is finally open. J. P. Challet’s classic French style is surprisingly affordable, with smaller portions at smaller prices. That means diners get discount boeuf bourguignon ($17) and lobster thermidor ($18) and still have coin left over for brut. 538 Manning Ave., 416-536-0079.
FOR RAW HIDES
Sushi Couture, the highest-quality raw-fish destination on sushi-dense Bloor, serves up an excellent $39 omakase menu by master chef Ken Zhang. All told, it amounts to five courses of, among other delicacies, high-calibre tuna, butterfish and mussels—blowtorched, lime marinated, barbecued or hand-rolled into bites. 456 Bloor St. W., 416-538-8618.
Good Stuff Cheap 2011 articles:
- 100 items under $10
- 11 selections for a kick-ass and low-cost charcuterie plate
- Three great wines for recession hangovers
- How to make your own soda water
- A massive mirror for a modest cost
- Nine of the city’s best foods for under $6
- How to glam up a parlour on a not-so-huge budget
- Hit the fashion zeitgeist with this fuzzy, furry trio
- The best deals for kids’ favourites
- Toronto’s five best vintage stores (no rummaging required)
- Ladies and gentlemen, here’s how to put together a party outfit for under $200
- Three genuine refuges where guys can get their groom on—cheaply
- Six designer sample sales that make lining up seem entirely sane
- Want an iPhone? Here’s how to make one (sort of)
- Three cameras that hit the mark for under $500
- Five genius ways to save on everyday technology
- Three unbeatable go-to spots for home improvement