Comments on: Colborne Lane (Toronto) – The Atrocity Exhibition

By: S Lloyd

S Lloyd — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:21:30 +0000

I ate twice at Colborne Lane. Although I was luckier with them (I am very down to earth and would call a dog a dog, but I saw no fault at all resulting from both dinners I had there), I need to add this: Chuck has the right to not share same appreciations than those who liked Colborne. Who are we to diss Chuck for his tastebuds not being impressed by what he had there. Those insults towards Chuck are suspicious (as in following up a specific agenda) and those folks are lucky that Chuck is opened to discussion: on my blog, I would never tolerate insignificant juvenile challenges over subjective matters! C’mon folks: you liked it, good for you! Chuck did not and that is none of your business to judge him!

By: will-smith-but-not-that-guy

will-smith-but-not-that-guy — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:41:03 +0000

That was my thought too. Oh well, they have their jobs to preserve, and it’s easier to attack critics than thoughtfully and objectively find out if there are ways to improve. Anyway, this was a great piece. I really do hope to read your detailed observations on Alinea sometime. Thanks again!

By: chuckeats

chuckeats — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:46:42 +0000

Will Smith, I’ve always felt the action in most blogs is in the comments – and even if people don’t agree, I like to read the comments – brings perspective to everything.

Given the number of comments on this particular post, I have no doubt some of the commenters above are somehow connected to the restaurant.

By: will-smith-but-not-that-guy

will-smith-but-not-that-guy — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:39:29 +0000

Chuck, I LOVE your blog…i don’t get to many of these fables places, so I love reading about them. I live to cook, am serious about my own food preferences, and consider myself a fairly thoughtful and informed eater. I have eaten at some of the restaurants you comment on, and do not always totally agree — but that’s the joy of reading your site! The layout, photos, and, most important of course, your writing are terrific in every way. So take this late in the game comment about Colborne Lane for what it’s worth: whatever you thought of the place, I totally enjoyed reading your observations. All these people who need to say “you don’t agree with me, you’re therefore an….” just don’t get it. I’m sorry you have to read so much silliness. Please keep this site updated! And I would really love to read your thoughts on your meal at Alinea…perhaps you could email it to me at xxxxx? Keep the faith, and thank you for this wonderful website!

By: cam_13

cam_13 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:52:08 +0000

Please don’t judge Canada on Montreal or Toronto…come to Vancouver and see what we can really do…

By: Renée

Renée — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:27:10 +0000

As an aside, I think these comments are funny. Sorry to find amusement in what some feel is a sensitive subject.
I, unlike Chuck and Tom on this meal, sat and endured the rest of mine with the remaining 4 at our table. I have to say a big thank you to the head of our table (I was a guest at this dinner) for sparing me the pain of paying for a meal that was trying too hard… and left us all rather unsatisfied. The plates were too busy, the portions too small (for their price), and everything bordered on wanting to be avant guard without jumping over the fence and doing so. I felt bad to feel this way as I had just completed a Chicago tasting menu tour (Avenues, Moto and Alinea) featuring a couple notable chefs who had already embraced this MG technique (of the three, chef GEB was the superstar – I do like it when food is just prepared well; Moto was more flash and fun, while Alinea was more refined). Service was spotty too, with one server responding rather rudely to my friend’s hesitation to respond when inquired about how he was finding the dessert (which he didn’t really enjoy). I do give CL credit for trying to introduce Toronto’s rather conservative palate to a “new-ish” (but too mainstream now-a-days) movement. I also admit that my experience was near the opening of the restaurant (a couple months in) so rough edges can be excused. But when I still hear of friends and associates’ lackluster experience and opinion of CL, I can’t help but conclude that perhaps I wasn’t too much of a snoot. It’s really too bad, I was rooting for CL to help break the mold in our food loving city.

By: Tom Gandey

Tom Gandey — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:34:43 +0000

Just as some bloggers talk out of their ass, the same happens with some readers. Chuck has told everyone why he doesn’t like CL, but no one comes forth with the reasons why they think CL is so great.

I think Hanif (co-owner) has more than a little say in influencing the dishes as evidenced by the heavy spicing in my last meal there. On my first visit I watched one of Hanif’s friends beside us douse everything in Tabasco without tasting it first and even though I _love_ Tabasco the acrid aroma from the next table was off-putting. Even so, there was one dish in particular that I thought was bordering excellent (lobster ceviche w/sudachi/tobiko and just a little chili heat… it had some forgettable puffed corn on top, but 4 out of 5 isn’t bad). This was the dish that made me take Chuck there in hopes of more of the same. Brilliant? No, but certainly gave me some hope for my next meal.

Fast forward to my meal with Chuck there. Pretty much exactly as he described. Robin was informed of our dissatisfaction with the meal and specific complaints were lodged. He could have sent Claudio out to speak with us about the dishes, but he did not. I saw Claudio in the dining room, so he was there and could have come to see us for a face-to-face and Robin knows me well enough that I would say exactly what was on my mind, in a constructive way.

Excuse me for being the pompous type that has worked hard enough to be able to afford eat in the worlds great restaurants. Martha, Hep, Max, Jackson… what great restaurants can you lay claim to have eaten in? Seems obvious to me that Martha and Jackson don’t get outside of Toronto much and Hep/Max probably work there.

You wonder why Toronto is behind the rest of the world when it comes to fine dining? Its because people in Toronto praise mediocre ingredients and cooking technique, therefore cuisine can never move forward. Take for instance NYC where people are known to be hypercritical… it has great restaurants. Hmm, I wonder why that is. Very few people with any type of food knowledge have the balls to tell someone that something is wrong and articulate enough to point out where the problem might be so the chef can go back and look for a possible mistake.

Keep insulting Chuck… he loves it when ignorant people try to mock him (and drive more traffic to his site).

By: ChuckEats

ChuckEats — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:57:25 +0000

Apparently there’s a campaign afoot to save the Colborne Lane name. Regardless, no one has offered any reason why CL is good. Brett Michaels was a rock star but was he good? Does being the best place in Toronto (although I’d argue Splendido is far better) mean the restaurant is great?

As I’ve said before, the cuisine is Ferran Adria acolyte gone wrong.

(Ironically enough, this post is accounting for a decent amount of traffic courtesy of the search engines. Colborne Lane is so great that everyone is keeping it a secret, leaving my review atop the search engine rankings.)

By: martha moss

martha moss — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:11:14 +0000

Aprile is a rock star. I found the dishes very creative and original. the place is amazing , toronto needs more places like this, this city is way behind london, nyc, sydney, etc, etc …. are you sure you are refferring to colborne lane? because everyone i talk to says this place is the best restaurant in toronto.

btw, i think you should leave this post on regardless if you get insulted. your not exactly polite.

chuck, if you can’t handle the heat ……..

By: ChuckEats

ChuckEats — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:31:09 +0000

Blah blah blah – I’ve given my reasons for my lack of enthusiasm – everyone else just throws insults at me while refusing to explain why they hold the restaurant in such high regard.

If the insults continue, the comments will get erased. If the comments actually contain meaningful information for readers, despite any dissenting views from my review, I will keep them.