I must take this opportunity now that I’m in my senses to apologize to each and every one of you whom I insulted. I got carried away. I was frustrated because I not only got fired from my previous job as a hostess but could not get a mere waitress job.

I’m so sorry once again and hope the author of this website can take my comments down.

Didier.
another dissapointment with a Chef who is always grumpy and swearing to all his staff and a Chef who dares to serve food that has been sitting on the pass for a while, due to disorganization and still send it to his costumers. deserves no respect from me.

But I don`t want to bash anybody I just want to say that the restaurant industry in toronto needs good cooks, cooks that want to cook with passion and with their hearts, we don`t need the recently graduated kids who pretend to be big shots only because they went to culinary school. their attitude is tainting the industry and also the need of money, restauranteurs want to make money and then care for their costumers.

I love the feud between Richard and Christine.
you guys should meet each other, go for dinner and have fun.
ciao

I thought I might give an overview of my last dining experience. I am not a “cultured diner” nor am I a food critic or any kind of classy connoisseur. I am just your average old gal, who likes to eat (and I have a waistline to show for it! Blush blush blush.) I think of myself as a very plain, simply woman who enjoys a nice time with her girlfriends now and again. Still, I’d like to think of myself as reliable…

PRICE:
Let me say first off that RUNDLES is not cheap. Anything but. During these hard economic times, a lot of theatregoers will be hesitant to reach into their purses and pay the inordinate prices that RUNDLES demands. Is it worth the money? I have always thought that dinning was supposed to be pleasurable, and fine dining is something you have to pay for. So, this is a tough call. They offer two different menus – one of them is supposedly cheaper. With the latter, you are carted off to the back room that they call something else (I can’t remember.) But what I noticed was that the menu prices for this “dumbed down” menu weren’t all that much cheaper – it’s as if the owners are trying to “trick” diners into thinking they are paying for less, when they aren’t! I just want to warn people that you are going to have to pay a lot of money. Are you being swindled? Perhaps.

FOOD:
However, it must be said that the food is excellent – it can compete with some of the best restaurants in Toronto (although I find the restaurants here in T-dot a bit more – well, “worldy.”) But at Rundles, I had some skate wing last time, and it just melted in my mouth. Their food is kind of flawless. A+ No complaints here.

SERVICE:
However, I found the service unacceptable. The servers are either a) very young and inexperienced – it’s as if they are running a sweatshop or b) extremely arrogant ant patronizing (perhaps this was the mysterious Richard figure who looms heavily in these posts – I must say, he sounds very shrill and pretentious, a waiter who will spit in your soup. How easily he is provoked, and he’s obviously devoid of a sense of humour. Do the owners of RUNDLES know he is making such outrageous statements? They should get rid of him, if they haven’t already done so…he reminds me of the kind of waiter who tries to intimidate little old ladies like me.)

WINE:
The wine at Rundles is very overpriced. They have taken the art of “markup” to a whole new level. It is not bad wine, but I find it a little unimaginative and lacking.

DESIGN:
The design is contemporary and what one might call “avant garde.” If you like that kind of thing, then you will enjoy it. I don’t want to sound like a stuffy old maid, but I am a traditionalist myself, and therefore prefer the design of THE OLD PRUNE (it’s in a lovely old Victorian house.) If you are at Rundles, try to sit near the window, so you can get a view of the lake.

OVERALL: The food was good, the service lousy. The prices really are over-the-top. Also, stay clear of this Richard fellow (he might sneer at your clothes, which might not be expensive enough for his posh dining room.) Still, I might try going there again. But then again, maybe I’ll just decide it’s a sham.

And Christine (if you happen to be out on another weekend pass), you’re psychotic and you need to get a grip on reality. Stop trolling the internet pretending you’re someone you’re so clearly not. Go out and get yourself a cheeseburger or something.

Sounds like your trying to be something your not – intelligent and funny.

Have a great day!

“WOW! There sure are a lot of people on this site with a lot of time on their hands. Obviously none of them are cooks because they would be too busy working to keep up with this circus…get a life.”

Because you didnt read the entire string. Seems to me that you enjoyed this circus enough to make a comment with zero substance. Who needs to get a life exactly? People with an opinion or someone like you who doesnt have enough brain matter to come up with one?. Maybe you should take a table spoon of your own advice.

I agree a lot of Christine’s statements might have been harsh, but I think it has been mostly out of entertainment and to stir the pot a bit more – not that I condone all of her comments. People get over it, it’s the internet. I doubt in real life, she is as harsh.

After reading most of this, I will say that for someone like Richard (regardless if he is a glass polisher, server, cook, chef whatever) to come out and say “I think Gordon Ramsay is totally overrated (like Susur), …., I think he doesn’t belong here” is entirely unprofessional and low. Regardless of what you actually think or feel regardless of how passionate or what kind of expert you think you are (I wont refute your credentials) to come out and bash a someone like Gordon or Susur is simply moronic and career suicide. These guys, regardless if you know them personally or not, are your industry colleagues. Even if you don’t “like” them or their way of business, these guys are paving the way for you and the alike as a direct result of their success, their shows and “PR”.

A lot of us have become more aware of the culinary industry and the dedication and efforts an aspiring culinary professional put in every day via shows like the Iron Chef, Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen. If it wasn’t for a show like Hell’s Kitchen, most people would not know what kind of schooling, training, pressure and sacrifice has to be made to make it. As a result of these shows, I have garnered a huge amount of respect for kitchen staff and waiters who do their jobs well. Further, I have even tip better over time beyond the industry standard. To this you owe, at the very least, respect to Grodon, Susur and the alike. You don’t have to like them, but you can at the very least give them the respect that is due. I am sure they had a similar journey as you.

Richard, in some regards you sound bitter or even jealous. Why? You are entitled to your opinions and I am sure you are very passionate about the business but who are you to say he doesn’t belong here? If he is here it’s because there is a market and demand for his product. It’s up to people like, Christine, myself and the others on this forum to decide whether he succeeds or not via our patronage. When you make comments like you have about these people aloud on the internet, in my opinion, it is downright unprofessional and distasteful. I for one will never step foot in RUNDLES as a result. Richard, if you consider yourself and expert, that falls inline with being professional, so you should align your comments in the same regard. You simply came out and blasted two guys (Gordon and Susur) who have worked very hard, become successful and have done nothing to you (as far as I know), just because they got some televised attention and plan to expand to Canada. What’s the big deal? I agree with you there are many gems out side of the centre of the universe and I for one love dining in places like Kingston and Stratford – let the people choose where they want to do. Maybe having guys like Gordon here will push you do expand your horizons, do more, be better etc.. At then end of the day its all about the food and the service, but mostly the food and the love for it. NO?

Richard, I do offer you some advice, go out, get a loan and open up your own place – I am sure many of the readers of TL would be more than happy to try it out but I would be more careful with your tongue.

Go polish something.

I know I will never be dining at Rundles after this – nor the 700+ contacts I have on e-mail.

Ramsay would be proud: f**king Donkey is right!