[calimehtar]

There are a handful of nicer venues at harbourfront. I think the lack of options is the biggest problem, but also things are generally over-priced.

Why not just open it up a little bit. Add a few more concessions and allow some open bidding, maybe rules to prevent one concession from controlling all the spaces. It works in the rest of the city, so why not in the parks and waterfront? In Romania (to give you one example) beer gardens are pretty common and they are generally cheap, if a bit grungy. But that would be a huge step up from the current situation in Toronto in my opinion.

 

[Tuscani01]

Well, there's a pretty shady monopoly situation on the Lake Shore, but there are a few really good places to eat on the Islands if you know where to look. Here's one: www.therectorycafe.com

I think the seasonal nature of Centre Island is a major factor in the prevalance of PizzaPizza, Nestle ice cream carts, and lame hot dog shops.

Thanks for the recommendation. I went to The Rectory on Sunday and the food was absolutely amazing!

 

[Mystic Point]

The reason why the food on the Islands is so lousy and expensive is very simple. One company , Beasley Amusements, was granted years ago a complete monopoly for food concessions on all of the islands. There is no competition and therefore Beasley does not have to compete on price or quality. You have to bring your own food with you if you want to avoid getting ripped off.

As for the Lakeshore a similar situation exists in the Beaches where the city has granted one company - Tuggs Inc. a complete monopoly. This is the corrupt deal that Rob Ford spoke of recently.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/sueann_levy/2010/05/23/14052766.html

So how did Tuggs and Beasley manage to get themselves a monopoly on the restaurant situation along the Lake Shore and the Island. It's disgusting junk.

I like the Rectory and the Island Cafe, but the rest is so bad I wouldn't feed it to an enemy.

 

[Admiral Beez]

So how did Tuggs and Beasley manage to get themselves a monopoly on the restaurant situation along the Lake Shore and the Island. It's disgusting junk.

I like the Rectory and the Island Cafe, but the rest is so bad I wouldn't feed it to an enemy.

Maybe we'll find out with the trial coming of "Fouldis-twice" Tuggs vs Ford. I'm not sure why, but I feel that Jacobek is somehow involved.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/cit...lk-pub-libel-lawsuit-case-begins-against-ford

 

[M.R.Victor]

Just went to check out the Rectory a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, I did not enjoy it much, it seems very barren in terms of both decor and atmosphere. Granted, it was a fairly gloomy fall day, but I still expected more from the interior. The food wasn't bad, but certainly not worth the price tag. Just my two cents