THE HARBORD ROOM
89 Harbord St., 416 962 8989
The most yummy bistro in town is a magnificent deep coral room with lazy ceiling fans and schoolroom lights, it’s only trouble being that it is known by everybody else too, so it’s consistently crowded and the servers are diverted. However, the food is scrumptious. You may still find hamburgers and great soups, their supernal brick chicken and amazing octopus remains — fabulously soft succulent chicken pressed to intensify its flavour. Chef Cory Vitiello has recently veered towards the Middle East, deliciously. Borani is eggplant dip with crispy crunchy fried house-made pita chips. For dessert I favour the ethereal ricotta doughnuts to dunk in puckery creamy lemon curd.
BYBLOS
11 Duncan St., 647 660 0909
Partners Charles Khabouth (king of clubs) and Hanif Harji bring us dazzling Mediterranean cuisine. Eastern Mediterranean. No hummus ‘n’ pita here. Instead we find striking octopus with fingerling potatoes, chili vinaigrette and preserved lemon, uber-crispy bread salad with barely marinated veg, lamb ribs that sell out most nights (and for good reason), a healthier salad of beets with yogurt which has no right to taste this great. Two desserts stand out: Flourless yogurt cake, a cross between panna cotta and cheesecake but lighter and more appetizing than both. And deep fried pastry cream with strawberry fragments on top. To entice us additional — for the Khabouth/Harji mandate is enchantment you can purchase — everyone makes an entrance down the pale cream stairs to the light buzzy room that speaks metaphorically but not literally of a beach on a Greek island.
Engagement party venues Toronto
BARQUE SMOKEHOUSE
299 Roncesvalles Ave., 416 532 7700
Leading the Roncy renaissance, welcome and both Barque’s cooking have become increasingly ensured. The planet is beating path thanks to BBQ and chef -meister David Neinstein. There are always crowds waiting outside, though they take bookings. The ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and smoky, thanks to the smoker that is gargantuan in the open kitchen. BBQ wings also come tender and smoky/sweet, as do dry rubbed baby back ribs. But my kingdom for Barque’s brisket! Briskets turn into moist, soft only-sweet-enough hunks of carnivore heaven. Sides are credible (especially the Cuban corn with feta-lime mayonnaise). Barque’s edible appeals are accentuated by its own distressed concrete ’n’ brick cool seems.
THE DRAKE HOTEL
{1150 Queen St. W., {416-531-5042|416 531 5042}
{Unlike|Contrary to} other hipster {venues|sites|places} that flame out, the Drake {remains|continues} Toronto’s {rock-solid|rocksolid|rock solid} epicentre of cool, where {skinny|skeletal|lanky|scrawny|scraggy} 30-somethings in {lots|tons|bunches} of black {perennially {pack|package}|{pack|package} that is perennially} the {{big|large|huge|enormous} {bar|pub}|{bar|pub} that is {big|large|huge|enormous}}, {especially|particularly|notably} the upstairs {terrace|patio} in summer. And shocking but true, the dining room is {really|very|actually|truly} {good|great}. Their sushi is {both fresh and creative, {real|actual} crab maki|creative, {real|actual} crab maki and both fresh} and {fab {spicy|hot} tuna sashimi|{spicy|hot} tuna sashimi that are fab}. The {usual|most common|typical} bistro {fare|menu} is there are {competent|qualified|capable} — {{burgers|hamburgers}, lobster nachos|lobster nachos, {burgers|hamburgers}}, mac {’n’ cheese|n’ cheese that is ’}. But {stray|wander|roam|ramble} {from the|in the} {trodden {path|trail|route}|{path|trail|route} that is trodden}. {Let them|Enable them to} make you rich seafood chowder with {{perfectly|absolutely|totally} cooked lobster and scallops|scallops and {perfectly|absolutely|totally} cooked lobster}.{ Or seared tuna with warm watercress.|} {This is|This can be|That is|This really is} an ever-{improving|enhancing} kitchen. But {skip|bypass|jump} the pies, whose stodgy crusts do no credit to the {world|universe} of patisserie.
PEOPLES EATERY
307 Spadina Ave., 416-792-1784
The Ave’s ultra hipster go-to watering hole comes to us from the owners of 416 Snack Bar, and serves quite fine little plates thanks to exec chef Dustin Gallagher, who had been the chef at Grace and before that cut his teeth at Susur. Hence the fusion Orientalia about the menu: Fairly great Peking duck and super crispy General Tso’s tofu. Plump scallops served on a mini -hibachi with braised daikon miso mustard eggplant and yuzu beurre blanc that is wonderful. Wonderful trout sashimi bathed in snazzy kimchi, with salad on top and kewpie mayo. Chef salutes the Avenue’s Jewish history with crispy baby latkes topped with sour cream pickled shallots and pastrami -spiced smoked trout. From after-work crafty cocktails ’n’ munchies to late night winding down, here is the spot to be. But cramped and tiny so expect it to feel like a sardine can that is delectable.
BORALIA
59 Ossington Ave., 647 351 5100
Toronto’s homage to Canadiana is delicious thanks to superchef Wayne Morris. L’clade, chef’s item that is most famous, is mussels that come to the table topped using a glass dome. The waiter lifts the dome along with a thick aromatic cloud of smoke that is pine floats up. Chef’s filled onions are sublime: These are little onions stuffed with curry spices with silken creamed carrots lightly seasoned. Chef’s pan roasted elk is the top meat in town: soft, succulent, jam-packed with flavour. Without eating the pigeon pie, but don't leave Boralia. The flakiest pastry that is possible encloses ineffably tender small balls of squab dark meat with onions and carrots. Beside the pie sit slices of the squab breast, deep, vibrant, fork-tender. Partner Evelyn Wu Morris and Wayne Morris have created a charming room with Canadiana shtick that was intelligent. But what matters most, consistently, is the taste of things. And theirs is outstanding.
BYMARK
66 Wellington St. W., 416 777 1144
Request any citizen of Bay Street where the greatest eating is in the concrete canyons and Bymark is said by them. Despite Mark McEwan’s completely divided attention, thanks to the development of the McEwan Group, Bymark tastes very good although the service has slackened. The room has been updated, charmingly brightened and lightened. Even better reserve refined wood and rock Canadiana. Specific classic menu items stand out: Butter braised lobster poutine is brilliant — rich, loaded with lobster and crispy frites -spiked bearnaise. Infant octopus is fork-tender and magnificent with smoked poblano sauce with chayote. The $39 lamb (pink perfect chop and sous vide shoulder) with asparagus, carrots, braised pearl onions and gnocchi is only what the physician ordered for a captain of industry — excellent but not dazzling. Nothing to deflect from the deal.
BUCA
604 King St. W., 416-865-1600
From nodini (small knots of bread served warm in hot oil with sea salt and rosemary, kissin’ cousin to paradise) to boutique grappa, Buca is an Italian joy. The tall nouvelle industrial room is stunning and glamorous, the servers super affable, and the food magnificent. Large flavours, exuberance that is Italian. House-healed salume are wonderful — The 21-month cured prosciutto is pig paradise, with marinated leeks; goose breast prosciutto even more sexy. Uncooked Spanish mackerel receives the benediction of designer EVOO with baby basil cooked yogurt and dots of Meyer lemon gels. Nobody does better pasta, the majority of which is house-made. Bigoli, the perennial best seller, is toothsome duck egg noodles with duck ragu that is breathless. Afterward house-made white chocolate ice clementine, cream and blueberry sorbets. Or the fried lemon pastry cream with crème anglaise. Love is sweet.
TUTTI MATTI
364 Adelaide St. W., 416 597 8839
Chef Alida Solomon is at the top of her match. Her Tuscan cooking is nearly as good as it gets in the hills around Siena and Florence, her ingredients impeccable, her taste buds dazzling. Porchetta is everywhere, but rarely as amusing as Alida’s variation shaved on grilled bread with tiny crispy-fried shallot rings, arugula plus a slather of tuna emulsified smooth in mayonnaise (a play on the trad vitello tonnato). Smooth waitstaff pour strong loaded pheasant consomm onto pheasant and chestnut tortelli with crisp small touches of farro and dehydrated apple fragments. Perfect lamb includes grilled fennel, preserved lemon and fab pickled cabbage. One of the utmost effective five Italian restaurants.
BUCA YORKVILLE
53 Scollard St., 416-962-2822
Buzzy and beautiful and unfussy, the Yorkville Buca is Italian with a concentration on fish as well as a grin on its face. The staff are with wine and the food they’re serving in huge Italian love. Dinner is permeated by them with happiness. See the waiter debone a complete salt-baked orata. It’s high-priced, but oh the eros of perfect sweet fish flesh with fabulous Sicilian olive oil that is aromatic. Or the tableside theatre of turning a whole uncooked sea bass into outstanding sashimi with prosecco, olive oil, and grated (!!) sea salt. The Buca custom of curing meats translates here into delectable mortadella of side-striped shrimp with scallop pistachio and lobster sausage, and complex smoked eel. Their pasta is a fantasy come true, whether it’s thin capellini with salty/sweet lobster bottarga, lobster and tomato, or gnocco fritto with squid ink dumplings. Put in a marvellous radicchio salad, shut your eyes, it could be a palazzo in Capri.
