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| Canadiana and comfort food, like at Bannock, dominate my favourite restaurant picks |
Happy (belated) 2012 everyone! I resolve to post more recipes and reviews this year, to keep on top of my blog with posts twice weekly, to start a twitter feed, to eat healthier and exercise more, to stop biting my nails, to drink less wine, to spend less money on dining out. Oiy, this sounds ambitious (and some seem to clash), I need a glass of wine.
Seeing as how it's trendy for all the Toronto foodie websites to make best of 2011 lists, I thought I'd indulge you all with the same! Seriously, you have to try all of these places --- if you're looking for somewhere to eat and can't decide come visit and let me know if you tried these and how you liked them.
Here are my top 11 restaurant picks of 2011, in no particular order (only some have my own pictures, and some of them are crappy 3G iPhone pics because I hadn't dreamed up the blog idea at the point I had visited some). Enjoy!
1. Khao San Road (326 Adelaide St)
The owners call it the "best Thai food in Toronto," along with any number of other Thai places in the city, but I think this time the claim is accurate. Picture the interior as a more upscale version of Salad King, lots of long, communal tables crammed with young and hip diners. It's advisable to call for a reservation, but don't do what I did and expect that because you left a message, you're in. They never called back, so we had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. This place also gets points for having both vegan and gluten-free dishes to accommodate my dietarily-restricted friends.
The typical Thai fresh rolls are made new with the addition of a homemade chicken sausage ($6). The crispy, not greasy, deep-fried garlic chicken appetizers are a perfect balance of crunch and tenderness -- if a tad too garlicky ($8). Not a fan of the too-sweet Thai iced tea, made with apparently homemade tea and condensed milk ($4.50).
I will say that their Pad Thai ($14 for chicken) is the best I have had in this city, not ketchupy-sweet or overly-sauced like some places. The noodles have just a thin coating of a peanut barbecue sauce that is just an amazing take on what's become standard fare. We got hot and it was the perfect amount of spice.
Though more expensive than your average Thai restaurant the extra care is certainly worth the wait and the price.
2. Grand Electric ( 1330 Queen St W.)
This just-opened low-key Parkdale resto (read picnic tables and a hiphop soundtrack)by ex-Black Hoofers has some of the freshest tasting Mexican food I've ever tried. But if you're planning to go, bring a book, it's already generating a ton of buzz and there are long lines. We went around seven and waited an hour. But it also has a Pizza Libretto-type system where you can find a local pub to wait at and have the host call you when your table is ready.
The host was super friendly while we were waiting and even scored us some free wine, which always makes for a great start to a dinner out. There are only about 15 seats and 10 different selections on the menu and the much talked about pozole (a very hearty Mexican soup) was already sold out. The plates are mostly tapas style which is amazing because you can try a bit of each of their dishes. Order down the menu from the creamy guacamole with warm chewy tortilla chips to the lime-soaked delicate tuna ceviche ($7.50. to the carefully constructed combinations in each of their taco choices_ baja fish (best), spicy chicken (hot aftertaste), beef cheek (melt in your mouth), pork belly (hearty) at 3 for $10_ for an extraordinary taste flight at a decent price. Also, they're all over Toronto's latest craze -bourbon, which is heavily featured on the drink list. On the down side, service can be a bit spotty. I asked three times for side plates for our messy food, as all of our tacos came on one plate, and no one brought them!
3. Briscola (501 College St)
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| No, this is not wine-induced sucky iPhone blur , it 's a recreation of my dream later that night. |
Briscola is one Little Italy restaurant that knows how to do Italian right. The modern design is a stylish yet comfortable setting and makes the typical long and narrow College St. layout feel less claustrophobic. It's lively but not too loud. The server was really helpful, even if we couldn't pronounce the proper names of some of the dishes ... The wine list is reasonably priced and (most importantly) the food is really tasty, not too rustic, not too fancy.
Italian staples like pizza and pasta abound, but they're done so that, if you weren't in public, you'd be licking your plate clean. We started with the Proscitto di Parma with stuffed figs and candied almonds ($14), one of my most memorable taste combinations of the year. It came with four piece on a bed of lettuce, which was enough for two, but next time, I'd hog it to myself. My maltagliati (which means basically leftover, misshapen pasta pieces) came with just enough flavours -- basil pesto, perfectly roasted cherry tomatoes and a thick marscapone cream sauce dolloped atop ( $20). Portion sizes are decent and for most pastas you can choose between a large or small. My only complaint is that on the two other occasions I've tried to go back with a friend who raves about the pappardelle with bison bologonese with ricotta ($17/$22), they've been closed for private functions.
4. Frank's Kitchen (588 College St.)
Frank's Kitchen was a place I had heard a lot about and after waiting so long I was definitely not disappointed. The biggest compliment I have to pay here is the comfort level. Everything about it seems relaxing in one way or another from the subdued candlelit room, the to-die-for freshly baked olive and onion brioche breads that arrive warm at your table when you arrive, the amuse bouche in between courses and the friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Oh yeah, and the food is pretty great too! The mains are about $20 on average, a good deal given all the gratis courses you're given.
To start, I had the arugula salad with shaved parmigiana, roasted pear and candied nuts in a lemon vinaigrette, a great value for one of my favourite type of salads at $8. For a main, I opted for the gnocchi, which I often do, and regret because there’s not more. Here the gnocchi was served fairly typically with Gorgonzola sauce and pancetta, one discernible difference was the consistency of the dumplings, which were both crisp and tender ($15). The sauce however was a little overpowered by lemon. The portion size was a little small, as I often find with gnocchi, but it is the type of place where pasta is considered a precursor to a main, so with that and the other great values, I forgive.
It's hard to get a reservation, so plan in advance or do what I do, just make one knowing that you'll find some fellow foodie to dine with when the time comes. But this place is good enough to go alone.
5. Enoteca Sociale (1288 Dundas St. W)
Okay, I apologize for not even having a crappy iPhone photo posted here, but I went here long before I had my blog idea. Thus, my memory is also a bit more hazy.
It's absolutely no wonder why I had to book reservations here more than a month in advance! The bustling, candlelit and rustic feeling Dundas St. haunt is just up the street from its sister (and very successful) Pizza Libretto. But starting with the fact you can actually make reservations at Enoteca Sociale, this place feels that much more down home and your meal all that more special. I wandered downstairs to find the owner eating in the wine cellar (usually also a dining room), where he showed me around the cellar as well as their adjacent "cheese cave."
The restaurant focuses on locally grown and seasonal ingredients as much as possible --which is probably why the menu changes often.
For example, I was delighted to find the slightly more robust taste of kale in my manicotti rather than spinach. I opted for the traditional Italian comfort meal and with the fresh noodles and velvety ricotta, teleggio, kale and shallot filling smothered in a homemade tomato sauce rich with flavour, and incredibly cheesy topping, I was thoroughly comforted. An appetizer of local ricotta drizzled with honey with crostini was simple and marvellous. Again, portions are on the smaller size, but the quality totally makes up for it and leave you filled.
The atmosphere is casual and homey and the food is exceptional.
6. Bannock (401 Bay St.)
This cozy restaurant in The Bay on Queen St. is Oliver &Bonacini's take on the 2011 trend of Canadian comfort food. A classic poutine was done up the right way with cheese curds, but the added touches of chicken gravy, instead of beef and rosemary. It's a great starter to share for $10 to get you in the Canadiana mood.
The servers are extremely knowledgeable about the food and wine they serve and where they come from. One thing is that a more Canadian-dominated wine list would have been paying true homage.
For a menu filled with heavy cuisine like mac n' cheese, pizza on bannock (a Native flatbread) and burgers, a new take on a Cobb salad is a welcome add-in. For $14 you get more than 14 different flavours including a quinoa crunch, guacamole, deviled egg salad, delicious Thunder Oak gouda from Thunder Bay, barley, sprouts peppers, cucumber etc. topped with a strip of bannock. This however, is one of two vegetarian-friendly dishes on the mostly meaty menu.
A boneless back rib sandwich ($15) is not thoroughly deboned, but is still hearty and tasty topped with tomato jam and maple mustard BBQ sauce-- and thank God for the little bit of veg the tomato and lettuce add. A traditional Quebecois tourtiere ($16) has a perfectly buttery crust and rich taste thanks to the addition of pulled pork, though you can't see it.
Overall, a little slice of Canadian heaven ---too bad we didn't have room for the desserts, which including butter tarts and s'mores. Ah well, we'll be back next time we're searching for a decent restaurant in the Eaton Centre area (aside from the newly-opened location of the always stellar Mercatto).
7. Woodlot (293 Palmerston Ave.)
First thing you notice walking into (and even up to) the restaurant is the sweet hickory smell of a wood-burning stove situated in one of the coolest restaurant spaces in the city --- an old garage. The place is always busy, so again, you're best to make reservations, but even if you don't there is one big communal table next to the open kitchen. The best seats in the house are a small number upstairs that overlook the kitchen below. The second great thing about this place is that there are two separate menus --one for vegetarians, and one for carnivorous fare. Everything here is hand-crafted. I could have filled up on the fresh baked bread alone (it is also a bakery), save for the fact that I was too embarrassed to ask for another basket or five.
Woodlot is a perfect example of modern comfort food, termed "lumberjack fare" by one Toronto Life critic. It features veggies that are usually left off menus -- I'm looking at you Brussel sprouts spruced up with juniper berries and pancetta -- as well as an array of different cuisines, from French onion soup, to cabbage rolls, but the menu varies frequently. No matter it all seems tasty!
Given that I was with a veggie friend, I decided to order sympathetically. Three small toasts topped with deliciously salty halloumi, spiced chickpeas, apple preserve and basil were rich and layered with flavour, but difficult to split.
I can't stop thinking about my red fife parpadelle with wild mushrooms. The thick noodles are coated in a winey buttery sauce with big chunks of mushroom and topped with creamy peccarino. Mmmmmmm. She ordered the tofu and roasted veggie kabobs, which were well-marinated. Only thing, is, it comes on its own and she had to order a separate side, which adds up. See you soon Woodlot!
8. Marben (488 Wellington St W)
I am starting to notice a rustic, farmhouse theme in my choices here --let's call it Canadiana---and there's more to come. Anyway, if you're like me and terrible at choosing just one meal from a menu, then Marben is for you! It's a share plate place, much like tapas, but in no way is it Spanish inspired. As popular as it is, Marben is huge, so it's a bit easier to get a reservation here. It's also fun! Marben plays host to chef sausage-offs and pig roasts. Like some others here, Marben's focus is definitely local and seasonal cuisine and it's varied. With a group of four or five, you can make your way through a good chunk of the menu, so I won't take the time to rave about individual dishes here, just know that whatever you order, it will be good. Word to those going with vegetarians---it's fairly meat-focused, so it may be difficult to share entirely, but there are definitely enough tasty veggie selections to keep them satisfied sans animal.
9. Keriwa Cafe (1690 Queen St. W.)
Sticking with the Canadian theme, but straying a little bit from comfort food is this innovative and delicate take on the traditional, seasonal and local -- but this time with some Native flair. You're welcomed into the clean and modern interior with the aroma of smoked wood and servers dressed in lumberjack plaid. Here, you won't find poutine, but elderberries, gooseberries, pemmican and bison. It's a little pricier than somewhere like Bannock but its so original, it's worth it. Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe focuses heavily on quality rather than quantity, with only four mains to choose from. The quality focus is is evidenced in his slow-roasted bison brisket ($27). The meat is so perfectly succulent and the pairings --apple, pumpkin seeds and kale, so perfectly suited its more of a craft than a meal. Congrats to Canada's first gourmet Native restaurant.
10. Starving Artist (584 Lansdowne Ave.)
This is the first of brunch entries centred in my new 'hood at Bloor and Lansdowne. I am NOT just putting them here because they are within hungover walking distance either. In fact, I went to Starving Artist twice before I even moved there. This small bar/cafe specializes in all things waffle, waffle bacon, waffle sandwich, waffle dessert. Well-priced and a great atmosphere for a lazy Sunday lounge (complete with an array of board games). And everything is made in the open right at the small bar. You HAVE to try waffle instead of bread, it will change the way you taste sandwiches forever. Waffles add a hint of sweetness, but not too much. My favourite is the Tex-Mex sandwich ($(9) with spicy shredded chicken breast, jalapeño, salsa and sour cream. It comes with a green salad and your choice of a dilly potato salad or an ample portion of fruit. The dessert waffles are smaller and just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. I like the pineapple banana crunch ($5) with a coconut waffle, banana, pineapple whipped cream, coconut shreds and peanut chunks. My life is better due to waffles. Do not try to count calories here.
11. Bloordale Pantry (1285 Bloor St. W)
This place is absolutely adorable and the food is indulgent and delicious. This retro diner is sandwiched between some of Bloor and Lansdowne's finest ---pawn shops and cheap eats. A soundtrack of oldies and kitschy decor contribute to the retro vibe.
Apparently the dinners are very tasty, but I've only ever gone for brunch. It does twists on traditional breakfasts like eggs benny on house made scones. But it does my all time favourite brunch especially well. Huevos rancheros ($13.99) is made better and higher cal by amazing beer-braised pulled pork, which sits atop fresh flour tortilla, free-range scrambled eggs along with corn salsa, guacamole and sour cream . They come with hash browns and salad. The pantry also serves up some mean espresso.
Among the restaurants I'm most excited to try in 2012:
Banh Mi Boys
Acadia
Gilead Cafe
L'Ourvrier
Zocolo
Stockyards
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