= Patio
Bistro du Jour
Foxley
207 Ossington, at Dundas W, 416-534-8520. Though it launched two years ago – an eternity for a trendy trat – local wunder-chef Tom Thai’s (Tempo/Youki/Canoe) 30-seat pan-Asian-goes-Potuguese boîte is still the hottest table on the strip. So what if he doesn’t take reservations? Leave your cell number, go for a drink at the Communist’s Daughter and he’ll call you when a table’s free. Best: lamb ‘n’ duck prosciutto potstickers pan-seared in olive oil sautéed Szechuan-spiced frog’s legs in poblano pepper ratatouille slow-braised beef cheeks in red curry finished with fresh coriander brontosaurus-sized slabs of grilled side ribs in caramelized shallot glaze fatty muscatel-braised pork belly sticky black rice pudding in coconut milk with mango. Average main $16. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday 6 to 11 pm, bar till close. Closed Sunday, holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington, at Dundas W, 416-532-8000. Toronto’s no-contest best pizza peddler seems more an exercise in crowd control than dinner out: line up, eat quick and, less than an hour later, you’re back on the street a hundred bucks lighter. But when the payoffs this palatable, what’s a little hassle? Best: deep-fried buttermilk-battered calamari with nutty chipotle Romesco sauce Neapolitan-style thin-crusted pies dressed with Pingue prosciutto, arugula, heirloom tomato and garlic classic Margheritas brushed with San Marzano tomato sauce and layered with Fiore di Latte mozzarella and crispy basil leaves fennel-flecked house-made sausage with more mozzarella, chili oil, caramelized onion and honey drizzle lemony panna cotta with blueberry coulis. Average main $15. Open for dinner Monday to Friday 5 to 11 pm, Saturday and Sunday 4 to 11 pm. Closed holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
School
70 Fraser, at Liberty, 416-588-0005. Ex-Xacutti chef Brad “Spice Man” Moore resurfaces with the west side’s biggest hit of the season, an academically themed bakery-slash-café that serves all-day breakfasts, retro midday lunches and knockout weekend brunches. Did we mention the 140-seat wraparound cobblestone patio complete with barbecue menu? Or that first-time dinner service starts this Saturday night? Best: sour lemon or maple-syrup-infused scones the house organic burger dressed with lettuce, tomato, bacon, Gruyère and lemony guacamole, sided with real-deal frites at brunch, Gooey Four Cheese Soufflé with house greens and white ‘n’ sweet potato home fries root beer chocolate fudge cake bottled rhubarb soda. Average main $12. Open Monday and Tuesday 8 am to 7 pm, Wednesday to Friday 8 am to 11 pm brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm, dinner both nights till 11 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Romance
Black Skirt
3 Charles E, at Yonge, 416-935-0240. Once a South Beach-style lounge, the former Wish gets a new name, a new look and a new food philosophy. Though the portions of chefs Rosa Gallé and Aggie Decina’s southern Italian card may seem small to some, the quality of ingredients and time-consuming techniques they employ prove that bigger isn’t always better. Best: arancini rice balls stuffed with ground veal, mozzarella and garden peas served with straightforward San Marzano tomato sauce plainly dressed spaghetti tossed with fresh ricotta and olive oil, or with house sauce, slow-cooked spezzatino, sausage and meat balls beef ravioli pan-seared in butter with fresh sage leaves dusted with Parmigiano-Regiano meaty veal lasagna with crepe-thin house-made noodles. Average main $20/$13. Open Monday to Thursday 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 11 pm bar till close. Closed Sunday, some holidays. Licensed. Rating: NNN
Julie’s
202 Dovercourt, at Argyle, 416-532-7397. A terrific Cuban cantina year round, this tucked-away trat on a sleepy west-side street really blooms come summer. As trees whisper overhead and candlelight reflects off wine glasses, affable hosts Jesus and Sylvia dish up a classic pre-Castro Havana card that’s perfect for sharing à deux under a starry sky. Best: grill-pressed pork, ham, pickle and Swiss Cubano sandwiches tapas like fried mashed-potato papa rellena stuffed with lean ground beef, onion, tomato and green olives purposefully bland yuca con mojo laced with lime and garlic piquant tomato-sauced pork sausage chorizos in red wine subtly complex Picadillo de Mamita pork and beef hash with jalapeños, raisins, currants and almonds Margarita Key Lime pie. Average main $18. Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday 5:30 to 11 pm, Sunday 5:30 to 10 pm, bar till close. Closed Monday. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Torito
276 Augusta, at College, 416-961-7373. Since its launch three seasons back, this highly acclaimed tapas bar in Kensington Market has been a madhouse, with lineups out the front door the rule rather than the exception. But with the addition of a gorgeous tented backyard deck as well as a streetside terrace out front and a marvellous downstairs lounge, one of downtown’s hottest spots gets hotter. Best: merguez sausage over wild mushrooms ‘n’ lentils chewy Chilean tripe stew with chickpeas and Manchego cheese smoked trout over new potatoes daubed with creamy avocado mayo beef tongue ‘n’ cheeks slow-braised in classic mirepoix pomegranate-glazed quail over sweet calabaza pumpkin mash grilled shrimp al ajillo drenched in butter and garlic to finish, fresh figs drizzled in honey with blue Benedictin cheese. Average tapa $10. Open Monday to Saturday 5 to 11 pm, bar till close. Closed Sunday, holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Late Night
The Black Hoof
928 Dundas W, at Gore Vale, 416-551-8854. Since its debut late last fall, Jennifer Agg and Grant van Gameren’s smoky 40-seat late-night charcuterie has been downtown’s hottest table even though they don’t accept reservations or credit cards. Snagging a two-top just got easier now that the 24-seat all-weather backyard deck is in full swing. NOW’s 2008 resto of the year! Best: from a rotating card of more than 40 cured ‘n’ smoked meats, venison salami marbled with dried cherries or rabbit rillettes offset by pearly pork lardo back fat chef’s signature seared foie gras on brioche with onion jam specials like scallop ceviche with crispy pig’s ears lentils with testina (aka pickled pig face) horse tartare to quaff, strawberry- and rhubarb-infused mojitos. Average main $18. Open Thursday to Saturday 6 pm to 2 am, Sunday and Monday 6 pm to midnight. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday, some holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Harbord Room
89 Harbord, at Spadina, 416-962-8989. NOW’s runner-up 2008 resto of the year, chef Cory Vitiello’s (the Drake, Scaramouche) intimate 35-seat supper club features a sophisticated comfort food card in a stylish setting made for lingering. Better still, the Room stays open till 2 am seven nights a week. Best: at dinner, Quebecois-style yellow pea soup with house- smoked ham hock and garlic croutons fresh papardelle with slow-braised rabbit, oyster mushrooms and leeks the 7-ounce house burger on eggy Fred’s bun topped with sharp cheddar and ripe plum tomato, sided with skin-on fries, house-made ketchup and Asian arugula slaw in tarragon sherry vinaigrette at brunch, poutine in bacon gravy with applewood cheddar and Hollandaise topped with fried eggs. Average main $24/$14. Open nightly 6 pm to close. Brunch Sunday 10:30 am to 2 pm. Licensed. Access: three steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Reggie’s Old Fashioned Sandwiches
571 King W, at Portland, 416-979-9992. Headed by chef Bryan Burke, the crew responsible for the successful overhaul of Leslieville’s Joy Bistro go 24/7 with this franchise-friendly sandwich shop on the late-night King West club strip. Best: house-smoked wild Pacific salmon on thick Fred’s focaccia dressed with dilled cream cheese, sweetly pickled red onion and black nigella sprouts pulled pork on a kaiser with caramelized onion, mozzarella and boozy Southern Comfort barbecue sauce sweet shards of duck confit paired with creamy Brie and tart Granny Smith apple vegan soup du jour like butternut squash with smoky chipotle peppers a respectable poutine correctly prepared with chicken gravy and squeaky cheese curds deep-fried macaroni ‘n’ cheese (!) old-school carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Average main $8. Open 24/7. Unlicensed. Access: two steps at door. Rating: NNN
Value Meals
Bairrada
1000 College, at Havelock, 416-539-8239. Upfront, it’s a noisy Portuguese family-style take-away. But out back come spring, the College flagship gives way to a huge grassy backyard with rows of picnic tables and a sunken grotto complete with burbling fountain. Bonus: spit-roasted pig every Wednesday! Other locations: 2293 St. Clair W, 416-762-4279. Best: besides suckling pig, count on succulent grilled-over-steam chickens doused with house piri-piri, sided with roasted potato balls (pass on the watery Portuguese-style boiled-to-death green veggies) gargantuan carnivorous platters of egg-topped steaks sided with smashed spuds ‘n’ olives grilled sardines and barbecued salt cod. Average main $12. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 am to 11 pm, Sunday 10 am to 8 pm (College) Monday, Wednesday to Saturday 10:30 am to 11 pm, Sunday 10 am to 8 am (St. Clair). Closed Monday Tuesday (St. Clair). Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Deep Blue Fish & Chips
749 Broadview, at Danforth, 416-463-6789. This Scottish/St. Lucian fish ‘n’ chips shop features fresh fish, locally sourced spuds fried in trans-fat-free oil and seven types of herbed batter, including gluten- and lactose-free. Best: plump deep-fried scallops in blue cornmeal ‘n’ beer batter sided with citrusy Caribbean slaw and basil mango dip Jamaican jerk-battered cod in golden batter spiked with allspice and thyme, both sided with sweet potato fries Cajun haddock battered with organic masa, sambal and paprika, paired with chunky new potato frites DIY whole wheat tortilla stuffed with salmon in fresh herb batter, red pepper aioli and apple ‘n’ celery root slaw. Average main $9. Open Monday to Wednesday 11:30 am to 8 pm, Thursday and Friday 11:30 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Saturday noon to 9 pm. Closed some holidays. Unlicensed. Delivery. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN
Gourmet Burger Company
482 Parliament, at Carlton, 647-344-5103. Of the slew of upmarket burger joints popping up seemingly everywhere, John Ward’s Australian-style franchise-in-the-making far out-distances the competition with quality ingredients and idiosyncratic toppings. Minimal lunch counter seating. Best: the Aussie burger, 6 ounces of aged lean never-frozen house-ground Canadian beef topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, Hellman’s mayo, gooey cheddar, fried egg, grilled pineapple and honey-poached beets New Zealand lamb burgers simply dressed with roasted red peppers and Brie house-made veggie patties layered with sautéed mushrooms and balsamic-marinated onions, roasted garlic mayo and grilled portobellos on the side, chunky Yukon Gold frites, skinny sweet potato shoestrings and beer-battered onion rings house greens with carrot sticks and dried cranberries in tart raspberry vinaigrette. Average main $8. Open daily 11:30 am to 9 pm. Closed some holidays. Unlicensed. Access: bump at door, no washrooms, counter seating. Rating: NNNN
Sidecar
577 College, at Clinton, 416-536-7000. Mark McEwan vet Bill Sweete and partner Casey Bee have transformed this low-key candlelit cantina (anyone remember Versace’s Driveway?) into one of the strip’s busiest boîtes. Of course, it helps that Sunday through Wednesday Sweete’s impressively plated three-course prix fixe goes for all of $24. Best: from the prix fixe, Caesar salads finished with shaved parmigiano and streaky pancetta in anchovy-fied dressing, sided with house-made ricotta crostini lobster bisque garnished with shrimp mains like heavily peppered ‘n’ deboned oven-roasted half chickens over asparagus spears and garlic mashed potatoes 8-ounce sirloin steak frites with skinny shoestring spuds to finish, desserts like chocolate mousse with fresh Ontario berries. Average main $20 à la carte. Open for dinner nightly 5 to 10 pm (three-course prix fixe Sunday to Wednesday only). Bar till close. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Supermarket
268 Augusta, at College, 416-840-0501. With culinary roots that link it to the Queen Mother, Rivoli, Lava and and Tom “Foxley” Thai’s Tempo, it’s no surprise that the East-meets-West fare dished up at this Kensington Market resto lounge is so accomplished. And did we mention cheap? The house’s spectacular all-day four-course prix fixe goes for all of $15. Make sure to have a coupla drinks and tip five bucks more than your usual 15 per cent. Best: chef Manh Nguyen’s substantial meal deals start with soup – a rustic lamb meatball soup sided with a wedge of house-baked focaccia, perhaps – then continue with ripe mango salad, skewers of turmeric-tinged chicken satay, and quite possibly the best vegetarian pad thai in the city, before finishing with banana spring rolls dipped in chocolate sauce. Open daily 11:30 am to 11 pm bar nightly to 2 am. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: three steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN
Vegetarian Friendly
Cafe 668
885 Dundas W, at Claremont, 416-703-0668. After the runaway success of the original 668, Hon Quach and Ngoc Lam move one of the best herbivore haunts in town into far fancier digs a few blocks west. While the name and innovative card remain the same, the chic new room – floor-to-ceiling glass, off-white banquettes – signals that 668 has stepped up its game considerably. Best: an idiosyncratic ketchup-free take on pad thai tossed with carrot, peanuts, cabbage, sprouts ‘n’ ‘shrooms the house’s eponymous salad dressed with deep-fried tofu and toasted cashews in sweet Sriracha vinaigrette Summer Rolls of cellophane noodles, tofu, carrot, Thai basil and napa cabbage. Average main $13. Open Monday to Wednesday 5:30 to 9 pm, Thursday 1:30 to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 1:30 to 10 pm, Sunday 1:30 to 9 pm. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Karine’s
113 McCaul, at Dundas W, 416-591-0863. Located in the food court of the Village by the Grange across from the AGO and OCAD, mother Maggie and daughter Karine Kay’s mostly vegan café and take-away offers an extensive card of eco-conscious grub that’s not only planet-friendly but tasty to boot. Best: ful, the morning meal-in-one of cumin-kicked fava bean purée dressed with dill free-range egg-white omelettes with grilled red pepper, tomato and zucchini, sided with whole wheat toast and home fries dusted with chopped garlic syrup-drenched peanut butter and banana waffles optionally topped with bacon many additionally sided with bomba sauce, an intense garlicky tomato purée also sold by the litre. Average main $8. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 9 pm, Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am to 7:30 pm. Unlicensed. Access: Barrier-free. Rating: NNN
Mocha Mocha
489 Danforth, at Logan, 416-778-7896. The former owners of Lima, Peru’s, only Dutch pancake house, Marijan and Mercedes Tripkovic have been operating this east-side eatery since the early 90s, as the cramped quarters’ faux finishes attest. The United Nations-worthy card of innexpensive noshes incorporate dishes from Latin America, Italy and Africa. Welcoming cafeteria-style service. Best: Tex Mex burritos stuffed with refried beans, topped with diced avocado, pickled jalapeño and sour cream vegetarian club sandwiches, a triple-decker stacked with grilled eggplant, avocado and mozzarella on organic whole-wheat toast spinach-rich vegetarian lasagna made-to-order egg salad on Fred’s multigrain for dessert, Wanda’s retro apple pie. Average main $10. Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 9 pm, Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. Licensed. Delivery. Access: barrier-free, but very crowded room. Rating: NNN
Hot Weather, Hot Food
Jumbo Empanadas
245 Augusta, at Baldwin, 416-977-0056. From her beginnings as a Kensington Market sidewalk food cart, Irene Morales has become Toronto’s undisputed queen of the South American turnovers known as empanadas. Think of them as Cornish pasties way south of the border. The counter-service café can often be crowded, spilling onto a covered curbside deck when weather permits. Best: empanada turnovers stuffed with either chicken (with red pepper, black olives and hard-boiled egg), beef (as above but with the addition of raisins) or veggies (spinach, red pepper, mushroom, onion and basil pesto) take-home specialties like the house’s relish-like hot sauce and caramelized sugar-crusted pastel de choco, a sweet upside-down pie of cornmeal mush thick with chunked beef, chicken, black olives, hard-boiled egg and raisins. Average main $6. Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 6 pm. Closed holidays. Licensed. Access: four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Lahore Tikka House
1365 Gerrard E, at Highfield, 416-406-1668. Yes, it’s still under construction, finished “by the end of June” the official word. What year nobody’s saying. Until then, this hectic east-side Pakistani eatery seats customers in a series of interconnected sari-decorated trailers. Patience, folks – it took 20 years to build the Taj Mahal. Best: slashed whole red snapper tikka, smoky from the charcoal-fuelled tandoor, skewered with lightly charred turmeric-tanged onion, potato and tomato aromatic minced lamb kebabs lemon-scented aloo gobi rich with waxy spuds and al dente cauliflower yellow lentils and pulverized spinach palak dahl vegetable biryani with chickpeas, crunchy cauliflower and carrot butter-brushed naan tossed with sesame seeds house-made almond kulfi ice cream. Average main $9. Open Sunday to Thursday noon to 1 am, Friday and Saturday noon to 2 am. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Rebozos
126 Rogers, at Boon, 416-658-5001. Just north of the Corso Italia, this modest taqueria take-away located in owners Teresa Medina and Indalecio Marroquin’s living room is worth a dining detour. Just don’t come expecting Tex-Mex rice and refried beans with everything. Best: fresh La Tortilleria’s corn tortillas stuffed with sweet dry-rubbed puerco pork marinated in hot-hot-hot adobado chilies, tender-sweet slow-roasted pork shoulder carnitas, or pork conchinita pibil slow-cooked in orange juice, yellow achiote and cumin enchiladas in either tangy green poblano or semi-sweet mole for the hungover, pozole, a spice-fortified goulash thick with pulled pork and hominy kernels garnished with chopped lettuce and raw onion. Average main $3. Open Tuesday to Thursday 11 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday noon to 7 pm. Closed Monday, holidays. Unlicensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Sukhothai
274A Parliament, at Dundas, 416-913-8846. Nuit and Jeffrey Regular’s tiny Regent Park take-away may not be the swankiest boîte in town, but their short northern Thai card is certainly some of the fieriest. The Regulars’ regulars know to order ahead and show up later. Much later. Best: the house’s signature pad thai, a tremendously textured tangle of thick rice-stick, skinny vermicelli and crunchy napa cabbage tossed with butterflied shrimp, scrambled egg, scallion and tamarind chili oil Khao Soi, slippery wheat noodles with poached chicken in coconut gravy dressed with crunchy deep-fried mein Guay Tiaw Sukhothai, Thai-twisted pho with rice noodles and sliced beef in an aggressively spiced broth thick with coriander and garlic to finish, nutty cassava cupcakes. Average main $9. Open Monday to Thursday 11:30 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 9 pm. Closed Sunday, some holidays. Unlicensed. Delivery. Access: four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Cold Comfort
Dutch Dreams
78 Vaughan, at St Clair, 416-656-6959. Like something out of Willy Wonka, Theo and Dina Alben’s uptown ice cream parlour has been offering Hogtown a taste of Holland since 85. Now with a renovated rear room for those who want to hang around, and decked out with even more kitschy bric-a-brac, this hallucinogenic space sells more than 30 flavours of house-made ice cream and frozen yogurt. Best: Dutch waffles piled high with ice cream, seasonal fruit, toasted almonds, chocolate ‘n’ caramel sauce and real whipped cream Moose Droppings (Reese’s Pieces mixed with fudge, chocolate and banana) pink watermelon sherbet with chocolate-covered oats as seeds seven types of cone alone: waffled Little Karfunkels, toasted almond, chocolate chip, Smarties, sprinkles, Reese’s Pieces and crushed Skor bars. Average main $4. Open daily noon to midnight. Closed till March 1. Unlicensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Ed’s Real Scoop
920 Queen E, at Logan, 416-406-2525. While others rely on rich butter and cream, ice-meister Ed Francis’s creations depend on all-natural ingredients and 100 per cent real fruit for flavour. Other locations: 2224 Queen E, at Beech, 416-699-6100. Best: from a lineup of more than 80 flavours – more than two dozen on offer at all times – Belgian Callebaut chocolate, Bordeaux cherry and Tahitian vanilla bean, white chocolate with raspberry ice cream, chocolate peanut butter fudge, all in cups or house-made waffle cones and optionally topped with sprinkles, whipped cream and/or marshmallow sauce “unusual flavour of the week” – pear with Parmesan, say, or sarsaparilla house-baked apple pie, complete with buttery crust, crumbled into vanilla ice cream parlour-perfect sundaes topped with whipped cream and a retro maraschino cherry. Average main $4. Open daily 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, no washrooms (Leslieville) two steps at door, washrooms in basement (Beach). Rating: NNNN
Greg’s Ice Cream
750 Spadina, at Bloor, 416-962-4734. Since launching from an Annex storefront in 81, Greg Mahon’s superior ice cream parlour has only featured all-natural ingredients. Now ensconced on the ground floor of the not-that-Al-Green Theatre, he continues to draw from a repertoire of nearly 100 different varieties, 15 or so of the most popular on offer at a time. Best: when available, gooey roasted marshmallow ice cream (Mahon claims he roasts the ‘mallows on sticks over a campfire round back), Japanese-inspired green tea ices, pumpkin raisin, Malt Ball Crunch, lime dacquiri, and 23 types of chocolate ice cream alone optional toppings like hot fudge, puréed strawberries or pineapple, crushed chocolate chips, walnuts and sprinkles take-home ice cream by the litre. Average main $4. Open Sunday to Thursday noon to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to midnight. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, no washrooms. Rating: NNN
Il Gelatiere Artigianale
647 Mt Pleasant, at Hillsdale, 416-488-2663. Since opening two years ago, this buzz-worthy gelateria moderna has been swamped with well-heeled customers looking for their frozen fix. Sleek and sophisticated, the white-on-white space features more than 30 gelati and sorbetti daily. Confused? If it’s fruit, it’s dairy-free sorbetto. Everything else is gelato. Bonus: gluten-free cones and real whipped cream topping at no extra cost. Best: spicy Chocolato al Peperoncini, dark chocolate mixed with red chili pepper classic stracciatella dusted with cocoa Maria, cinnamon with walnuts Macedonia mixed fruit salad pompelo grapefruit lemony limone arguria watermelon creamy mascarpone to drink, imported Italian Santos espresso, latte and cappuccino milkshakes, smoothies and slushies, too. Average main $4. Open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 10 pm, Friday 10 am to 11 pm, Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday and holidays 1 to 10 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
