Rating: NNNNN
SHANGHAI COWGIRL (538 Queen West, at Bathurst, 416-203-6623) Noisy and smoky, this rockin’ resto offers updated greasy-spoon grub with soul-food twists in a room that recalls a sleek deco diner. Best: Sterling Silver Sirloin, a considerable 12-ounce steak sided with roasted potatoes, perfectly timed buttery green beans and pan jus battered schnitzel-like Chicken-Fried Steak with dairy-rich country gravy and corn on the cob Cajun-spiced Blackened Tater Salad in smooth house-made mayo Seoul Food Salad, cool cellophane noodles over leaf lettuce, peppers and onions with a sesame oil vinaigrette Trailer Trash Sushi, grilled moist chicken breast on Portuguese pada with watercress and wasabi-spiked mayo pecan pie or boozy Jägermeister chocolate mousse for dessert. Complete dinners for $25 per person ($15 at breakfast or lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Open Monday to Wednesday 10:30 am to midnight, Thursday to Saturday 10:30 am to 4 am, Sunday 10:30 am to 6 pm. Licensed. Smoking section. Access: short step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNSPAHA (66 Harbord, at Spadina, 416-260-6133) If you’re so hip, why aren’t you here? Instant-nostalgic 90s decor, servers in sky-high platforms, and a basement lounge decked out in chocolate brown make this the trendiest spot in town. Opens early and continues till really late, with an all-hours brunch-to-supper menu showcasing reasonably priced better-than-most modern takes on classic bistro. Bingo! Best: deeply rich French onion soup with smoky Gruyère and Ace sourdough croutons paired with wine-steamed mussels in flavour-intense garlicky thyme-tomato broth duck confit with caramelized pear ‘n’ apple slices alongside grease-free frites slow-cooked veal chop, lamb sausage and ham cassoulet super salade niçoise. Complete dinners for $22 ($15 at brunch or lunch) per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Open Monday to Wednesday 11:30 am to midnight, Thursday and Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 am, Saturday 10:30 am to 2:30 am, Sunday 10:30 am to midnight. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN HAPPY SEVEN (358 Spadina, at Cecil, 416-971-9820) This Cantonese seafood haven stays open every night till 5 am. The white menu offers standard Spadina fare, but once the stern staff get to know you, you get the pink menu, which contains a secret world of unusual delicacies. Best: straight-from-the-tank tilapia with fermented black bean sauce sea scallops in tiara taro nest with broccoli and mushrooms for the adventurous, honey-skinned mahogany-fleshed fried pigeon deep-fried frog legs stir-fried chicken with apple definitive hot-and-sour soup. Complete dinners for $20 per person ($10 at lunch), including all taxes and tip. Open daily 11 am to 5 am. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
NEW YORK SUBWAY (520 Queen West, at Portland, 416-703-4496) Forget the Big Apple and write off the subs. This East Indian-inspired take-away fuses mild-to-wild roti-like curried veggies with Mexican tortillas and calls them burritos. Then they add cheese to the wraps, grill ’em and dub them California Rolls (although they have nothing to do with the identically named sushi). Zero decor but dead cheap, expect lineups when the bars close. Best: so-called burritos stuffed with curried cauliflower, spinach or ground chicken quesadillas — real ones! — lined with cheese, roast beef and onion grilled eggplant with spinach and satay chicken or shrimp jumbo burritos grilled curried potato subs (really!). Complete dinners for $7 per person ($4 at lunch), including all taxes. Open Monday to Thursday 11:30 am to midnight, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 3 am, Sunday noon to 10 pm. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNSD
