Brunch
Hoof Cafe @ Hoof Raw Bar
926 Dundas W, at Gore Vale, 647-346-9356, theblackhoof.com. Shuttered in 2011 when the Black Hoof offshoot became too damned popular, Jennifer Agg’s nose-to-tail brunch spot returns with a room twice the size across the street. Yes, weekend lineups are as legendary as ever but, any other time, the new Cafe’s quite relaxed. Best: beef tongue Benny with textbook hollandaise and 62.5C slow-poached eggs, an arugula salad on the side deconstructed Egg McMuffins of blood sausage and over-easy eggs breakfast cassoulets with navy beans, pork hock, sausage and lardons finished with pickled cipollini onions and dry-roasted kale southern-fried sweetbreads over maple-glazed waffles in jalapeno compound butter challah French toast with whipped cream, pickled pears and seared foie gras. Complete brunches for $35 per person, including tax, tip and a cocktail. Average main $14. Open Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 3 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Closed Monday to Wednesday, holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, three steps to washroom. Rating: NNNNN
Karelia Kitchen
1194 Bloor W, at Brock, 647-748-1194, kareliakitchen.com. Leif Kravis and Donna Ashley bring a touch of Nordic cool to sleepy Bloordale. Anyone old enough to remember the Copenhagen Room in the Colonnade will be in heaven. Best: to share, the Smokehouse Platter with house-smoked salmon, organic chicken, trout and cured pork tenderloin with sweet ‘n’ sour pickles, grainy mustard, fig preserves and Ryvita flatbread crisp potato dressed with beet-cured gravlax, smoked trout and slow-poached eggs scrambled ducks’ eggs sided with smoked salmon and home fries smoky bacon ‘n’ potato hash with over-easy eggs massive blueberry griddle cakes with whipped maple butter, green-apple compote and dehydrated pear chips open-faced sandwiches to finish, gluten-free chocolate cake house-baked lemon-lime shortbread cookies and black-pepper ginger snaps. Complete brunches for $35 per person, including tax, tip and an Akvavit Sour. Average main $14. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. A la carte menu Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 am to 9 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNNN
Spanish
Patria
478 King W, at Brant, 416-367-0505, patriatoronto.com. Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji follow their hip ‘n’ happening Weslodge with their tastiest collab yet. Executive chef Stuart Cameron’s open kitchen sends out unusually authentic Spanish tapas while the cavernous room’s cathedral ceiling guarantees the buzz. Come back Sunday for one of the most non-brunchy brunches around. Best: to share, blistered padróon peppers creamy Manchego croquettes Manchego-stuffed dates and guindilla peppers wrapped in fatty Iberico bacon blood-red Iberico pork flank over piquillo pepper jam deep-fried churros with caramel sauce soft coffee ice cream sandwiches with olive marmalade at brunch, sponge-cake muffins with olive-oil pudding potato frittata with romesco sauce braised cannellini beans ‘n’ chorizo octopus terrine on flatbread splashed with aioli wood-fired Spanish pizzas dressed with white anchovies, piquillo peppers and Manchego. Complete dinners for $60 per person (brunches $30), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average tapas $9. Open for dinner nightly 5:30 pm to close. Brunch Sunday from 11:30 am. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
