Brunch
Hoof Cafe @ Hoof Raw Bar 926 Dundas W, at Gore Vale, 647-346-9356, hoofcafe.com Shuttered in 2011 when the Black Hoof offshoot became too damned popular, Jennifer Agg’s nose-to-tail brunch spot returns in a room twice the size across the street. Yes, weekend lineups are as legendary as ever, but any other time the new café’s quite relaxed. Best: beef tongue Benny with textbook hollandaise and 62.5°C 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 jalapeño 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
Gastro Pub
Emerson 1279 Bloor W, at Lansdowne, 416-532-1717, @EmersonToronto Bloordale? Bloorcourt? Blandsdowne? Whatever they call the nabe, there’s no question that the stretch of Bloor running west of Christie Pits is the new Dundas West. And Conor Joerin and Scott Pennock’s family-friendly storefront bistro fits the nabe like a glove: large portions, low prices and zero attitude. Best: frisée salads dressed with lightly battered sweetbreads and crunchy croutons massive 8-ounce burgers dressed with tomato, lettuce, creamy Beemster cheese sauce and a huge dill pickle 10-ounce sliced rib-eyes slathered in Béaranaise sauce Wednesday-night racks of old-school ribs in sweet barbecue glaze sides of skinny frites butternut squash gratin roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup to finish, classic ice cream sundaes. Complete dinners for $35 per person, including tax, tip and a cocktail. Average main $14. Open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday 5:30 to 11:30 pm. Lunch/brunch Friday to Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Closed Monday to Tuesday, some holidays. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Italian
Strada 241 241 Spadina, at Grange, 647-351-1200, strada241.com, @Strada241 Known for such illustrious restos as Zoom, Luce and Rain, the brothers Rubino turn a beautifully restored 19th-century warehouse in Chinatown into their most accessible trat yet. The neo-Neapolitan pizza’s so good, it made #9 on NOW’s recent Top 20. 2-4-1 Pizza this ain’t! Best: main-sized salads of organic mesclun and bitter radicchio in evo linguine in garlicky tomato sauce with long-neck clams nicely charred pies thin of centre and thick of crust, like the Nina with pesto oil, fior di latte, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and fresh celery leaves the Allesandro with house ragu, shaved parmigiano, hot chilies and old-school meatballs the Gianpaolo with sauce, mozzarella di bufala, sliced mushrooms, wilted arugula and wild boar cacciatore. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches $30), including tax, tip and a glass of vino. Average main $15. Open Sunday to Wednesday noon to 10 pm, Thursday to Saturday noon to midnight. Café weekdays from 7 am, weekends from 8 am. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
