David Laurence
Chef Bob Bermann (left) puts his imprint on the venerable Senator.
SENATOR (249 Victoria, at Yonge-Dundas Square, 416-364-7517) Complete dinners for $45 per person (lunches or brunches $25), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $18/$12. Open Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; dinner Tuesday to Saturday 5 to 9 pm; brunch Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 2:30 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, booth seating, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Just off Toronto's take on Times Square, the Senator has been dishing up burgers and shakes to Yonge Street moviegoers since Rin Tin Tin was a box office champ.
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These days, the art deco diner caters to the theatre crowd - the Canon's right across the street, the Elgin and Massey Hall down the block - and to cineastes who spill out of the nearby AMC. While it's never been known as a cutting-edge kitchen, the Senator has always delivered a decent - if somewhat pricey - product. Some things never change, right?
Enter Bob Bermann, the boldface chef whose culinary CV includes such fabled names as Beaujolais, the Avocado Club and Yorkville's recently shuttered Boba. Berman's been quietly hired by Senator owner Bob Sniderman to kick the 80-year-old burger joint in the keister.
"The Senator doesn't need fixing," says Bermann. "It just needs a good custodian."
Regulars will be glad to learn he's kept the resto's retro card, though he has ditched most of its pre-theatre "1973 country club menu."
"I'm changing the things you can't see," says the chef. "People won't really notice the difference until they stick their fork into it."
They'll find it in the house burger, now a beefy custom-ground 8-ounce patty from Cumbrae complemented by super-caramelized onions and a quality bun.
Shame its side of skinny frites is burnt on our first visit, though they're crisply perfect the second. A 50s-style meat loaf (both $11.95) gets an Italian translation with basil-scented tomato purée, buttery mashed potatoes and steamed al dente broccoli.
All-day breakfasts get off to a start with massive house-made bran muffins ($2) and a fruit and granola extravaganza called Yogurt Surprise ($9.95).
"Before, the granola tasted like birdseed, only birds wouldn't touch it," laughs Bermann. "Now we make our own from a dozen different grains and roast it in honey and maple syrup. The same thing goes for 20 bucks at the Studio Café."