Saturday
Pomegranate
420 College, at Bathurst, 416-921-7557, pomegranaterestaurant.ca.
Alireza Fakhrashrafi and partner Danielle Schrage’s inviting, unpretentious eatery delivers reasonably priced Persian specialties in a relaxed setting. Dishes range from shareable tapas to deluxe mains accessorized with sweet and fruity garnishes. Sorry, folks, the hookahs that decorate this casbah-like space are strictly for display. Best: Fesenjaan, a delicious stew available three ways – with portobello mushroom, chicken or lamb shank – rich with ground walnuts and pomegranate syrup, served over saffron-scented basmati rice Adas Polo, a riot of rosewater-scented rice strewn with slivered almonds, al dente lentils, dates and sultanas, sided with barberries and subtly spiced slow-braised lamb shank, topped with crispy onion threads focaccia-style lavash flatbread spread with smoky Mirza Gasemi eggplant sweetened with garlicky tomato and onion a near-tapenade of nippy Zeitoon Paravardeh, aged green olives laced with syrupy pomegranate molasses summery specials like Aab doogh Khiar, an ice-cube-chilled soup of fresh dill, cucumber, walnuts, raisins and red onion in yogurt Khoresh-e rivaas, a green-herbed lamb stew redolent of tart rhubarb.
Complete dinners for $30 per person, including tax, tip and an imported beer. Average main $10. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
Ursa
924 Queen W, at Shaw, 416-536-8963, ursa-restaurant.com.
No other resto since Susur Lee’s Lotus invented East-West fusion in 87 or David Crystian’s Patriot went locavore in 00 has radicalized the downtown scene as much as this health-conscious bistro in the former Bar One. Using methods usually associated with raw vegan cuisine – dehydration, fermentation, sprouting – as well as state-of-the-art sous-vide technology, chef Jacob Sharkey Pearce reinvents the concept of dining out. Best: from a constantly evolving carte, spectacularly plated starters like wild venison tartare coupled with fatty foie gras cured in blueberry vinegar, finished with medicinal Icelandic moss on buttered rye toasts mains like apple-cider-glazed Niagara pork loin ‘n’ belly over du Puy lentils and decorative kale in apple skin reduction locally raised Rhode Island White chicken two ways, first as a roulade of thigh, then as a pan-seared boneless breast over polenta coupled with sprouted lentils to finish, Milk & Honey, a warm bowl of made-to-order ricotta dressed with bee pollen and sided with honeycomb, pomegranate and raisins fashioned from dehydrated grapes still on the vine, the whey left over from making the fresh cheese served in two tiny milk bottles.
Complete dinners for $65, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $21. Open for dinner Saturday 6 to 11 pm. Reservations recommended. Bar till late. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Weezie’s
354 King E, at Power, 416-777-9339.
When Constance Guitard launched her delightfully grown-up 30-seat Corktown cantina back in 06, low-key chef-owned-and-operated bistros in up-and-coming neighbourhoods were the exception rather than the rule. No excruciating DJs or would-be tapas, just exceptionally executed Continental cuisine at budget-minded price points. Best: to start, textbook steak tartare with grilled baguette and cornichons to follow, 8-ounce burgers topped with aged cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce and red onion and sided with first-rate parsley-speckled frites macaroni ‘n’ cheese with bacon, Grana Padano and Asiago 10-ounce AAA strip loin steak frites with garlicky mayo vegetarian papardelle tossed with pine nuts, garlic, basil, tomatoes and Parmesan to finish, house-made desserts like lemon-curd cake with raspberry coulis.
Complete dinners for $60 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $20. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Sunday
Brockton General
1321 Dundas W, at Rusholme, 647-342-6104, brocktongeneral.com.
Now with a kitchen helmed by chef Alexandra Feswick, Pam Thomson and Brie Read’s west-side 30-seat resto takes a turn toward solid comfort. A relaxed room and the Beach Boys on the stereo make it all go down that much smoother. Warning: there will be strollers. Best: to start, baskets of Southwest-style cornbread, Niagara cherry scones and fried-to-order doughnuts with pear purée ‘n’ apple compote frittata thick with rapini, Toscano cheese and Portuguese chorizo omelettes stuffed with wilted watercress and triple-cream Riopelle cheese, both with roasted beets, sweet potato and parsnips and grilled gnocchi buttermilk waffles with fried eggs, house-smoked chicken and collard greens get any main and a choice of either granola, oatmeal, soup or salad plus a drink for 18 bucks.
Complete brunches for $22 per person, including, tax, tip and an Americano. Average main $12. Open for brunch Sunday 10:30 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Mi Mi
688 Gerrard E, at Degrassi, 416-778-5948.
No relation to the late Mimi’s on Bathurst, this spic-and-span spotless Vietnamese resto (not only are tables covered in plastic, they’re glass-topped, as well) is an enduring family-run spot with a lengthy lineup of straightforward yet complex fare. Warning: a mid-sized room, it’s often packed at peak dining hours. Best: to start, sizable rice paper-wrapped spring rolls dressed with lengths of green onion sticking out one end and stuffed with pork or shrimp all-in-one rice vermicelli pho soups with the likes of barbecued chicken, beef or pork lightly deep-fried minced shrimp on intensely sweet sugar cane with rice-paper roll-ups loaded with leaf lettuce, raw bean sprouts, shredded daikon and carrot dusted with crushed peanuts boneless grilled chicken leg over steamed rice topped with salty shredded pork and a tasty wedge of Saigon-style quiche to drink, durian milkshakes.
Complete dinners for $30 per person (lunches $18), including tax, tip and an imported beer. Average main $10/$8. Open Sunday 11 am to 10 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Tabule
2009 Yonge, at Glebe, 416-483-3747, tabule.ca.
While owners Diana Sideris and Rony Goraichy include pita pockets on their card, this casual uptown eatery offers, instead of falafels, solidly executed grub made with quality ingredients at affordable price points served by friendly staff in a pleasant room. The recent annexing of the storefront next door now means that lineups – once very common come dinnertime – only happen during the weekend rush. Best: to start, a plate of complimentary pickles – crunchy dills, sour purple turnip, unpitted black olives, hellishly hot baby banana peppers follow with garlicky hummus with toasted whole wheat pita grilled haloumi cheese over baby arugula in pomegranate vinaigrette house-made grape leaves stuffed with rice ‘n’ tomato dipped into Lebanese cream cheese smokily grilled skewers of bell pepper, tomato, red onion and zucchini sided with cumin-kissed basmati pilaf laced with brown lentils honey-doused squares of green pistachio baklava.
Complete dinners for $30 per person (lunches $20), including tax, tip and a Stella. Average main $15/$8. Open Sunday noon to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
