Saturday
Leslie Jones
1182 Queen E, at Rushbrooke, 416-463-5663. George Wensley’s offbeat Leslieville eatery is a microcosm of cool: a gallery-style brick-walled storefront, an unusually inventive card (Wensley’s worked with Greg Couillard and Restaurant Makeover’s David Adjey) and a 60s stereo spinning vinyl. Best: to start, grilled ‘n’ chilled calamari in lemony caper vinaigrette over organic greens comfort mains like spicy piri-piri pulled pork with minty yogurt, new potatoes and market veg orzo topped with tiger shrimp, scallops and mussels in chunky tomato sauce splashed with herb-infused olive oil spaghetti tossed with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts and Asiago thin-crust pizzas topped with Kristapsons smoked salmon, goat cheese, fresh dill, capers and scallions. Complete dinners for $50 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10 pm. Reservations recommended. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, but small washrooms. 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
Woodlot
293 Palmerston, at College, 647-342-6307, woodlotrestaurant.com. Located in a gorgeous two-storey garage and dominated by a wood-burning oven the size of a small igloo, ex-Czehoski chef David Haman’s extraordinary 40-seat bistro-slash-bakery is the most exciting thing to hit Hogtown since the Hoof. Two parallel menus – one vegetarian, the other unapologetically snout-to-tail – and massive portions guarantee there will be leftovers aplenty. And, no, he doesn’t do pizza. Reservations essential. NOW’s Resto of the Year 2010. Best: to start, house-baked Red Fife baguettes with salty whipped butter substantial starters like baked French onion soup with Gruyère and caraway crouton secondi like Red Fife papardelle with either tomato-braised wild boar or wild mushrooms and boozy shallots humongous mains like chicken and smoked ham hock pot pie with seasonal root veggies and cippolini onion superfluous sides like mashed russet potatoes with bone marrow to finish, lemon ‘n’ blueberry tarts topped with roasted marshmallow merengue. Complete meals for $55 per person, including tax, tip and a pint of Duggan’s #9 IPA. Average main $23. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
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
Le Canard Mort
896 Queen E, at Logan, 416-625-2653, lecanardmort.ca. Sister to Riverside’s late Le Rossignol, this Leslieville gastro-pub-slash-bistro has been a hit from the get-go. Blame an accessible French-ish card, attentive servers and a kid-friendly room. Take that, Joy Bistro and Lady Marmalade! Best: toasted St Urbain bagels spread with Leslieville Cheese Market’s cream cheese topped with Kristapson’s smoked salmon corned beef hash finished with two poached eggs and a side of multigrain toast from the bakery down the street Benny Canard with duck confit and classic hollandaise over English muffins. Open Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
L’Espresso Bar Mercurio
321 Bloor W, at St George, 416-585-2233, barmercurio.com. The streamlined sibling of Bar Mercurio kitty-corner across the street, this budget-minded bistro on the ground floor of U of T’s Woodsworth College specializes in a short all-day card of panini, salads and traditional egg breakfasts. Swellegant digs, a great view of the passing street scene and friendly service make L’Espresso a midtown essential. Best: free-range omelettes such as the Calabrese with artichoke, sopressata and Asiago, or multiple mushrooms coupled with roasted red pepper and creamy mascarpone, both sided with salad, grilled baguette and fries over flaky house-baked brioche, eggs Benedict, properly poached eggs with buttery hollandaise and Black Forest ham, served with fruit salad and house-baked scones and strawberry preserves. Complete breakfasts/brunches for $18 per person, including tax, tip and a coffee. Average main $10. Open Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
