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Food Food & Drink

Weekend eating: August 6-7

Saturday

Black Skirt

974 College, at Rusholme, 416-532-7424, blackskirtrestaurant.com. After making a splash at Wish a few years ago, Rosa Gallé and Aggie Decina strike out on their own to bring old-school rustic Italiana back to the former Little Italy. A charming room, engaging service and a no-nonsense card of reasonably priced Sicilian home-cooking classics add up to a trip back in time. Best: to start, meaty white anchovies and garlicky chopped tomato on grilled Riviera baguette barely grilled skewers of lamb speducci splashed with olive oil pressed muffuletta panini spread with black-olive tapenade and piled with capicola, mortadella, sweet and hot soppressata and giardiniere pickles beefy breaded veal sandwiches in Decina-family tomato ragu dressed with Provolone and grilled hot banana peppers secondi like veal ‘n’ ricotta ravioli finished with butter, freshly shaved parmigiano and fried sage leaves grilled New Zealand lamb chops in a balsamic reduction sided with mashed ‘n’ baked potatoes with mozzarell’ and sautéed rapini to finish, textbook tiramisu and pistachio-studded cannoli. Complete dinners for $50 per person (lunches $25), including tax, tip and a glass of Chianti. Average main $25/$13. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN

Queen & Beaver Public House

35 Elm, at Yonge, 647-347-2712, queenandbeaverpub.ca. Jamieson Kerr’s UK-style beanery may be located on one of downtown’s most touristy strips, but its upscale takes on anglocentric comfort food make it the equal of those found in far trendier nabes. Polished service, historic digs, cask beer and two patios guarantee full houses whenever’s there’s a footie match. Best: chef Andrew Carter’s house burger, 6 grilled-to-order ounces of roughly hand-chopped top sirloin cap laced with fatty bone marrow, served on an eggy house-baked bun dressed with thick house-smoked pork belly bacon and strong blue Stilton cheese, sided with house-pickled asparagus, chunky sea-salted fries and Indo-spiced ketchup ale-battered haddock and chips with lemony thyme tartar sauce sides of Branston pickle, piccalilli, Colcannon croquettes and cauliflower cheese when available, cornflake-crusted cod cheeks and tongues with chutney-like tomato gastrique to finish, Dickensian sticky toffee pudding in caramel sauce to nibble, pork scratchings and packets of crisps. Complete dinners for $55 per person (lunches/brunches $35), including tax, tip and a pint. Open for dinner Saturday 3 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms on second floor. 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 for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Sunday

Cardinal Rule

5 Roncesvalles, at Queen W, 647-352-0202, cardinalrulerestaurant.com. One-time divey greasy spoon on the corner where Queen West meets Roncey, this slightly less divey diner offers an all-day card that’s not only often inventive but also available in gluten-free and vegan versions. Cool glam-rock tunes on the jukebox, smiling servers and kid-friendly, too. Dress code: argyle. Best: the Wallop, the already hefty house burger dressed with leek ‘n’ potato latkes, Oka cheese, bacon and a runny fried egg the Breakfast Pie, a mutant quiche with a bacon (!) crust layered with latkes and cheesy veggie frittata to finish, chocolate caramel pie with a salty pretzel crust classic Key lime pie to drink, pints of Beau’s all-natural microbrew. Complete brunches for $20, including tax, tip and a pint. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Licensed. Cash only. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

E.L. Ruddy

1371 Dundas W, at Rusholme, 647-351-0423. Helena Kosikova’s cozy 20-seat café on the hip Dundas West strip spotlights a short all-day card that’s often gluten-free as well as vegan, and always made from scratch and low in sodium. Best: massive spelt Belgian waffles the size of oven mitts dolled up with maple syrup, whipped cream and stewed strawberries Huevos Yelapa with either two eggs or garlicky baked tofu plus refried beans, toasted cornbread and in-yer-face salsa to take home, wild blueberry scones and quinoa chocolate chip cookies. Complete brunches for $15 per person, including tax, tip and a refilled mug of I Deal coffee. Average main $8. Open for brunch Sunday 9 am to 4 pm. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Frankly

1118 Queen E, at Caroline, 647-350-1611, franklyeatery.com. Does the Leslieville strip really need another brunch spot? It most definitely does when the card is this unique, the soundtrack – T.Rex, Roxy Music, the Smiths – this artfully curated and the service so charming. Shame there are only 18 seats. Best: Indo-inspired mains like gobi parantha, thick whole wheat crepes stuffed with al dente cauliflower sided with sour cream raita, spicy house-made sausage and coriander chutney BLT built on toasted slices of St John’s Bakery’s sourdough stacked with thick Upper Cut bacon, ripe tomato and avocado mayo at weekend brunch, corn tortillas piled with tandoori-style pulled pork, perfectly scrambled free-range eggs and garlicky roasted tomato salsa lashed with avocado cream, a heap of commercial organic greens dressed in honey balsamic on the side. Complete brunches for $18 per person, including tax, tip and an Americano. Average main $10. Open for brunch Sunday 9 am to 4 pm. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN

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