Saturday
Actinolite
971 Ossington, at Hallam, 416-962-8943, actinoliterestaurant.com. If it’s worrisome foams, unorthodox tacos or autumnal tableaux fashioned from root vegetables and a few bits of bark you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong cantina. But if a comfortable candlelit room slightly off the beaten path with a reasonably priced ingredient-driven carte checks all your boxes, welcome home. Best: to start, chef Justin Cournoyer’s warm rustic bread followed by confit chicken leg with pickled onion and mustardy yogurt sauce apple salad tossed with endive, shredded cheddar, walnuts and minimal kale mains like house-made ravioli stuffed with squash and dressed with truffled tapenade and toasted pine nuts grilled Angus skirt smeared with blue cheese, sided with roasted Brussels sprouts and pomme purée steamed English pudding with Earl Grey ice cream. Complete dinners for $60 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $24. Open for dinner Saturday 6 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Bent
777 Dundas W, at Markham, 647-352-0092, bentrestaurant.com. Don’t come to superstar Susur Lee’s latest resto-lounge expecting salad followed by meat ‘n’ with two veg and dessert. If, however, your taste runs to inventive tapas-style dishes with a preponderance of seafood meant to be shared over exotic cocktails, have we got the boîte for you! Best: sake-cured salmon gravlax over blocks of eggy tamago on a bed of horseradish crème fraîche showered with a julienne of toasted nori, a stack of buckwheat blinis on the side watermelon and tuna ceviche dressed with slivered chilies and lime a spin on Lee’s signature Singapore slaw, duck salad with crackling, kohlrabi and crispy taro ribbons sprinkled with exotic sprouts and edible flowers buttery foie gras and chicken pâté with tapenade-spread brioche, sweet ice-wine syrup and onion marmalade to finish, complimentary shot glasses of lemon curd parfait and chocolate mousse. Complete tapas-style dinners for $60 per person, including tax, tip and a cocktail. Average tapas $16. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 to 10:30 pm. Bar till close. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Sabai Sabai
225 Church, at Dundas E, 647-748-4225, sabaisabaito.ca. Sukhothai’s Nuit and Jeff Regular bounce back from Khao San Road with their tastiest Thai trat yet. Just don’t come looking for nuclear meltdowns. Instead of heat for heat’s sake, chef Nuit layers her spicing to allow the subtle nuances of lime, ginger and lemongrass to steal the show. And, no, they don’t do pad thai! Best: at dinner, shareable tapas-style plates like crisply char-grilled chicken wings and stir-fried shell-on shrimp anointed with holy basil a steamed catfish custard splashed with coconut cream that could pass for pumpkin mousse skewers of tender pork loin sided with vinegary nam chim dip cold chicken noodle salad dressed with toasted smoky rice powder at lunch, spicy beef soup with rice noodles and crushed peanuts old favourites like creamy Khao Soi noodles with shredded chicken breast gingery Massaman curry thick with braised flat-iron steak. Complete dinners for $30 per person (lunches $20), including tax, tip and a mock cocktail. Average tapas $7/$12 lunch mains. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Sunday
A-OK Foods
930 Queen W, at Ossington, 647-352-2243, aokfoods.ca. This way-casual spinoff of Yours Truly may pride itself on its house-made ramen noodles, but the tapas-like starters on chef Chris Jang’s witty multiculti card are the true stars. Quick, friendly service and a soundtrack of 70s disco classics make the room’s communal picnic-bench seating all the more palatable. Best: tenderly braised ox tongue on a Greek salad of shredded lettuce, radish and mint dusted with Mexican feta-like cojita cheese sous-vide pork wrapped Korean ssam-style in lettuce Chino chicken wings doused in whole chili pods deep-fried ‘n’ sautéed Brussels sprouts à la Momofuku’s David Chang ramped up with smoky pancetta, sweet Kewpie mayo and shaved bonita flakes numbing Sichuan-style ramen with roast pork, pickled scallion and plump goji berries to drink, soothing syrupy horchata. Complete meals for $30 per person, including tax, tip and a domestic beer. Average tapas $8. Open for lunch Sunday 11:30 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: nine steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
Bellwoods Brewery
124 Ossington, at Argyle, 416-535-4586, bellwoodsbrewery.com. As you’d expect from the name, the focus at Mike Clark and Luke Pestl’s bustling west-side pub is the artisanal suds they brew on the premises, specialty ales with names like Muggleweisse and Witchshark Imperial IPA. To go with them, former Bar Mozza chef Fab DeCicco has created a short, shareable carte that ventures beyond pickled eggs ‘n’ pork scratchin’s. Knowledgable servers steer newbies to the good stuff. Best: grilled izakaya-style duck hearts drizzled with charred jalapeño oil generous platters of black Kalamata olives, pickled beets, buttery lima beans, spicy peanuts and whipped anise butter served with porous Woodlot sourdough made from leftover malt barbecued house-stuffed pork sausages on ciabatta buns spread with Dijon-spiked mayonnaise, porter-braised sauerkraut on the side for dessert, chocolate ice cream sandwiches. Complete meals for $35 per person, including tax, tip and a pint. Average main $12. Open Sunday 2 to 11 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Lazy Daisy’s
1515 Gerrard E, at Coxwell, 647-341-4070, lazydaisyscafe.ca. Though there may be similar all-day indie spots on every street corner west of Bathurst, here in Little India, Dawn Chapman’s artsy 34-seat café is cause for dancing in the streets. A short locavore card of soups ‘n’ sandwiches augmented by stellar baked goods from nearby Knead Bakery makes this an inevitable magnet for the stroller brigade. Best: sweet Berretta Farms ground-beef chili with chunky tomato and the occasional kidney bean sided with jalapeño cornbread miniature whoopee pies filled with Fifth Town goat cheese and smoked Mennonite bacon broccoli and Woolwich cheddar quiche with buttery croissant crust Cha Cha chicken salad sandwiches on St Urbain poppyseed bagels salted caramel and chocolate cheesecake brownies for the Star Wars fanatic, Princess Leia cinnamon buns. Complete meals for $15, including all tax, tip and a Te Aro coffee. Average main $8. Open Sunday 8:30 am to 5 pm. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
