Saturday
93 Harbord
93 Harbord, at Robert, 416-922-5914, 93harbord.com Toronto’s first intentionally anonymous supper club continues to be very much of the moment: a stylish, comfortable room (warm brick walls hung with simply framed mirrors, warm lighting, long banquettes, kraft-paper-topped tables, tinkling cocktail jazz) coupled with a reasonably priced lineup of inventive North African and Middle Eastern dishes. Minimal attitude, zero scene and DJ-free – what more could a downtown sophisticate ask? Now, if someone could just come up with a catchy name for the joint! Best: from a seasonally changing card, to start, such tapas-like mezes as eggplant baba ghannouj with pomegranate sauce or hummus sprinkled with toasted almonds roasted red and yellow beets in minty bulgar salad seared tiger shrimp over cumin-kissed apple rings with dilled sour grape coulis mains like Persian Fessenjen duck in pomegranate-and-walnut sauce with garlicky sautéed spinach vegetarian tagine with apricots, quince and gingery red wine coulis grilled salmon wrapped in grape leaves over saffron basmati pilau to finish, pistachio-crusted crème caramel. Complete dinners for $50 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of house red. Average main $20. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 to 11 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: no steps at door, washrooms on main floor. Rating: NNNN
Ortolan
1211 Bloor W, at Margueretta, 647-348-4500, littledrunkbird.com Although they don’t serve the illegal roasted French bird drowned in Armagnac that gives this Bloordale bistro its name, owner/chefs Damon Clements and Daniel Usher’s unusually short contemporary card is just as extraordinary. Low tax-inclusive prices, only 26 seats and a no-reservations policy mean the chances of snagging one of them is nigh on impossible come prime time. NOW’s resto of the year 2011! Best: shareable starters like rabbit rillettes scented with fresh rosemary and spread on chewy slices of Thuet baguette, sided with mild Taggiasche olives grilled green onions – and one organic purple spring onion – paired with garlicky Catalan almond-chili sauce red radish and kohlrabi salad in lemony cumin-yogurt dressing finished with dill and slivered scallion mains like house-made gnocchi in mascarpone cream with foraged hen of the woods mushrooms and shaved parmigiano sliced rare skirt steak in spicy harissa piled with wilted ribbons of celery for dessert, lavender panna cotta with stewed Ontario strawberries to drink rhubarb spritzers. Complete dinners for $45 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $16. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10:30 pm. Licensed. Access: slight bump at door, tight tables, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Siddhartha Pure Vegetarian
1471 Gerrard East, at Rhodes, 416-463-9777 Sister to Gautama down the block, this Subcontinental all-you-can-eat buffet is one of the tastiest in Little India. And the only one that doesn’t feature butter chicken. Likeable servers steer first-timers to the good stuff. Best: from the buffet, deep-fried veggie pakoras and samosas veggie szubji like saag paneer swirled with yogurt stir-fried cabbage with mustard seeds spicy eggplant with potatoes and green chilies paneer in sweet red tomato sauce à la butter chicken sweet ‘n’ sour Manchurian-style meatless kofta meatballs from the à la carte menu, fried lentil idly with fiery Sri Lankan-style sambar the tandoori platter with smoky paneer, cauliflower and tofu on a bed of raw cabbage and red onion. Complete dinners for $25 per person (lunches $20), including tax, tip and a lime soda. Average la carte $10. Open for $13.99 dinner buffet Saturday 4 to 10:30 pm. Unlicensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Sunday
Café Fiorentina
236 Danforth, at Playter, 416-855-4240, cafefiorentina.com, @cafe_fiorentina Take two classically trained French chefs – Tina Leckie (Celestin) and Alex Chong (Didier) – and set them free in an all-day café-slash-bake-shop and get one of the Danforth’s tastiest alternatives to flaming saganaki. Counter service and a few scattered tables add to the casual vibe. Sous-vide takeout dinners, too. Best: from a constantly shifting lineup, sandwiches on house-baked yeast-free sourdough layered with seared rare steak, gooey Gruyère and pickled wild mushrooms house-cured Berkshire pork belly and puréed kimchee soups like duck broth with pastina creamy potato with leek soufflé-like quiches du jour, one day portobello mushroom with Brie, the next caramelized onion with Stilton house-cured charcuterie paired with local cheese a take on eggs Benny with poached duck eggs in lemony hollandaise over pickled beets and Georgian Bay whitefish on toasted pains au lait whole flourless chocolate cakes. Complete brunches/lunches for $25 per person, including, tax, tip and an iced tea. Average main $12. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
DT Bistro
154 Harbord, at Brunswick, 416-916-8155, dtbistro.com Although it no longer goes by the name Dessert Trends, owner/chef Donald Duong’s recently refurbished Annex café is still very much a patisserie. That would explain the wall of pricy wedding cakes behind glass that now greets you at the door. His buttermilk scones with Devonshire cream and sour cherry compote ($7) are as perfectly flaky as ever. Described on the menu as pancakes, what show up are more like a half-dozen coconut mini-quiches dressed with spicy chipotle shrimp, mango salsa and the odd kernel of corn ($16). Fabulously crisp deep-fried soft-shelled crabs get sandwiched between two slices of house-baked brioche spread with roasted red pepper aioli, while the savoury mushroom bread pudding topped with a poached egg and smoked salmon is one of the tastiest brunch dishes around. The only thing that could possibly follow Duong’s generously plated beef bourguignon, thick with wild mushrooms on a bed of classic pommes purée (both $18, all with salad), is a nap. Open Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Tavoos
1120 College, at Dufferin, 647-352-7322 The Pomegranate and Sherzade’s Daniele Schrage and Ali Fashrashrafi bring Persian sophistication to one of the last ungentrified corners on the west side. An unusual menu, helpful service and massive portions lead to repeat visits. Forget dessert. The only thing you’ll need after dinner is a nap! Best: to start, Zeitoon Parvardeh, a vegetarian caviar-like spread thick with crushed walnuts, pomegranate paste and tangy green olives mains like Dizi Sangi, a humongous stew of lamb shank and chickpeas served two ways, first as strained broth then mashed on toasted barberry bread along with creamy yogurt, scallion and pickled eggplant Kolleh Pocheh, a curried soup strewn with sundry sheeps’ heads, hooves and tongues finished with pickled garlic, raw red onion and fresh lemon to drink, strong Turkish coffee. Complete lunches/brunches for $20 per person, including tax, tip and a steaming glass of chai. Open Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
