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Food Food & Drink

Weekend eating: July 13-14

Saturday

Against the Grain

25 Dockside, at Queens Quay E, 647-344-1562, atgurbantavern.ca With rare exceptions, dining by the lake is strictly for tourists, out-of-towners here for the view and not the deep-fried frozen grub. But this swanky resto lounge – ahem, gastro-pub – at the foot of Jarvis next to Sugar Beach in the new Corus Complex breaks that rule with a spectacular patio right on the water and a moderately priced nouveau comfort food card that even locals can appreciate. Best: to share, pulled pork tacos dressed with smoked Gouda, pickled watermelon salsa and avocado crème fraîche pan-seared duck breast glazed with raspberry Frambozenbier over marinated mushrooms and organic mesclun in a citrusy balsamic vinaigrette dressed with amaranth sprouts and deep-fried strips of five-spiced wonton wrapper the house burger, an 8-ounce Ontario Angus colossus finished with beer-braised shredded short ribs, blue cheese, house-smoked bacon and a frazzle of super-thin onion rings thin-crusted Libretto-style pizza topped with prosciutto, Gorgonzola and a salad’s-worth of arugula to finish, banana cream pie. Complete dinners for $50 per person (lunches $35/brunches $30), including tax, tip and a pint. Average main $20/$15/$12. Open for dinner Saturday 5 pm to 1 am. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Hopgood’s Foodliner

325 Roncesvalles, at Grenadier, 416-533-2723, hopgoodsfoodliner.com Don’t come to former Hoof Café chef Geoff Hopgood’s ultra-hip Foodliner expecting bone-marrow donuts and suckling-pig eggs Benny. Not only does his Roncey resto not offer the two dishes that put him on the foodie map, but he doesn’t do brunch at all. Instead, go for some of most creative and downright fun plates in town in a relaxed room tended by attentive servers. Best: to start, Halifax-style donairs on warm house-baked pitas dressed with ripe tomato, diced Vidalia onions and a weirdly addictive sauce made from evaporated milk, sugar, garlic and vinegar lamb’s heart tartare laced with green olives and dehydrated cauliflower purée over nutty caramelized cream a winter cassoulet of French flageots beans thick with meaty sweetbreads and sage-scented sausages deep-fried chicken roulade on cheesy grits in bacon-maple sauce to finish, frozen house-made chocolate bars. Complete dinners for $60 per person, including tax tip and a glass of wine. Average main $22. Open for dinner Saturday 6 to 11 pm. Reservations recommended. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: one step 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. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Sunday

Bellwoods Brewery

124 Ossington, at Argyle, 416-535-4586, bellwoodsbrewery.com, @bellwoodsbeer 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

Lahore Tikka House

1365 Gerrard E, at Highfield, 416-406-1668, lahoretikkahouse.com After eight long years, the Taj Mahal of Little India is finally complete… well, almost. The rabbit warren of trailers where diners used to eat has been replaced by a chaotic open-air dining room furnished with picnic tables that spills onto a 400-seat patio tented in billowing sari fabric and lit by fairy lights. Best: slashed whole red snapper tikka, smoky from the charcoal-fuelled tandoor, skewered with lightly charred turmeric-tanged onion, potato and tomato aromatic minced lamb kebabs lemon-scented aloo gobi rich with waxy spuds and al dente cauliflower yellow lentils and pulverized spinach palak dahl vegetable biryani with chickpeas, crunchy cauliflower and carrot butter-brushed naan tossed with sesame seeds house-made almond kulfi ice cream squeezed-to-order sugar cane juice. Complete meals for $20 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. Average main $9. Open Sunday noon to 1 am. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Smith

553 Church, at Dundonald, 416-926-2501, 553church.com Cousin to nearby 7 West and Wish, Renda Abdo’s lastest resto-lounge (formerly the gay bar known as Straight) features a confident comfort food kitchen and the village’s most exclusive patio – a romantic two-top on a secluded second-storey terrace overlooking the street. Bonus: show up on your bicycle and get a 10 per cent discount on food. Best: to start, brownie-like mint chocolate scones follow with a wilted kale salad dressed with frisée, roasted almonds, toasted quinoa, a shaving of Grana Padano and a runny egg traditional huevos rancheros on La Tortilleria tortillas dressed with black beans, chunky guacamole and house-made salsa fluffy omelette du jour with caramelized leek, bacon and aged cheddar. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a $6 Caesar. Average main $10. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: nine steps at door, washrooms upstairs. Rating: NNN

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