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, gastropub – 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
Origin
107 King E, at Church, 416-603-8009, origintoronto.com. Like Buca, the Courthouse Terroni and Colborne Lane, owner/chef Claudio Aprile’s boisterous 140-seat resto-lounge is built to be loud. An open kitchen, a line barking “Yes, chef!” and a soundtrack of classic 90s rock certainly only add to the racket. But if multi-culti tapas and chi-chi cocktails are your scene, Origin’s the joint du jour. Best: in no particular order – cuz that’s how the kitchen pumps them out – tapas like perfectly deviled eggs dressed with bacon and a toss of gremolata smoked cod croquettes in saffron aioli deep-fried plantain tostones with garlicky guacamole a summery salad of watermelon in lemon vinaigrette finished with slivered green beans, watercress and crumbled feta stir-fried calamari and pineapple in caramelized peanut sauce spicy Spanish poutine with chorizo, manchego and smoky pimenton paprika. Complete lunches for $50 per person (dinners $65), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $12. Open for dinner Saturday 5 pm to close. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
Piri-Piri Grill House
1444 Dupont, at Symington, 416-536-5100, piripiri.com. Once a favourite on College, this semi-formal family-style Portuguese grill house has found new and more tastefully decorated digs at the edge of the Junction. Bonus: a year-round tented patio decked out with tables dressed with white tablecloths and cheerful yellow and blue napkins. Kids’ menu, too! Best: Piri-Piri Chicken, a crisply grilled half-bird liberally sea-salted and slathered with a sauce of hot chili paste and oil, paired with golden Parisian potato balls and rice grilled pork sausages flambéed in grappa-like bagaco generously portioned grilled squid doused in white wine, melted butter and garlic, sided with boiled potato, broccoli, carrot and cauliflower garlicky monkfish risotto with peppers and tomato splashed with brandy to finish, pudding Molotov with caramel topping. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches $25), including tax, tip and a Portuguese beer. Average main $18/$10. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Sunday
Earth Bloor West
2448 Bloor W, at Jane, 416-763-2222, thinkglobaleatlocal.ca. If you’ve ever eaten at Globe Bistro or Globe Earth – now rebranded Earth Rosedale – you’ll know what to expect at the latest west-side outpost of this eco-minded mini-chain. The massive former sports bar’s menu, ambience and service (locavore, downtown chic and smooth respectively) are virtually identical to its siblings’. Whether sleepy Swansea is ready for it is another matter entirely. Coming soon: Earth Ajax? Best: to start, baskets of house-baked scones and croissants spread with house-made preserves the Chef’s Brekkie, a runny-egg-topped skillet of house-made baked beans studded with Tamworth suckling pig and boudin noir blood sausage the Swine & Dine – three eggs, six kinds of pork including double-smoked bacon, maple crackling and Quebecois creton and “lots of toast, no salad” eggy vanilla brioche French toast finished with Reisling-soaked Niagara cherries, candied walnuts and Devonshire cream free-range omelettes stuffed with whipped 100-mile Ingersoll Dairy ricotta ‘n’ chèvre. Complete brunches/lunches for $35 per person (dinners $65), including tax, tip and a cocktail. Average main $14/$22. Open for brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Lahore Tikka House
1365 Gerrard E, at Highfield, 416-406-1668, lahoretikkahouse.com. After seven 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 200-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
Luma
330 King W, at John, 647-288-4715, oliverbonacini.com. Located in the Lightbox cinema complex, O&B’s latest mixes upscale, anodyne design, top-notch service and former Auberge de Pommier chef Jason Bangerter’s often playful plates to great effect, especially when sampled on the panoramic patio. Reservations recommended. Best: massive Croque Madame sandwiches on “artisan” sourdough piled with smoked ham and Gruyère, finished with a tasty Mornay sauce and a runny sunny-side-up egg spaghetti carbonara tossed with double-smoked bacon, freshly grated Parmesan, loads of ground pepper and a yolky egg barely scrambled eggs with house-smoked salmon, sour cream and chives to finish, fried-to-order beignets filled with pastry cream and finished with caramelized banana, whipped cream, melted chocolate, crème anglaise and dry-toasted pecans. Complete brunches for $40 per person, including tax, tip and a Stompin’ Tom Collins. Average main $15. Open for brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Licensed. Rating: NNNN
