Saturday
Catch
744 St Clair W, at Arlington, 416-658-0568, catchit.ca. If the Rushton is the Drake of west Forest Hill, its slick sister resto-lounge is its Starfish. Though the room’s decor and service might be better suited to some King West boîte, chef Nigel Finley’s predominently sustainable seafood lineup cuts right across the board. Best: to start, one of the better bread baskets in town, served warm and wrapped in napkins and spilling with rustic cornbread, olive focaccia and cranberry-molasses whole wheat, all dipped in buttery Spanish olive oil the cured fish and meat plate of house-made duck prosciutto, headcheese terrine, smoked salmon and Portuguese chorizo sided with mussels, periwinkles and crisp zucchini fritti grilled Arctic char over baby carrots and dandelion greens in a beetroot reduction sided with skinny thyme-flecked frites to finish, perfectly flaky butter tarts. Complete dinners for $65 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of Prosecco. Average main $25. Open for dinner Saturday 4 pm till late. Licensed. Rating: NNN
Hoof Raw Bar
926 Dundas W, at Gore Vale, 647-346-9356, theblackhoof.com. The latest spinoff of the Black Hoof puts the focus on seafood, particularly if its cured or smoked. Though most of chef Jonathan Pong’s fishy carte is sustainable, sustenance it’s not, instead crafted as snacks to go along with an after-work glass of wine or three. And, in typical Hoof fashion, service ranges from friendly and informed to snooty and aloof – all in the same server. Best: to start, warm croissant-like milk buns from OMG Bakery spread with whipped butter smoked shrimp cocktail with retro house-made horseradish ketchup chef’s cured fish board, a charcuterie-like platter with the likes of olive-brined branzino, miso-rubbed black cod, albacore tuna gravlax, sweet, meaty mackerel and scallops in smoked paprika the oddly dubbed Fish Snacks – salty deep-fried spot prawns, panko-battered smelts and tiny bait fish in tempura to finish, rhubarb “thingy,” a deconstructed trifle finished with salted caramel and ribbons of raw ‘barb. Complete dinners for $35 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $13. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 pm to midnight. No reservations. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, three steps to washroom. Rating: NNNN
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. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Sunday
Café Fiorentina
236 Danforth, at Playter, 416-855-4240, cafefiorentina.com. 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 at brunch, 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 lunches for $15 (brunches $20), including tax, tip and a fair-trade coffee. Average main $9/$12. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Kinton Ramen
51 Baldwin, at Beverley, 647-748-8900, kintonramen.com. And you thought getting into Guu was difficult! This Baldwin Village spinoff of the relentlessly popular Church Street izakaya shifts the focus from tapas-like bar snacks to massive bowls of Japanese noodles, to the point of obsession. Little wonder lines form outside the 30-seat sweatbox half an hour before it opens. And be prepared to get stuffed – leaving anything other than an empty bowl is considered bad form. Best: to start, deep-fried boneless chicken wings in hot sauce fiery cabbage kimchee dense deep-fried tofu in Kewpie mayo the only mains, meal-in-one bowls of soup based on four “secret” broths – shio (salty), miso (soybean paste), shoyu (soy sauce) and spicy (lighter fluid) – swimming with astonishingly firm fresh noodles, caramelized roast pork shoulder or fatty belly and various toppings, including soft-boiled eggs steeped in sake, seaweed and raw grated garlic for the unconventional, ramen topped with Swiss cheese, frozen corn and Thai basil in miso broth spiked with butter. Complete meals for $18 per person, including tax, tip and a lemonade. Average main $10. Open for lunch Sunday 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN
Three Speed
1163 Bloor W, at Pauline, 647-430-3834. Better known as the Communist Daughter’s bigger sister, this Bloordale local features ex-Swan chef Jane Ferriss’s card of comfort food classics on one of the best backyard decks on the west side, cool tunes on the jukebox a guarantee. Best: to start, the muffin du jour, cornbread jalapeño or chocolate chip banana, say the inevitable Benny, free-range poached eggs in hollandaise over beer-braised brisket and Portuguese cornbread a spicy hash of pastrami, spuds, onion ‘n’ cabbage topped with over-easy eggs baked eggs in mushroom-miso broth swimming with portobello and cremini sides of smoked Steelhead trout to drink, strong French-pressed I Deal Coffee blend by the Bodum. Complete brunches for $22 per person including tax, tip and a pint of Three Speed lager. Average main $11. Open for brunch Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
