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Food Food & Drink

Weekend eating: June 4-5

Saturday

Khao San Road

326 Adelaide W, at Peter, 647-352-5773, khaosanroad.ca. Cousin to Regent Park’s Sukhothai, Jeff and Nuit Regular’s boho Bangkok trat brings regional Thai cuisine to the heart of condoland. And while the digs have moved upmarket, the food’s as fiery as ever. True heat-lovers ask for everything “Thai spicy” with extra hot sauce on the side. Reservations essential for dinner Thursday through Sunday. Best: ketchup-free takes on pad thai, a monochromatic stir-fry of rice noodles, bean sprouts, scrambled egg and either chicken, beef or pressed tofu spiked with roasted chilies Khao Soi, linguini-like noodles topped with chicken or beef in bright coconut gravy vegan Pad Kee Mao with raw green chilies purposefully bland tapioca Thai Buckets – whisky, Red Bull and coke sold by the pail. Complete dinners for $30 per person (lunches $20), including tax, tip and a beer. Average main $13/$10. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN

Marcello’s

1163 St Clair W, at Dufferin, 416-656-6159, marcellospizzeria.com. Though it’s rarely mentioned in the endless Terroni vs Libretto pizza debate, this family-run family-style trat bakes a thin-crusted pie their equal. Substantial salads, no-nonsense grills and customizable pastas mean full houses from noon till late. Takeout, but no delivery. Also: 3175 Rutherford, at Jane, 905-532-0184. Best: from the wood-burning pizza oven, the Compagniola, a 12-inch thinly crusted pie layered with spicy sausage, grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and tomato sauce French-cut veal chops in green peppercorn ‘n’ marsala sauce to start, rich chicken-broth-based Stracciatella Fiorentina soup swirled with tomato and spinach mixed greens tossed with peppers, artichoke and shaved Asiago in balsamic vinaigrette. Complete meals for $45 per person (lunches $30), including tax, tip and a glass of vino. Average main $17. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Scarpetta

550 Wellington W, at Portland, 416-601-3590, scottconant.com/restaurants/scarpetta/toronto. New York City celebu-chef and Food TV star Scott Conant brings his unique mix of high-end Italian comfort food to the lobby of the newly minted Thompson Hotel. Superb attention to detail and impossibly polished service give the local dining scene a much-needed kick in the keister. Best: to start, complimentary baskets of signature stromboli (aka folded-over streudel-style pizza dough stuffed with sweetly roasted red pepper) absurdly rich starters like wine-braised beef short ribs over faro risotto thick with summer-fresh asparagus polenta intensified with heavy cream and topped with multi-mushroom fricassee finished with white truffle oil mains like plain $23 spaghetti in simple tomato sauce and parmigiano slow-roasted baby capretto goat with crisply sautéed pancetta, fingerling potatoes and rapini to finish, retro Amedei chocolate pudding cake with burnt orange ‘n’ caramel gelato. Complete dinners for $110 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $33. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 pm to midnight. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNNN

Sunday

Cowbell

1564 Queen W, at Sorauren, 416-849-1095, cowbellrestaurant.ca. Vegetarians, beware! Mark Cutrara and Karin Culliton’s sophisticated Parkdale bistro has little for you. Instead, those who like a side of meat with their meat main course will find much to love, including informed service and a relaxed early-morning vibe. Best: to start, house-baked buttermilk biscuits to follow, sweetly pulled pork eggs Benny topped with deep-fried ducks’ eggs and sided with sautéed southern-style collard greens corned beef hash layered with a whisky-laced omelette baked eggs in baked potato skins with nutty Frere Jacques cheese, Savoy cabbage coleslaw on the side to drink, beermosas. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a $4 Mimosa. Average main $14. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNNN

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, lunch Monday to Friday 11:30 am to 3 pm, dinner Monday to Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. Rating: NNNN

Mocha Mocha

489 Danforth, at Logan, 416-778-7896, mochamocha.ca. After operating Lima, Peru’s, only Dutch pancake house, Marijan and Mercedes Tripkovic opened this nutritious noshery in 1991. Count on a multi-culti menu that incorporates Latin American, Italian and African influences and cafeteria-style service. Warning: chaotic on weekends. Best: spicy cacciatore-style East African chicken stew with brown rice and house salad – red cabbage, cuke, tomato and leaf lettuce in lemony honey Dijon dressing spinach-rich vegetarian lasagna workmanlike Tex-Mex burritos stuffed with refried beans and topped with diced avocado, pickled jalapeño and sour cream vegetarian club sandwiches, a triple-decker stacked with grilled eggplant, avocado and mozzarella on organic whole-wheat toast sided with carrot ‘n’ red cabbage slaw made-to-order egg salad on Fred’s multigrain spinach-rich vegetarian lasagna for dessert, Wanda’s retro apple pie. Complete meals for $25 per person ($18 at lunch or brunch), including tax, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $10. Open Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, but very crowded room. Rating: NNN

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