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Food Food & Drink

Weekend eating: May 21-22

Saturday

Delux

92 Ossington, at Humbert, 416-537-0134, deluxrestaurant.ca. Now that it’s no longer Oz’s buzz bistro du jour – that honour goes to Boemer across the street – owner/chef Corinna Mozo’s west-side resto moves at a less frantic pace. True, the light’s as dim as ever and the booths remain a little tight, but chef’s Cuban-accented takes on French comfort classics have more focus and servers more poise. Those who like a little more privacy and don’t mind a communal table will love the new back room and its vintage freestanding fireplace. Best: at dinner, start with crusty house-baked Cuban bread aps like Oyster Boy Malpeques on the half-shell with apple mignonette, or chef’s charcuterie, a rough peppery pork terrine, say, paired with chicken rillettes and brandied chicken liver mousse mains like Pernod-splashed bouillabaise with butterflied shrimp, mussels, clams and monkfish served with grilled bread and fiery red rouille super-tender Cumbrae Farms veal cheeks with marrow in beet reduction over potato purée, horseradish cream and Swiss chard at lunch, signature grilled Cubano sandwiches of cider-cured pork shoulder, sliced deli ham and gooey Gruyère, sided Havana-style with chunky frites, a whack o’ watercress and a Coke to finish, baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies served with a glasses of “milk,” aka White Russians Parisian-style butterscotch bread pudding. Complete lunches for $30 per person (dinners $65), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $22. Open for dinner Saturday from 6 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN

Dos Amigos

1201 Bathurst, at Bridgman, 416-534-2528, dos-amigos.ca. This former luncheonette hard by the TTC yards may seem to be situated in the middle of nowhere – blink and you’ll miss it – but the convenient location makes the cozy cantina popular with Annex denizens and patrons of nearby Tarragon Theatre. Some may find the Mexican card under-spiced unless they request that everything be cooked the way the kitchen staff would make it for themselves. Think intensity of flavours, not fireworks. Best: Pollo con Mole, boneless chicken breast in a deliciously rich sauce of unsweetened chocolate thickened with pulverized pumpkin seeds and garlic, sided like most mains with rice ‘n’ refried turtle beans Pescado à la Veracruzana, pan-seared then roasted red snapper in a lemony sauce laced with garlic and green, with rice and salad soft veggie burritos – sour-cream-squiggled flour tortillas stuffed with eggplant, broccoli, avocado and cactus to finish, addictive custardy caramel flan. Complete meals for $45 per person, including tax, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $18. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Licensed. -Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Green Earth

385 Broadview, at Gerrard, 416-778-9199, greenearthveggie.com. Located directly across the street from the Don Jail, this cheery vegan luncheonette gets little walk-in traffic other than the occasional escaped convict. But word of mouth has made this modest room a hit with local veg-heads. Expect Southeast Asian mains filtered through Italian and Mexican sensibilities. Best: to start, Paradise Sushi, a six-pack of loosely wrapped maki with veggie ham, lightly vinegared rice, crunchy carrot sticks, English cuke and avocado Temple Green Garden salad of crisp raw broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and zucchini in creamy dill dressing garnished with Spanish onion Star Delight, a massive slab of glutinous chicken breast stuffed with spinach and sauced with faux alfredo the garden burger, a house-made soybean protein ‘n’ chickpea patty sandwiched à la Big Mac in a sesame seed bun spread with vegan mayo and dressed with lettuce, tomato and pickles to finish, tofu cheesecake. Complete dinners for $16 per person, including tax, tip and an iced tea. Average main $8. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 9 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, short ramp at door. Rating: NNN

Sunday

Goed Eten

188 Ossington, at Dundas W, 416-533-3213, goedeten.ca. The Belgian waffles at Johan Maes and Tanya Reid’s Le Petit Dejeuner on King East have proven so popular, the couple opened this west-side café exclusively devoted to them. Best: made-to-order Belgian waffles simply dressed with confectioners’ sugar or dressed to the nines with maple syrup, candied strawberries and house-made wild blueberry, Belgian chocolate or gingerbread ice cream superb twice-cooked Belgian frites topped poutine-style with Bolognese sauce and squeaky Pasquale Brothers cheese curds. Complete brunches for $18 per person, including all tax, tip and a coffee. Average main $10. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN

Wish

3 Charles E, at Yonge, 416-935-0240, wishintoronto.com. Briefly Black Skirt, Renda Abdo’s whitewashed South Beach-style resto-lounge returns to its original mandate. Better yet, she’s overhauled the kitchen and lowered prices, too. Best: to start, grilled grapefruit with raw sugar mains like eggs Charlotte, a pair of expertly poached eggs in Parmesan and leek fondue over smoked salmon on whole wheat Ace Bakery muffins, sided with organic greens in red wine vinaigrette grilled Nutella sandwiches to finish, Callebaut chocolate brownies straight from the oven dolloped with real whipped cream. Complete brunches for $30 per person, including all tax, tip and a cocktail. Average main $14. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Zocalo

1426 Bloor W, at Sterling, 647-342-1567, zocalobistro.com. Whatever you do, don’t call it brunch. Instead, this idiosyncratic Junction Triangle kitchen serves what it refers to as “broken-bread sandwiches.” Translation: massive deconstructed veggie-friendly sandwich ‘n’ salad combos composed of locally sourced ingredients. Best: shareable platters of French Canadian meat loaf with roasted potato and garlic confit salad apricot ‘n’ pork sausages poached in house-made cider over warm split peas and balsamic onion marmalade, all served with three types of St John Bakery sourdoughs and a mess o’ organic arugula, red radish, slivered daikon and baby plum tomatoes in red wine vinaigrette one-off desserts like strawberry bread pudding. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a local lager. Average main $10. Open Sunday 10 am to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN

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