Saturday
Black Skirt
974 College, at Rusholme, 416-532-7424, blackskirtrestaurant.com. After making a splash at Wish a few years ago, Rosa Gallé and Aggie Decina strike out on their own to bring old-school rustic Italiana back to the former Little Italy. A charming room, engaging service and a no-nonsense card of Sicilian home-cooking classics add up to a trip back to a simpler time. Best: to start, meaty white anchovies and garlicky chopped tomato on grilled Riviera baguette barely grilled skewers of lamb speducci splashed with olive oil pressed muffuletta panini spread with black-olive tapenade and piled with capicola, mortadella, sweet and hot soppressata and giardiniere pickles beefy breaded veal sandwiches in Decina-family tomato ragu dressed with provolone and grilled hot banana peppers secondi like veal ‘n’ ricotta ravioli finished with butter, freshly shaved parmigiano and fried sage leaves grilled New Zealand lamb chops in a balsamic reduction sided with mashed ‘n’ baked potatoes with mozzarell’ and sautéed rapini to finish, textbook tiramisu and pistachio-studded cannoli. Complete dinners for $50 per person (lunches $25), including tax, tip and a glass of Chianti. Average main $25/$13. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant
1220 Queen E, at Leslie, 416-469-5225. Ten years ago, long before Origin and Buca, this extremely rambunctious room located in an old bank with zero signage (look for the large nose over the door) was doing Italian-style tapas. And though it’s not as frenzied as it used to be early in the week, it’s still a mob scene every Friday and Saturday night. Fun for a group, but maybe not a date. Best: antipasti like the house meatballs in old-school tomato ragu, or frito misto of deep-fried calamari and shrimp primi like crepe-like crespelle folded over sweet butternut squash and creamy mascarpone in sage butter soft Asiago polenta alla Bolognese secondi like grilled lamb chops with cranberry couscous and fresh mint osso buco with buttery cremini mushrooms à la carte side of mashed sweet potatoes in chestnut butter to finish, subtle house-made desserts like panna cotta custard in smoky caramel. Complete dinners for $50 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of Chianti. Average main $14. Open for dinner Saturday 6 pm to midnight. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
Gusto 101
101 Portland, at Adelaide W, 416-504-9669, gusto101.com. Forget Grand Electric and Yours Truly. Downtown’s current resto du jour is this boisterous Italian trat in a converted chop shop within spitting distance of the Spoke Club. Don’t let the knobs and desperate singles put you off one of the best rooftop decks in town. But unless you book a table for either noon or 6 pm – the only times they take reservations – expect to wait in line. Best: to start, house-made ricotta with house-baked baguette wood-grilled octopus over haricots verts in a citrusy basil vinaigrette mined with tapenade massive main-sized arugula salads dressed with baby plum tomatoes, avocado and sliced rare steak classic summer spaghetti tossed with Manila clams at brunch, thin-crust pizzas topped with San Marzano sauce, local mozzarella, Pingue speck and a runny egg to finish, cioccolato pudding splashed with fruity olive oil and sea salt. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches/brunches $30), including tax, tip and a glass of house vino. Average main $18/$14. Open for dinner Saturday 5 pm to close. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Sunday
Prague European Kitchen
638 Queen W, at Palmerston, 416-504-5787, theprague.ca. Those who remember the Prague Deli will be shocked when they walk through that familiar front door. The deli’s largely gone, replaced by a rather anodyne resto-lounge geared to the Friday- and Saturday-night cocktail crowd. Old-timers will recognize chef Jake Paradis’s modern Mitteleuropean carte, but not the prices. Best: to whet the appetite, baskets of deep-fried pigs’ ears dusted with smoked paprika pickled beets updated with smoked hazelnuts and fresh ricotta-like quark cheese sizable mains like deep-fried pierogi topped Benny-style with poached eggs, sweet paprika hollandaise and smoked ham hock roasted suckling pig in mustardy bone gravy sided with apple sauce and bread dumplings beefy sauerbraten ribs with deep-fried spaetzle to finish, old-school chocolate cake from the deli out back. Complete brunches for $30 per person, including tax tip and a shot of Slivovitz. Average main $10. Open For Sunday brunch 10 am to 5 pm. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
Tabule
2009 Yonge, at Glebe, 416-483-3747, tabule.ca. While owners Diana Sideris and Rony Goraichy include pita pockets on their card, this casual uptown eatery offers, instead of falafels, solidly executed grub made with quality ingredients at affordable price points served by friendly staff in a pleasant room. The recent annexing of the storefront next door now means that lineups – once very common come dinnertime – only happen during the weekend rush. Best: to start, a plate of complimentary pickles – crunchy dills, sour purple turnip, unpitted black olives, hellishly hot baby banana peppers follow with garlicky hummus with toasted whole wheat pita grilled haloumi cheese over baby arugula in pomegranate vinaigrette house-made grape leaves stuffed with rice ‘n’ tomato dipped into Lebanese cream cheese smokily grilled skewers of bell pepper, tomato, red onion and zucchini sided with cumin-kissed basmati pilaf laced with brown lentils honey-doused squares of green pistachio baklava. Complete dinners for $30 per person (lunches $20), including tax, tip and a Stella. Average main $15/$8. Open Sunday noon to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
3030
3030 Dundas W, at High Pk, 416-769-5736, 3030dundaswest.com. This cavernous gastro-pub in the jumpin’ Junction pairs an extensive lineup of local obscure microbrews with a solid morning-after menu from ex-Grand Electric chef Adisa Brian Glasgow. Pinball machines, a conversation pit and vintage TVs playing old black ‘n’ white movies up the retro atmosphere. Best: to start, a basket of warm house-baked cornbread, banana bread and local baguette spread with whipped strawberry-infused butter sandwiches of duck confit on focaccia with cranberry mayo, fried Brie and house greens in citrus vinaigrette a breakfast spin on Korean bi bim bap of poached eggs, potatoes, sautéed spinach and roasted red and yellow peppers perfectly executed omelettes with shredded JA-style oxtail and goat cheese sided with parsley potatoes, grilled asparagus and salad. Complete brunches for $28 per person, including tax, tip and a pint of suds. Average main $13. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
