Saturday
Prague European Kitchen
638 Queen W, at Palmerston, 416-504-5787, theprague.ca. Those who fondly remember the Prague Deli are in for a shock when they walk through the familiar front door. The deli is largely gone, replaced by a rather anodyne resto-lounge that seems geared to the Saturday-night Czehoski crowd. Old-timers will recognize chef Jake Paradis’s Mitteleuropean carte of goulash and such, but not the prices. Best: to start, a basket of deep-fried pigs’ ears dusted with smoked paprika traditional starters like pickled beets updated with smoked hazelnuts, watercress and fresh ricotta-like quark cheese sizeable mains like roasted suckling pig in mustardy bone gravy sided with apple sauce and bread dumplings duck-stuffed cabbage rolls in fresh tomato sauce beefy sauerbraten ribs with deep-fried spaetzle at brunch, deep-fried pierogi topped Benny-style with poached eggs, sweet paprika hollandaise and smoked ham hock to finish, old-school chocolate cake. Complete dinners for $45 (lunches/brunches $30), including tax, tip and a cocktail. Average main $16/$10. Open for dinner Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Bar till close. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
Weslodge Saloon
480 King W, at Brant, 416-274-8766, weslodge.com. Furnished with enough stuffed wildlife to stock a taxidermy shop, club kings Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth’s steampunk hunting lodge puts the focus on the kitchen for a change. Ex L’Unita chef Stuart Cameron delivers a comfort food carte that’s as stylish as the surroundings. Best: to start, roughly chopped bison tartare finished with red Thai chilies and powdered foie gras a salad of slivered green beans and shaved fennel dressed with both roasted and raw Jerusalem artichokes the house burger – 7 hand-ground ounces of naturally raised Cumbrae brisket, chuck ‘n’ rib-eye on a house-baked bun layered with pickled onion, spicy tomatillo relish and salty Taleggio cheese, a heap of chunky fries and kitchen’s-own ketchup on the side at brunch, generously truffled scrambled eggs over puff pastry and grilled asparagus, sided with house-cured duck bacon and fingerling potatoes fried in duck fat to conclude, “instant” chocolate mousse cake spray-painted with dark chocolate and garnished with dehydrated raspberries. Complete dinners for $55 per person (lunches/brunches $35) including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $24/$18. Open for dinner Saturday 5:30 to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
Sunday
Farmhouse Tavern
1627 Dupont, at Edwin, 416-561-9114, farmhousetavern.tumblr.com. Located deep in the Junction Triangle, this self-styled gastro-pub takes barnyard chic to a new level. Make sure to wear lumberjack plaid. Best: to start, potent tequila Caesars garnished with cherry tomatoes, house-smoked PEI oysters and shaved horseradish to follow, a savoury take on bread pudding thick with fluffy frittata-like free-range eggs and smoked Berkshire pork belly splashed with maple syrup and snippets of chive the 5-ounce house burger – hold the “secret” sauce – sided with very good chunky fries to finish, retro chocolate brownies with crème fraîche and pan-toasted hazelnuts. Complete brunches for $28 per person, including tax, tip and a pint. Average main $14. Open for brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Licensed. Access: three steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
La Hacienda
640 Queen W, at Palmerston, 416-703-3377, lahacienda.ca. Established in 85, this long-running cow-punk café is one of the last remaining original Queen West restos. Pretty much everything’s the same as it was back in the day: a yard sale’s worth of mismatched 50s kitchen furniture and tableware, laid-back service, the Cramps on the CD player, and a more than competent Mexican-via-California card. Great backyard deck, too. Best: Eggs Diablo, a yummy pinto ‘n’ black bean casserole topped with two runny fried eggs and melted mozzarella, sided with house-baked cornbread a cheesy hash of home fries, eggs and spicy Segovia sausage in mole sauce signature flaky house-finished croissant French toast with bourbon-soaked apples and bananas drizzled in raspberry coulis margaritas by the litre. Complete brunches for $22 per person, including tax, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $10. Open for brunch Sunday 11 am to 4 pm. Reservations for groups of six or more. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Lazy Daisy’s
1515 Gerrard E, at Coxwell, 647-341-4070, lazydaisyscafe.ca. Though there may be similar all-day indie spots on every street corner west of Bathurst, here in Little India, Dawn Chapman’s artsy 34-seat café is cause for dancing in the streets. A short locavore card of soups ‘n’ sandwiches augmented by stellar baked goods from nearby Knead Bakery makes this an inevitable magnet for the stroller brigade. Best: sweet Berretta Farms ground-beef chili with chunky tomato and the occasional kidney bean sided with jalapeño cornbread miniature whoopee pies filled with Fifth Town goat cheese and smoked Mennonite bacon broccoli and Woolwich cheddar quiche with buttery croissant crust Cha Cha chicken salad sandwiches on St Urbain poppyseed bagels salted caramel and chocolate cheesecake brownies for the Star Wars fanatic, Princess Leia cinnamon buns. Complete meals for $15, including all tax, tip and a Te Aro coffee. Average main $8. Open Sunday 8:30 am to 5 pm. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Paramount
253 Yonge, at Dundas Sq, 416-366-3600, paramountfinefoods.com. Suburban falafel franchise launches across from the Eaton Centre to instant crowds. Outstanding Middle Eastern grills, lightning service and a historic heritage setting help ease the chaos. Best: to start, puffed-up house-baked pitas straight from the oven dipped into garlicky hummus, dressed with shredded shawarma to share, reconfigured “whole chickens” marinated in yogurt à la tandoori, then grilled over charcoal à point and finished with spicy piri-piri-style olive oil main plates like unusually juicy lamb kebabs dusted with oregano, all sadly sided with either cardboard Uncle Ben’s-like rice or limp frozen French fries, as well as iceberg lettuce, dead-of-winter tomato and a mountain of mild cucumber ‘n’ turnip pickles to drink, the Paramount Special, a mix of strawberry and mango juices swirled with almonds, crushed pistachios and clotted ashta cream to conclude, honey-dripping baklava. Complete dinners for $25 per person (lunches $15), including tax, tip and a relatively fresh juice. Average main $12/$8. Open Sunday 8 am to 11 pm. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
