Rating: NNNNN
Alice’s Restaurant
856 College, at Concord, 416-534-7500. Although you can likely get everything you want at this family-style bistro, it has nothing to do with Arlo Guthrie. Instead of hippie potluck casseroles, find beautifully plated mains and starters from owner/chef-to-watch John Pekka Woods in a casually inviting room. Best: chunky filler-free crab cakes over capers, diced cornichons and parsley oil mains like pan-roasted Cornish hen with morels and veggie brunoise at brunch, the house burger on ciabatta topped with bacon and cheddar, sided with garlicky aioli and skinny salted frites rosti topped with poached eggs and lemony hollandaise, sided with house-made sausage to finish, warm chocolate cake with crème anglaise. Complete dinners for $50 per person (brunches $25), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $20/$10. Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday 5 to 9 pm, brunch Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Closed Monday. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Amuse-Bouche
96 Tecumseth, at Whitaker, 416-913-5830. Since its launch three summers back, owner/chefs Jason Inniss and Bertrand Alépée’s beautiful bistro in Susur Lee’s old Lotus has been hailed as one of the finest dining experiences in Toronto. Come summer, it’s even more so, a quiet curbside patio next to a burbling fountain. Best: seasonal contemporary French card with Caribbean and Southeast Asian influences starts with slightly smoked Ontario trout in lemongrass-infused olive oil pan-seared Quebec foie gras with onion frites, pork belly and softened carrot cake secondi like pan-seared Cumbrae strip loin with fried Spanish spuds and paprika butter to finish, the seven-course $40 dessert degustation every Tuesday the chefs prepare a special made solely from foods sold at that day’s Trinity Bellwoods organic farmers’ market. Complete dinners for $100 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $28. Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday 6 to 10:30 pm. Closed Sunday, Monday. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms through kitchen. Rating: NNNN
Atelier Thuet
171 East Liberty, unit 153, at Hanna, 416-603-2777. Now doubled in size, this offshoot of Marc Thuet’s King West bistro may be hard to find, (hint: it’s across from Dominion), but once found will unlikely be forgotten. Come summer, chef barbecues preservative-free Mennonite beef on his “celebrated Thunder Grill” while you sip fresh strawberry champagne cocktails. Best: at lunch, sandwiches built on house-baked focaccia like steak haché with fabulously skinny frites showered with shaved Parmesan at dinner, begin with onion soup gratiné Les Halles, and follow with beer-braised Berkshire pork with warm Alsatian potato salad at brunch, Eggs Basquaise with house-made merguez lamb sausage. Complete dinners for $65 per person (lunches/brunches $35), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $28/$18. Open for lunch Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 2:30 pm, for dinner Tuesday to Suinday 5:30 pm to midnight. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Closed Monday, holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Big Mamma’s Boy
554 Parliament, at Amelia, 416-927-1593. Former Slack Alice and Looking Glass honcho Heather Mackenzie presents chef Michael Guenther’s health-conscious card in laid-back Cabbagetown digs. Count on comfort food, pub grub classics and pizza with pizzazz that are mostly organic, locally sourced and often gluten-free. Best: at dinner, slow-cooked Mennonite pork ribs in sugary barbecue sauce sided with cabbage slaw and baked kidney beans gluten-free vegan spaghetti squash tossed with garlicky asparagus, snow peas and beets, sided with organic mesclun in a Dijon vinaigrette grilled portobello caps stuffed with lentils on toasted sourdough spread with house-made chipotle mayo at brunch, rice-flour pancakes topped with fresh berries $2 Morning Glories. Complete dinners for $45 per person (brunches $20), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18/$10. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday 4:30 to 11 pm. Brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm, dinner till 11 pm. Bar nightly till close. Licensed. Delivery. Access: five steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Cowbell
1564 Queen W, at Sorauren, 416-849-1095. Owner/chef Mark Cutrara, whose culinary CV includes names like Chiado, Messis, JK ROM, Le Nouveau Parigo, Silver Spoon and Globe Bistro, flies solo at this intimate Parkdale bistro du jour. Polished service and a meat-heavy, locally sourced, mainly organic card of Old World comfort food make this one of the most sought-after tables in town. Reservations essential. Best: to start, St. John Bakery’s organic baguette with house-churned butter from a constantly changing chalkboard menu, apps like short ribs with orange-zested Brussels sprouts mains like tourtière-style grass-fed, house-butchered beef pot pie sided with Cookstown greens Berkshire pork sausage with sauerkraut to finish, rhubarb-and-plum shortcake with crème fraîche. Complete dinners for $75 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of Ontario wine. Average main $30. Open for dinner Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
Gallery Grill
7 Hart House Circle, at Wellesley, 416-978-2445. A former private club room for U of T staff and faculty, the restaurant in Hart House’s Great Hall still feels exclusive, all Gothic stonework, severe wooden furniture and coat-of-arms china. However, chef Suzanne Baby’s card and welcoming servers bring this former old boys club into the 21st century. Best: start with organic beet salad dressed with grilled haloumi and candied pinenuts entrees like soft-poached naturally raised eggs with Berkshire chorizo and tomato ragout duck confit, lamb merguez and braised pork cassoulet grilled veal sweetbreads with wild mushroom toasts to finish, Hart House Farm maple syrup crème brûlée roasted quince tarte Tatin. Complete meals for $45 per person, including all taxes, tip and a sweet sherry. Average main $15. Open for lunch Monday to Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm brunch Sunday 11 am to 2 pm. Closed Saturday, holidays, holiday weekends. Licensed. Access: elevator to second floor, one step to restaurant, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Gilead Cafe
4 Gilead Pl, at King E, 647-288-0680. Located down an east-side alleyway, celebu-chef Jamie Kennedy’s latest culinary undertaking goes decidedly downmarket with a remarkable self-serve lunch spot and take-away. Warning: since Gilead doesn’t take reservations, prepare to stand in line and wait. Best: from a constantly mutating seasonal and mostly organic card, frothy spring asparagus soup dolloped with crème fraîche exceptional sandwiches like slow-roasted pulled pork shoulder in barbecue sauce on house-baked ciabatta spread with wild leek mayo organic greens topped with sliced asparagus and heirloom radishes in creamy, tart sorrel vinaigrette comfort-food-style oxtail stew to finish, outstanding lemon tarts in buttery pastry. Complete meals for $22 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of house-bottled water. Average main $9. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm, lunch daily 11 am to 2 pm. Unlicensed. Access: three steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN
Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar
9 Church, at Front, 416-362-1957. Toronto’s organic guru triumphs at this unceremonious 50-seat bistro that offers mix ’n’ match tapas-style plates of upscale comfort food at unexpectedly affordable prices. And, yes, that’s Kennedy often in full view in the intimate room’s very open kitchen. Bonus: at Sunday brunch, any two dishes go for 20 bucks! Best: from a daily-changing card, Yukon Gold frites with lemony mayo or topped poutine-style with pulled pork in house barbecue sauce smoked pickerel with grilled asparagus and crème fraîche duck confit with sweet potato gratin for dessert, exceptional lemon tarts with blueberry preserves at brunch, garlicky house-made sausage ragout with organic egg and polenta. Complete dinners for $50 per person (lunches/brunches $35), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $10. Open Monday to Saturday 11:30 am to 11 pm. Brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm, dinner 4 to 11 pm. Closed holidays. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN
