toronto-magazine-food-drink-issue

#SEETORONTONOW
WHAT’S INSIDE ➜ UNDISCOVERED NEIGHBOURHOOD DINING | CELEBRITY CHEFS | TOP BRUNCHES | FAMILY FARE
THE
FOOD &
DRINK
ISSUE
EAT
HERE
NOW!BELLY UP TO TORONTO’S
DYNAMIC FOOD SCENE

www.SeeTorontoNow.com2 TORONTO FOOD & DRINK
Contents SECOND SERVINGS
20 TOP FAMILY RESTAURANTS
Don’t lower your dining standards
just because you’re toting kids.
These neighbourhood eateries won’t
make discerning parents cringe.
21 FAN FARE
Where to catch our teams on home
turf, ice and hardwood, plus where to
chow down and fuel up like a fan.
22 A MOVEABLE FEAST
Guided tasting tours enhance the
shop-dine experience.
23 CRAFT CRAWL
Taste the city in five beers. Here’s
where to sample some must-try local
brews, plus a step-by-step guide to get-
ting there by TTC or on foot.
24 DARK MAGIC
Get ready for grownup fun. When night
falls,thestarscomeout,DJsspin,andthe
city’s lounge scene kicks into high gear.
25 SHORT ORDERS
Small-plates cuisine goes casual.
26 LIST SERVE
Here are our top five picks for
the best places to sip, savour, and see
and be seen.
27 DINE FLY
10 best places to grab a quick bite or a
stellar meal at YYZ.
Tourism Toronto
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Andrew Weir
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Publishing
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Director, Industry
Relations
Pamela Laite
Member Care Director
Denise Belgrove
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spafax.com
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Executive Editor
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Art Director
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Published by Tourism Toronto
Queen’s Quay Terminal, Suite 405,
207 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5J 1A7
Tel: 416-203-2600 Fax: 416-203-6753
Toronto Magazine © 2016. All rights reserved. Reproduction
without permission is prohibited. All information is current
as of press time. The publisher cannot and does not
guarantee the accuracy of all information and will not be
responsible for errors, changes or omissions.
UPFRONT
03 WELCOME
Dig into one of the world’s premiere
foodie hotspots.
04 FEST WITH THE BEST
Bite into Toronto’s culinary culture.
06 MAPLE RUSH
From sports nuts to foodies,
Ontario maple water has
everyone buzzing.
07 BRUNCH SPOTS
Slow down this Sunday and graze
like a local.
09 CHEF’S PICK
Ever wonder where notable chefs
eat out?
10 HOT ’HOODS
Here’s where local foodies eat, sip and
shop in three delicious ’hoods.
FEATURES
12 MEAT THE CITY
Dress comfortably: you’re going to
want to make room for dinner.
16 LOCAL FLAVOUR
Three chefs dish on what makes their
cuisine taste like home.
www.SeeTorontoNow.com
@SeeTorontoNow
@SeeTorontoNow
VisitToronto
ON THE COVER
Visit College Street hotspot Bar Isabel for small
plates and tapas-style cuisine.
PHOTO BY JOHN CULLEN
12
23
CONNECT
WITH US
THE
FOOD DRINKISSUE

FOOD DRINK TORONTO 3@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow
PHOTO:GABRIELESTABILE
HUNGRY?
MOMOFUKU
NOODLE BAR
METES OUT
MODERN ASIAN
FLAVOUR,
PG. 12
PERFECT: We’ve got incredible
culinary experiences for every
taste. A true food lover’s city,
Toronto offers boundless
options from sun-up until way
past sundown. Whether you’re
looking for a quick bite or a
sumptuous, multi-course
tasting menu, our city’s
kitchens are renowned for
their global influences and
extraordinary cooking talent.
Toronto’s thriving bar, lounge
and club culture contribute to
a vibrant nightlife, while our
buzzing café and craft-brewery
scenes offer the perfect inroads
to neighbourhood exploration.
Our Food Drink guide
presents the best of the city’s
culinary scene, so you can
make the most of your visit
to one of the world’s exciting
foodie cities. Welcome to
Toronto—we hope you brought
your appetite!

www.SeeTorontoNow.com4 TORONTO FOOD DRINK
FEST WITH THE BEST
Bite into Toronto’s culinary culture. With year-round food, wine and beer festivals, as
well as city-wide restaurant events like Summerlicious and Winterlicious, it’s deliciously
easy to sample the best of our regional cuisine on your next vacation.
With its roster of world-class
chefs, top restaurants, and 70+
exhibitors, three-year-old
Taste of Toronto (Thursday,
June 23 through Sunday, June
26, 2016) has fast become one of
the city’s must-attend foodie
events. Savour from among
nearly 50 dishes from partici-
pating restaurants, browse
market stalls and take in cook-
ing demos and classes or music
acts. The alfresco festival’s loca-
tion at the memorably scenic
Fort York National Historic Site,
the historic barracks known
as the “birthplace of urban
Toronto,” gives the event added
cultural intrigue, especially for
visitors. TASTEOFTORONTO.COM
There are foodies, and then there are people who eat,
breathe and dream food. The Toronto Food Wine
Festival (Friday, September 23 through Sunday,
September 25, 2016) was created with that latter
demographic in mind. Set in the lush city park and
cultural centre of the Evergreen Brick Works (as well
as satellite locations across the city), the three-day,
fall food fest features a mouthwatering itinerary of
tutored tastings, hosted dinners, chef talks, celebrity
stage demonstrations, and hands-on cooking classes.
TORONTOFOODANDWINE.COM
Toronto Food Wine Festival
Taste of Toronto
UPFRONT
One of Torontonians’ fave dining events, the annual Summerlicious festival
(Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 24, 2016) brings affordability to fine dining.
For standard prix fixe rates, diners can sample three-course lunch and dinner
menus at nearly 200 of the city’s best restaurants.
Insiders hit the phones early to snag reservations—and steals—at the city’s
ritzier establishments, but restaurants at every price point participate (the
prix fixes are accordingly offered at three price points). Past participants have
included high-end heavy hitters like Annona, Bymark, Canoe, Mistura and
Momofuku Daishō.
Follow @LiciousTO on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so you’ll know the
moment Summerlicious 2016 restaurant lists and menus are available online,
and so you can book your table, stat.
Summerlicious
PHOTOS:ARASHMOALLEMI(TORONTOFOODANDWINEFESTIVAL);GEORGEPIMENTEL(TASTEOFTORONTO)

Say cheers to our region’s craft beer scene. Toronto Beer Week (Friday, September
16 through Saturday, September 24, 2016) celebrates the hops and dreams of 35 of
Ontario’s microbreweries, brewpubs and small-scale importers. With 70 participating
bars, pubs and restaurants (including insider faves Amsterdam BrewHouse, Kanpai
Snack Bar and Mill Street Brew Pub), it’s a breeze to organize the ultimate craft
beer crawl. TORONTOBEERWEEK.COM
For those who pride themselves
on staying on the cutting edge
of wine and cocktail trends,
the Gourmet Food Wine
Expo (Thursday, November 17
through Sunday, November 20,
2016) is the place to sip, sample
and savour. From tutored wine
tastings to mixology demos
and a tasting bar, the show’s
focus is on wine, spirits and
craft beer. But you won’t go
hungry here: a gastro stage and
dozens of gourmet food exhib-
itors keep guests well-fed.
FOODANDWINEEXPO.CA
If you can relate to the event hashtag, con-
sider the three-day Toronto’s Festival of
Beer (Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July
24, 2016) a must on your summer social
calendar. The festivities take place at
Exhibition Place’s breezy Bandshell Park
(not far from the waterfront), and include
music headliners Big Sugar, plus live grill-
ing demos, culinary stations, beer educa-
tion sessions and more. Love beer? Here’s
your chance to sample brewskis from local,
Canadian and international breweries, big
and small. BEERFESTIVAL.CA
#BeerLove
Gourmet Food
Wine Expo
Toronto Beer Week
PHOTO:GIZELLELAU(TORONTOBEERWEEK)

MAPLE RUSH
From sports nuts to foodies, Ontario
maple water has everyone buzzing.
PHOTO BY KAYLA CHOBOTIUK
Tapped (literally) as Canada’s homegrown answer to
coconut water, maple water is straight-from-the-tree
maple sap. Boiled down, it becomes maple syrup, but
skip that step and you get a refreshing, mildly sweet,
and lower-cal alternative to coconut water. Athletes
love it for its electrolytes and trace minerals, while
foodies like it for its blendability—and regional prov-
enance. (Sapsucker Maple Tree Filtered Water, for
instance, is sourced from Beaver Valley in
the Niagara Escarpment.)
Try it for yourself. You can buy it in
health food stores and gourmet shops.
Sip it straight, mix it into a cocktail, or
try this indulgent coffee recipe from
the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance.
• 4 tbsp medium-ground coffee
• 1 litre Sapsucker Maple Tree Filtered Water
(or other Ontario brand)
• Optional: Milk or Canadian whisky
Place coffee grinds in a French press. (Don’t use a drip
coffee maker). Bring maple water to a boil over medium
heat. Pour hot maple water over the coffee grinds and brew
for two to four minutes. Plunge and serve.
OPTIONS: SERVE WITH HOT MILK, A SPLASH OF WHISKY
OR BOTH. IN SUMMER, PREPARE, CHILL AND SERVE OVER ICE.
SAPSUCKER COFFEE
UPFRONT

WAKE UP TO OUR BEST
BRUNCH SPOTS
Torontonians live to brunch. Restaurants and cafés across the city serve
up classics like omelettes, pancakes and eggs Benedict, plus global dishes
from around the world, all weekend long. Slow down this Sunday and graze
like a local. Here are some of Toronto’s brunch hot spots.
Dedicated to providing
warmth, great service and
a unique culinary experience,
Mildred’s is known for their
freshly baked scones and
biscuits. A diverse menu of
exquisitely prepared brunch
options guarantees you will
leave Mildred’s with a full
belly. Quench your thirst with
one of their delectable tea
blends or freshly squeezed
juices. 85 HANNA AVE.
You may have to wait in line to
have brunch at this bustling
restaurant opened by former
chefs at the Drake Hotel,
Anthony Rose and Chris
Sanderson, but it’s well worth
the wait. Aside from delicious
food—with unique options
such as bread pudding with
wild blueberries—Rose and
Sons also boasts stylish diner-
style décor. 176 DUPONT ST.
• SCONES
• MILDRED’S FAMOUS
CRUNCHY GRANOLA
• HUEVOS MONTY
• BREAD PUDDING WITH
WILD BLUEBERRIES
• ALL-DAY BREAKFAST
• GRIDDLED BRIE CORNBREAD
Mildred’s Temple
Kitchen
Rose and Sons
MUST-TRY ITEMS
MUST-TRY ITEMS
PHOTOS:AYNGELINABROGAN/FLICKR(MILDRED’STEMPLEKITCHEN)

 SIGHTSEEING AT:
The Distillery Historic District
 TAKE A COFFE BREAK AT:
Balzac’s Coffee Roasters Café
(1 Trinity St.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Koreatown
Snakes Lattes Board Game Café
(600 Bloor St. W.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Kensington Market
Jimmy’s Coffee (191 Baldwin St.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Queen Street West cultural
district/Trinity Bellwoods Park
White Squirrel Coffee Shop
(907 Queen St. W.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Queen Street West cultural
district/Trinity Bellwoods Park
Nadège Patisserie
(780 Queen St. W.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Riverside
Dark Horse Espresso Bar
(630 Queen St. E.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Little Italy
Café Diplomatico (594 College St.)
 SIGHTSEEING AT:
Anywhere in Toronto… or beyond
Tim Hortons (numerous locations
across Canada)
One of the hippest brunch
spots in Little Portugal, Saving
Grace has perpetual lineups on
weekends – and for good
reason. With fresh salads,
crispy French toast and savoury
options like poached eggs and
sandwiches, Saving Grace has
something to offer everyone.
Aim to show up 15-20 minutes
before the restaurant opens at
10 a.m. to secure a seat.
907 DUNDAS ST. W.
Toronto’s Leslieville
neighbourhood is known
for its abundance of brunch
spots, and Lady Marmalade
is among the best it has to
offer. Dig into dishes prepared
from freshly sourced local
ingredients while admiring
the art on the walls. Be sure
to ask about the weekend
special. 898 QUEEN ST. E.
• FRENCH TOAST WITH
CARAMELIZED BANANAS
• RAJASTHANI EGGS
• ANGELA SANDWICH
• HUEVOS RANCHERITOS
• LADY MARMALADE BENNIES
• CREPE CROQUE MONSIEUR
Saving Grace
Lady Marmalade
LANDMARK
CAFÉS
Exploring the city sights? Here’s
where to grab a java nearby.
MUST-TRY ITEMS
MUST-TRY ITEMS
UPFRONT
PHOTOS:KAYLACHOBOTIUK(SAVINGGRACE);ERICSEHR/FLICKR(LESLIEVILLE)

CHEF’S PICK
Ever wonder where notable chefs eat out?
We asked Christina Tosi,
MasterChef judge and owner/baker
of Toronto’s Milk Bar, where she
brings out-of-town visitors.
Dumpling
House
“I need very little else in this
world. I go so far as to eat it multiple
days in a row. I walk over for lunch
and dinner and walk back. It’s the
perfect, most soothing and
delicious routine.” Christina’s
pick: Lamb Dumplings.
328 SPADINA AVE.
Buca
“Love the vibe, and love
knowing I can duck in and grab
a killer bowl of pasta done right and
open a bottle of Barolo. Sometimes
I sit indoors, but I love the outdoor
evening people watching, too. It’s
consistent and killer every time.”
604 KING ST. W.
Bar Isabel
“I love the old-world spirit
of the place, and I love octopus,
but don’t often love it out. Except for
here! The Pan Con Tomate, the Patatas
Bravas! Love the tapas-meets-entrees
vision of the place. It’s transportive
in it’s food and charm. And the
cocktails are pretty killer, too.”
797 COLLEGE ST.
PHOTOS:WINNIEAU(CHEFCHRISTINATOSI);RICKO’BRIEN(BUCA);
KAYLACHOBOTIUK(DUMPLINGHOUSE);JOHNCULLEN(BARISABEL)

NEIGHBOURHOOD EATS
Here’s where local foodies eat, sip and shop in three delicious ’hoods.
This bustling South Core
neighbourhood around Union
Station, Air Canada Centre,
Rogers Centre and the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre
includes the city’s central
business and entertainment
districts. Accordingly, there’s
a lot to choose from on the
culinary front, from luxe
financial hot-shot hangouts to
casual sports bars and vibrant
lounges—not to mention
drool-worthy gourmet shops.
SOUTH CORE
FOR A COFFEE BREAK
Enjoy coffee with a view at
Lavazza Expression
(225 Queens Quay W.), a mod
coffee shop (with patio) right on
the Lake Ontario waterfront.
FOR A SIT-DOWN MEAL
The SOCO Kitchen + Bar
(75 Lower Simcoe St.) channels
the contemporary vibe of the
neighbourhood it’s named
after. For upscale dining, book
a table at Harbour Sixty
Steakhouse (60 Harbour St.),
known for its steak and seafood.
FOR DRINKS
A renowned restaurant in its own
right, E11ven (15 York St.) boasts
an extra-long communal table,
ideal for après-conference or
pre-show drinks and conversation.
Choose from over 40 international
wines by the glass.
FOR THE PERFECT
FOODIE SOUVENIR
The Union Pearson Express
outpost of the Drake General
Store (61 Front Street W.) offers
cool-kid souvenirs, including
quirky tableware, locally made
candy and maple syrup samplers.
E11ven
Union Station
UPFRONT
PHOTO:LODOELAURA(UNIONSTATION)

This east-end suburb is a hotbed of
authentic ethnic dining, courtesy of the
Greater Toronto Area’s East Asian and
Caribbean diaspora. (In fact, some
foodies consider it to be the best ethnic
food suburb in the world.) Although it
is home to a variety of international
cuisine restaurants, Scarborough is where
Toronto foodies flock for excellent
Filipino, Indian, and Hakka-, Szechuan,
and Uighur-style Chinese food.
Home to Toronto’s LGBTQ community, the Church-Wellesley
neighbourhood is known for its plethora of bars, lounges,
restaurants and cafes, many with patios, perfect for warm-weather
people watching. Whether you seek a quick coffee, a multi-course
dinner or a martini flight, this is the ’hood to find it.
SCARBOROUGH
CHURCH-WELLESLEY VILLAGE
FOR A COFFEE BREAK
If you love your coffee with homemade,
Austrian-style pastries (and who doesn’t?),
set your GPS for Gerhard’s Cafe
(1085 Bellamy Rd. N.).
FOR A SIT-DOWN MEAL
Filipino food is h-o-t among foodies;
find out what the fuss is all about at Remely’s
(4830 Sheppard Ave. E.). Lamb kabobs steal
the show at Xin Jiang (3636 Steeles Ave. E.),
known for Northern Chinese food with
peppery bite. For a unique take on weekend
brunch, head to Saravanaa Bhavan
(Woodside Square, 1571 Sandhurst Circle) for
a South Indian style breakfast buffet. To taste
the results of 30 years of Caribbean
jerk-expertise, order up at Nicey’s Take Out
(54A Morecambe Gate).
FOR DRINKS
With their chic, lounge-y vibe, dozens of hot and
cold tea-based drinks and desserts, tea rooms
beat bars in this neck of the woods. Jump on
the Taiwanese-style bubble tea bandwagon at
Green Grotto (3700 Midland Ave.).
FOR THE PERFECT
FOODIE SOUVENIR
Head to Al Premium Food Mart (1970 Eglinton
Ave. E.) for cool-looking Asian cookies, candies,
and sauces to bring back home with you.
FOR A COFFEE BREAK
Fabarnak (519 Church St.) isn’t
just a great café to grab your
morning latte; it’s also a social-
enterprise initiative that provides
job training to individuals with
employment barriers, who
work under professional chefs
and front-of-house staff.
FOR A SIT-DOWN MEAL
Byzantium (499 Church St.) is the
granddameofToronto’srestaurant-
slash-martini-bars—it was the first,
and many say, it’s still the best.
But it’s also a stellar fine-dining
establishment, with an eclectic
menu and chic backyard patio. For
a lazy weekend brunch, head to
Hair of the Dog (425 Church St.).
FOR DRINKS
Nightly drag shows, hot DJs
and seasonally curated cocktails
make Church on Church
(504 Church St.) the place to sip
and be seen. For a fine, well-priced
martini, head to Boutique Bar
(506 Church St.), or get your
groove on at Crews Tangos
(508 Church St.) next door.
FOR THE PERFECT
FOODIE SOUVENIR
Bring home some local preserves
or a half-dozen maple shortbread
from All The Best Fine Foods
(483 Church St.).
Fabarnak
Byzantium
Nicey’s Take OutRemely’s
Nicey’s Take Out
PHOTO:PAULAWILSON(BYZANTIUM)

Meat
the
CityDRESS COMFORTABLY:
YOU’RE GOING TO
WANT TO MAKE ROOM
FOR DINNER.
I
am lounging at one of a dozen picnic tables on a bustling Parkdale patio, friends in tow. There are
pretty umbrellas and twinkling string lights and, in front of us, plates piled sky high with food.
The guys at the neighbouring table want to know what we’re eating, so we offer them a couple of
unctuous, sticky ribs and crispy fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese by way of explanation.
They pour us beer, and suddenly there’s laughter and messy faces, fried chicken and collard greens,
and we’re all having a grand old time enjoying great food and good cheer.
Just a few years ago, this scenario wouldn’t have happened: remember when fine dining used to
mean starched tablecloths and sitting straight? Yet Electric Mud BBQ (electricmudbbq.com) is just
one in a lineup of new Toronto restaurants enlivening the city’s dining scene by pumping up the
food—and the fun. Mostly casual, ever eclectic, helmed by young chefs and serviced by waiters in
plaid and bartenders with interesting facial hair, Toronto’s restaurant scene has changed so much so
fast that one can barely remember what it tasted like before. And from BBQ joints to power steaks,
burger bars to nose-to-tail eateries, meat is the heart of the matter.
BY AMY ROSEN
PHOTO BY PAULA WILSON
The Stockyards
Smokehouse and
Larder
Electric Mud BBQ
FOODSTYLINGBYCHANTALPAYETTE

TORONTO 13
Porchetta Co.
St. Lawrence
Market
Barque
Smokehouse

“Why not pork? It’s
delicious. It’s magical.
It’s amazing!” says Porchetta
Co.’s (porchettaco.com) owner,
Nick auf der Mauer. His Dundas Street
West restaurant specializes in one thing
only: marinated pork shoulder wrapped in
prosciutto and pork belly before being slow
roasted to a cracklin’ finish and sliced into
hefty sandwiches.
“I wanted to do something with pork
that nobody else was doing, and I feel
Porchetta Co. resonates with a lot of
people.” It certainly did with culinary
crown prince Anthony Bourdain, who fea-
tured it on his show The Layover.
“I don’t know if the concept would have
worked five years ago, but Toronto now has
some of the best food in the country, and in
my own little way I like to think Porchetta
Co. has contributed to our city’s nick-
name,” says auf der Mauer. He’s referring
to Hogtown, so named for the smell that
once wafted down Front Street from Old
Toronto’s 19th-century abattoirs (the city
was once a major pork processing centre).
Today, his shop is filled with an aroma so
heavenly it’s sure to give the nickname
even more longevity. But he’s not the only
one dishing out pork for the masses.
Pig is also big at the aforementioned
Electric Mud BBQ via everything from
pork rinds to so-called crack rolls, which are
white buns smothered in pork drippings.
Momofuku Noodle Bar (momofuku.com)
steams up soft pork belly buns, while the
venerable Carousel Bakery in St. Lawrence
Market keeps turning out their peameal
bacon sandwiches. Meanwhile, Queen
Street West’s Banh Mi Boys (banhmiboys.
com) serves one of the most crave-worthy
dishesintown:awinningmashupofFrench
loaves, grilled pork belly, kimchi and
optional Kewpie Japanese mayo.
But you’d be wrong
to think that Tor
onto is all about bacon on
a bun. The locavore move-
ment has been a driving force behind both
kitchen creativity and the ingredients on
the plate. Many chefs are personal friends
with their farmers and butchers, which
leads to more faith in the products and, in
turn, using every last bit of the animal. One
of my favourite dishes of the year embraces
both the nose-to-tail and the locavore
movements through the unexpected (and
surprisingly luxurious) seasonal combo of
scallop and beef heart tartare at Hopgood’s
Foodliner (hopgoodsfoodliner.com) in
Roncesvalles Village.
Chef Geoff Hopgood says, “As chefs,
we’re obsessed with the best-tasting, most
interesting ingredients we can find. We
don’t like to get bored, so exploration is key
to our creativity.” And so he sources sus-
tainable seafood from Canada’s East Coast,
heritage-raised meats and organic produce,
leading to thoughtful cooking that’s also
playful—bone marrow donair, anyone?
Thoughtful ingredients and creativity
are also top of mind—and seasonal menu—
at locavore favourites like Edulis (edulis-
restaurant.com), which serves braised
cockscomb. Parts Labour (partsandla-
bour.ca) and Beast (thebeastrestaurant.
com) offer whole-animal cookery, which
includes pig head tasso, tongues, pork
hocks and venison.
“First and foremost,” says Hopgood,
“we’re able to do what we do because of our
dedicated farmers, who bring us the most
amazing ingredients. Without these new
pioneers, we would have no choice but to
use factory mass-produced, loveless crap!”
Another passionate Toronto chef who
thinks that local food “cooks better, looks
better and tastes better,” especially when it
comes to meat, is David Lee of Queen Street
West’s Nota Bene (notabenerestaurant.
com). “Cumbrae’s côte de boeuf is the
mother of all steaks,” says Lee of Stephen
Alexander’s celebrated butcher shop mini-
chain, a go-to for some of the city’s top
toques.“I’vevisitedtheCumbraefarms,and
the animals there are very happy and well
fed. And the meat is dry aged on the bone,
which makes all the difference,” he adds.
Though Nota Bene is known for its extrava-
gant dry-aged steaks, onion rings and cre-
ative “in-betweens” (smoked chicken soup
with goji berries, tuna tartare, etc.), the
emphasis is always on local and seasonal.
It’s one of a number of next-generation
steak houses, among them Richmond
Station (richmondstation.ca), Marben
(marbenrestaurant.com), Jacobs Co.
(jacobssteakhouse.com) and Bymark
(bymark.mcewangroup.ca). At Bestellen
PORKING
OUT
LOCAVORE
TASTES
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Richmond Station
Electric Mud BBQ
PHOTOS:GABRIELESTABILE(MOMOFUKUNOODLEBAR);KATIECROSS(RICHMONDSTATION);
PAULAWILSON(STOCKYARDS);KAYLACHOBOTIUK(BESTELLEN)

(bestellen.ca), where the dry-aging meats
can be seen through a refrigerator window
in the middle of the buzzy College Street
restaurant, the menu includes beef tartare
and the Bestellen burger. The menu isn’t
light, but it’s thoughtful enough to include
some veggie options (baby kale salad and
pasta). Another favourite is chef Teo Paul’s
UNION (union72.ca) on Ossington, which
looks like a Parisian bistro in small-town
Ontario: beautiful and endearing. Same
goes for the Ontario-raised juicy, fatty, hon-
est, earthy côte de boeuf, with amazing
frites and local vegetables.
But if I’m really being
honest—and of course I
am!—when I’ve got a craving
for meat, my go-to gotta-have-
it is a big fat burger. Luckily for me,
Toronto’s in the midst of an all-out burger
war, with no end in sight. Thankfully, in
this war we’re all the victors, as most of the
burger joints specialize in fresh beef, great
fries … and extra napkins.
The Stockyards Smokehouse and
Larder’s (thestockyards.ca) burgers hit the
spot with griddle-smashed flair. Yet it’s
The Burger’s Priest (theburgerspriest.
com) that gets the Holy Trinity of freshly
ground, griddled patties, cheese and bun
down to perfection, making believers of
even the biggest skeptics.
WithWet-Napsinhandandbarbe-
cuesauceonface,weendthisculi-
nary romp where we began,
with low-and-slow-cooked
meat on our plates and a song in our hearts.
Because the biggest thing happening in
Toronto right now is down-home, rib-stick-
ing BBQ. Be it my favourite brisket from
Leslieville Pumps (leslievillepumps.com),
Barque Smokehouse’s (barque.ca) sampler
platters of smoky goodness, or the mobile
BBQ that is Hogtown Smoke (twitter.com/
hogtownsmoke), the city’s first food truck
with on-board smoker, most diners agree
BBQ is key to the city’s meat renaissance.
Locals engage in heated debates about
who’s got the best BBQ in town, but there’s
one thing we can all agree on: Toronto’s not
a city you’ll leave hungry. ▪
Vegan comfort food spot The
Hogtown Vegan (hogtownvegan.
com) is the type of place where you
can trick your carnivore friends
into eating crispy soy “wings,” chili
“cheese” fries and shiitake fried
“clams” (you’ll find there are a lot
of air quotes in vegan cuisine).
Live Organic Food Bar (livefood-
bar.com) and Rawlicious (rawli-
cious.ca) take things one step
further by dishing up raw cuisine
(meaning no ingredients have
been cooked above 48˚C/118˚F).
Then there’s Bunner’s (bunners.
ca) and Kensington Natural
Bakery (kensingtonnaturalbak-
ery.ca) for baked all-vegan treats.
The stalwart Urban Herbivore
(herbivore.to) has super-tasty
BLTs, in this case smoked
coconut “bacon,” lettuce, tomato
and garlic aioli.
But let’s say you’re a vegetarian
and not a vegan. Then, my friend,
the city is your oyster (mushroom).
Toronto is so veggie friendly that
most restaurants offer at least a
few vegetarian dishes. If you’re a
strict vegetarian, your first stop
should be Fresh (freshrestaurants.
ca), but then do stop by Hawker
Bar (hawkerbar.com), which
boasts Singaporean street food,
like vegetarian laksa with banana
fritters for dessert
BURGER
LAND
BBQ
FEVER
VEGAN CITY
Woody Harrelson likes
Toronto’s food. And there’s
a reason for that: the
yoga-loving thespian is a
vegan, and there’s no city
with more creative vegan
food than here.
The Stockyards
Smokehouse and Larder
Bestellen

LOCAL
FLAVOUR
those four years, she spent summers hon-
ing her skills throughout Italy, Belgium,
France and Spain.
After graduating, Herrera worked in
Spain for several years and then came to
Toronto. “The plan was to explore Canada
and then fly away, but I fell in love with
Toronto,” she says. Her intended one-year
stay turned into 13 years—and she hasn’t
looked back, honing her chops in some of
the city’s best kitchens, like Mistura
and Canoe.
A few years ago, Herrera
began working as a restau-
rant consultant, rediscov-
ering her culinary roots in
the process. Around the
same time, she observed
newfound opportunities in
Toronto’s expanding food
scene. “When I came to Canada,
it was hard to find Mexican ingre-
dients but now it’s easy to get everything
you need. It’s incredible,” she says, fre-
quenting shops like Perola’s Supermarket
in Kensington Market.
In 2014, Herrera helped open not one but
two Mexican restaurants on King Street
West. The casual El Caballito (elcaballito.
ca) offers a crowd-pleasing menu of tequila,
margaritas and Mexican street food like
guacamole, ceviche and tacos. Upstairs, the
upscale Los Colibris (loscolibris.ca) focuses
on fine dining and intricate dishes that are
a nod to traditional Mexican cuisine.
As executive chef, Herrera uses recipes
passed down from her mother and grand-
mother. One of her signature dishes at Los
Colibris is the chilies en nogada—pork-
stuffed poblano peppers with a walnut
cream sauce—painstakingly created
using 32 ingredients. It’s authentic to
Puebla, and there’s no better place to taste
it than in Toronto, a city where homelands
old and new mix deliciously.
THREE CHEFS DISH ON WHAT MAKES THEIR CUISINE TASTE LIKE HOME.
Authentic ChefEliaHerrera
was raised in Veracruz, Mexico, where her
mother and grandmother—both chefs—
stoked her love of cooking. “I grew up in the
family business. Our family has owned a
catering company for over 75 years,” says
Herrera. So it was a given that she’d attend
cooking school in Puebla, Mexico. During
BY GIZELLE LAU
PHOTOS BY GEOFF FITZGERALD

Fusion Chef Nick Liu describes
his two-year-old restaurant DaiLo (dailoto.
com) as “my story … in a restaurant.” Liu
says the College Street restaurant’s menu
is an expression of his cultural identity,
one that straddles the Chinese-Canadian
line. Though his mom hails from South
Africa and his dad from India (both are
ethnically Chinese), Liu considers himself
Chinese-Canadian.
“Growing up and going to my grandpar-
ents’, we’d always eat Chinese food. But for
me and my brother, we loved it when my
grandmother made Kraft Dinner—she put
hot dogs in it because she read it in a book
somewhere—even though she always
made it too dry,” he reminisces.
Cooking was a natural fit for Liu. “When
I first stepped into a kitchen, it felt right,”
he says of working under chef Brad Long
at 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower.
Under Long’s advice, Liu enrolled at
George Brown College’s Hospitality
Centre. Upon graduation, Liu spent the
next decade and a half working
in some of Toronto’s leading
restaurants: Scaramouche, Splendido and
Niagara Street Café. He also travelled
abroad, honing his culinary skills in
restaurants in Italy, England and Australia.
Through those experiences, Liu found his
niche: “They opened my eyes to the sub-
tleties of French techniques with Asian
flavours and ingredients.”
Enter DaiLo, which in Cantonese means
“big brother” or, in slang, “head of the
gang.” Liu bills the menu as “new Asian
cuisine, based on my own journey to dive
into my own culture and learn about it
through food.”
The journey has been lifelong, says Liu:
“GrowingupasaChinesekidinMarkham—
before it became predominantly Chinese—
we kind of repelled our own culture to fit in
and be more white, more ‘Canadian.’ I feel
like I missed out, so learning about some of
the key dishes of different regions of Asia
gave me a stronger connection to my
culture, and who I am and where
my family has come from.”
One signature dish is the truffle fried
rice, a traditional Chinese fried rice dish
that brings in the French fine-dining flair
of truffles, finished with puffed rice for
texture. “Egg and truffles is one of the best
flavour combinations in the world, so I
thought, ‘Why not try it with fried rice?’”
explains Liu. It’s that kind of tinkering—
taking traditional Asian dishes and
incorporating fine-dining technique,
local ingredients, and flavours from
around the world—that makes DaiLo one
of the city’s hottest restaurants.
Another great example of this is the
mapo “doufu” halloumi, a play on the tra-
ditional mapo tofu dish, where instead of
tofu, he uses halloumi, a Levantine-style
cheese from a local dairy, and stir-fries it
up with ground pork, grilled scallions,
black bean chili sauce, fried chilies and
garlic. It’s a global dish that sums up
Toronto in every bite.

Canadian When restauran-
teurs and chefs Wayne Morris and Evelyn
Wu decided to open Boralia (boraliato.com),
they wanted to create a menu that, says Wu,
could incorporate flavours of Wayne’s
Acadian background and her Chinese
upbringing “without being kitschy.”
Inspired by her experience working for
BritishchefHestonBlumenthal,whoiscred-
ited with modernizing traditional British
recipes, Wu and partner Morris began look-
ingatCanadianhistoryforculinaryinspira-
tion. What they found was lacking, Canada
being barely 150 years old, after all.
“Toronto has one of the best ethnic-food
scenes of any city we’ve lived in,” says Wu.
“But people are at a loss when asked about
Canadian cuisine and Canadian restau-
rants that serve things other than the ste-
reotypical poutine and peameal bacon.
Everyone knows that Canada is a melting
pot of cultures; we wanted to create a menu
that would showcase this multiculturalism
in the form of flavours.”
The duo began delving deeper into
Canada’s history from a multicultural
perspective. They researched Aboriginal
history, including recipes and traditional
preparation techniques, as well as recipes
from the settlers and immigrants who
came after the English and French,
specifically those from Poland
and China.
Boralia’s menu includes
dishes like l’éclade, a recipe
that traces back to Samuel
de C h a mpl a i n: pi ne -
smoked mussels come to
your table under a glass
dome that’s lifted so the
smokiness wafts into the air in
front of you. The restaurant’s
whelk dish is a tribute to the East Coast’s
Mi’kmaq Nation, who would fish for whelk
(part of the snail family) and use the shell
for currency. The whelk are sliced and
lightly grilled, served in a whelk shell,
under a seaweed beurre blanc, atop a bed of
sautéed burdock root and carrot. You’ll also
find dishes like chop suey croquettes and
perogies, recipes from the 1800s (chop suey
is believed to have been invented by West
Coast restaurants catering to Chinese rail-
way workers, and perogy recipes were
brought by Polish immigrants).
Wusumsupthatmoderntake
onCanuckcuisine:“Canadian
cuisine is the food of the
people who built this coun-
try. It’s the food of the
Aboriginal tribes who
know the ins and outs of
the indigenous plants. It’s
the dishes that the early
English and French settlers rec-
reated here and adapted with
ingredients they could find in this new
land. It’s the flavours of the immigrants
that came after them.” Mindful of history
yet ever evolving, this type of Canadian
cuisine is like Toronto—alive and unlike
anything else in the world. ▪

FROM EVERY ANGLE
Iconic views you won’t forget await around every corner.
Whether you’re seeing it for the ﬁrst time or the one-hundredth,
you’ve never seen anywhere quite like it.
It all happens in Canada’s Downtown.
SeeTorontoNow.com

PHOTOS:ISTOCK(TOP);DYLAN+JENI(TERRONI)
Don’t lower your dining
standards just because you’re
toting kids. These locally picked
neighbourhood eateries love
small fry (and vice versa) but won’t
make discerning parents cringe.
“Taste of China (tasteofchinarestaurant.ca)
in Chinatown is tiny, but the food
comes fast. It’s usually already loud
and no one minds crying babies.
Sometimes small places work in your
favour!” — Helen Racanelli
“Terrazza (terrazzato.com) on Harbord
Street has a diverse menu that includes
pasta and burgers and nice grown-up
decor with creamy banquettes and
chandeliers. If you ask, kids get crayons
and colouring books, and there’s a
big-screen TV.” — Deanna Wong
“Green Eggplant (greeneggplant.com)
in the Beach is all about location, location,
location! It’s right across from Kew
Gardens. Plus, they have huge smoothies
and free bread with hummus, baba
ganoush and eggplant dip. And giant
French toast!” — Jim Su
“The Rebel House (rebelhouse.ca) on
Yonge Street has craft beers on tap and the
best grilled-cheese sandwich. We like to
take the kids there for lunch; they love the
menu, and my wife and I can enjoy a pint
with our meal.” — Scott Maxwell
“Go to Terroni (terroni.com) on
Queen Street West. The decor’s rustic but
sophisticated—nice looking, but your
kid can’t wreck it—and the food’s always
fantastic. Plus, it’s laid-back and loud:
a great place for a family meal and wine.”
— Ernesto Ourique
“Il Fornello on the Danforth
(ilfornello.com) has reliably great pizza,
pasta and locally sourced specials.
This location has a great atmosphere and
friendly service. The large booths are
comfortable for kids, and the Menù
per Bambini is refreshingly not dumbed
down.” — Jennifer Reynolds
“Konnichiwa (konnichiwa.ca) in
Baldwin Village is a tiny gem! It’s quaint
and casual with a cute patio. Their menu
is more Japanese comfort food than sushi,
although they have that too. My daughter
loves their ramen, and I’m addicted
to their grilled saba.” — Yuki Hayashi
Barque Smokehouse
Terroni
Barque Smokehouse (barque.ca) always
has lots of families. There’s a bucket of smoked
popcorn on every table so kids can start eating
immediately. They have crayons, it’s always
bustling and there’s lots for kids to look at.
Cool hipster vibe, tasty food!” — Sigrun Wister
“
10 family
restaurants
locals love
SECOND SERVINGS

PHOTOS:LOUISAU/MLSE(RAPTORS);JAREDEARLE/FLICKR(LEAFS);NILELIVESEY/FLICKR(REALSPORTS);
TORONTOARGONAUTS(ARGONAUTS);AMILDELIC/FLICKR(FC)
TORONTO RAPTORS
 CATCH THE GAME
Air Canada Centre (aircanadacen-
tre.com) is where Toronto’s NBA
team reaches for the rim.
 CHOW DOWN AND CHEER ON
A three-pointer away from
Air Canada Centre is Hoops
(hoopssportsbarandgrill.com).
With a multitude of televisions
on the walls and in private
booths, you won’t miss a thing.
Or for healthy, marketplace fare,
hit Marché (marche-restaurants.
com) at Brookfield Place.
TORONTO FC
 CATCH THE GAME
Get your kicks with
Toronto’s footy team at BMO
Field (bmofield.com).
BMO Field is just a free kick away
from Liberty Village, one of
Toronto’s hottest neighbourhoods,
so look for fellow soccer lovers at Brazen
Head Irish Pub (brazenhead.ca) or Williams
Landing (williamslanding.ca). Togs in TFC red
and white are strongly recommended.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
 CATCH THE GAME
The Double Blue pass the pigskin at BMO Field (bmofield.com).
After the Boatmen have played, head on over to Shoeless Joe’s
on King Street West for post-game noshing (shoelessjoes.ca).
Or grab a pint at the Wheat Sheaf, one of the city’s oldest taverns
(wheatsheaf.ca).
TORONTO ROCK
 CATCH THE GAME
Toronto’s lacrosse team regularly rocks
Air Canada Centre.
If you like your music and conversation loud, try
the boisterous Jack Astor’s (jackastors.com) at
Front Street West and University
Avenue. For an urbane take
on the traditional pub,
there’s The Fox (foxonbay.ca),
at Bay Street and
Queens Quay East.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
 CATCH THE GAME
Rogers Centre is a hit with Toronto’s boys of summer.
On home game days, OB Canteen (oliverbonacini.com)
offers locally famous fare in honour of the Jays. This
baseball season, fans can nosh on The Brat Flip, a seed-to-
sausage bratwurst served with beer-braised onions,
sweet-and-smoky mustard and spicy
garlic pickles, named in honour of
Jose Bautista’s epic bat flip
during the 2015 playoff season.
Wayne Gretzky’s (gretzkys.com)
on Blue Jays Way is popular
with fans streaming out of
Rogers Centre on a summer day.
Fan fare
Where to catch our teams
on home turf, ice and
hardwood, plus where to chow
down and fuel up like a fan.
BY STEPHEN KNIGHT
TORONTO
MAPLE LEAFS
 CATCH THE GAME
The Leafs always pack
Air Canada Centre.
 CHOW DOWN
AND CHEER ON
Located just outside Air
Canada Centre, Real Sports Bar
Grill (realsports.ca) is the place
to be if you believe that bigger is
better: it includes a two-storey big-
screen TV. Get there early on game
night. Or try the coconut shrimp at
Canyon Creek on Front Street West
(canyoncreekrestaurant.ca).
Real Sports Bar Grill
Brazen Head Irish Pub

PHOTO:CLIFTONLI(KENSINGTON)
A moveable
feast
Guided tasting tours enhance
the shop-dine experience.
BY SHERYL KIRBY
FOOD TOURS
Food tours combine guided sightseeing
with cooking crash courses. Try the
Culinary Adventure Co. (culinaryadven-
tureco.com) for tours of ethnic neighbour-
hoods, including Greektown and Little
India. Tours are led by chefs and other
experts, and include a mix of restaurants
and shops. BBQ champ Jason Rees of
Kitchen By Pork Ninjas (bbqblog.ca)
works with the group. “There’s an instant
sense of fun,” he says. “On every tour,
there’s a genuine passion about the city,
its history and food.”
Likewise, Shirley Lum’s A Taste of
the World (torontowalksbikes.com)
peripatetic tours of Kensington Market
and Chinatown should be on any food
lover’s list of cool things to do in the city.
Also, Canadian-themed tours from
Ontario Wine and Culinary Tours
(www.ontariogroupoftouringcompanies.
com) combine new and old Canadian
food with Canadian art and even hockey.
For foodies wanting a personalized
option, Chowbella Taste Travel
(chowbella.ca) offers private customized
food tours, as well as a weekly culinary
crawl along King and Queen streets.
SHOP COOK
A creative option is to take a cooking class
at the world-renowned St. Lawrence
Market (stlawrencemarket.com), where
chefs collect products from vendors and
guests join in for a hands-on evening
shopping trip, class and dinner at the
on-site Market Kitchen. Or sign up for
food Prep School with FoodiesOnFoot.ca
at locations across the city.
CHEF’S TABLES
Those wanting an up-close experience
should sit at the chef’s table in a
restaurant kitchen. Trevor Kitchen and
Bar (trevorkitchenandbar.com), TOCA
(tocarestaurant.com) and Local Kitchen
Wine Bar (localkitchen.ca) are some
of the choicest options.
Restaurants with bar seating at an
open kitchen also make for great dinner
entertainment. Prime seats can be found
at Origin (origintoronto.com), Beerbistro
(beerbistro.com) and Restaurant
Chantecler (restaurantchantecler.ca).
Ringside seats generally need to be booked
in advance, so plan ahead. Most find the
extra step worthwhile: after all, aren’t
some of the most unforgettable meals
served with a generous side of spectacle?
Foodie tours provide a toothsome,
bite-by-bite taste of any city. After all,
how better to discover the lay of the
culinary land than by shopping like a
local or prepping like a chef? Wondering
where to start? Here are some options
that will whet your appetite.
Check out
SeeTorontoNow.com
for a list of restaurants
that call the city
home.
TOCA
Kensington Market
Market Kitchen
Origin
SECOND SERVINGS

Craft crawl
Taste the city in five beers. Here’s where to sample
some must-try local brews, plus a step-by-step guide to
getting there by transit or on foot. BY CRYSTAL LUXMORE
BAR HOP
391 KING ST. W., BARHOPBAR.COM
With 36 everchanging taps and two
casks, this friendly hipster haunt serves
up refined pub fare and curates
the best beers from Ontario.
TRY: Sample a seasonal brew
from Toronto’s Bellwoods or
Left Field breweries.
From Bar Hop, walk
south on Spadina, then
go east on Bremner,
past the CN Tower, to
Steam Whistle Brewing
(a 15-minute walk).
STEAM
WHISTLE
BREWING
255 BREMNER BLVD.,
STEAMWHISTLE.CA
Housed in a former railway roundhouse, this
indie brewer has been perfecting its Pilsner
since 2000. Take a brewery tour to see how the
barley gets from the sacks to the trademark
green bottle. Tours start at
$10, scheduled every half-
hour daily; reserve online.
TRY: Unfiltered Steam
Whistle is Pilsner taken
before the full process is
completed. It’s a superfresh
lager that’s only available
at the brewery.
From Steam Whistle, walk east
on Bremner, go south on
Lower Simcoe Street toward
the lake, then walk west on
Queens Quay to Amsterdam
BrewHouse (a 10-minute walk).
C’EST WHAT?
67 FRONT ST. E., CESTWHAT.COM
Serving nothing but craft beers and global pub
grub, this cozy subterranean craft-beer hub has
been in business for 28 years. It boasts 42 taps
from breweries across Ontario and Quebec.
TRY: Venture outside Toronto to try some killer
ales from Ontario breweries such as Gravenhurst’s
Sawdust City and Collingwood’s Side Launch.
From C’est What?
walk half a block east
on Front to the LCBO
(a five-minute walk).
From LCBO, walk east on
Front to Parliament, go
south on Parliament to
Mill Street, then walk east
to The Distillery Historic
District. Go south on Trinity,
then east on Tank House
Lane to Mill St. Brew Pub
(a 15-minute walk).
ROUND 1
ROUND2
ROUND5
ROUND
4
Breweries are popping up in neighbourhoods all over
the city. And the outfits that started the city’s craft-
beer boom are opening newer, bigger hubs, too. Take
our crawl to sample the wares in a range of settings,
from brewery tours to waterfront views to cozy pubs
where rarities and one-offs are always flowing.
AMSTERDAM BREWHOUSE
245 QUEENS QUAY W., AMSTERDAMBREWHOUSE.COM
Take a seat on a Muskoka chair on the lakefront patio, order a pizza to
soak up those suds, and gaze out at the Toronto Islands. This location
holds a large brewpub, a small on-site craft brewery and a retail
beer store. This fairly new brewpub was opened by Toronto’s
original microbrewer. Tours and tastings are offered daily.
TRY: Testify Brett Pale Ale, refreshing and tart, made with a
different type of hop every time.
From Amsterdam BrewHouse,
take the 509 Harbourfront
East streetcar and get off
at Union Station. Walk east
on Front to C’est What?
(a 15-minute ride and walk).
QUICK
STOP
LCBO
87 FRONT ST. E., LCBO.COM
This craft beer-rich liquor
store is a great place to
pick up a few souvenir
bottles. Look for Toronto’s
Junction Craft Brewing
and Great Lakes Brewery
selections.
ROUND3
THE BEER HALL AT MILL ST. BREW PUB
21 TANK HOUSE LANE, BEERHALL.MILLSTREETBREWPUB.CA
With two or more taps dedicated to Beer Hall–only brews,
this modern take on a German beer hall also boasts one of the
best patios and the biggest, juiciest duck wings in the city.
TRY: Tankhouse Bierschnaps. The Mill Street
Brewery is the only place in Canada that
makes its own version of bierschnaps, a traditional
German-style dry spirit distilled from beer.
THE TTC HAS
A “TRIP PLANNER”
THAT CAN SHOW
YOU WHICH
ROUTE TO TAKE.
TTC.CA

PHOTOS:CANADIANTOURISMCOMMISSION(KINGSTREET);GEORGEPIMENTEL(THEONEEIGHTY);
ANNAENCHEVA(LULALOUNGE);JOEFUDA(REPOSADO)
Dark magic
Get ready for grownup fun.
BRASSAII
Known to attract A-list celebrities during
events such as the Toronto International
Film Festival, Brassaii Restaurant and
Lounge is the lounge of choice for many
socialites and local media moguls. The
lively weekly programming including
dance parties and DJ sets draws a trendy
crowd who cool off on the cobblestone
courtyard patio—considered one of the
best in the city. 461 KING STREET WEST,
(416) 598-4730, BRASSAII.COM
LULA LOUNGE
Lula Lounge specializes in world music,
offering salsa dance classes all weekend,
Friday night jazz performances, and
a Sunday Cuban brunch. There’s never
a dull moment in this colourful lounge in
Little Portugal, where Toronto’s salsa
community lets loose.
1585 DUNDAS STREET WEST,
(416) 588-0307, LULA.CA
REPOSADO
Tequila lovers, rejoice—Reposado has the
largest selection of premium tequila
downtown. Come for the cocktails and
tapas and stick around for the live gypsy
jazz and swing performances, which
transform the small bar into something
of a speakeasy on weekends.
136 OSSINGTON AVENUE, (416) 532-6474,
REPOSADOBAR.COM
WAYLA LOUNGE
WAYLA, a.k.a. “What Are You Looking
At,” brings a colourful crowd to the
otherwise sleepy intersection at Carlaw
and Queen East. The no-frills, casual
bar-lounge (think: throw pillows, exposed
brick and concrete floors) is a great spot
for conversation, but on weekends a
raucous lineup of themed parties (think:
’90s and Divas Divas Divas) heats up the
dance floor. 996 QUEEN STREET EAST,
(416) 901-5570, WAYLABAR.CA
Lula Lounge
Reposado
King Street West
When night falls, the stars come out,
DJs spin, and the city’s lounge scene kicks
into high gear. Whether you seek an
after-work cocktail or a decadent evening
out, these eclectic nightclubs and lounges
serve up both glamour and sophistication.
SECOND SERVINGS
THE ONE EIGHTY
This resto-lounge on the 51st floor of the
Manulife Centre building in Yorkville has
been voted Toronto’s best view. Floor-to-
ceiling windows in the dining room offer
a stellar view of downtown and uptown,
and north and south patios offer stargazers
a chance to camp out with a cocktail.
The One Eighty also boasts an award-
winning menu consisting of innovative
tapas-style appetizers perfect for sharing.
55 BLOOR STREET WEST, (416) 967-0000,
THE51STFLOOR.COM
The One Eighty

PHOTO: PAULA WILSON;
FOOD STYLIST: CHANTAL PAYETTE
SHORT ORDERS
Small-plates cuisine goes casual.
BY SIMONE OLIVERO
Here’s to elevated nibbles and complex culinary
masterpieces served up snack size until late.
Peoples Eatery
seasame
noodle bowl
Bar Fancy
chicken wings
416 Snack Bar
oysters
DaiLo
Hakka brown
wontons
DaiLo
Jellyfish Slaw
Bar Buca
sardella calabrese
Kanpai Snack
Bar Cabbage
Patch Kids
Junked Food
Company waffle
sandwich
Bar Fancy
olives and pork
sausages
Bar Buca
polipo
Kanpai
Snack Bar
Player Hater
Bar Buca
costolette
di manzo
Junked Food
Company
Smash Bag nachos
Peoples Eatery
grilled short ribs
TAPAS APERITIVOS
The Italians and Spanish practically invented the art of snacking.
For classic tapas like jamón Ibérico, patatas bravas and roast bone
marrow, Bar Isabel (797 College St.) rightfully occupies one
of the top spots in the city with its creative interpretations.
On a similar note, Bar Buca (75 Portland St.) serves up
Sicilian-style goat-and-ricotta meatballs, soppressata-
and-baby-octopus skewers and house-made burrata stuffed
with pesto, making every hour aperitivo hour.
CUTLERY-FREE
An early adopter, 416 Snack Bar (181 Bathurst St.) opened
in 2011, offering small plates that adhere to the resto’s No.
1 rule: no cutlery. Seriously, you won’t find a fork here. Steak
tartare, steamed buns and even a salad (Japanese-style with
wakame, toasted sesame and miso dressing) are presented as
glorified finger food. The same motto goes for its sister restaurant,
Peoples Eatery (307 Spadina Ave.). Paying homage to the neigh-
bourhood’s Jewish and Chinese history, the menu features latkes
and kibbeh nayeh alongside General Tso tofu and Peking duck.
ASIAN FUSION
Taiwanese night market treats are on order at Kanpai
Snack Bar (252 Carlton St.), where wok-fried anchovies,
fried tofu and gooey pork belly steamed buns pair
perfectly with Canadian brews and handcrafted
cocktails. At Lopan (503 College St.), DaiLo’s
upstairs bar, Asian riffs on North American
classics like the Big Mac and KFC chicken are
served dim-sum-style until 2 a.m.
CURATED CRAVINGS
There’s nothing fancy about the signature Smash Bag
nachos from Junked Food Company (1256 Dundas St. W.):
they’re prepared right in the Doritos bag with toppings like
Dr Pepper pulled pork, dark chocolate chili and mac ’n’ cheese.
If fried chicken is more your flavour, Bar Fancy (1070 Queen St. W.)
offers a special of $2 fried chicken (and half-price oysters)
between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plus, “dirty” nachos—complete with
a Cheez Whiz–like topping—make the rounds until late.

PHOTOS:THEDRAKEHOTEL(DRAKE);ALEXBROWNE(MILLSTREET)
List serve
Here are our top five picks for the best places to sip, savour, and see and be seen.
A cold drink and city-watching
from the best seats in the
house—what could be better?
1. DRAKE HOTEL
Arty Queen West boasts the Sky
Yard, where you can gaze at the
stars (especially during the Toronto
International Film Festival) and
enjoy drinks, whether it’s July or
January. 1150 QUEEN ST. W.
2. LA SOCIÉTÉ
This très chic French bistro on
Bloor Street is the perfect place
to sip champagne and watch the
fashionistas of Mink Mile walk by.
131 BLOOR ST. W.
3. MURPHY’S LAW PUB
AND KITCHEN
Grab a pint at this Beaches neigh-
bourhood pub, which boasts a
breezy rooftop patio and a
wide selection of beers on tap.
1702 QUEEN ST. E.
4. THE CHASE
Take a break from the bustling
Financial District at this
elegant penthouse patio. Say
cheers with cocktails or pick
from an extensive wine list.
10 TEMPERANCE ST.
5. THOMPSON
TORONTO
The bar of this opulent hotel
offers unparalleled 360-degree
panoramas of Toronto. Enjoy
creative cocktails at an
Entertainment District hot spot.
550 WELLINGTON ST. W.
From boozy brunches to
leisurely nightcaps, Toronto’s
patios add ambience to your
cocktail enjoyment.
1. AMSTERDAM
BREWHOUSE
The craft brewhouse by the lake
pairs its signature pours with a
beer-infused menu. Curl up in a
Muskoka chair for a truly Toronto
experience.
245 QUEENS QUAY W.
2. THE PORCH
The patio of the Entertainment
District’s Rock ’n’ Horse Saloon
conjures a party-hearty vibe with
margaritas, lounge seating and an
outdoor kitchen that offers shared
plates. 250 ADELAIDE ST. W.
3. MILL STREET
BREW PUB
The Mill St. Brewery’s charming
cobblestone patio is a
well-preserved vestige of The
Distillery Historic District’s
19th-century industrial roots.
21 TANK HOUSE LANE
4. O’GRADY’S ON
CHURCH
This traditional Irish pub
in the LGBTQ-focused Church-
Wellesley neighbourhood is
the place to be in summer,
especially during the Pride
Toronto festival. 518 CHURCH ST.
5. ALLEN’S RESTAURANT
This intimate Irish pub on the
Danforth is where Toronto’s
Celtic music scene is at its best.
In summer, the spacious and
leafy back patio beckons.
143 DANFORTH AVE.
Keep an eye open for these deli-
cious food trucks. Follow Toronto
Food Trucks @foodtrucksTO on
Twitter to find your faves during
your visit.
1. CAPLANSKY’S
DELICATESSEN
Caplansky’s is famous among
Torontonians for its deli-style hot
smoked meat sandwiches.
Mmmmmm. CAPLANSKYS.COM
2. FOOD DUDES
Mac N Cheese, Dirty Chili Hash,
Captain Crunch Fish Tacos—
those are just a few of the
options from this beloved food
truck and catering company.
THEFOODDUDES.COM
3. GORILLA CHEESE
Grilled cheese sandwiches
like you’ve never experienced
before. Save room for the
dessert sandwiches.
GORILLACHEESE.WORDPRESS.COM
4. FIDEL GASTRO’S
Ever had a spaghetti and
meatball sandwich? Try that or
another creation from the food
truck deemed the country’s best,
by Canadian Living magazine.
FIDELGASTRO.CA
5. BUSTER’S SEA COVE
Buster’s is a mainstay in the St.
Lawrence Market, and its seafood
food truck is a huge hit with “afish-
ionados.” Try the fish tacos or sea-
food rolls. BUSTERS-SEACOVE.COM
5 BARS WITH A VIEW
5 TASTY FOOD TRUCKS
5 PERFECT PATIOS
Drake Hotel
Thompson Hotel
Caplansky’s Delicatessen Buster’s Sea Cove
Amsterdam Brewhouse
Mill Street Brew Pub
SECOND SERVINGS

PHOTOS:EDWARDPOND(CAPLANSKY’S);ISTOCK(CORSO,QUEENWESTBAR)
8
Unwind with a cuppa Dragonwell green tea
or Alpine Punch rooibos. With over 150
different blends to choose from, DAVIDsTEA
(Terminal 1, after Canadian security, Level 2,
near Gate D37) has got you covered, no matter how
arcane your tea tastes. (Don’t forget to buy loose-leaf
tea to take home!)
Dine fly
10 best places to grab a quick bite
or a stellar meal at YYZ.
Toronto Pearson International Airport has a fleet of
foodie-approved restaurants, bars and cafés to choose
from, many helmed by Toronto’s top chefs. Whether you’ve
got time to spare, or want a quality meal in a hurry (or to go), your options
are as unique—and multiculturally diverse—as the city you’ve just visited.
1Restaurant
Makeover chef
Massimo Capra’s
Boccone Trattoria
Veloce (Terminal 1,
after Canadian
security, Level 2,
near Gate D41)
offers casual Italian
panini, salads,
pasta and mains,
with rustic touches
and a full bar.
2
Acer (Terminal 3, after international
security, departures level, near Gate C36)
serves contemporary Japanese cuisine
by chef Guy Rubino. Choose from eclectic sushi
rolls, heaping bowls of ramen or pull together a
snack from various small-plate appetizers.
3Build your own gourmet
burger or try one created
by Toronto chef Mark McEwan at
Nobel Burger Bar (Terminal 3,
after U.S. security, departures
level, near Gate A13).
4
Enjoy Indian street fare
at Toronto chef Hemant
Bhagwani’s Marathi
(Terminal 1, after international
security, Level 2, near Gate E78).
Its menu includes the fusion
Butter Chicken Naan Panini
and classics like shrimp vindaloo.
Try the Indian breakfast. 5For more freshly
made Italian
pasta, pizza and
antipasti, check
out chef Rocco
Agostino’s Corso
(Terminal 3, after
Canadian security,
departures level,
near Gate B29). The
chef and co-owner
behind the city’s
popular Pizzeria
Libretto, Agostino
had a specialty pizza
oven built for the
airport trattoria.
6
Toronto favourite Zane Caplansky brings his crowd-
pleasing, traditional deli offerings (which he refers to
as Jewish soul food) to Caplansky’s Deli (Terminal 3,
after Canadian security, departures level, near Gate B39). Classics
like bagels and lox, BBQ beef brisket and blintzes populate the
menu. Caplansky’s Snack Bar (Terminal 1, before international
security, Level 3 check-in, at Aisle 11) is ideal for noshing with a non-travelling
friend—or if you need to sneak in one final breakfast meeting before you fly out.
7Feast on dim sum and entrees
by Toronto’s most internation-
ally acclaimed Master Chef, at Lee
Kitchen by Susur Lee (Terminal 1,
after international security, near
Gate E73). Lee, whose cuisine
merges flavours and cooking tech-
niques from classical French and
Chinese traditions, was named one
of the “Ten Chefs of the Millennium”
by Food Wine magazine.
9Grab a pint of
local beer, sip a
glass of wine, or toast
the city with cocktails
at Queen West Bar
(Terminal 1, after U.S.
security, departures
level, near Gate F61).
10
Enjoy a quick meal, or grab a
nutrish-and-delish carb + protein
bowl to bring with you on your
flight. Freshii (Terminal 3, after U.S. security,
departures level, near Gate A19/B19) is a fave
for its healthy fast food and smoothies.
Most restaurants
on this list include
organic, vegan, vegetarian,
kosher, halal, all-natural,
gluten-free and/or heart
healthy options on
their menus.

PHOTO:CANADIANTOURISMCOMMISSION
28 TORONTO

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