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Owner of acclaimed North 44 at Yonge and Eg, Chef Mark McEwan has opened a winner on the ground floor of the TD Centre. McEwan consistently manages to draw the city’s high rollers as well as please the critics. Mains include seared yellow fin tuna with a savoury crust and the city’s priciest and best-dressed burger – a grilled 8 oz prime US patty topped with molten French Brie, grilled porcini mushrooms, sliced truffle and rosemary onion rings ($33). Each dish is paired with a suggested glass of wine. The glass-boxed street-level bar is oh so chic.
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Waving the Canadian flag, this elegant room with its large, well-spaced tables offers local ingredients, brilliantly prepared. Perched on the 54th floor of the TD bank tower, it also offers gorgeous city views, day and night. Consider the six- course $85 tasting menu. Mains show off high-end tender caribou, with creamy spinach, diced sweet potato and Newfoundland partridgeberry sauce. Moist Arctic char fillets lie atop blue potatoes, crab cakes and pumpkin-leek stew. Homespun sides include rich cauliflower gratin with aged Cheddar, while desserts include an haute take on the famous Canadian butter tart. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
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This airy, comfortable California-inspired grill in the heart of the business district specialises in perfectly-cooked US Angus steaks and 'Living Well’ choices for heart- smart diners. Delightful sea-faring dishes including a light grilled salmon with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and steamed jasmine rice. All entrées come in two sizes. The serious cellar is well-stocked with West Coast reds.
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On a lonely strip of College just east of crazy Little Italy, this charming, intimate room beckons, complete with pressed-tin ceiling and quiet jazz. A thin petal of seared foie gras sits atop a luscious Riesling reduction. Quebec lamb is another winner. Vegetarians can feast on a warm phyllo sandwich piled with garlickly bean purée, roasted artichokes, lentils and diced veg. Sweets are delightful, and the wine list packs two pages.
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Hidden beneath the Hilton hotel, this offshoot of the successful American chain feels like a men’s club, complete with dark wood panelling, antique prints and dim lighting. Steak’s the thing, so forget about appetisers. Ruth’s specialises in aged, corn-fed US beef, seared at 1,500F/815C then doused with butter (optional) so it arrives sizzling at the table. Veggies are listed separately and served in copious amounts – one order will feed four. Desserts are equally monstrous.
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