416-860 0086   |    $16 - $36 mains

I’ve talked a bit about being disappointed with O&B restaurants because my first time at each of them always seems to be underwhelming. I find the service is always good, the selection seems appealing and the spaces are beautiful…the only problem is I never really like the food. Luma had changed my mind a bit after returning recently, so I decided to give Biff’s on Front a shot. 

Food

Honestly, this menu looked certifiably appealing to me. There were tons of classic french dishes from the starters, to mains and bistro specialties. Biff’s even serves cheval (horse!). I was pretty excited to get tasting.

The picture of butter you see above was an odd way to start the night. The bread came out as usual (a decent sliced baguette) accompanied by a ramekin of regular, spreadable butter by all appearances. Weird thing was I could have sworn there was a noticeable aftertaste of oysters. The other two at the table conveyed similar sentiments. I kinda liked it. Unfortunately, our server said that it shouldn’t have any aftertaste. Weird.

The chef also sent out some house-made grainy mustard that had a pleasant - and intentional - bitter aftertaste. That along with some house-made pickles were a nice start.

Our first main was the pork belly with spaetzle and fennel (above). The pork belly piece itself was the largest I’ve seen in a main. Unfortunately, it was a big miss: chewy on the outside (not crispy), meat wasn’t tender, and the melt-in-your-mouth fatty part was barely there. Also, the spaetzle looked, felt, and tasted like soft breadsticks, which definitely wasn’t we were expecting. I just didn’t get this dish at all.

Next had another large portion, this time of smoked sweetbreads with potatoes, wild mushrooms and a creamed leek sauce. My first bite of everything was decent, but this got bland from the second taste onward. I couldn’t pick out the green-coloured oil/sauce, which I wish had imparted a stronger herb flavour to keep the dish interesting. I understood the concept, but I just didn’t think it delivered on it.

We finished with a crowd-pleasing trio of profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream, covered in chocolate, caramel and almonds. This was undoubtedly an extra-safe choice to end the meal and it paid off. The chocolate was darker than I expected which I found made the topping of almonds more complimentary and the caramel more contrasting. 

Service and Ambience

Despite the food not being great, Biff’s lived up to the positives of O&B restaurants: the service is awesome and the spaces are beautiful. 

Our server was super friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and checked up on us the perfect amount. Probably one of the better servers I’ve had across all my restaurant visits in the city.

The Reco?

I’m giving this two stars because the only things I enjoyed were the pickles, profiteroles and unintentionally oyster-kissed butter. Neither of the mains were very good in our opinion, despite their size, and that just doesn’t make me want to come back and sample anything else. On the bright side, I hear Auberge du Pommier is O&B’s best. Perhaps that should be next…

Other reviews:
  Toronto Life   |     Chu on This

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Mar 30, 2012

416-850 8330    |    $21-28 mains

Before heading over to Loire, I’d only heard vague details about it, not nearly enough to make it a must visit. All thanks to Dish Duel, I had my eyes opened to this great bistro on Harbord that I’m sure to revisit.

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

Food

Chef Dupoire’s menu is 15 dishes deep and not necessarily as traditional french as you might think. Yes, you’ve got your duck, dupuy lentils, frog legs, but you also will see things like salsa verde and ricotta cheese incorportated.

We started with the pistachio-crusted goat cheese served with roasted beets, arugula, red pepper coulis and charred lemon dressing. A tasty dish to be sure, but the flavour combinations are fairly conventional (goat cheese, beets, red pepper). The pistachio and charred lemon didn’t seem to be strong flavours.

Next up, the incredible Dish Duel offering (above). This was created custom for the competition by the enthusiastic kitchen and it shows (currently in the final round of the competition!). Here’s how I described it for the tournament:

A showcase on a plate. The attention to detail, execution of the proteins and blend of flavours was fantastic. Maybe my favourite of the competition thus far. The short ribs were perfect, melt-in-your-mouth and full of beefy-flavour. Maple-glazed pork belly inspired audible noises from my dining companion: great crispy edges, barely sweet and fatty goodness. To compliment all of this, the carrot and romesco sauces together form a base of subtle sweet and spice, in concert with the hint of blue cheese found in the lentils. Confit shallot and crisp pork skin on top round out this impressively presented plate. Bravo!

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

Now you’d think after having the awesome pork belly dish above that we would have forgotten about this striped sea bass. Not a chance. The fish was prepared to perfection with nice crispy skin, an unusually flavourful salsa verde, and root vegetables to round everything out. This fish of the day was anything but an afterthought. 

Still hungry, and on a bit of a high from the mains, we ordered the tarte au sucre (above) and creme brulee (below). The two highlights of the tarte were actually its accompaniments. The vanilla ice cream was decadent and the berry compote on the end HAD to have had juniper berries in it. Was a great tart accompaniment to the sweet and creamy on the plate.

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

This creme brulee was genius for one simple reason: cinnamon heart sugar. I’ve never heard of anyone else blending cinnamon hearts and then taking a blowtorch to them. Not sure exactly what flavoured the creme itself, but the topping was so brilliant that this dish succeeded on cleverness alone.

Service and Ambience

The room’s a fair size and a comfortable mix between modern and comfort. It actually mirrors the restaurant’s description, casual gourment, quite well. We were visiting on a fairly quiet night during the week so no worries on the speed of service.

Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive throughout the night, even though he appeared to be the only one manning the entire dining room. Well done sir!

The Reco?

Really enjoyed my meal here overall. Definitely recommend trying the Dish Duel dish as you’d expect; hoping they get it onto their permanent menu. Even without it, your meal should be satisfying at the very least. Enjoy.

Other reviews:
  Food Junkie Chronicles

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Feb 15, 2012

416-979-1990   |   $13-29 ‘mains’

Yes, I know the title is cheesy and ridiculous, but I really really like this place. I went for my birthday a few months back and everything  I tasted made me smile like a complete goof. Having finally returned, I’m happy to write this review and spread word about this spot you aren’t likely to walk into unless you know it’s there.

Photo Credit: Marben Site

Food

Generally speaking, the menu is built for sharing but can be tackled the conventional ‘do you want a bite of MY food’ kind of way. I wouldn’t say it’s a french menu, but there’s a healthy dose of it throughout with added touches of Italy and east Asia here and there. The menu also changes quite frequently, and on my last visit featured ceviche, cotechino, plus other items not represented on yesterday’s menu.

This time I started with a side of the sage and brown butter gnocchi (above) with brussel sprouts and some crispy shallots and nuts on top. Gnocchi were soft and the brussel sprout (if you’re a fan) is always a welcome green taste. The crunch on top with the delicate pasta pillows below was well-paired. My two friends had the butternut squash soup, which they both heartily enjoyed on a very chilly night.

Next up were the mains. I’ve heard great things about the burger before arriving and had that reinforced when my friend commented the juiciness and fantastic sauce that dripped into the soft bun. She was very complimentary.

My other friend had the smoked pork chop (above, apologies for the candle-litness) with apple puree, caramalized onions, sage and pork jus. Suffice to say, it was obvious this would taste good before it came. Conventional flavour pairings worked well, but the execution of a beautifully smoky and juicy pork chop made this an even more successful dish.

My main was the sous-vide rainbow trout (above) topped with threads of fried leek and a barigoule sauce (essentially an earthy, vegetable-filled sauce). The great thing about a sous-vide protein is it creates a uniform texture throughout, so my fish had a great rare, buttery texture to it that made it melt in your mouth. The leeks on top (described as leek fries) didn’t really come off as leeks and I thought there could have been more of the vegetables from the barigoule on the plate. Still a tasty dish with great textures that I’d happily eat again.

Finally, we finished with desserts. We ordered two of the apple puddings (above) topped with mascarpone creme, some bailey’s caramel, and a touch of salt. The baileys was subtle but present, the apple pudding was warm, soft, but not falling apart, and the salt on the end was a smart finish. 

The other dessert was an earl grey creme brulee that was probably my favourite bite of the night. Even though I had a cold and needed to work a bit to find flavours all night, the earl grey was easy and delicious. Loved this dish.

Service and Ambience

On both my visits, I found our servers very friendly, laid-back (but attentive) and really knowledgeable. I liked how they let you know the cooking techniques behind some of the dishes when ordered, because there’s a big difference between a crispy, seared piece of trout and one that’s been sous-vide. 

From an ambience perspective, this place is…woodsy and warm. There’s wood everywhere: tables, walls, floors, in paintings, you name it. But once you get over it, it’s a very comfortable and lively atmosphere. The open kitchen with bar seating at the back of the room is also a nice touch.

The Reco?

If it’s not obvious by now something is wrong with you. You should definitely go. I’ve yet to have something I don’t like here, and it’s very unique in this city to have the range of comfort food to haute cuisine this place does at very reasonable prices. It’s not perfect, but it’s hard for me to name another place I’d rather have in my neighbourhood. Enjoy.

Other reviews:
Globe & Mail    |     National Post    |     Toronto Life 

Posted by: Jacob, Visited Jan 5, 2012

416-531-4447    |    $10-18 entrees

Just when you thought you’ve tried all the spots on Baldwin, something else pops up. Kept forgetting about this place until this afternoon. Its clear now that I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

Food

The lunch menu is a perfect size, offering a variety of tartes flambees (think thin flatbread), sandwiches and a sprinkling of other intriguing options. There’s also some surprisingly refined desserts if you’re having ‘one of those mornings’.

To start, we shared pike quenelle dumplings in a mushroom bisque. This was awesome. I’m still craving another serving. Quenelle is a mixture of creamed fish (in this case) with some breadcrumbs and egg to bind everything in the dumpling. The mushroom bisque was hearty and savoury like a stew, and balanced by the white fish in a way I haven’t tasted before. It wasn’t at all strange, the flavours just made sense.

We each followed the app with a tarte given that it appeared to be the lunch specialty. I’d say the best part was the execution on the crispy thin crust. It’s the kind of texture I’d love to see more on pizza. Each one was tasty in its own way, with my friend using the phrase ‘yum, yum, yum’ on more than one occasion. 

Grilled portobello (top) and Sauerkraute (bottom) tartes flambées

• The duck confit with potato, onion and gruyere was pleasant with duck flavour front and centre. 

• Grilled portobello, sun-dried tomatoes, gruyere and pesto topped a balanced and flavourful veggie option. 

• The last we sampled was the house-made smoked sausage, sauerkraut, and gruyere. Mild flavours overall, but again it was enjoyable.

With success up to that point, it was clear dessert was worth a shot. As I said, unusually complex desserts were available for lunch so we took the plunge and went for two options.

• Blueberry cornbread, lemon curd, mixed berry frozen yogurt and candied ginger was great. Tart, sweet, warm, cold, chewy, soft. It had it all. Cornbread in composed desserts is a good call.

• Chocolate terrine, salted caramel ice cream, cherries, dried apricot, and almonds. Definitely the more decadent of the two with the chocolate and ice cream (so good), but the variety of textures and forms of sweetness made it work. A more prominent darker/bitter chocolate probably would have rounded it out for me.

(apologies for not grabbing pics here, dishes were begging to be eaten)

You know it was a good meal when your friend comments ‘I feel so good’ on the stroll back to the office. Very satisfying overall.

Service and Ambience

It’s a pretty small dining area downstairs, with more room upstairs. Pretty sparsely decorated, but in a charming way. I don’t usually comment on the music choice, but it really helped add to the french bistro ambience. A nice touch.

The Reco?

You should go for lunch, dinner, or just dessert. I have faith the dinner menu holds similarly pleasant options. I will definitely be stopping by again.

Other reviews:
Globe and Mail    |    National Post    |    Toronto Star

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 8, 2011

416-901-9581   |   $16-26 entrees

L’ouvrier is a brand new ‘kitchen-bar’ near Dundas and Bathurst that deserves some attention from the Toronto food-ite community. With its doors just opening this past Wednesday, I expected the experience to come across as slightly unpolished. In the case of this gastronomic tribute to the Canadian working-man from the early part of the 20th century, any roughness about the place actually contributed to the thoughtful ambiance

The space is very airy and the décor has an austere quality to it. Most of the tables were hand-made by the one of the founders using materials salvaged from the remodeling process, and you get the sense that whoever conceived this restaurant had a clear vision for what they wanted to accomplish. It is encouraging to see a new restaurant take on a bold motif and execute on it through every last detail.

(Photo Credit: Simone Olivero, Toronto Life)

To describe the menu, I would have to use a phrase that I previously thought was entirely oxy-moronic when used in reference to food: distinctly Canadian. While Canada doesn’t have a pronounced culinary identity, this chef has borrowed ingredients and flavor profiles from a variety of different cultural pallets and combined them to create a unique and stimulating experience. The prominence of tartare on the menu is a good indication that the chef has designed the menu to fit with the rustic theme of the restaurant. Each dish is as interesting as the last and the pricing is very reasonable given the creative quality that has gone into the menu’s conception.

I started with the oysters alongside cider rye mignonette, horseradish, lime and sriracha served on a chilled slab of rough slate. While this appetizer was enjoyable and the oysters were fresh, the real prized starter for this restaurant is the steak tartare crostini dish. Don’t miss it.

Main course consisted of roast salmon with a host of South-East Asian-influenced flavors – lemongrass, coconut milk, Thai basil, coriander, lime and chili. The fish was cooked to perfection and the flavoring was well balanced and highly complimentary. The portions are small, so make sure you order an appetizer and dessert so as to not leave too hungry.

The dessert menu was small, but the chocolate brownie served with crème fraiche was a superb experience. The strangest aspect of L’ouvrier is the inclusion of a 5-cent candy bag as the third option on the menu. Interesting idea, but I couldn’t imagine anyone following up a fine meal and bottle of wine with children’s candies. I’m interested to see how long this stays on the menu, because it never should have been there to begin with.

The Reco?
In looking for a great restaurant, I tend to favor authentic experiences and L’ouvrier delivers on this aspect. The concept is novel and the ambience is unpretentious yet creative and detail-oriented. The menu has a lot to offer and deserves multiple return trips. Highly recommended for any fine-dining occasion.

Other reviews:

Couldn’t find any, guess we’re first!

Posted by: Eli, Visited September 24, 2011