In a few weeks, the newest installment of the Michelin Guide will be unveiled in Toronto. It will showcase the newest spots deemed worth of recognition by the guide, with a lucky few taking home a star.
I’ve called the city home for a large chunk of my life, so if Michelin does draw you up to Toronto, consider a few food and drink destinations that aren’t on the guide. Here’s where I frequent.
Bar Volo
The chalkboard behind the bar at Volo is scrawled with dozens and dozens of beers names, each corresponding to a different tap that pours out eclectic or unusual (but all delicious) beers from around the world. It’s equally a great date night spot and destination for killing an afternoon, drink in hand.
Taverne Bernhardt’s
At this neighborhood restaurant, expect amped-up rotisserie chicken made in a rotisol, the Rolls Royce of rotisserie. While the chicken is the main event — paired with plenty of gravy and fries if you please — the veggie dishes and salads are thoughtful and unique (and don’t skip the soft serve).
Famiglia Baldassare
A weekday-only pasta counter serving up two different pastas on the daily. What are they? Well, it depends on what Leandro Baldassare is feeling inspired by. It could be sweet corn tortelloni. It could be potato gnocchi tossed with wild morels. It could be neon green trofie swimming in pesto genovese. All are handmade daily so whatever it is, come hungry and order one of each.
Sakai Bar
Slip into this 22-seat spot for the udon — creamy, and topped with tomato dashi and seafood — and pair it with perfect Japanese plates, like Quebec snow crab sunomono, sweet potato covered in trout roe and bagna cauda butter sauce, and katsu fried steak. Sit at the bar and let the owner, Stuart, pair your meal with sake.
Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu House
You don’t need to make many decisions here: just pick your protein and wait for a smoldering bowl of tofu stew and a side of stone bowl rice. It’s cozy, steamy, always spicy and full of flavor.
Dim Sum King
Every Sunday, my family and I trot up a few flights of stairs to camp out at a table at Dim Sum King, a mainstay spot for stuffed rice rolls and pockets of sticky rice. There’s no menu, just staff roving with carts packed high with steamer baskets.
Sunny’s Chinese
Around the corner, Sunnys Chinese gives a more modern nod to the city’s Chinese roots, in the form of a high-vibe, neon hued dining room that turns out dishes from Sichuan, Guangdong, Dongbei, and Hakka. Think dan dan noodles sprinkled with peanuts and pork, chicken thigh burning with shaokao spice, and swirls of soy sauce caramel soft serve. If your trip allows, make a Monday reservation — the team pulls together a curious and always-excellent tasting menu.
Paradise Grapevine
Arguably one of the best places to waste a hot Toronto summer day is at Paradise Grapevine, a wine bar and winery with a few outposts within the city. Both locations boast a ton of wine (including natural offerings and their own piquettes rotburgers) and excellent patios.
Parallel
When you’re wined out, head across the street for big bowls of silky housemade hummus, crunchy babaghanoush, and oven-kissed pitas. Order a selection of dips and get your hands dirty, just make sure you order a side of spicy-herby zhug.
Randy’s Rotis
One of Toronto’s bright spots is the kaleidoscope of cultures that call the city home — in one day, you can snack on Filipino, Indonesian, Chinese, and Tibetan food. One of my particular favorites is fluffy doubles stuffed with spicy-tangy chickpeas from Randy’s.
Mineral
Over in Rosedale, Toronto’s hood for the well-heeled, Chef Danny Cancino serves up heartfelt Filipino dishes with a fine dining lean. There’s pineapple carpaccio topped with black garlic and puffed rice for a crunch, light-as-air ensaymadas with truffle butter on the side for dipping, and scallop inari pockets topped with bottarga.
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