Introducing: Little Fin, the mix-and-match seafood restaurant from the owners of The Chase
Name: Little Fin
Contact Info: 4 Temperance St., 647-348-7000, littlefin.ca, @Little_Fin
Previously: Italian restaurant Fiore
Neighbourhood: Financial District
Owner: The Chase Hospitality Group (headed by president Steven Salm), which is also behind The Chase, The Chase Fish & Oyster, and Colette Grand Cafe
Executive Chef: The Chase Fish & Oyster chef Nigel Finley
The Food: The Chase’s latest spin-off restaurant is a casual mix-and-match seafood counter. Diners choose a main item (e.g. crispy fried haddock, smoked maple-brandy wild BC salmon), a preparation method (sandwich, seaweed salad, slaw) and any add-ons or “sea sides,” like chunky potato wedges or chili-spiced broccoli. There’s also a double-decker cheeseburger (served on pitch-black buns, dyed with bamboo charcoal), lobster-topped hot dogs, and whole-lobster meals served with sea-urchin “fancy sauce.”
The Drinks: Soft drinks, water and fresh pressed juices. House wines and beer are available for dine-in only.
The Place: The bright room has a breezy Hamptons aesthetic, complete with nautical lamps, tin ceilings and white barn-board paneling. There’s nowhere to sit, but there are a few ledges (and a soon-to-come centre island) where customers can eat their seafood on the fly. Come springtime, the 30-seat patio out front with provide sit-down dining for 30.
295702 <b>Little Fin</b> is housed on the main floor of the historic Dineen building. The space has two entrances: a side entrance on Temperance Street (pictured), and a main entrance in the laneway opposite sister restaurants <b>The Chase</b> and <b>The Chase Fish & Oyster.</b> (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Little Fin https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-01/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
295706 There aren't any seats in the little space, but there are a few ledges (and a soon-to-come centre island) where customers can eat their meals on the fly. In springtime, the Temperance Street patio will provide seating for 30. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-05-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-05/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-05 0 0
295703 The menu lets customers create their own meals from various mains, buns and sides. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-02-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-02/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
295705 A counter display shows off the available seafood options. Most orders take under 10 minutes to fill. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-04/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
295707 The smoked crab salad roll (pictured on the left) is piled with cold-smoked blue crab, Little Fin’s “magic” aioli, corn, cucumber, shredded iceberg lettuce, guacamole and crispy shallots ($17). It's paired here with a seaweed salad side ($2). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-06-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-06/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
295708 All the bread used at Little Fin comes from sister restaurant <b>Colette.</b> The options include this black sesame challah bun that’s dyed with bamboo charcoal. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-07-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-07/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-07 0 0
295709 Haddock is marinated in lemon, capers and mustard before hitting the deep-fryer (the crust, FYI, is gluten-free) ($9). It’s pictured here with potato wedges, garden slaw and sea-urchin “fancy sauce.” https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-08-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-08/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-08 0 0
295710 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-09-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-09/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-09 0 0
295711 The Fin Burger is a gargantuan double cheeseburger topped with cheddar, lettuce, tomato and sea-urchin sauce, served on a bamboo charcoal bun ($14.25). It’s also available as a single ($9.25), and it can be topped with bacon jam for an extra $1.25. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-10/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
295704 <b>Steven Salm,</b> president of <b>The Chase Hospitality Group,</b> and executive chef <b>Nigel Finley.</b> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-03-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/little-fin-toronto-restaurants/slide/little-fin-toronto-restaurant-03/ little-fin-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
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