What’s on the menu at Ricarda’s, a new all-day Mediterranean restaurant

What’s on the menu at Ricarda’s, a new all-day Mediterranean restaurant

Name: Ricarda’s
Neighbourhood: Queen West
Contact: 134 Peter St., 416-304-9134, ricardas.com, @ricardas134
Chef: Executive chef Sam Girgis and pastry chef Sarah Tsai (SoHo House, Food Dudes Catering)

The food

An all-day menu comprised mainly of salads, flatbreads and pasta. Customers can choose from pre-designed dishes or create their own with ingredients like pickled mango, crispy soppressata, piri-piri chicken, harissa-glazed prawns and veal-and-ricotta meatballs. There’s also a takeaway counter that sells grab-and-go meals, freshly baked bread, pastries and coffee. Desserts are built around seasonal produce and currently include corn panna cotta and Santiago cake with Ontario stone fruit. Bonus: the kitchen is open until 2 a.m.

One of the daily soups is this gazpacho, topped with dressed avocado, romaine and fennel, and house-made crostini. $5/$7.

 
A zucchini spaghetti side dish with pulled smoked ham hock and sugar snap peas. $5.

 
A 10-ounce Top Meadow striploin in a jus made with red wine–braised cippolini onions and bone marrow. $35.

 
Pistachio cake with orange saffron curd, yogurt baklava ice cream and honey phyllo. $8.

 
Corn panna cotta with blueberry compote, salted polenta cookie and blueberry meringue. $8.

 
From the takeaway counter: pulled roasted chicken with hummus, za’atar yogurt, pickled red onions and Brussels sprout slaw on house-baked baguette. $8.

The drinks

A selection of European and North American wines, available by the bottle and glass, domestic and imported beers, cider and house cocktails, like the Always Classy made with gin, limoncello and Triple Sec.

Ginger Up: Blanton’s bourbon, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, ginger twist. $15.

 
Always Classy: Tanqueray No. 10 gin, limoncello, Triple Sec. $15.

The space

Housed inside the former Weston Biscuit Factory building, Ricarda’s is split into a 115-seat dining room, a cocktail lounge and a takeaway bakery and café. Coming soon: an indoor-outdoor, year-round patio located in the building’s atrium.

Here’s the main dining room.

 
And the bar.

 
This is the takeaway counter.

 
Tasting menus are available (with 48 hours notice) at the seats along the open kitchen.

 
The kitchen uses the herbs grown in that small garden.

 
Here’s where the sort-of patio will be.

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