After almost three years in Los Angeles, restaurateur Leslie Gibson came back to the city last spring to open Grace, where Xacutti—her last Toronto venture—used to be. For Gibson, it was a return to her roots in more ways than one: she conceived the farmhouse-inspired dining room and menu as a homage to her family’s forebears (the restaurant takes its name from her grandmother). Rustic touches are more high-end than hee-haw—glimpsed in the reclaimed Douglas fir tables and the century-old, black-and-white family photos of life on the farm. It’s also found in the exquisitely flavoured chicken pot pie and the golden, demerara sugar–dappled crust of homemade apple pie, artfully executed by pastry chef Slo Leung. The short but well-considered wine list showcases Gibson’s sommelier training, with 15 wines available by the glass or half-glass. It’s sophisticated homestyle cooking worthy of a night on the town—or one spent listening to the crickets on the back porch. Mains $16–$25.