Where chef Keith Pears eats in midtown Toronto
His favourite places for coffee, Thai curries, smash burgers and cake
Keith Pears is a man on a mission. Born in British Columbia to a family of chefs, Pears grew up immersed in the world of food, beginning his journey at his parents’ café before rolling up his sleeves as a dishwasher at the iconic Teahouse Restaurant in Stanley Park. Hungry for more, he honed his skills at Vancouver Community College, quickly climbing the culinary ladder in acclaimed kitchens across the city. In 2017, Pears’s ambition propelled him eastward to Toronto, where he took on the role of executive chef at Delta Toronto’s flagship hotel and then at Marriott’s W Hotel in 2021. He’s now the corporate executive chef for Glass Kitchen and Pears Restaurant, both in Markham.
Related: Where chef Aaron Chen eats in Markham and Richmond Hill
Earlier this year, Pears finished in the top 10 at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or, widely considered the Olympics of gastronomy, which takes place every two years in France. And he was just accepted to once again represent Canada at the 2027 competition.
When he isn’t at work or in training, Pears spends time with his family, exploring the area around Yonge and Eglinton, where they’ve lived for the past eight years. “My daughter loves to go out to eat,” he says. These are the Pears family’s favourite local haunts.
De Mello Coffee
2489 Yonge St., 416-556-5393, hellodemello.com
“We used De Mello coffee when I worked at the W Hotel. I love the branding, but it’s also very good coffee. My daily routine involves waking up, hydrating, going to the gym and then coming here for a coffee afterward.”
Go-to dish #1: Americano
“Usually I get an Americano. But, today, I’m going to try the blueberry latte—I heard it’s good.”
Pai Uptown
2335 Yonge St., 2nd floor, 647-946-5226, paitoronto.com
“Pai is consistently good. It was one of the first restaurants I visited when I moved to Toronto. When I got here, I was trying a lot of different spots; I didn’t know the scene very well. Everyone recommended Pai. It has a good vibe and tasty food, and I like the music they play. I love basketball, and they have some cocktails named after Raptors, including VanVleet, Lowry, Anunoby. I was working at the Delta back during the Jurassic Park days, when the Raptors won their first NBA championship. That was exciting.”
Go-to dish #1: Grabong
“I always get the squash fritters. They’re soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. They’re lightly spiced, but the garlic-tamarind sauce they come with is kind of sweet and salty. I think that maybe, being half Chinese, I gravitate toward sweet and salty things–I notice that even when I’m cooking. I even prefer savoury desserts. This dish is also healthy-ish. And you have to love the authentic pink basket.”
Go-to dish #2: Pad gra prow
“You have to play with your food, and it’s fun to mash this all together. This dish is tasty, with a lot of bold flavours. I ask for the chicken to be medium-spicy. It’s not as sweet as the oxtail curry—it has umami. You can take any ground meat and stir-fry it up with onions, garlic and ginger, and you’re going to have a half-decent dish with a little bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce. Oyster sauce! It’s so good, and you can put it on so many things. And I like the addition of Thai basil. I’m a big fan of Thai herbs and those floral aromatics.”
Go-to dish #3: Gaeng Hunglay (Hunglay oxtail curry)
“I love the collagen from the oxtail. Asians love collagen because it’s good for the skin—self care is important. I used to make this tomato Thai curry with a lot of onions, garlic and tomatoes. If you cook it for hours, you get this flavour. I like to put this on top of the pad gra prow. Is this an Asian thing? I don’t know. If you’re eating at a Chinese restaurant, you take the sauce of the black pepper fish or whatever, pour it on the rice and it makes everything even better. It’s a remix!”
Rudy
168 Eglinton Ave. E., 416-519-6967, eglinton.rudyresto.com
“There are a lot of Rudy locations, but the first one I went to was on Duncan Street at Queen West. They recently had a fire, so now it’s more of a grab-and-go spot. I don’t go all the time. It’s more like a treat. If I’m really hungry or feel like it’s a cheat day, then I’ll get a burger and a fried chicken sandwich. I did a half-marathon back in October, and after the run I went to Rudy and got a double beef burger and a fried chicken sandwich. Then I went to Pizzaiolo—they have pretty good pizza—and ate half a pizza.”
Go-to dish #1: The Rude Dude
“I have so many good things to say about this burger. I think it’s one of the best smash burgers ever. If I could, I’d eat one every day. The beef must have a high fat content and the flat-top must be super hot, because the meat gets kind of crispy and caramelized around the edges. They use a nice potato bun, which is good because you need a soft bun for a smash burger. They have their own signature burger sauce—I’m sure it’s just like ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and relish. The way I look at food, if you’re able to balance sweet, salty, spicy, fat and some bitterness, you’re going to have a pretty tasty dish no matter what.”
Go-to dish #2: Pickle chips served with Valentino sauce
“You know how, 15 years ago, deep-fried pickles were a big thing? I haven’t seen them since. Maybe they’re making a comeback. I like pickles because I like sour things, and they cut through fat.”
Phipps Bakery
420 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-481-9111, phippsbakerycafe.ca
“I don’t really have a sweet tooth. Also, a couple of years ago, I did a food sensitivity test and learned that I should try to avoid wheat and dairy. But the desserts here are worth it. We came here a lot during the pandemic to support them. And every time my mom comes into town, she always wants to pay Phipps a visit. When I go back to Vancouver, she always asks me to bring her some frozen Pan Cakes, which are the bakery’s personal-sized cakes.”
Go-to dish #1: Really Vanilly cupcake
“These are dense but also moist. It’s vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and sprinkles. When I eat one of these cupcakes, I try to take bites where I get some of the top and the bottom—but I think it’s best to save the top until the end.”
La Salumeria
2021 Yonge St., 416-486-8327, @lasalumeriatoronto
“I was coming here a lot during the pandemic. I would buy burrata, cheese, cold cuts and pasta. You can buy really nice Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta here. They have ice cream in the back too. During one visit, I noticed people buying single buns and then bringing them to the counter. That’s when I learned they make sandwiches to order.”
Related: Toronto’s best delicatessens
Go-to item #1: Cheese ends
Pears likes the pre-packaged assortment of various cheese ends, all bundled together for a good price.
Go-to item #2: Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta
“I really like this brand of pasta. For dried pasta, I think it’s some of the best. Not a lot of people carry the Fregola—I use it like a risotto.”
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