The Dish Power Rankings: Soups and Subtropical Delusions Edition
In this week’s roundup: soup hits the big time, and Canada’s favourite space oddity eats pizza.
1. Bar Isabel
New year, same hype. Even finicky Chowhounders are obsessed.
2. Kinton Ramen
The Baldwin Village ramen shop celebrated the launch of its poultry-focused second location with a speed-eating contest. Customers who downed a $30 bowl of ramen in under 15 minutes got their soup for free.
3. Fonda Lola
A viable option for coping with bone-chilling temperatures: total denial. The fizzy kombucha margaritas at this busy West Queen West cantina help sustain the delusion (and the finger-lime garnishes are really fun to eat).
4. La Cubana
The Roncy restaurant—yet another tropical-esque winter destination—has successfully wooed area residents with its Cuban brunches, mojitos and pineapple-topped grilled-fish sandwiches (which the Globe’s Chris Nuttall-Smith refers to as “noon-hour nirvana”).
5. Belmonte Raw
Unsurprisingly, the detoxifying juice cleanses at this organic, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free raw food café have been extremely popular since the New Year.
6. Terroni Queen West
The chandeliered Queen West trattoria is just the right kind of cozy for a frigid winter night. A recently updated reservation policy means customers don’t have to freeze while waiting for a table.
7. The Carbon Bar
Nota Bene’s new Southern spin-off has been drawing steady crowds since launching late last year—an impressive feat for a restaurant the size of an airplane hangar.
8. Porchetta and Co.
Apparently not one for juice-cleansing, Surreal Gourmet star Bob Blumer came out as a rabid fan of the meat-obsessed sandwich counter on Dundas West. Today’s special: fried chicken with truffle sauce on garlic bread. Yikes.
9. Sorn Thai
In other soup news, food guru Joanne Kates ranked the coconut-chicken soup at this midtown Thai restaurant the best bowl in the city. Yelpers concur.
10. Snakes and Lattes
The city’s social gamers rejoiced when the popular Annex board-gaming café announced that it was spawning a spin-off beer hall.
Honourable Mention: Splendido chef Victor Barry enthusiastically live-tweeted a run-in with astronaut Chris Hadfield at Pizza Libretto (one tweeter’s response: “Touch his moustache!”).
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4. La Cubana
The Roncy restaurant—yet another tropical-esque winter destination—has successfully wooed area residents with its Cuban brunches, mojitos and pineapple-topped grilled-fish sandwiches (which the Globe's Chris Nuttall-Smith refers to as “noon-hour nirvana”).
5. Belmonte Raw
Unsurprisingly, the detoxifying juice cleanses at this organic, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free raw food café have been extremely popular since the New Year.
6. Terroni Queen West
The chandeliered Queen West trattoria is just the right kind of cozy for a frigid winter night. A recently updated reservation policy means customers don’t have to freeze while waiting for a table.
7. The Carbon Bar
Nota Bene’s new Southern spin-off has been drawing steady crowds since launching late last year—an impressive feat for a restaurant the size of an airplane hangar.
8. Porchetta and Co.
Apparently not one for juice-cleansing, Surreal Gourmet star Bob Blumer came out as a rabid fan of the meat-obsessed sandwich counter on Dundas West. Today’s special: fried chicken with truffle sauce on garlic bread. Yikes.
9. Sorn Thai
In other soup news, food guru Joanne Kates ranked the coconut-chicken soup at this midtown Thai restaurant the best bowl in the city. Yelpers concur.
10. Snakes and Lattes
The city’s social gamers rejoiced when the popular Annex board-gaming café announced that it was spawning a spin-off beer hall.
Honourable Mention: Splendido chef Victor Barry enthusiastically live-tweeted a run-in with astronaut Chris Hadfield at Pizza Libretto (one tweeter’s response: “Touch his moustache!”).
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