What’s on the menu at The Cure, a new Canadian restaurant with some southern flavour

What’s on the menu at The Cure, a new Canadian restaurant with some southern flavour

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Name: The Cure
Neighbourhood: Little Portugal
Contact: 1484 Dundas St. W., 647-725-5550, thecure.to
Previously: The Hogtown Cure
Owners: Steve Ireson and Chris Schroer
Chef: Chris Schroer

The food

The Cure was previously a deli, café and retail shop all rolled into one, but the owners decided to renovate and refocus the business as a restaurant. Schroer says the dishes are Canadian, but with influences from Acadian, Creole and Cajun cuisines, and made with products from local farmers and suppliers. “We’re certainly not limiting ourselves to anything in particular,” says Schroer. The kitchen still does all of its own butchering, curing and smoking, and brunch is served on weekends.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Cold-smoked and birch-cured trout (from Goossen’s Trout Farm near Woodstock) comes with house-made crème fraîche, a beet-pickled egg, pickled onions and bread. $16.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Cheese-stuffed boudin balls served with a house-made remoulade. $9.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Muffaletta sandwich: a ciabatta bun is stuffed with house-smoked brisket, smoked olive salad and provolone, then topped with a house-made aïoli. It’s served with greens and kettle chips. $16.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

The tourtière is made with venison and pork from Sanagan’s. It’s served with sauteed greens (in this case, kale) and a house-made Niagara quince preserve. $18.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Beignets, dusted with icing sugar and served with a caramel-whisky sauce. $8.

The drinks

Ontario beer and cider, a short wine card of six bottles and a long list of cocktails, some of which are southern classics.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Right Place, Wrong Time: Bulldog gin, Campari, Aperol, Dolin red, orange. $10.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

The Riffignac: Cognac, Cynar, house-made raspberry shrub, soda water, thyme. $11.

(Image: Gabby Frank)

Bacon-Vodka Super Caesar: bacon-infused vodka, horseradish, bacon, salami, house pickles, house-made “Old Bay” rim, lime. $11.50.

The space

Bright whites were replaced with darker tones and a lot more wood, and the space has been divided into bar tables and a dining room. Fork and Fiddle Fridays bring local and Canadian musicians in for live performances (Schroer’s uncle was Canadian fiddle great Oliver Schroer).

(Images: Gabby Frank)