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Name: The Good Son
Neighbourhood: Queen West
Contact Info: 1096 Queen St. W., 416-551-0589, thegoodsontoronto.com , @thegoodson_TO
Owner and Chef: Vittorio Colacitti, fourth-place finisher on the latest season of Top Chef Canada
The Food: Inspired by Lorenzo Loseto, executive chef at George Restaurant and an early mentor of Colacitti’s, the Top Chef Canada alum refers to his style of cooking as “Toronto” cuisine. By that, he means food that borrows from different cultural cuisines, but isn’t just fusion for fusion’s sake. The menu certainly reflects an eclectic mix of cultural influences, including French (steak tartare), Japanese (hamachi crudo), Jamaican (jerk shrimp) and Italian (wood-fired pizzas). There’s also a 32-ounce steak topped with a whole lobster.
The Drinks: Cocktails are a big focus here, but there’s also a good variety of wine (mainly European and Canadian bottles) and beer. The drinks list will expand in a month or two when Colacitti opens Wayward, a New Orleans–style speakeasy that will be housed in the space above the restaurant.
The Place: Colacitti wanted the place feel warm and inviting, and it does. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned drawing room—one that belongs to a very neat but compulsive hoarder. The walls are plastered with old photos, mirrors, antique clocks (12 on one wall) and porcelain plates (we counted 56). There’s an open kitchen at the back, and a big communal table lined with mismatched wooden chairs.
278142 <strong>The Good Son</strong> is located at 1096 Queen West, at Dovercourt (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-14/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-14 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278135 Tufted leather armchairs and textured wallpaper make the space feel a bit like an old-fashioned drawing room (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-07/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-07 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278129 A drawing room decorated by a compulsive hoarder, that is (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 652 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-01/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278133 The communal table (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-05/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-05 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278130 Plates! (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 1000 654 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-02/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278139 At the bar, flat-screen TVs are tucked away behind screens (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-11/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-11 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278138 Hamachi crudo with tomatillo, slaw and lotus-root chips ($13) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-10/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278140 Steak tartare (à la <strong>Didier,</strong> where Colacitti worked as sous-chef) ($19) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg 1000 655 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-12/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-12 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278131 Sous chef <strong>Andrew Leblanc</strong> is the resident pizzaiolo (he used to make pies at <strong>Pizzeria via Mercanti</strong>) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-03/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278137 Soppressata pizza ($15) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-09/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-09 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278134 Jerk shrimp with fried potato and Thai green-mango salad ($13) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-06/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278141 The small “storefront” near the entrance sells olive oil and other food products, as well as take-out pizza (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-13/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-13 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
278132 Chef <strong>Vittorio Colacitti,</strong> of <em>Top Chef Canada</em> fame (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Good Son https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/good-son-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-good-son-toronto-restaurants/slide/good-son-toronto-restaurant-04/ good-son-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Looking forward to many meals here. The team has done a great job of making their vision shine through. Good job boys!
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Was there friday evening. Other than our entrees coming an hour apart from each other, it was very good. I’m assuming they are still working out the kinks. The ribs were and cashew butter chicken were delicious. Nice bourbon sour.