The Dish Power Rankings: Toronto Poutine Week Edition
In this week’s roundup: Angela Chase eats pizza, and an unassuming burger shop makes the city’s best poutine.
1. Rose and Sons
Anthony Rose may soon have a monopoly on the north-of-Bloor dining scene. This week, he announced the upcoming launch of Fat Pasha, a casual, rambunctious Middle Eastern restaurant just down the street from his casual, rambunctious diner.
2. Buca
The buzz continues to build for the Italian restaurant’s new spin-off shop, Bar Buca, which has been cleverly enticing customers all week with free coffee.
3. Agave y Aguacate
There’s now a valid, non-noodle-related reason to head to Baldwin Village, thanks to Francisco Alejandri’s new Mexican restaurant. Joanna Kates calls the desserts “jazzy.” (The décor, however, she finds “less jazzy.”)
4. Bar Isabel
For weeks, Toronto’s most persnickety online food community has been casting votes for its top-10 restaurants of 2014 (so far). The results are in, and Bar Isabel is in the number-one spot.
5. Bent
Still super-booked. Here’s what you’re missing.
6. Toma Burger Addiction
The Queen West burger shop’s truffle-infused creation is the leading contender for the title of Toronto’s Best Poutine. (In the number-two spot: Hogtown Smoke’s “Quadruple Pig Pass Poutine,” which, frankly, seems a bit too easy.)
7. Banh Mi Boys
News of BMB’s upcoming Chinatown bao shop, Lucky Red, sent the Twitterverse into a tizzy.
8. Pizzeria Libretto
West-enders have been queuing out the door for the Ossington restaurant’s alternalicious-style prix-fixe. That’s because it’s actually a pretty great deal: $25 for a starter, salad, pizza and dessert.
9. Terroni Queen West
Claire Danes was spotted sipping wine (and tipping well) at the Queen West hangout, along with husband Hugh Dancy and new baby Cyrus.
10. The Drake
The hashtag #DrakeTurns10 was all over Twitter this week. The hotel/restaurant is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by selling bacon cheeseburgers for just $10 from February 14 through 20. (If you’d like to reciprocate, the appropriate gift is tin.)
Honourable Mentions: Brassaii’s exec chef, Chris Kalisperas, announced plans to revitalize the Danforth with a multi-storey culinary compound; Kensington coffee shop Fika unveiled a new brunch menu; and Masterchef Canada’s most irate celebrity judge gave this backhanded compliment to Scarborough’s Hunter’s Pizza: “It’s not the best pizza to a lot of people, and, as a judge, you can be critical of how they make it, but it’s the one that I like.”
4. Bar Isabel
For weeks, Toronto’s most persnickety online food community has been casting votes for its top-10 restaurants of 2014 (so far). The results are in, and Bar Isabel is in the number-one spot.
5. Bent
Still super-booked. Here’s what you’re missing.
6. Toma Burger Addiction
The Queen West burger shop’s truffle-infused creation is the leading contender for the title of Toronto’s Best Poutine. (In the number-two spot: Hogtown Smoke’s “Quadruple Pig Pass Poutine,” which, frankly, seems a bit too easy.)
7. Banh Mi Boys
News of BMB’s upcoming Chinatown bao shop, Lucky Red, sent the Twitterverse into a tizzy.
8. Pizzeria Libretto
West-enders have been queuing out the door for the Ossington restaurant’s alternalicious-style prix-fixe. That’s because it’s actually a pretty great deal: $25 for a starter, salad, pizza and dessert.
9. Terroni Queen West
Claire Danes was spotted sipping wine (and tipping well) at the Queen West hangout, along with husband Hugh Dancy and new baby Cyrus.
10. The Drake
The hashtag #DrakeTurns10 was all over Twitter this week. The hotel/restaurant is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by selling bacon cheeseburgers for just $10 from February 14 through 20. (If you’d like to reciprocate, the appropriate gift is tin.)
Honourable Mentions: Brassaii’s exec chef, Chris Kalisperas, announced plans to revitalize the Danforth with a multi-storey culinary compound; Kensington coffee shop Fika unveiled a new brunch menu; and Masterchef Canada’s most irate celebrity judge gave this backhanded compliment to Scarborough’s Hunter’s Pizza: “It’s not the best pizza to a lot of people, and, as a judge, you can be critical of how they make it, but it’s the one that I like.”){kind=link}