The Dish Power Rankings: Pharrell Loves Pork Edition
In this week’s roundup of the city’s buzziest restaurants: the Dundas West hot spot that ruled TIFF goes public, and rapper Pharrell Williams gets serious about pig on a bun.
1. Hudson Kitchen (new this week)
Courting Hollywood royalty during TIFF paid off in dividends. The Dundas West restaurant only opened Wednesday, but the weekend reservation book is already full.
2. Porchetta and Co. (new this week)
Rapper-slash-producer-slash-designer Pharrell Williams looked fierce while insta-endorsing the Dundas West pig shop’s namesake sandwich. His one-word review: B-AN-GING.
3. The Chase (↑1) Pink Tartan designer Kim Newport-Mimran celebrated her birthday at the Financial District hot spot, which is booked solid through the weekend (unless you count a late-afternoon snack at 5:30 p.m.).
4. Kaiseki Yu-Zen Hashimoto (new this week) The October issue of Conde Nast Traveler UK compares the ultra-intimate (and extremely pricey) Don Mills restaurant to Noma and even asks, “Is This The Most Extraordinary Restaurant In The World?”
5. Edulis (↓3) The perennially packed King West restaurant has zero availability Friday through Sunday.
6. Patria (↓1) Another restaurant that benefited from the increased exposure bestowed by TIFF’s influx of hungry celebs. The King West tavern is once again packed all weekend.
7. Chantecler (new this week)
Globe and Mail critic Chris Nuttall-Smith got hyperbolic about his favourite Parkdale restaurant, which is now serving Sunday lunch (he was notably less enthused about the Distillery District’s newest Mexican restaurant).
8. Daishō (↓1) Once again, you’ll have to show up late if you want to eat at the hippest restaurant in the Momofuku triad: no tables are available before 10:15 p.m.
9. Playa Cabana Hacienda (no change) The hopping taqueria has no tables up for grabs after 5:30 on either Friday or Saturday.
10. El Catrin (↓2) After Nuttall-Smith’s chilly review in the Globe, the hype seems to be cooling: a handful of primetime tables are up for grabs on Saturday and Sunday.
Honourable Mentions: Actor Jared Harris (better known as Lane Pryce on Mad Men) dined solo at Japanese sushi bar Yuzu; television chef Michael Smith gave props on Twitter to King West Italian restaurant Buca; and Toronto Star restaurant critic Amy Pataki raved about Etobicoke’s new savoury pie shop, The Pie Commission.
Dropped off the list this week: Bent, Bar Isabel, The Burger’s Priest and Big Crow
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