Review: Raca Café and Bar serves beautifully composed bistro fare (and killer desserts) in Parkdale

Raca Café and Bar ★★★ 1704 Queen St. W., 416-901-9951

It’s easy to miss Ivana Raca’s Parkdale kitchen along this quiet stretch of Queen West, but it would be a mistake. She serves beautifully composed bistro fare from a menu that, refreshingly, doesn’t make any reference to “snacks” or “sharing plates.” A rich soup of white asparagus and celery root, the ivory surface rocky with jerusalem artichoke chips and flecks of chive, is the best place to start. Raca isn’t shy about repeating seasonal ingredients across courses: a trio of hulking seared scallops sit on white asparagus spears, each topped with a dried tomato slice and celery root hash. Peruvian bell peppers—tender little firecrackers shaped like spinning tops—add just enough heat to spiced pork meatballs and ricotta-stuffed gnocchi. The desserts are worth delaying the rest of your evening’s plans for. A hazelnut chocolate tart is as dense as it is dark, while a spiced orange semolina cake, under a scoop of honeyed goat yogurt, is deceptively light. Some of the cocktails are too sweet, so turn to the lengthy list of wines, including a dozen available by the glass.

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