Weekly Lunch Pick: the battered calamari po’boy at Fuel House

Fuel House is tucked away in a cozy Victorian house behind Café Diplomatico on Clinton Street, just north of College. The demure neighbourhood joint offers an ever-changing menu of sandwiches and snacks with prices topping out at $12. Up front, there’s a solarium with ample seating, while the main room is dominated by a large, L-shaped reclaimed wood bar (come summer, there’ll also be a back patio). The satisfying calamari po’boy ($9) features a jumble of lightly battered squid rings tucked inside a spongy golden pain au lait bun from OMG Baked Goodness. The tender loops are blanketed by a thick layer of spicy rémoulade and interspersed with refreshing threads of crisp pickled onions. Some of the à la carte sides are almost full meals in themselves: a salad of honey balsamic–dressed arugula is dusted with crumbled goat cheese and topped with a hearty dose of diced roasted beets, poached pears and walnuts ($7).

The time: a quick but unhurried 26 minutes.

The cost: $23, including tax, tip and two cans of soda ($1.50 each).

Fuel House, 53 Clinton St., 416-846-4217, thefuelhouse.ca.