What’s on the menu at Linny’s, chef David Schwartz’s new deli-inspired steakhouse

Name: Linny’s Contact: 176 Ossington Ave., linnysrestaurant.com, @linnysrestaurant
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods
Owners: Big Hug Hospitality (Sunnys Chinese, Mimi Chinese) Chefs: David Schwartz and Ethan Rogers Accessibility: Fully accessible

David Schwartz’s new (but also old-school) deli-inspired steakhouse, Linny’s, may seem like a departure for the Chinese food expert. But, in fact, it’s almost closer to his heart. “If I’m not eating food from a Chinese restaurant or a deli, I’m usually eating at a steakhouse” says Schwartz. “I dined out with my family a lot as a child, and I’ve just always loved the charm and theatre you get from eating at a classic steakhouse.”

While Linny’s is a moody white-table-cloth-and-corduroy-filled space with all the markings of a Mad Men–era steakhouse, it’s also very much an ode to Bubbie’s basement. “My grandparents emigrated to Canada from Poland, and something got lost in the food culture between their generation and mine,” says Schwartz. “My grandparents ate this food, my dad ate this food—I did not.” Though his father often enjoyed cow’s tongue and cold borscht out of the jar, a young Schwartz didn’t have the palate for them. “I would watch in horror as my dad ate this stuff.”

Related: Inside the culinary empire of Chinese-food king David Schwartz

“My dad used to have elaborate dinner parties with his buddies,” says Schwartz. “There was always an accordion player, and one of his friend’s eastern European grandmother would come and cook cabbage rolls and jellied cow hoof, things like that. I remember seeing it all and being in total awe.” Schwartz loved the feeling associated with the food but not the food itself. As a kid, he chose Chinese food over petchah.

Linny’s, named for Schwartz’s late mother, marks a return to the food culture of his grandparents. “I liked the way I felt when I would watch my family eat; it felt ceremonial and magical. Linny’s is born out of that feeling,” he says.

The Food

The menu is brimming with respect for a different time, when steak was celebrated and deli was equally prized. To that end, Schwartz features all the choice cuts—hanger steak, New York strip, porterhouse—and sources each selection from a different sustainable Ontario farm. What he refers to as “the prime rib” of the menu is the hand-sliced, thick-cut pastrami: deeply savoury, gently smoky and fatty in all the right ways. And while choice proteins take centre stage, a deft and soulful hand orchestrates the rest of the fixings—and whispers, “Don’t waste, bubbeleh.” There’s chicken liver toast with chopped cured egg and fried onions, tripe schnitzel with chicken gravy, and roasted lamb neck with brown sauce. Though these dishes may seem a bit esoteric, for Schwartz, who has overcome a rocky relationship with his culinary heritage, they’re gentle invitations to revisit a rich and storied past. And, of course, there’s challah.

The Drinks

The cocktails are characterized by playful, creative and seamless references to eastern European cuisine. House dill pickle cordial and clarified sour green apple form the Dilly Dally, a balanced sour for all the pickle fans out there. Gibson martinis contain house-processed horseradish, and German chamomile finds its way onto many a rim.

The Space

Designed by Ipso Studios’ Jack Lipson, the 80-seat divided room takes cues from both the ’50s and the ’70s while also managing to feel timeless. In the front area, there’s terrazzo flooring with a matching curvy art deco–inspired marble-and-brass bar. Up one step to the back is a dining area that’s equal parts cool rec room and classic steakhouse. Old-world elegance is favoured over kitsch, however: the big circular booths are covered in plush corduroy, and the walls are outfitted with vintage-looking burl wood millwork.