Name: Mira Mira Diner
Contact: 1963 Queen St. E., eatmiramira.com, @eatmiramira Neighbourhood: The Beaches
Owner: Amira Becarevic and Justin Cheung
Chef: Amira Becarevic
Covid-19 safety measures: Frequent sanitization, indoor mask policy, physically distanced tables
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
The food
Mira Mira started life as a catering company before opening its first location: a takeout spot in Leslieville that deals in burgers and sandwiches. The new diner in the Beaches is bigger and full-service, but still very much about nostalgic fare made with creative flair. Becarevic’s menu includes all the classic diner hits—killer burgers and sandwiches are mainstays—rounded out with hearty mains like fish and chips and a chicken caesar salad. Attentive flourishes and fresh flavours kick the food into a higher gear—meat is marinated in kefir and kimchi, the turkey sandwich comes with bourbon curry gravy, and local producers like Lev Bakery and Hatch coffee make regular appearances.
Here we have the tempura-battered onion rings with chipotle aïoli, kale caesar salad, and Greek salad with mountain oregano vinaigrette ($8 each). The onion rings—delightfully crispy and tender—are a real standout.
For this take on classic shrimp cocktail, black tiger shrimp are poached in perfectly seasoned court bouillon and arranged above leaves of romaine and kicky cocktail sauce, all topped with colourful microgreens. $16.
The east coast donair-wich features meatloaf made with AAA beef, grilled on a flat top and brushed with spicy ketchup. It’s piled high on a pita bun with tomatoes, onions, arugula, a sunny-side-up egg, and of course—creamy, sweet garlic donair sauce. Like all sandwiches at Mira Mira, it’s served with crinkle-cut dollar fries and a kale caesar, but customers can opt for just one or the other if they prefer. $19.
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The beginnings of a trio of chicken katsu sandos. Super tender buttermilk and panko breaded chicken thighs are topped with melty American cheddar, red curry aioli, and (not pictured here) pickled jalapeños and cabbage slaw, served on toasted brioche buns. $18.
A gorgeously vegetal veggie burger, made with a brown rice, quinoa, and bean patty topped with cherry tomatoes, smashed avocado, chipotle aïoli, and crispy onions—all on buttery brioche. You won’t find sad afterthought placeholders for vegetarians here. $17.50.
Beer-battered, never-frozen Atlantic cod is fried to a golden crisp and served with old-school crinkle-cut dollar fries (spiced with a secret seasoning), tartar sauce, bourbon curry gravy, and ultra fresh coleslaw topped with crispy garlic. $22.
Just look at the char on that grilled Atlantic salmon. It’s served with a crunchy Greek salad—romaine, pickled onions, feta, and crispy chickpeas with a lip-smackingly piquant mountain oregano vinaigrette. $20.
The deeply savoury miso peppercorn cream sauce pooling around this grilled AAA ribeye is good enough to eat on its own. Topped with two sunny-side-up eggs and a bundle of charred asparagus, this is steak and eggs ratcheted up several notches. $26.
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The chocolate babka is dropped off daily by the good folks at Lev Bakery, a local wholesaler with a cult following. It’s topped with Kawartha Dairy’s Death by Chocolate ice cream, toasted hazelnuts, Nutella and cinnamon sugar. And yes, it’s as wildly delicious as it looks. $9.
The whole gang.
The drinks
There’s a tight, non-intimidating wine menu and a bunch of easy-drinking summer cocktails, like a passion fruit mimosa and a watermelon mojito. Burdock Brewery features heavily in the beer selection, alongside diner classics like Molson Canadian on tap. And the vintage seafoam green Hamilton Beach machine on the counter? It’s fully operational to fulfill your milkshake needs.
A root beer float that might have jumped straight off the pages of an Archie comic, except with the welcome addition of Bacardi spiced rum. Finished with vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, and of course, a maraschino cherry. $13.50.
The spicy mango smash hits a boozy/refreshing sweet spot, making it perfect for patio drinking. Cazadores blanco tequila, mango nectar, jalapeño, agave and lime go beautifully with a smoky salt rim. $13.50.
A play on the Carrie Bradshaw classic, the Guavapolitan pairs fresh guava juice with Grey Goose Citron, Cointreau and lime. It’s balanced, refreshing and a little more tart than your classic Cosmo. $13.50.
The space
A sunny palette of pastel pinks and yellows in a big, airy interior gives the space modern diner vibes. Bright, warm and welcoming, it’s as good a cozy date spot as it is a family-friendly destination. Eight stools around the bar are perfect for solo dining. Check out the scrubbed-out sign above the street-side patio—it’s a reminder of the building’s history as a bank.
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Nostalgia, but make it sleek.
The diner experience comes complete with old-timey chits
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