Where chef Matt Basile eats in midtown and North York

Matt Basile is having a full-circle moment, so he’s feeling particularly sentimental about North York. Looking across the street from Copper Chimney (one of his go-to spots for north Indian cuisine), he sets his eyes on Bruno Fine Foods. “This is where I kind of cut my teeth,” he says. “I worked in the meat department at Bruno’s for nine years. It’s where I discovered that food was my talent and calling.” For Basile, it wasn’t just about the meat—he loved chatting with customers and explaining how to transform ingredients into incredible meals.

Just a few steps down the sidewalk is Dickson’s Barbecue Centre, where Basile points out two Alchemy grills—or, as he calls them, his “babies.” “These days, I’m the co-founder and head of culinary, content and community for Alchemy. I’m helping bring their grills to market by doing live-fire dinners across Canada.” Basile closed Lisa Marie, his popular brunch spot on Queen West, in 2019, but he maintains his industry ties through consultancy work. “It’s important to stay in the restaurant game,” he says. “I’ve helped launch Birdhouse Wingerie in Montreal, Ghost Taco’s franchise strategy and the new Lone Star Cantina food program.”

When Basile isn’t busy consulting on menus or leading live-fire cooking demonstrations, he can be found at his childhood haunts in midtown and North York. “I grew up in North York. I went to school here. I started working here. And my parents still live here, so I visit often. It’s an area of the city where a lot of the people and businesses have remained the same, even after all this time, so I still see a lot of familiar friendly faces.”

Related: Where Vela chef Marvin Palomo eats Chinese, Japanese and Filipino food in Markham and Scarborough

The Copper Chimney

2050 Avenue Rd., 647-436-2538, the-copper-chimney.com

“My parents and I have been coming to this space for nearly 20 years—back when it used to be a Mexican spot. It became the Copper Chimney in 2010, when owner Alok Debnith took over and began offering north Indian cuisine. They take the time to finesse flavours, add layers of complexity and plate beautifully. It’s better to come here with at least four people so you can actually get a full experience and try a range of dishes. While I live in Parkdale now, my parents are still around the corner, so we come here together pretty often.”

Related: Bungalow 22, a monthly supper club featuring a rotating menu of regional Indian cuisine

Go-to dish #1: Garlic veggie balls “I randomly stumbled upon this dish in a combo order once. Now it’s literally the most important thing to get here. If you don’t order it, you did it wrong. I’ve tried to make this at home, and honestly, I haven’t cracked it. What Alok tells me is that they process the cabbage through a meat grinder with a ton of garlic, add some secret spices, deep-fry it, then top it with this sweet-sour sauce. It’s so unique, and as a chef, I really respect this kind of proprietary dish you likely can’t find anywhere else in the city.”

Go-to dish #2: Tikka paneer (sizzler platter) “First, I like to squeeze fresh lemon over everything. Then, I drizzle some of the vibrant sauce onto the paneer. The cheese is creamy yet smoky, and there’s also some char, which lends a bitter edge to the dish—but in a welcoming way.”

Go-to dish #3: Lamb vindaloo with garlic naan and saffron rice on the side. “This dish isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s got the kind of heat that lingers on the tongue and in the throat. I have a high tolerance for spice, so I’d put this at a seven out of 10. But, for the spice-averse, it could be more like a nine. I like to create a sort of layered meal with this. I tear into the puffy-crusty naan, top it with some saffron rice with crispy garlic, then finish with the lamb and more of that coriander sauce for a nice pop of colour. The lamb, which I suspect is shoulder or leg, only has a mild funk because the rich sauce tempers it. Eaten together, it’s a harmony of flavours. I’m not drinking alcohol today, but usually I’d order this with a bottle of Kingfisher.

The Burger Shack

233 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-487-1974, @burgershack.to

“I’ve been coming here since I was 10 years old. It was the quintessential summer ritual for my childhood friend and me. We’d go to the park and swimming pool across the way, then grab cheeseburgers and fries from Burger Shack, hit up the now-closed Video 99 and finish at a convenience store like Becker’s. As an adult, I appreciate this retro spot more than ever—not only for the nostalgia but also for the fact that they still offer quality no-frills dishes. In fact, the owner, John Batshon, says that since they opened in 1979, they’ve never touched the menu. It’s also open until 3 a.m.”

Related: Toronto’s top 10 burgers, according to a chef who ate more than 250 different patties on a North American burger tour

Go-to dish #1: Double cheeseburger and fries “This is an off-menu request but definitely a must-order. The city is littered with trendy smash burgers, but my preference will always be this: charbroiled grilled burgers—thick, homemade patties cooked over an open flame. I also love the topping bar experience, which is pretty rare these days. I always order mine with extra pickles, grilled onions, mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes. It’s just so juicy and meaty—like it actually tastes like ground beef. The fries are thick-cut, which is also pretty rare these days, and done well. They’re double-fried, so they have this creamy interior with a crispy exterior.”

Go-to dish #2: Souvlaki dinner “This is a slightly healthier option. The chicken breast skewers get hit with seasoned oil—which I suspect is the same dressing they use for their Greek salad—while they’re on the grill. The meat is very juicy and gets rounded out by the tangy and hearty salad. I like that they don’t skimp on the amount of feta. If you want something more portable, the pita wrap is also solid.”

Go-to dish #3: Onion rings “Here’s the thing: I usually never order onion rings because they’re almost always made poorly. Not here. The onions are given the perfect amount of batter before they’re dunked in hot oil, resulting in a super-crispy, golden-brown exterior. They hold up well but also yield when bitten. It’s a perfect bite that can only be made with diner magic.”

The Bagel House

450 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-901-9594, thebagelhouse.com

“Traditionally, there are only two bagel options around here—Bagel House and Gryfe’s. Gryfe’s makes a sweeter and more airy style of bagel. I’ve always preferred Bagel House because theirs are more savoury, toothsome and dense. During my bar-hopping days, it was my go-to because it’s open 24 hours. And, bagels being nice and portable, I would crush four of these on my walk back home.”

Related: Toronto’s best bagels

Go-to dish #1: Sesame bagel with chili-cilantro cream cheese “These bagels are made in a wood oven, which gives them a characteristic nutty, caramelized taste and good depth of flavour. As for the spread, it’s not spicy in the traditional sense, but you get a mild buzz at the end. I also enjoy the balance from the cilantro, which you don’t usually find in cream cheese. I can crush one of these in about eight bites—but if I wanted to impress you, it would be more like three or four.”

Go-to dish #2: Poppy seed bagel with spinach-feta cream cheese “I like that the poppy seeds have this bitter, nutty profile to them—they aren’t just there for appearances. As always, there’s a lot of cream cheese, but the ratio of spread to bagel works well. The bagel keeps it all together without getting soft or sloppy.”

Go-to dish #3: Blueberry turnover “The pastry is super buttery, and I really enjoy the fat sugar crystals on top. Inside, the filling is sweet and jammy. It’s the sort of treat that is very sharable. I don’t think they make these on-site, but they’ve been sourcing them from the same bakery for decades now.”