Jim Shedden
Toronto's Distillery District is a small miracle. The mixed retail/residential/cultural/commercial development on the site of the famed Gooderham & Worts distillery is a model of urban redevelopment. The skepticism and schadenfreude of the naysayers notwithstanding, the Distillery has blossomed into a great place to shop, live, work, visit, eat and drink.
"As soon as coffee is in your stomach, there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move...similes arise, the paper is covered. Coffee is your ally and writing ceases to be a struggle" (Balzac). It all started with Balzac's. For the longest time Balzac's WAS the Distillery District. it was a mecca: some of the best coffee in Toronto (roasted on-site to boot), pastries from Dufflet and other local suppliers, and definitely the best tea in Toronto (tea bags from Mariage Freres). And a beautiful environment to boot. But I worried that there just wouldn't be enough business, that this small Stratford-based artisinal café was simply naive in setting up shop in the Distillery District. Now, the place is so busy that in the summer, and most weekends, I don't even bother going anymore because the lines are too long!
And then, along came the "anchor restaurants". The developers of the Distillery District opened up three of their own restaurants, all converging in large outdoor patios for summer socializing and imbibing, jazz concerts, and so forth. The first of these, the Boiler House, is a beautiful space, its spare, industrial chic interior design setting the tone for the rest of the Distillery District. This chophouse is a great place for office parties, Sunday brunches, and large social and family gatherings. Because of the size of the space, the acoustics can make the experience of visiting a bit painful. This is among the most expensive restaurants in the District, and it is one of the least kid-friendly (though on occasion they've allowed me to order something for my daughter from the trattoria next door).
Speaking of which, the trattoria has taken a number of forms. Presently it's Archeo, an affordable, delicious low-key alternative. It's more kid-friendly than some of the other restaurants but its hours are more limited than its sister venues. I recommend the classics like the margherita pizza and the penne carbonara.
The recently opened Cafe Uno also has a delightful selection of Italian classics, with hints of French and Spanish cuisine. Great pizzas, sandwiches, salads, fantastic salmon dishes, great coffee, and gelato are only marred by weird, inefficient service.
Pure Spirits is the other restaurant owned the Distillery developers. The main event here is the seafood, especially the extensive oyster menu, but there are delicious steak, chicken and vegetarian options as well. The restaurant features a beautiful long bar and attractive servers to boot.
A very welcome addition to the bunch is the Mill St. Brew Pub. Besides being a very comfortable sports bar with a complete selection Mill St. brews on tap, whiskeys, and other fine beverages, this pub is very family friendly and very affordable. The food is unpretentious and, for the most part, delicious. The kids love the macaroni and cheese (Kraft dinner!) and pogos, and I recommend the nachos, the club sandwich (one fo the best in Toronto), and the English pub fare like shepherd's pie, meatloaf and meat pies.
Now, on the subject of fine English fare, the Brick Street Bakery is unbelievable. The pies are the best in Toronto, the sandwiches are unparalleled, the plum pudding at Christmastime is like no other, and their breads are fabulous too (in fact, they just opened a second location on Logan called Brick Street Breads). Oh, try the bread and butter pudding!
And then, along came the "anchor restaurants". The developers of the Distillery District opened up three of their own restaurants, all converging in large outdoor patios for summer socializing and imbibing, jazz concerts, and so forth. The first of these, the Boiler House, is a beautiful space, its spare, industrial chic interior design setting the tone for the rest of the Distillery District. This chophouse is a great place for office parties, Sunday brunches, and large social and family gatherings. Because of the size of the space, the acoustics can make the experience of visiting a bit painful. This is among the most expensive restaurants in the District, and it is one of the least kid-friendly (though on occasion they've allowed me to order something for my daughter from the trattoria next door).
Speaking of which, the trattoria has taken a number of forms. Presently it's Archeo, an affordable, delicious low-key alternative. It's more kid-friendly than some of the other restaurants but its hours are more limited than its sister venues. I recommend the classics like the margherita pizza and the penne carbonara.
The recently opened Cafe Uno also has a delightful selection of Italian classics, with hints of French and Spanish cuisine. Great pizzas, sandwiches, salads, fantastic salmon dishes, great coffee, and gelato are only marred by weird, inefficient service.
Pure Spirits is the other restaurant owned the Distillery developers. The main event here is the seafood, especially the extensive oyster menu, but there are delicious steak, chicken and vegetarian options as well. The restaurant features a beautiful long bar and attractive servers to boot.
A very welcome addition to the bunch is the Mill St. Brew Pub. Besides being a very comfortable sports bar with a complete selection Mill St. brews on tap, whiskeys, and other fine beverages, this pub is very family friendly and very affordable. The food is unpretentious and, for the most part, delicious. The kids love the macaroni and cheese (Kraft dinner!) and pogos, and I recommend the nachos, the club sandwich (one fo the best in Toronto), and the English pub fare like shepherd's pie, meatloaf and meat pies.
Now, on the subject of fine English fare, the Brick Street Bakery is unbelievable. The pies are the best in Toronto, the sandwiches are unparalleled, the plum pudding at Christmastime is like no other, and their breads are fabulous too (in fact, they just opened a second location on Logan called Brick Street Breads). Oh, try the bread and butter pudding!
Soma moved recently to a building next to the Young theater center. Easily the best chocolate in Toronto! Try a cup of the Mayan hot chocolate.
In Soma's previous spot you will find an incredible creperie. Too bad it's not a more hospitable place to sit and eat because the crepes are top notch.
I have not had the privilege of eating at Perigee yet but it is widely considered one of the top 5 restaurants in Toronto. A fusion of French and Japanese haute cuisine, apparently the (expensive) tasting menu is the way to go. I hope to find the occasion (and the funds) to check it out in the next couple of months.
Finally, I really love Tappo, a relatively new Italian wine bar across from Balzac's. The room is beautiful, the service warm and professional, and the food to-die-for Italian classics: carpaccio, caprese salad, a lovely risotto del giorno (at least it was on the giorno that I was there!), and a fabulous veal chop. We were very impressed when the staff quickly replaced our the penne arrabiatta (which was too spicy for her tender sensibility) with a simple pasta marinara and didn't charge us for either. In fact, they brought us a complimentary panna cotta (one of the only truly great Italian desserts - they had the foresight to supplement this and the cannoli with French classics liek creme brulée).
Bueno appetito!
