Though its culinary cred rests more on its rich multi-culti mix than "Oh, Canada!" patriotism, Toronto has been turning inward recently. The latest foodways trend is less pan-global than pan-continental as local chefs mine the wealth of a regional harvest: Nova Scotia lobsters, Quebec foie gras, Alberta steaks, B.C. oysters, and plenty of maple syrup.
Photo courtesy of Canoe
Before locavorism was even a thing, Canoe pioneered a new Canadian pride with a regional template that's kept it on top for 17 years, locally and literally—vistas of green from its now-renovated dining room on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower hint at the surrounding bounty. Executive chef Anthony Walsh's seasonal menu trawls all over and pretty much drags back the whole country, scooping in Alberta lamb (with baby turnips), New Brunswick sturgeon, and chilled Ontario asparagus with maple mustard vinaigrette.
Photo courtesy of Canoe
Keriwa Cafe goes beyond mere local sourcing to what it calls "aboriginal-inspired cuisine," a rustic bounty-of-the-earth approach that uses roots and gritty herbs most kitchens typically avoid—call it Noma goes New World—driven by chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe's all-Canadian DNA (Blackfoot father, Scottish-Nova Scotian mother). That means your kohlrabi and canola seed salad are grown in the kitchen garden out back and that the bison tenderloin is dressed with hops and spruce shoots.
Photo courtesy of Ross Bruniges via Flickr
Another grassroots approach comes from the kitchen of TOCA, the signature restaurant of the recently opened Ritz-Carlton. A self-dubbed "Canadian Classics" menu doesn't just heap on the homegrown fixin's (British Columbian black cod, Alberta bison rib eye, Cumbrae filet mignon), it also recycles regional heritage dishes, such as fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding, which are loving nods to Toronto’s Anglo past.
Bannock is a cavernous pine and hemlock food hall—part grab-and-go café, part dine-in casual restaurant—that executes a playful take on Canadian comfort food. Giddier takes include Quebecois riffs such as a St-Canut pulled pork tourtiere (meat pie) dressed down with Heinz ketchup and a roast duck pizza crowed with poutine (cheese curds and fries, hold the gravy). But it's the Canadian soul food that's pure deliciousness: house-corned brisket, Ontario lamb meatloaf, salt cod doughnuts with double-smoked bacon and sweet pickle, and an East Coast/West Coast shrimp roll, a smackdown of Newfoundland shrimp and its British Columbian rival in one sandwich.
Photo courtesy of Bannock
Nota Bene may sound like an Italian thoroughbred, but its modern Canadian cuisine is about as Old World as a pizza party. The percolating spot on Queen Street West adheres to the foodie party line, offering locally sourced seasonal ingredients, without being too dogmatic about it. In fact, executive chef David Lee makes room for the whole world, one where wild Digby sea scallops play nice with the fruity heat of Thai curry paste, mango, and papaya.
Photo courtes of Nota Bene
The artisanal It Girl of butchery barnyard dining doesn't accept reservations—naturally, that's part of the hipster street cred—but the inevitable wait for The Black Hoof's Canadian take on nose-to-tail charcuterie is worth it. The real test of the diner's stylish mettle: Forget the beef tongue on brioche, blood custard, and roasted bone marrow—dig instead into the spicy horse tartare.
Photo courtesy of Wanda G via Flickr
The giant, ever-changing chalkboard menu at the Giliad Café & Bistro might as well be a map to Upper Ontario's farm region. As the down-home local for vaunted local chef Jamie Kennedy, delicious alchemy transforms whatever looks ripest into fancy blue ribbon dishes—recent winners include organic rosemary chicken galantine with leeks and wild rice salad, or an apple galette with honey and toasted walnut ice cream.
Dating back to 1803, when a farmers' market was first set up on the corner of Front and Jarvis Streets, the St. Lawrence Market may be the best one-stop food court for all things Canadian. Sure, there's maple syrup (even the most inveterate pancakeoholic would find a challenge in using up the enormous jugs on sale). But the bonafide natives line up for Carousel Bakery's sandwiches of cheese, egg, and peameal bacon (A local specialty, the back bacon gets its name from being rolled in yellow peas after curing). One hundred twenty vendors offer everything from hand-pressed olive oil to Montreal bagels, elk meat, and greenhouse herbs.
Trading multi-culti for cross-continental, the city's top restaurants delve into what it means to cook Canuck.