Eating local and ethnic cuisines dominate the Toronto culinary landscape

October 29, 12:44 PMPhoenix International Travel ExaminerDena Braun

Nota Bene is Toronto’s current “it” restaurant. It was recently named best new restaurant by Toronto Life and EnRoute magazines, and the packed house on a recent Friday night proves it out. Young chef David Lee established Nota Bene in 2008 after selling his uber expensive Splendido venture. With the recession looming, Lee couldn’t have made a better business decision. Nota Bene continues his passion for seasonal Canadian cuisine, but is priced at a point that cost conscious consumers can stomach. The large restaurant, designed by KPMB Architects, is sleek and modern with dark woods complemented by light walls and contemporary art.

I opt for the Friday special of grilled west coast halibut with chanterelle mushrooms, roasted artichokes and an herb vinaigrette. The fish is perfectly cooked and the artichokes are the best I’ve ever had. The selection of Ontario Riesling and fume Blanc wines compliment the dish well. For dessert, a must is the sticky toffee pudding with the delectable spotted dick ice cream. Since Toronto is such a theater town, the restaurant offers two and three course pre-theater menus designed to leave you in a state of culinary bliss during your show.

For something completely different head to Chiado, the top Portuguese restaurant in the city. The restaurant, created by owner/chef Albino Silva, has been a top Toronto dining destination for 18 years. The small bistro atmosphere easily evokes an evening in Europe enjoying perfectly prepared food and conversation with good friends. Silva got his start early on in the culinary world, apprenticing for a baker in Lisbon when he was just 10-years-old. He moved to Toronto when he was 15 and then spent sometime in the States where he served as a popular instructor at the Culinary Institute of America for two years.

Chiado’s cuisine is often called “progressive Portuguese”. The menu is a seafood lovers delight with much of the fish flown in fresh daily from the Azores. Unique starters include the carpacio of grouper or grilled squid paired with roasted sweet peppers, charred tomato and caramelized leeks. For my main course I try a distinct Portuguese dish, cataplana. A cataplana is a special covered copper pot used to cook this Southern Portuguese staple that is similar to a French Bouillabaisse. The stew features clams, grouper, salmon, skate, and monkfish along with sweet peppers and onions. It’s one of the most interesting dishes I have in the city. My companion and I end our meal with the decadent chocolate mousse paired with towers of meringue and espresso crème and anglaise marinated berries.

To experience the best Canadian cuisine with a sustainable twist, Pangea is the place to go. The restaurant is a collaboration of owner/host Peter Geary and owner/chef Martin Kouprie. The cooking concept is to find the best sustainable ingredients and prepare them simply, allowing the natural flavor of the food to shine. The restaurant recently joined the Oceanwise Vancouver Aquarium Program that focuses on sustainable seafood. The program helps chefs make the best sustainable choices for their menu and puts them in touch with reputable suppliers.

The meal starts out with thick, hearty slices of fresh baguette bread paired with a seasonal pumpkin spread. As a lover of great bread, I have to force myself to stop eating it so I have room for the Qualicum Beach Scallops prepared with wild mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, roasted sunchokes, pole beans in a truffle jus. Kouprie’s experience with seafood shines through in the perfectly cooked scallops and the flavor profile he developed with its pairings. Other local offerings include Bison Striploin, Berkshire Pork Chop and lamb loin. A nice selection of Ontario wines is also available.