The Foodtinerary
GOOD MORNING CANNOLI Forno Cultura 609 King St. W Walking down the stairs into this Italian bakery, youll find chefs busily making bread, imported olive oils on the shelves, high-top seating and front-of-house cases packed with fresh authentic treats. Brave the queue for Forno’s sugar-dusted goat milk ricotta cannoli (our vote for best in the city). fornocultura.com DUCK FAT FRIES ARE THE WVRST WVRST 609 King St. W This bold red German-style beer hall is aptly named a “hall of sausage and other wonders.” Great sausage, yes, but the duck fat fries are the stu of legend. A side of these locally famous frites (with 10-plus homemade dips, like maple rosemary or buttermilk ranch) pairs perfectly with your Tamworth heritage pork sausage on a buttery white roll—top the latter with sweet peppers and sautéed onions. wvrst.com OG CHICKEN AND WAFFLES The Dirty Bird 79 Kensington Ave. This Brooklyn-chic chicken and wales joint in the heart of hippie Kensington Market serves up stellar food for a decent price. Get the classic ODB ($15)—the chicken is handbreaded and cleanly crunchy, and the wales are light and fluy—and make sure you double dip in both the syrup and spicy “dirty sauce” for the perfect zippy bite. thedirtybird.ca SWEET SNACKING Cosmic Treats 207 Augusta Ave. This vegan restaurant and dessert bar makes killer, decadent cashew-based vegan ice cream (think chocolate fudge, berry cheesecake) in a retro orange diner-style room with geek-chic cosmic art. cosmictreats.ca LUXE DINNER SPOT La Banane 227 Ossington Ave. In a cheeky room kitted out with Warholesque banana prints and rich emerald walls, chef Brandon Olsen (of Bar Isabel, the Black Hoof) serves up contemporary French, like buttery, melt-in-your-mouth European bass
en croûte ($34) and a massive, perfectly cooked skillet of rib-eye steak with sauce bordelaise ($80). The giant graiti-decorated chocolate egg is the Instagram darling; have those phones ready. labanane.ca AFTER DINNER COCKTAILS AND BITES The Drake Hotel 1150 Queen St. W Even West Coasters will fall for the sushi: order the masterfully sauced coconut panko shrimp maki with dynamite sauce ($15) or the rich marinated butterfish ($14) to go with whatever carefully crafted tipple the bartender recommends. Sidle up to the bar if you’re solo or head up to the bumpin’ rooftop patio (Vancouver needs more of these) with friends. thedrakehotel.ca WHERE WE WANT TO GO NEXT Grey Gardens 199 Augusta Ave. On the surface, it’s the kind of austere wine bar where a modern-day Marie Antoinette would get her happy hour on, but it’s also the new buzzworthy spot from Jen Agg (the Black Hoof), who, to let you in on a little T.O. gossip, can be a divisive restaurateur. (Her latest book is I Hear She’s a Real Bitch, and she’s been known to call customers douches on Twitter—power to her.) Go for the drama! The intrigue! But also the beauty, the robust wine list, cider list and semi-secret sake list. greygardens.ca