A restaurant to Revere for its food, hospitality
REVERE
(out of 4) VERY GOOD Address: 804 Danforth Ave. (near Pape Ave.), 416-546-6665, revereto.com Chef: James Harrison Hours: Daily, 4 to 10 p.m. Reservations: Yes Wheelchair access: Washrooms downstairs
Price: Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip: $65 I respect a restaurant that doesn’t dumb it down for children.
There are no chicken fingers or hamburgers for under-16 diners at Revere, a new Danforth Ave. spot with simple, largely Italian food and lovely service.
Revere welcomes kids wholeheartedly with crayons and drawing paper. To eat, a juicy baked boneless chicken breast ($12) is sliced before serving. The crisp skin tastes only of pepper and salt. On the side? A healthy green salad. No fries here.
“I just do it simple. Kids are picky, right?” says chef and co-owner James Harrison, father of boys aged 7 and 3. The story Harrison (ex-Splendido) and coowner Sean Clarke (ex-Allens) met while working at F’Amelia in Cabbagetown. They opened Revere in September, spending $200,000 to remodel the former Mother’s Dumplings on the eastern edge of Greektown.
“The strip west of Pape is oversaturated. This neighbourhood is in transition,” Clarke says.
So is the kitchen. One night, the saffron risotto ($19) is mush — over- done by a cook in training, I later learn.
Another night, another risotto. This time, it’s gorgeous, each grain properly chalky at the centre, suspended in a creamy matrix of starch and porcini mushroom broth ($17). The vibe The room is dark and romantic, with tea lights and glossy black furniture. Historical photos hang in the front; the back has publike booths.
Service is watchful and respectful, with lap blankets offered on cold nights. It’s also knowledgeable. Servers describe each dish with the animation of Food Network hosts.
They don’t dumb it down for adults, either. Note the “daily goujons” appetizer. Goujons, for those unfamiliar with the term, are fancy French fish sticks. Here, Arctic char batons are dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried to a T. Take that, Captain Highliner.
The lamb It takes moxie to serve lamb in Greektown. Harrison proves his street cred with an excellent slowroasted boneless shoulder ($26) with subtle garlic and rosemary. Vibrant caponata and crunchy fried polenta add flavour and texture.
Branzino ($26) is another winner, a sea bass fillet with crisp skin and flaky flesh. This alone is estimable. Anise lovers will further enjoy the intensity of the cooked fennel alongside, its licorice flavour as pronounced as a shot of ouzo.
Glorious pappardelle ($19) are wide enough to double as Christmas wrapping, slick with butter, rabbit stock and shreds of rabbit meat. Desserts are a treat, from the apple bread pudding loaf ($9) to the lemon tart ($9) that doesn’t pull its punches.
Aminiature chocolate budino, a.k.a. pudding ($4), is lovely. All desserts need a touch of salt to underscore the sweetness. A sprinkle of crystalline Maldon salt does that trick here.
My daughter, 8, begins to write her own review of the place:
“If you have kids, or if you are a kid, they are kid friendly and they give you lots of crayons.”
Her critic career is short-lived. “It’s harder than I thought,” she says. apataki@thestar.ca, @ amypataki