Where chefs get takeout and delivery in Toronto
Five experts in good taste share their delicious recommendations
After spending all day cooking for other people, sometimes the last thing chefs want to do is cook for themselves. Here, five Torontobased pros share the local spots they turn to for delicious takeout and delivery.
Amira Becarevic chef/owner of Mira Mira Diner
For pub fare Eastbound Brewing Co. (700 Queen St. E.)
Whether you’re grabbing craft beers or a bite to eat at Riverside’s Eastbound Brewing Company, you really can’t go wrong, says Becarevic. “
It’s a family operation that does from-scratch cooking, with beautiful sandwiches, nice chicken wings and amazing beer,” she says, adding that the beer-can chicken Caesar salad is fabulous. “You can tell they put love into all their food.”
For a grab-and-go lunch XO Bisous (60 Adelaide St. E.)
When Becarevic is out making deliveries and doesn’t have a lot of time to eat, she likes to stop by XO Bisous, a cute patisserie run by a trained-in-France pastry chef.
The bakery does custom cakes, catering and a rotating menu of delicious sandwiches and salads, but Becarevic can’t resist whatever quiche is on offer.
“It’s phenomenal — light and fluffy, perfectly balanced, with a really nice crust-to-filling ratio,” she says.
Tabitha Cranney chef at the Wood Owl
For must-have roti Roti Cuisine of India (308 Dupont St.)
“When you walk into Roti Cuisine of India, there’s no show; it’s just honest food carrying their entire reputation,” Cranney says of the popular Indian spot, which serves both vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes. Her after-work go-tos are the shahi shrimp roti with coconut milk and ground cashew nut sauce, and the lamb saag roti with puréed spinach and a bit of cream.
For classic dim sum Rol San (323 Spadina Ave.)
When Cranney first moved to Toronto from Cambridge, Ont., friends took her to Rol San to try dim sum for the first time, and she’s been going to the Chinatown staple ever since.
“I love the cuttlefish [especially] the texture and the curry sauce,” she says. “Shrimp is also one of my favourite foods, so I’m a sucker for the har gow.”
Jeffrey Lapointe executive chef at Vela
For a satisfying breakfast Dough Bakeshop (173 Danforth Ave.)
On leisurely weekend mornings, Lapointe usually heads out to grab a breakfast sandwich on fresh brioche with peameal bacon, egg and hot sauce from Dough Bakeshop, a family-owned spot that also makes breads and baked goods. “It’s so good,” he says. “I always get two — I crush one as soon as I walk out and have the other one at home.”
For great Thai Sala Modern Thai Kitchen (1262 Danforth Ave.)
When opting for delivery, Lapointe always considers what will travel well. Sala Modern Thai Kitchen, which also has a location in Etobicoke, never lets him down. “It’s well priced and has healthy portions,” he says. “The pad Thai is amazing, and the tom yum soup will really warm you up, especially in the winter.”
Zachary Albertsen corporate head chef at Scale Hospitality, overseeing Pink Sky
For flavourful noodle soup Pho Com Tam 168 Vietnamese Cuisine (1018 Gerrard St. E.)
“When I lived in the east end, Pho Com Tam was like my home away from home. They remembered me after my third time there,” says Albertsen of the restaurant, which also has a location in Markham. You’ll find a variety of soups and ricebased dishes that are all an “11 out of 10,” but his favourite is a spicy, sweet and sour seafood pho with an intense yet well-balanced flavour. For standout thin-crust Dino’s Wood Burning Pizza (820 The Queensway)
If you’re in search of pizza that doesn’t feel like a loaf of bread with tomato sauce and cheese on it, look no further than Dino’s, where slices rival those you’ll find in New York City. “Dino’s is under the radar, but I love how light, fluffy and crunchy the dough is,” Albertsen says. His go-to is the New York, a combo of mozzarella and pepperoni.
Matthew Ravenscroft culinary director at Gia
For a homey meal Manita (210 Ossington Ave.)
“Manita feels like a neighbourhood haunt. It’s inviting and welcoming, like that best friend you haven’t seen in forever,” says Ravenscroft of this part restaurant/ bar, part cafe and part grocer. A creature of habit, he always opts for the falafel plate — which comes with Israeli salad, tahini, pickled red onion and turnips, house chiles and bread — because he can assemble a perfect bite every time. For plant-based dishes Buddha’s Restaurant (666 Dundas St. W.)
There’s something for everyone, says Ravenscroft of Buddha’s, which serves an ever-changing menu of tasty vegan dishes with Asian flavours, including meat substitutes like imitation duck. “The people are the nicest, which is part of what keeps me coming back,” he says. “But the flavour is incredible every time. It’s consistent, and I’m always blown away.”