Reviews

Toronto.com

Located around the flower market strip of Designer's Walk, Cantine focuses on a menu made up of the tried-and-true: salads, pasta, pizza, steak, and chicken. The trick with such a menu is to do the familiar and the simple -- and do it well. Take bread. It's made on the premises. Herb-flecked, salty-crusted focaccia makes for compulsive eating. Save room and exert discipline. It would be a mistake to do otherwise.

NowToronto.com

Joey Bersani - of & Carlevale fame - returns to the corner of Av and Dav along with Byzantium partners Pierre Hamel and Paul Beggs to recreate the magic of the mid-80s. Inconsistent in its early days, fine tuning has the team striking gold again. Expect a relaxed and not-at-all snooty place, where an upscale crowd shows off ever so tastefully. Brunch reservations recommended. Best: grilled chicken in a sweet-pepper sauce with frites and steamed rapini 'n' carrots; smoked chicken club on grill-marked challah; creamy potato and roasted garlic soup; red-pepper frittata with pear and brie for brunch; marvellous house-baked focaccia; super lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange tarts; Napoleon-like apple pie. Complete dinners for $40 per person ($25 lunch), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Open Monday to Friday 11 am to 10 pm, Saturday 10 am to 11 pm, Sunday and holidays 10 am to 10 pm. Brunch Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Licensed. Access:

Toronto Dowtown Bed and Breakfast

The most friendly in our current neighbourhood, by far. Entrees $10 to $20. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Reservations always welcome, but not always necessary. Tell Joey we sent you.

Uncommented Review

Brick walls, exposed ducts and trippy computer-generated paintings suggest a grooving ground, while overstuffed armchairs and high-backed banquettes seem geared toward cognac-sipping gentlemen. Three crab cakes ($10) are deeply crabby, updated with a lacy panko crumb crust and somewhat timid chipotle rouille. Steamed mussels ($9.50) come with a choice of four different sauces with influences from Europe, Asia and India. For the casual diner, entrée salads, sandwiches, pastas and pizzas ($9.95-$16) are offered: niçoise, caesar and grilled salmon salads, grilled chicken sandwiches and burgers with a multitude of toppings. Pizza and pasta, too. More formal
entrées are hit and miss. Three little lamb chops are flavourful, enhanced by an intriguing eggplant relish, but the accompanying garlic mash is oddly dry and cool on one side of the plate while creamy and warm on the other. Cantine's justifiably famous lemon meringue tower ($6.95) deconstructs the pie. A substantial, populist wine card. Friendly service from accommodating
staff.