Dining in Toronto

I lived in Toronto for a short time a few years ago. I must admit that I still appreciate the city and love visiting (which I try to do as frequently as possible) because I need my good food fix.

My favorite restaurants in Toronto range from those that are Italian, high-end Canadian fare, Japanese, Chinese...The options are endless! The city is so vast in its culture that there really is no need for having a bad meal, expensive or not.

During my last visit to the' big city', I was treated to the most fantastic meal I've ever had. I've been a fan of Mark McEwan for years, as I'm a huge Food Network fan. I insisted to my partner that we absolutely needed to finally try his restaurant so that I could finally find out what all the fuss was about (other than McEwan having his own show called 'The Heat' on Food Network Canada.) I was more than impressed with the meal, service and overall experience.

For my starter, I ordered the New Zealand Hamachi which was the perfect appetizer.  It wasn't heavy, but rather light and full of flavour.

The dish includes fresh and thinly sliced Hamachi, in-house made pickled radish salad and crisp ginger drizzled with a garlic and yuzu dressing.  I can't imagine a better start to a meal than this perfect little taste of heaven that didn't ruin my appetite for the delicious dinner to come.

I studied Bymark's menu long before arrival. I was not disappointed with the choice I made for my main dish.  It was once again, simple, flavourful and unique.  The fish was perfectly seared, the gnocchi were just like my mother's - pillowy little clouds of potato dumpling happiness.  The tomato broth wasn't overpowering, but rather an homage to the classic Sicilian Arrabiata sauce.  The dish consisted of a pan seared red grouper with gnocchi, tomato passata with olives and seafood fricassee. 

Seeing as we were at Bymark, it was necessary to order the legendary Bymark burger.  Admittedly, the price was steep, but the product was worth every penny.  The burger was succulent and moist.  The brie cheese was decadent.  The brioche bun was rich and delicious, and the king mushroom shavings added a deep earthiness to the aged beef patty.  The fries were also superb, though a tad too salty for my liking.  They came with a yummy spiced mayo and were presented in a very charming fashion. Molto bene!