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| - ***1/2 stars
I don't frequent this part of Toronto much because parking is a pain in the butt and it isn't exactly restaurant haven. However, I am glad that I got to dine here.
The decor inside, as my friend put it reminds you of a Restoration Hardware. The velvet-padded walls and the chandeliers are classy chic with paintings of rural and farm life hanging on the walls. I really like the interiors. The restaurant itself is long as opposed to wide, but it's a large space. Seating is located to the front with the take-out/coffee counter as well as a wall lined with gourmet goods towards the rear. The space is very bright as a lot of natural sunlight comes through the 3 doors in the front of the restaurant.
The name of the game here is quality ingredients. Co-owner and chef Bruno Beaudoin (a native of Lyon) go through great lengths to source everything from their Quebec cheese to the flour they use in their bread. They actually go to the local producer to source the ingredients. Now if only they could tell me the source of their kick-ass coffee I would be in heaven. All I know is that it's an Italian roast. And I don't know about you, but the test of a good brunch/breakfast spot is to coffee as a good bread basket is to a restaurant.
The attention to detail shows in the small things, like a creamer shaped like a calf and coat hooks made of bent spoons. The chef is quite down-to-earth and takes the time to come out from the kitchen to interact with the guests while sharing his passion for the dishes put in front of you.
On this Sunday afternoon, we indulged in a lot of goodies. The cheese and charcuterie platters are separate, but upon request, we were made cheese AND charcuterie platter. I like businesses that listen to their customer and accommodate their needs. As mentioned earlier, the cheeses at the Artisan Baker come out of Quebec and chef Beaudoin explains that the cheeses he serves are tempered as opposed to pasteurized. The difference? Pasteurization tends to kill all cultures - good and bad whereas tempering the cheese only kills off the bad cultures. The board featured an assortment of charcuterie (saucisson, prosciutto and salami) served alongside a bounty of strawberries, olives, dried cranberries, walnuts and thyme-infused honey. For those who have never experienced cheese with honey - I highly recommend it! This comes served with an assortment of bread, which was not the freshest.
The main attractions were the Quiche Lorraine - perfectly eggy and oozing of bacon flavour with a perfectly flaky crust as well as a Mushroom Tartine (open-faced sandwich) which I challenge anyone to polish off on their own. The perfectly-crusted bread on which bacon, Swiss cheese and mushrooms sit is every bread-obsessed girl's dream. And I like the fact that the side salads are lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.
For those who still have room for dessert - there is an assortment of baked goods (pain au chocolat, lemon tarts, Millefeuille, creme brulee) to choose from. We opted for the Millefeuille and Creme Brulee. Both were very well-executed and absolutely divine!
The serving sizes here are quite generous and we ended up doggy-bagging half the quiche AND the tartine. We didn't finish the cheese/charcuterie platter either so come with an empty stomach! And for those who love their croissants you should definitely try one as Bruno uses high-fat butter (the good stuff) to make his flaky rolls of heaven. Just as a side-note, higher fat butters yield much better tasting baked goods and because it is so rich, you use less so it's a win-win situation! Small things come in condensed packages I tell you!
Did I also mention that the service here is top-notch? Even better than some so-called "fine dining" establishments I've been to? This is thanks to co-owner Ronit Keith's years of experience in the hospitality industry coupled with her hands-on management of the restaurant and down-to-earth personality.
Dinner service is currently in the works and will come to fruition when their liquor license is approved. I would definitely recommend you check this place out!
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