Some weeks ago a restaurant search around Ossington and Dupont would have yielded scant and disappointing results. No longer. Helmed by a Food Network producer and a chef that worked under Susur Lee, Actinolite adds much needed culinary cred to this neighbourhood.
Named after a town on the Skootamatta River in the Municipality of Tweed (can't make this stuff up); Actinolite (pronounced: act-IN-oh-light) is apparently the chef's hometown. It's also a mineral similar to asbestos. Now you know.
The small restaurant is well decorated. Lots of natural wood and Canadiana (Ontariana?) on the walls. Our group of four sat crowned beneath a swelling fixture which is why it probably felt a little bright in here for me. That said, it's a swell spot for an intimate dinner or date. It didn't feel too crowded in here, even though every table was occupied. I like that. Service was friendly and down-to-earth.
The menu is a single card divided into first and second courses. There were a lot of tantalizing options, but I HAD to start with the pork shoulder appetizer glazed in apple cider, and chose a marinated veal T-bone served on creamed spinach puree as my main. Except for my failure to get the table to call me T-bone, the whole meal was a delight. Everyone else at the table seemed happy too.
A bit too expensive for me to become a regular, but this place is a must-visit next time I'm in the hood.
Obligatory Title Pun: It'll AMPHIBOLE you over.[1]
Menu Readability: I don't normally abide script typefaces, but this was acceptable.
Need to mention: Solid wine list features selections from Prince Edward County.
What this place teaches me about myself: I'm not likely to be called T-bone anytime soon. Perhaps V-bone?
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[1] Geology humour. I could also have said, "This place ROCKS!"