With my crazy schedule for TIFF (30 films in 6 days), I didn't have much time to explore the Toronto food scene, but I did have one evening where I had time to go a little farther away from the theater and actually sit down and eat at a semi-leisurely pace. However, with two whole hours to kill, four days into my schedule, I was also tempted to just go back to my room and take a nap... I'm so glad I didn't! Everything about Canoe was amazing!
Service: I sat at the bar since I was dining alone, and didn't want to take up a table by myself during a peak season. The bartenders were both friendly, offered great suggestions, and were attentive despite the nearly full bar area.
Beverages: Wine selection was excellent with a large selection of California wines, but since I was in Canada, I decided to try a canadian wine. The tawse growers blend pinot noir was delicious.
Food: I was torn between the duck and the mackerel and lobster with corn grits from their specialty seasonal corn menu. I asked the bartender for her favorite and while the duck is one of her favorites, the specialty menu is only offered for a limited time and is where the chef really shines. I went with the mackerel and lobster and was not disappointed. For dessert I tried the Butter Tart Wedge. I was about torn between the Butter Tart and the Red Velvet Cake, but as the bartender pointed out, the Butter Tart Wedge is a traditional canadian dessert and much lighter than the you-can-have-variations-of-it-anywhere cake and I still had two films to see later that evening. So the wedge was a good choice for not falling asleep during a screening. And the wedge was so good!
View (from the 54th floor on a clear day at sunset): priceless.
I left feeling full but not stuffed and was able to run off to my next screening. If I go to TIFF again, this will definitely become my must-visit restaurant.