This was the year that Toronto went bistro. Not all the new greats are downscale, but the trend is to go light on the wallet as well as the palate. Herewith, my top 10 of 2008, in alphabetical order.
CAPLANSKY'S
Zane Caplansky dry-cures briskets for two weeks and smokes them over hickory for 10 hours, producing a result that is an amalgam of traditional corned beef and southern barbecue - smokier than the former and more fatty and less sugary than the latter. His dingy second-floor space above the Monarch Tavern sells out of smoked-meat sandwiches almost daily and his poutine topped with homemade smoked beef gravy and good cheese curds is sublime. And the fresh rye for the sandwiches? Oy vey. 12 Clinton St., 416-500-3852.
GRACE
Leslie Gibson of the defunct Xacutti opened Grace in the (gracefully) renovated space where Xacutti flamed out, and her taste is impeccable. Grace is not only gorgeous, but the food and service keep up. Chef Dustin Gallagher's six years under Susur Lee show in every bite: He does ricotta ravioli with orange and pine nuts, creamy corn chowder with crab fritters, fall-off-the-bone beef ribs with roast minted sweet potatoes, oil-poached halibut with fennel and citrus. Simple, basic, in control. 503 College St., 416-944-8884.
HARBORD ROOM
It channels a hip London wine bar, with heavenly bistro food. Chef Cory Vitiello cut his teeth at Scaramouche before cooking at the Drake, and his first posting shows. Calamari, clams and chorizo is what happened when a downtown hipster met Portuguese clams with pork: It's spicy, strong and ungreasy, with tender calamari and properly cooked fresh clams. Who would have imagined how much flavour could be packed into pumpkin risotto? Roast chicken breast is moist and crisp-skinned, with a marvellous puree of Jerusalem artichokes (spiked with apple and vanilla) surrounded by a moat of foie gras sauce. The ultimate winter food. 89 Harbord St., 416-962-8989.
LOIRE
In the year of the bistro, Loire was quintessential. A tiny (38-seat) room presided over by a charming Gallic gamin, Loire dishes out French bistro classics for friendly prices. The $16 burger (lamb or beef) is juicy and tender, made divine by intense tomato jam and melted Quebec brie. The frog legs are tender little darlings in house-made barbecue sauce. The charcuterie plate is impeccable, the soups are rich and tasty, the risotto is superb and the flank steak is sweet and rare. 119 Harbord St., 416 850-8330 . MADELINE'S
When Susur Lee left Toronto for New York, his farewell gift was Madeline's, a luxe remake of a 1950s Chinese restaurant, with tongue in cheek: red and green brocade flocking, ornate wooden screens. And superlative nouvelle Chinese food: crispy lobster beurre noisette, chili lime, egg, shallot, lemon balm in lettuce wrap. This is a big fat nugget of sweet perfect lobster in gossamer egg batter with a hint of brown butter, in a crisp lettuce nest. Crispy garlic Cornish hen with gorgonzola cheese sauce and sautéed apple, the skin so crisp it's almost Peking duck, the apple caramelized with delicate gorgonzola sauce. Madeline's seduces with ruby red duck breast with perfectly balanced honey chili orange glaze, scallops with sweet fresh chorizo and potato purée zinged with lemon and garlic. It doesn't get better than this. 601 King St. W., 416-603-2205.
MENGRAI
Thai chef Sasi Meechai-Lim gives us the straight goods from northern Thailand. She deep-fries morning glories in barely-there tempura batter, to serve in a crispy tangle alongside spicy fragrant pumpkin soup, with sweet/hot chili sauce. How many Thai cooks put fresh peaches in lamb curry, taking care to avoid overcooking the peaches, but getting the lamb fork-tender and the tamarind sweet/sour? Fusion happens when a chef cooks the recipes of her homeland with local ingredients. 82 Ontario St., 416-546-0331. NOTA BENE
