Splendido
November 2009

Weekly Lunch Pick

The Harbord Street dining room opens at noon for the first time in eight years. At $60, the five-course prix fixe is a sensational (and affordable) way to get reacquainted with a Toronto legend By Andrew Brudz Take five: the second dish in Splendido's five-courseprix fixe is a venison-stuffed raviolo Take five: the second dish in Splendido's five-course prix fixe is a venison-stuffed raviolo

The place: The name Splendido may not be new to Toronto’s restaurant cognoscenti, but everything else about this 19-year old Harbord Street favourite is. Now under the ownership of former general manager Carlo Catallo and chef Victor Barry, the 70-person dining room reopened in July. (Previous owners David Lee and Yannick Bigourdan now dedicate themselves fully to Nota Bene on Queen Street.) Attentive staffers are knowledgeable—and genuinely excited—about the menu. The once-stuffy decor now consists of cool blues warmed up with rust-hued leather seating (including individual purse stools, a welcome holdover from the old regime), rich wood detailing and a wall of jars filled with vibrant preserves. Artwork featuring a photo collage with a Ministry of Tourism feel, however, should be sent on extended vacation.

The crowd: A sparse crowd of a few romantic couples, casual diners and power lunchers, but we predict that tables will fill once word of the prix fixe gets out.

The deal: European Retreat, a midday tasting menu, is Splendido’s first lunch offering in over eight years. The set menu features five French- and Italian-inspired courses for $60 (two options are available for each course, and the chef will accommodate allergies with advance notice), with a new menu every Friday until the end of the year. Wine pairing is an extra $30.

The meal: Our lunch kicks off with a salad of frisée and candied walnuts served alongside a generous portion of creamy foie gras parfait with apple-vanilla purée (so generous, in fact, that we request a second slice of out-of-this-world brioche to finish it up). The first course, a buttery raviolo stuffed with pulled venison and served on Swiss chard, is as magnificently satisfying as the second: two scarlet medallions of elk strip loin and a hefty cut of pork belly sided by chestnut and brussels sprout fricassee. Served with hazelnuts and truffle honey, rustic monte enebro, a soft goat cheese from Spain, melts on the tongue. Panna cotta closes the meal, presented in a Mason jar with layers of fresh blueberries, crumbled meringue and house-made concord grape sorbet (it feels more late-summer in tone, but that’s hardly a protest).

The time: Two hours and 15 minutes. We recommend concocting excuses to get out of the office ahead of time—it’s entirely worth it.

The cost: At $85 (with tax, still water and tip), it’s obviously not the cheapest lunch around, but it’s a steal for five courses of masterful cuisine and a full stomach for the rest of the day.