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By: Denise Balkissoon
Though best known for raucous nightlife and hordes of cute boys in tight T-shirts, Toronto's gay village offers indulgences for food fetishists as well. Steps from the Yonge subway line, these restaurants are worth a visit.
Byzantium
499 Church Street
(416) 922-3859
http://www.byz.ca
Cuisine Type: International
Hours: Brunch: Sunday: 11:00am -3:00pm
Dinner: Daily: 5:30pm - 11:00pm
Nightclub: Thursday - Saturday: 11:00pm - 2:30am
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Although this veteran was the first grown-up resto on the strip, the beautifully set formal tables and sophisticated, French-inspired menu don't preclude a night of good fun. Stop by after work for a perfect martini—the list describes over 100 choices—before a dinner of sizeable, well-cooked meat (think tender, juniper-scented rack of lamb). Later on, the music gets louder, all the better for members of a sophisticated, well-fed crowd to loosen their ties.
Kaiseki Sakura
556 Church Street
(416) 923-1010
http://www.kaisekisakura.com
Cuisine Type: Japanese
Hours: Closed Tuesday
Wednesday - Monday 6:00pm - 2:00am
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Downtown is abuzz about this new Japanese addition, which brings kaiseki—small dishes crafted from seasonal ingredients—to the GTA's centre, housed in an sleek, urban room. A long list of sakes includes divine, inventive cocktails; a $10 tasting option allows newbies a three-portion sampling of different rice alcohols. Omakase tasting menus ($60 or $80 per person) change each night, but might include such artistically presented delicacies as perfectly seared scallops above a tangle of shaved turnip ribbons, diced apples and Japanese potato, fresh potato chips in the shape of maple leaves and bright red beet puree. For dessert, black sesame ice cream served in a papaya slice is a visually stunning, nutty revelation.
Omi
451 Church Street
(416) 920-8991
Cuisine Type: Japanese
Hours: Tuesday - Fri 12:00 - 2:30pm
Monday - Saturday 5:00pm - 10:30pm
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On the strip's southern tip, the amicable John Lee slices some of the city’s best sushi (he has quite a following, so be sure to reserve). Sit at the sushi bar to watch Lee in action, as he sears scallops with a blowtorch and places quiveringly fresh fish atop sushi rice with the skill of a true artist. Equally inventive cooked dishes alternate. Again, it's best to go omakase, letting the choices be made for you. Just sit back, relax and enjoy.
Slack's
562 Church Street
(416) 928-2151
http://www.slacks.ca
Cuisine Type: International
Hours: Sunday - Tuesday 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Wednesday - Saturday 4:00pm - 11:00pm
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Another old-timer, this one recently reinvented by new owners: more open-concept and less kitschy than in its Slack Alice days, the place also has a snazzy new menu. As multicultural as Toronto itself, the card lists everything from duck wontons to quesadillas; main dish pastas are familiar and satisfying, with more inventive entrees also available. Here, too, is a successful resto-bar: the later it is, the more likely you are to find ladies who like ladies getting loose on the dance floor.
Zelda's
542 Church Street
(416) 922-1527
http://www.zeldas.ca
Hours: Monday - Wednesday 11:00am - 11:30pm
Friday - Saturday 11:00am - 12:30am
Sunday 10:00am - 11:30pm
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When what you want is a big plate of greasy goodness, head to the one and only Zelda's. Nothing is subtle here—not the leopard-spotted, flamingo-studded décor, not such signature concoctions as the drink known as Big Nuts (Bacardi white, Bacardi vanilla, Frangelico and Kahlua) and certainly not the massive burgers or astronomical helpings of nachos.
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