by Jennifer D'Agostino
This year, Toronto’s Winterlicious restaurants are upping the ante at lunch, showcasing their fine dining prowess. The prix-fixe meals are filled with delicious items like truffle mac and cheese, sashimi, mini waffles with Lindt chocolate and more. Here are the best lunch menus for Winterlicious 2018. [Photo of East Thirty Six ©Yellow Pages / Pages Jaunes]
Tapas Embrujo
Tapas Embrujo is one of the top spots in the city for tapas and the Winterlicious lunch menu its best dishes. The meal starts with a selection of traditional Spanish appetizers like crisp and creamy crab croquettes or the bacon-wrapped dates with honey and almonds. The main course offers delicious options like traditional Spanish paella with chicken, shrimp, squid and mussels, or a slow stewed squid in Rioja wine. For dessert, you can choose from crème brulee, a slice of lemon and almond or poached pears in sweet wine.
Fabbrica
For a delicious meal of authentic Italian cuisine look no further than Fabbrica. One of many in the Mark McEwan restaurant empire, the lunch menu is not to be missed this Winterlicious season. Dine on items like carrot and fennel soup with smoked yogurt and almonds, vegetarian Bolognese, grilled sausages with creamy polenta, kale and peppers and traditional Italian desserts like cannoli and panna cotta. Fabbrica is located in the Shops at Don Mills.
Boku Sushi
The selection that’s found on Boku Sushi’s Winterlicious lunch menu is almost endless. The Distillery District sushi spot is home to some of the best Japanese cuisine in Toronto and the 2018 lunch menu offers a good sampling of the quality you can expect year-round. Menu items include flash fried tofu with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, a 10 vegetable Boku salad, assorted sashimi, udon noodle soup, spicy maki set that includes tuna, and salmon with miso soup. For dessert, there is a selection of ice cream with flavours like matcha, goma, mango and azuki.
Cactus Club Café
For a power lunch head to West Coast import Cactus Club Café. The Winterlicious menu is sure to satisfy everyone’s tastes. The menu includes butternut squash ravioli duo, the infamous Rob’s crispy chicken sandwich with swiss cheese and sambai mayo served with sea salted fries, The Feenie Burger with sautéed mushrooms, aged cheddar, smoked bacon and red relish. The three-course prix-fixe menu finishes with a caramel chocolate mousse duo, chocolate peanut butter crunch bar and key lime pie cups.
East Thirty-Six
East Thirty-Six’s Winterlicious lunch menu showcases its commitment to gourmet sharable dishes. The meal begins with a selection of classic French appetizers like chicken liver parfait and Mussels Escabeche. It continues with options of pan-seared trout with crème de leek, endive and potato hay, braised pork shoulder with celeriac puree, apple compote, coq au vin with Parmesan polenta, and more. The meal finishes with three options for dessert: sweet potato mousse, chocolate delice and lemon custard.
Granite Brewery
The selection that Granite Brewery is offering on its Winterlicious menu this year is plentiful. From lobster mac and cheese to Angus striploin steak, served with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes, to roasted red pickerel fillet, the options offer a lot of bang for your buck. The decedent desserts include chocolate truffle cake, brownie bliss and vanilla cheesecake.
Insomnia
Popular brunch spot, Insomnia is serving up a delicious menu for lunch during Winterlicious. The meal starts with legendary home fries, mini waffles served with shaved Lindt chocolate, whipped cream and maple syrup. It continues with Tofu Rancheros with corn tortilla, scrambled curried tofu with refried beans, roasted red pepper, or Eggs Memphis with pulled pork, poached eggs topped with hollandaise. The dessert menu includes chocolate truffle cake, carrot cake and raspberry sorbet.
Peter Pan Bistro
Peter Pan Bistro is serving bistro-style cuisine for lunch and dinner this year. The lunch menu includes delicious eats like a duck confit salad with green and yellow beans, watercress and pickled walnut dressing, pearl barley risotto and croquet madame with Gruyere, béchamel, ham and duck egg. You can complete the meal with a choice of freshly baked lavender lemon madeleines, chocolate mousse or pumpkin cheesecake.
Prohibition Gastrohouse
Prohibition Gastrohouse offers a massive selection on the prix-fixe lunch menu this year. Offering five choices for appetizers and entrees, the options are sure to please everyone in your group. Some top choices include the truffle mac and cheese, mini haute poutine, a smash burger and a vegetarian Sloppy Joe, or Sloppy Josephine. For dessert you can pick from tiramisu, flourless chocolate torte and Eton Mess, a selection of fresh berries, berry coulis, meringue and Chantilly cream.
Drake Hotel
The Drake Hotel has always been a great meeting place for lunch. The energetic atmosphere, mixed with the casual cuisine always keeps people coming back for more. This year, the lunch menu showcases exactly that, with items like warm kale Caesar, white bean chowder, the famous Drake Reuben sandwich and pan seared trout. To complete the meal, take your pick of apple crumble, bread pudding and an artisanal cheese plate.
