SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF TORONTO’S BUSTLING Ossington strip, where other restaurants are collectively preoccupied with anticipating what’s next, Linny’s instead looks to the past. That starts with its name (for Linda, the late mother of chef and owner David Schwartz). And it builds with its menu, a thoughtful and smartly conceived, ode to Ashkenazi cuisine and the classic Jewish American steak house of yesteryear. But nothing says it more compellingly than the restaurant’s design, an utterly convincing tribute to mid-century style, thoughtfully modernized by Schwartz’s childhood friend designer Jack Lipson, founder of IPSO Studio.
Push your way past the front door for a first look and it might be the terrazzo flooring that catches your eye. Or, more likely, the consummately inviting bar, cast from a curvaceous slab of stone, the barstools around it upholstered with plush houndstooth. The barroom walls are edged with well-placed, softly backlit mirrors and, here and there, framed handwritten recipes from Schwartz’s mother. Beyond, in the dining room, the tables are draped in white tablecloths. Italian burl and other dark wood accents combine for warmth. The diffused lighting strikes that perfect balance. An artfully positioned vintage radio hails from the same era as the jazz (Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonius Monk, etc.) piped into the bathrooms downstairs. We didn’t actually know that this city was in dire need of a style beacon built around Martinis and pastrami, but are we ever glad we have it now.
—STAFF
