No. 21: L’Abattoir
217 CARRALL STREET, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA LABATTOIR.CA 604-568-1701 ALTHOUGH CO-OWNER AND GENERAL MANAGER PAUL GRUNBERG HAS OF LATE BEEN HUSTLING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, WINNING HIGH PRAISE FOR HIS RECENTLY OPENED SAVIO VOLPE, THIS RUGGEDLY ELEGANT FRENCH-INSPIRED CHARMER…
No. 49: Candide
551 SAINT MARTIN STREET, MONTREAL, QUEBEC RESTAURANTCANDIDE.COM 514-447-2717 Candide is deeply committed to serving what’s local and seasonal, and—deliberate or not—its messaging on this front begins long before you pick up the menu. Where else but in Quebec would you…
No. 5: Edulis
169 NIAGARA STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO EDULISRESTAURANT.COM 416-703-4222 IN THE APPROACH FROM THE STREET, EDULIS APPEARS TO BE JUST ANOTHER NEIGHBOURHOOD BISTRO—AN IMPRESSION SUSTAINED WITHIN, WHERE THE DECOR IS MODEST AND SIMPLE, AND THE SCALE OF THE PLACE SPANS JUST 30-ODD…
No. 9: Dandylion
1198 QUEEN STREET WEST, TORONTO, ONTARIO RESTAURANTDANDYLION.COM 647-464-9100 THIS SMALL, 30-ODD-SEAT ROOM HAS MUCH CHARM IN ITS SIMPLE DESIGN. But the reason this restaurant is full night after night has mostly to do with the man who can be observed…
No. 11: Montréal Plaza
6230 SAINT HUBERT STREET, MONTREAL, QUEBEC MONTREALPLAZA.COM 514-903-6230 THE UNASSAILABLE CREDENTIALS OF PLAZA’S MAIN PLAYERS— FRONT-OF-HOUSE MANAGER SÉBASTIEN BLANCHETTE, AND A PAIR OF TOQUÉ! ALUMNI, FORMER SOUS-CHEF CHERYL JOHNSON AND THE 14-YEAR VETERAN AND LONG-TIME CHEF DE CUISINE CHARLES-ANTOINE CRÊTE—MEANT…
No. 12: Bar Isabel
797 COLLEGE STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO MBARISABEL.COM 416-532-2222 THIS HAPPENING RESTAURANT ON THE WESTERN END OF THE COLLEGE STREET STRIP HAS ITS BAR UP FRONT, AND A SMALL, NOISY NEST OF A DINING ROOM AT THE REAR. It looks like a…
No. 13: Maison Publique
4720 MARQUETTE STREET, MONTREAL, QUEBEC MAISONPUBLIQUE.COM 514-507-0555 MONTREAL’S PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL MIGHT SEEM AN UNLIKELY LOCATION FOR ONE OF THE BEST GASTROPUBS THIS SIDE OF PICCADILLY, BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT MAISON PUBLIQUE IS. Chef Derek Dammann, along with his backing partner…
No. 14: Kissa Tanto
263 EAST PENDER STREET, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA KISSATANTO.COM 778-379-8078 KISSA MEANS “CAFÉ” IN JAPANESE. Tanto means “a lot” in Italian. Together, they suggest The House of Plenty, a perfectly playful name for this unassumingly sophisticated new Japanese-Italian restaurant that has…
No. 17 Mallard Cottage
8 BARROWS ROAD, ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MALLARDCOTTAGE.CA 709-237-7314 THE 300-YEAR-OLD MALLARD COTTAGE, WITH ITS WHITE CLAPBOARD AND GREEN TRIM, IS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE OLDEST WOODEN BUILDINGS IN NORTH AMERICA. Chef Todd Perrin undertook a massive,…
No. 18: DaiLo
503 COLLEGE STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO DAILOTO.COM 647-341-8882 CHEF NICK LIU AND HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, FRONT-OF-HOUSE MANAGER AND SOMMELIER, ANTON POTVIN, HAVE CREATED SOMETHING ENTIRELY UNIQUE IN THIS BOISTEROUS PAN-ASIAN BRASSERIE. DaiLo is a Cantonese term of affection that translates loosely…
No. 19: Nora Gray
1391 SAINT JACQUES STREET, MONTREAL, QUEBEC NORAGRAY.COM 514-419-6672 LOCATED NEAR THE BELL CENTRE IN A RETAIL NO MAN’S LAND, NORA GRAY IS NONETHELESS ALWAYS FULL—WHICH SAYS A LOT ABOUT THIS MODERN ITALIAN EATERY. The room is small, wood-lined with a…