No. 9: Edulis

169 NIAGARA STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO
EDULISRESTAURANT.COM
416-703-4222

THIS RESTAURANT TAKES its name from the Latin Boletus edulis—read cep, or porcini—a fine wild mushroom that is rare and pricey here, but common in Europe.

And that tidily sums up the nature of this place. In the approach from the street, and within, its simple decor and modest scale (just 30-odd seats over two small rooms) suggest just another neighbourhood bistro. But on the plate the restaurant aims far higher than that. A closer look around the dining room reveals evidence of its old-school, European culinary ambitions. Note the enamelled cast iron and copper pans, the Spanish ham rack on the sideboard, and the duck press, modelled after the one introduced in the late 19th century at La Tour d’Argent in Paris.

Here, like there, your canard à la presse comes roasted rare and finished with a sauce made primarily from blood squeezed from its carcass, finished tableside—in this case by co-owner, front-of-house manager and co-chef Tobey Nemeth. Her husband, chef Michael Caballo, favours Western European classics like whole roast foie gras, pâté en croute and skate wing grenobloise. Most typically, he draws his culinary inspiration from Spain (say, char-grilled squid with squid ink dyed rice and pimentón). It is a fine place to find yourself during truffle season. The European-style (read, delightfully indulgent and prolonged) Sunday brunch is a favourite ticket among its cultish foodie followers. The wine list is short, but the excellent cooking makes up for it, and then some.

HOURS

Lunch
Sunday
Reservations between 12:00 PM until 1:30 PMDinner
Wednesday to Sunday
6:00 PM until 10:30 PM

Photos by: Mat Fabijanic

No. 9: Edulis

No. 1: Alo

No. 2: Toqué!

No. 3: Joe Beef