As a Montrealer, Carmelina Imola is often asked what sets her new home of Toronto apart: What makes our restaurants so great? Toronto can be very self deprecating when it comes to the dining scene, according to the co-owner of Taverne Bernhardt’s and Dreyfus (she handles operations and the wine). “I think that’s unfair because of how broad the offering is here. This city is huge, yet people travel for a strong endorsement. I’m always hearing from my peers, staff and friends of another under-the-radar gem in a corner of the GTA I barely know,” she says. “I’m impressed with the variety and quality, and find it refreshing that in spite of how hard it is to survive in this industry, small business represents a large part of the scene, high and low. Guests are discerning and support what feels honest.”
Now, guests will have yet another Imola-owned restaurant to frequent: She and her co-owner husband, chef Zachary Kolomeir, are opening a third restaurant late this spring on College, N.L. Ginzburg, which will feature “a dining room and menu strongly inspired by the simplicity of the unassuming slow food Italian trattoria, viewed through a diasporic Jewish lens.”
Imola believes dining rooms to be powerful spaces for communion. “The more we familiarize ourselves with a culture, ritual, cuisine that’s not our own or made specifically to our tastes, maybe the better equipped we are to connect with people outside of our community,” she says.
Below, check out the international array of cuisine that makes Imola fall a little more in love with Toronto with every bite.
Hidden gem
Inter Steer Tavern, 357 Roncesvalles Ave.
Repeat reservation
Dotty’s, 1588 Dupont St.
The last best thing you ate
Kingyo Fisherman’s Market, 51B Winchester St.
Fancy meal
Edulis, 169 Niagara St.
Comfort food
Baldassare, 122 Geary Ave.
Best dessert
Sunnys Chinese, 60 Kensington Ave.
Lunch spot
Pho Ngoc Yen 2, 1596 The Queensway
Best late-night craving spot
House on Parliament, 454 Parliament St.
Best takeout
Cho Sun Ok, 7353 Yonge St.
Favourite coffee shop
Tiny’s General Store, 80 Barton Ave.
Best cocktail bar
Cocktail Bar, 923 Dundas St. W.
Place I’m dying to try
Jamil’s Chaat House, 1086 Queen St. W.
Best date-night spot
South-Western Bathhouse, 2200 Dundas St. E.
“You can sauna circuit yourself into a trance and replenish with house-made kombucha, hot tea or cold beer followed by beef bourguignon, kasha and pelmeni. A date with no phones, imagine.”
Best bakery
Ani Bakery, 25 Howden Rd.
“Don’t make the devastating mistake of ordering less than 12 lahmajoun.”
