The divide between home-cooked food and restaurant food can feel vast. But why not have both, Shauna Godfrey wondered. At her restaurant Maven, she’s cooking Eastern European Jewish food rooted in traditional flavours, Godfrey says, bringing dishes that are mainly eaten in people’s homes into a restaurant setting. Clearly, it’s something people have been hankering for: after opening just a year ago, they already have tons of regulars they see throughout the week at their Harbord Village location, were finalists in Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants for 2025, and scored the Number 4 spot on Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants list.
Some early favourites include dishes like BBQ salami brushed with an apricot glaze and grilled over charcoal, or chicken schnitzel served with a lacto-fermented plum sauce. Godfrey serves her own Bubby Rose’s cheesecake — tangy and light, finished with a to-die-for sour cream topping and a sprinkle of Maldon salt — and is building an impressive collection of vinegars infused with chamomile, dill and basil, “to try and capture summer.” Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. “I am really excited about reading older community cookbooks and thinking about techniques and recipes that are not as common anymore,” Godfrey says. “At Maven we love working with local produce and incorporating it into our dishes with a Maven lens.”
Take a peek at the places that warm Godfrey’s heart when she’s off the clock.
