Impossibly bronzed and gorgeous, these stunners aren’t archetypes of beauty — they’re chickens elevated beyond their humble reputation by local chefs with serious cooking chops. True comfort food, roast chicken is enjoying a renaissance at some of Toronto’s top tables thanks to upgrades that make the dish feel new without ever pushing it too far. Plump and tender, these birds are a welcome sight — often for a fraction of the price that other dishes demand. “Roast chicken kind of represents a rebellion against overly complicated and expensive food,” says head chef at Martine’s Wine Bar, Luke Haines. “I think with the economy the way it is, diners want to eat simpler and get more bang for their buck. Roast chicken is the perfect dish for that kind of eating.”
Arbequina Restaurant
If you’ve never spent three days pampering poultry to coax out maximum flavour, it’s unlikely your roast chicken has approximated the incredible specimens served at this stylish Levantine space. “Roast chicken is an underrated dish,” exclaims executive chef and co-owner Moeen Abuzaid, adding that his aim is to treat guests to “chicken how it should be.” That process begins with smallish (“no more than 2.5 pounds”), free-range, grain-fed, halal birds that are rested, brined, dried and lightly smoked. Patted down with house spice blend, then roasted, orders are served with chicken glaze aioli, hot sauce, pickles and lettuce. “People say it’s the best chicken they’ve ever had in their lives,” he muses. 325 Roncesvalles Avenue, arbequinato.com
Frenchy Bar et Brasserie
Hilton Toronto’s recent addition, Frenchy lures guests with its sophisticated setting and menu of timeless Gallic fare. Chief among them is roast chicken slicked with aromatic herbs de Provence butter and wild-honey laced truffle gastric. “We use techniques such as brining and dry-aging to enhance the flavour and tenderness of our chicken,” says executive chef Aaron Chen, adding that the team focuses “on taking humble ingredients and elevating them with each step.” Served with beurre noisette mash and silky chicken jus, it’s a dish that Chen believes is a “comforting option for guests that showcases the restaurant’s culinary skills.” 145 Richmond Street West, frenchytoronto.com
Abrielle
Similar to its fictional namesake, this restaurant inside the Sutton Place Hotel Toronto is effortlessly elegant, with an irresistible Mediterranean accent. In addition to dishes like whole sea bream resting atop paprika-licked Spanish sofrito, the team transforms Giannone chickens from Quebec into burnished beauties thanks to a cooking process described as “carefully calibrated” by chef de cuisine, Andrés Jaramillo. Marinated in brown butter, miso, garlic and herbs, the poultry is steamed then roasted until succulent and crisp. “Many diners comment that they usually find chicken to be boring, dry, and lacking in flavour, but Abrielle’s roast chicken defies these expectations,” he adds. 355 King Street West, abrielle.ca
La Plume Brasserie
At this comfortable Southern French go-to, the team wanted its roast chicken to be humble and simple, yet devastatingly chic: “the gourmet equivalent of Coco Chanel’s little black dress,” explains chef de cuisine, Navinder Saini. To that end, they source organic chickens from Quebec, which are brined then air dried. “We rub the chicken with our in-house spice mix which is based around Espelette, giving it the Southern French ‘je ne sais quoi’,” adds Saini. The birds are “roasted at the start of each service in the Rotisol rotisserie and it takes 45 minutes for the most perfectly moist flesh and caramelized skin.” 453 Wellington Street West, laplumebrasserie.com
Martine’s Wine Bar
Fed by the profusion of seasonal veg coming from co-owner Grant Van Gameren’s Prince Edward County farm, the menu at this new spot is as changeable as the weather. One constant? The roast chicken. It’s an entrée that takes on its significant allure in the homey restaurant’s wood oven, which imparts what head chef Luke Haines describes as, “a certain amount of specific character and kind of ‘terroir’ that you can only get at Martine’s.” Brined and marinated, heritage birds are served classic style or daubed in a marinade Haines says is “a hybrid between Nashville hot chicken and Sinaloa street chicken.” 293 Palmerston Avenue, @martineswinebar
The Chase
“There’s nothing more seductive than a perfectly roast chicken,” declares Cory Vitiello, director of concepts, development and culinary for LFG Growth Partners, the company that oversees The Chase. “Chicken is something that we’re not trying to elevate,” he adds, explaining that the team’s Sicilian take on the standby is a way “to celebrate the humble nature of it.” Seasoned with a cumin- and paprika-laced dry rub, spatchcocked organic birds are flattened “to maximize surface area,” says Vitiello. Moist with golden, cracker-crisp skin, each order nests in a verdant ring of Castelvetrano olives brightened with Myer lemon, oil, vinegar and herbs. 10 Temperance Street, FL 5, thechasetoronto.com
