While restaurants like Cactus Club Café are known for their
pretty approachable waitresses, at Weslodge, the scales tip in favour for the ladies
where dapper young men sling the food instead. Dressed in tailored jean shirts,
some even complete with leather suspenders, I’m guessing they’re supposed to
resemble cowboys … very clean and tailored cowboys.
Despite the upscale saloon environment, their menu is more
adventurous than steak and potatoes. There’s items from the sea and
non-American risottos; of course, there’s still beef, but it’s braised and
served with jus.
During Winterlicious ($38), I’m happy to see their special
price fixe menu includes renditions of their normally available dishes, such as
the smoked trout and crisp potato cake starter. It’s a superb dish, the fish
cooked through but still having the smoked flavour and aroma, which is balanced
out with thinly sliced cucumbers and tangy crème fraiche. The potato base is
not the shredded pancake or latkes version,
rather a square of non-creamy potato gratin that flakes apart just like the
fish.
The braised beef cheek was prepared to my liking: fork tender
yet still has a meaty texture and just enough fat for moisture. Generally I’m
skeptical about fruit sauces, but Weslodge’s huckleberry version had an
appropriate level of fruitiness to cut against beef’s richness without
reminding me of a fruit salad. Yet, the most surprising part of the dish was
the sunchokes - cut into wedges and roasted so well they were creamy and
encapsulated in a lovely crispy caramelized crust.
The meal was delicious to the end. The apple tarte tatin
incorporated a thick layer of thinly sliced apples, nice and soft with crunchy
butter graham clusters for contrast. With the light Ontario cider sorbet on the
side, the dessert was positively refreshing. If only the tarte was warmer, it
would have been perfect.
Looking back at the evening, it was a great experience: the
friendly banter, attentive service, and delectable food. It wasn’t always like
this. My last visit to Weslodge, when it first opened, was a stark contrast –
our group of six was crammed into a table for four, it took forever to get a
cocktail (even longer for food), and the burger was just a step above Jack
Astors (no offense Jack Astors). Oh, how the tumbleweeds turn for I’ll be back …
and it’s not because of the hot cowboys.
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $58 - trout ($18), beef ($30) and dessert ($10)
Savings - $20 or 34%
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 480 King Street West
Address: 480 King Street West
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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