With hundreds of restaurants taking part in Winterlicious, deciding on which one to try can get difficult. I still remember when Winterlicious started in 2003 as a response to SARs, there were a few dozen options. Oh, how times have changed.

One restaurant that’s participated since the beginning is Jump. Their three-course dinner ($55) continues to attract diners with the plethora of options and relatively low price point. And their central location in the Financial District makes it a great option for pre-theatre or sporting event dinners.

In fact, the catalyst for my return was a pre-show dinner at the Meridian Centre. In the mood for a “classic” meal, I started with the Caesar salad that’s made with a base of romaine and kale. I recommend ordering it lightly dressed as it was much too salty, especially with the generous sprinkling of bacon crumbles. Thankfully, the Parmesan focaccia croutons were left neutral, although they were stale and hard.

Knowing that the 6oz coulotte steak is a tougher cut of sirloin, I lowered my expectations that it wasn’t going to be a juicy tender steak. And while I did find it a bit chewy, the beef was flavourful and thankfully my piece didn’t have much of a fat cap, so it was entirely edible. Cooked to a decent medium rare, the accompanying scallion whipped potatoes were silky and roasted broccolini crisp. And there was plenty of au jus and chimichurri to flavour.

The spiced apple crumb cake was fluffy and moist with plenty of diced apples baked into the cake. It was a satisfying finish, not overly heavy with a ginger crème anglaise for an added creaminess.

My friend had to get their white chocolate cheesecake ($14), which isn’t part of Winterlicious but considered a signature dessert for Jump. The cheesecake is wrapped in phyllo pastry then topped mulled cranberries. It needed more than one layer of the pastry to provide textural contrast, and it was disappointingly served cold. I’m told it’s usually a lot better, served hotter so it’s crispy outside and cool and creamy at the centre.

Looks like Jump was too focused on Winterlicious. Ultimately, I had a quintessential classic Financial District meal. While it didn’t blow me away, it was still satisfying and a great start to the evening.