Residents of Thornhill will be familiar with the octagonal
building gracing the corner of Yonge and Clark. First starting as the Copper
Kettle, the restaurant was renamed to The Octagon in 1974 and converted to a
high-end steakhouse. I love their Victorian dining room draped in rich wood and
jewel tones – something about the historical décor makes me feel like I’m in a
steakhouse. If you want privacy, ask for a table situated in their small
private enclaves that can seat six.
Although their Caesar salad ($17.95/person with minimum
2-person order) looked overly dressed, it tasted surprisingly light having a
thinner consistency and enough citrus incorporated into the freshly made
dressing. It’s a decadent treat, but hand whipped Caesar salad made table side is
a staple for me when visiting steak houses.
The escargots ($14.95) were traditionally prepared, arriving
hot in the individually held clay baking dish and swimming in brandy laced garlic
butter.
Of course, each table also gets a brimming pickle and olive
tray (thankfully, their pickles weren’t overly mushy and I loved the heat of
the chili… especially after the meal to act as a palette cleanser) and basket
of garlic bread.
Unlike other fine dining steakhouses, the Octagon offers “lighter”
mains where the proteins are a normal serving and arrives with vegetables (no
starches). The 6oz. New York strip steak ($32.95) would have been a tad tiny on
its own, but augmenting it with a piece of my husband’s massive bone-in rib
steak ($65.95) was perfect – enough for me and not leaving him with meat
sweats.
Prepared using a charcoal broiled method, the steaks have lovely
grill marks and a light smoky aroma. The meat is juicy and oozes with metallic
beef flavour … you know you’re in a place that specializes in steak.
Unlike some of the newer high-end competitors, the Octagon’s
regular-sized mains also come with sides – large meaty mushrooms and a choice
of starch (baked potato, garlic mashed potatoes, fries or rice). It’s a tad
more “economical”, saving you enough to splurge for dessert.
Their coconut cream pie ($11.95) is the best I’ve had in the
city: a silky coconut custard held in a pie crust lined with chocolate so its
crispiness is retained. On top, plenty of neutral whipped cream and white
chocolate shavings for sweetness. It’s not an overly heavy dessert but should
still be shared.
Some things are institutions for a reason – overly ornate
interiors, large portions of food and expertly prepared traditional menus. The
Octagon has it all, long live the steakhouse.
How To Find Them
Location: Thornhill, Canada
Address: 7529 Yonge Street
Address: 7529 Yonge Street
Website: http://octagonrestaurant.com/
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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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