Shakespeare’s famous saying proclaims, “If music be the food of love, play on.”  It aptly reminds me of Bar Poet, a restaurant that blends top 40 tunes from past and present, an eclectic comfort food menu, and arcade games. And by the end, the 2-hour seating limit flies by and all we want to do stay longer.

The arancini ($15) was seriously good. Made with mushroom risotto, there’s an earthiness to the creamy rice ball that’s stronger than the cheese only versions. But add in sambal cream and chili oil and that hit of heat goes so well with the comforting starter.

Somehow, we ordered a lot of dishes incorporating chili. The NYC spicy rigatoni ($18.95), an item so highly recommended in Google reviews, was surprisingly plain: pasta tossed in a spicy rosé cream with a fine dusting of Parmigiano. While it was tasty, a few spoonsful were sufficient, I can’t imagine having an entire dish to myself.

Even the Dovercourt and Queen ‘sweet’ calamari ($19) had a zing. The menu describes the sauce as being tomato based (pomodoro aioli) but tasted like the spicy rigatoni. Regardless, it’s a flavourful dish as goat cheese, chives and pickled peppers mingles with the squid. Even though the ingredients do detract from the calamari’s crispiness.

Bar Poet is known for their pizzas (all $22). If you like pepperoni, you’ll love the Hot Rod, a pie covered with tiny pepperoni with hot honey creating a sweet, salty, and spicy bite. For me, it was a bit greasy and heavy, but likely wouldn’t bother a pepperoni aficionado.

I preferred Rob’s Favourite Pizza, which sounded like a hodgepodge of ingredients, but they work together so nicely. A white pizza made with alfredo bacon sauce, it combines pulled chicken, brie, kale, spinach, caramelized onion, hot honey, chili flakes, and Parmigiano. Despite all the spicy elements, the pizza was the least spicy of the dishes we ordered, likely the chili and hot honey calmed by the creamy ingredients. Rob knows how to create an interesting meaty pie.

The pizza crust stays dry on the bottom despite an ample number of toppings. While it doesn’t have the requisite crispiness I enjoy, there was a lovely chewy consistency and sour dough finish that makes it tasty even without dipping sauce. Additionally, I love the inclusiveness of Bar Poet’s pizza menu with pies available gluten-free as well as vegan.

Everyone raves about the tiramisu ($9). While it wasn’t terrible, it also wasn’t great. It incorporated too much cream (didn’t incorporate enough mascarpone) and not enough of the espresso ladyfingers. While the Skor bits adds a unique element, left in chunks it was too crunchy and would be better in powdered form.

We were intrigued by the peanut butter espresso martini ($19), which emits a faint aroma of peanut butter but none of the taste. A decent rendition of the drink, it’s really sugary given it’s mostly made with Tia Maria and no vodka. Ultimately, one is enough, and I was glad that I switched to their other cocktails like the white negroni ($19).

Amongst the foliage ceiling and twinkling lights, Bar Poet creates a unique environment. Somehow, amongst the blasting music and Skee ball machines, there’s a romantic aspect to makes you want to eat, drink, and play on.   

If you’ve ever frequented Danforth in the 1990s, you might have eaten at Myth. Flash forward to 2021 and the restaurant was revived with a beautiful facelift on King West by Matty Tsoumaris, the son of the family. The warm gold, wood, and cream tones made me feel I could be lying in a chaise lounger by an indoor pool. The restaurant is buzzy but in a calm way. At least, until the fire dancers performed, and the energy really picked up.

As a Toronto Life Insider member, I was there to check out Myth with a tasting menu ($125 before taxes and gratuities) offering several courses complete with wine pairings and an espresso martini. If I was feeling tired, that jolt of vodka and caffeine provided the start I needed to the meal. Ground pistachios are dusted onto the espresso martini ($20) for an interesting texture against the smooth foam, it’s different but I’m not sure if I prefer it. Note: regular menu prices are included in the post for informational purposes. Serving sizes will likely differ from what is pictured given the tasting menu format.

Beginning with an off-menu item, Matty explains it’s customary for Greek people to offer guests (even if they are strangers) something to eat when they enter a home as there’s a belief that Gods may be visiting the Earth… and you would never want to not feed a God! Our divine offering was a creamy compressed roe in a buttery tart shell. It tasted of the sea, hinting at the Mykonos inspired menu to come.

We then moved into the actual tasting menu, starting with a bite of soy-laced beef tartare served in a cone. I wasn’t expecting the amuse bouche to be sweet, but it gave the tartare a teriyaki feel that worked, especially when paired with the crispy cone that is reminiscent of eating ice cream.

Myth’s mezze platter ($35) consists of a collection of dishes, and I love that it showcases some lesser-known dips. Of course, there’s the popular hummus, which was thick and filling, but the mezze also featured a silky smooth taramasalata that has an umami saltiness to it from the cured roe. Warning to vegetarians, if I hadn’t been told there was fish in the dip, I would have never known. The roe adds a brininess to the dip without any fishiness.

If you enjoy feta, try the tirokafteri dip that uses the cheese as the base but has a hit of peppers that creates an unexpected spiciness. It goes great with the soft warm pita or smeared onto the crudite given it had such a flavourful salty kick.

While a bit cheesy (pun intended), the cheer of “opa!” before setting the ouzo on fire is what makes saganaki ($22) such a staple. The kefalograviera cheese was oh so gooey, salty, and lightened with just a hint of lemon. I just wished there was more than one piece of toasted bread to go with it.

It’s not everyday you find raw fish at a Greek restaurant. Myth uses slices of yellowtail hamachi in the magiatiko ($28) adorned with an olive tapenade that was too overpowering. If anything, the dollop of creamy taramasalata (the same fish roe dip featured in the mezze) was more than salty enough. Still, it was beautifully plated and a great light starter.

The arancini was good… less creamy than an Italian version, but also didn’t leave me feeling as full. It was smartly paired with a feta mousse, which added a touch of sauciness to the risotto but didn’t detract from the crunchy crust.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the beetroot carpaccio, so much so that I’d prefer it to the beef counterpart. The sweet thinly slice beets were enhanced with tangy yogurt and a yellow beet mousse. Because there were so many creamy ingredients, the roasted pecans worked nicely to add a contrasting texture. Sadly, the dish isn’t on their regular menu, which really should be included as it’s a hit.

Another off-menu item was the youvetsi, a bed of plump fragrant orzo topped with an extremely tender beef cheek. The meat could use more seasoning, but the pasta was delicious and well flavoured. If anything, the olive tapenade that was too harsh for the hamachi would go nicely on the beef here.

While the lavraki ($65) was cooked adequately, it didn’t look very appetizing. I’d recommend the chef keeping the skin on and crisping it up to give the fillet a more aesthetically pleasing structure and texture. As fish goes, it tasted fresh and the main was a nice lighter change after the beef cheek. I just found the lemon in the thyme oil heavy handed in the stewed wild horta, dandelion greens that tastes like spinach, so it was a bit harsh against the neutral fish.

In retrospect, the lemon thyme oil would have gone nicely with the roasted potatoes ($16) as these were dense and would have benefited from a bright element. Too bad the sides were served after all the mains so there wasn’t really anything to go with them. If you’re a fan of roasted Brussel sprouts, the broccolini ($23) is a side with the same feel - the crispy roasted greens topped with hot pepper sauce, lemon oil, and cheese.  

For the tasting menu, Myth chose to feature a rizogalo as dessert. While the rice pudding was decent, it was too dense, so it felt like you’d eating a clump of rice versus a creamy saucy pudding. It also needed to be sweeter to satisfy. As it stands, the dish is more brunch than dessert.

Despite being opened for over two years, Myth is still going through some growing pains. Even though service was friendly, the wine pairings and sides just weren’t keeping up with the food coming out. Maybe because it’s such a big restaurant, but the various stations weren’t communicating to make the meal a fulsome experience. Who knows, maybe with some time the restaurant will eventually become a feast for the Gods. 

• Pinkerton's Snack Bar
• Maple Leaf Tavern

Do you have a favourite neighbourhood restaurant? It’s that place you head out to for an impromptu meal, somewhere that offers a solid menu with reasonable prices, and you know you can likely score a table without waiting too long. The food may not be Michelin quality, but you’re usually not disappointed, and the menu’s varied enough that you’ll find something to eat. If I lived in the Yonge and Eglinton area, Wild Chicory could be one of those favourite local haunts.

Their menu is extensive, with several starters that would work well as “tapas” or even act as a main with a side dish, for nights when you don’t have a big appetite. The flavours of the Seoul chicken ($16) were decent – a combination of sweet, sour, and spicy – but could use more gochujang for heat and less rice vinegar as it was a tad tart for my taste. Crispy and juicy, these would have been even better if it arrived hotter.

My husband hypothesized that the chicken likely got cold as they were waiting on the rice nuggets in the crispy pork belly ($17). Indeed, they were searingly hot, very crunchy and addicting – the best part of the dish. Disappointingly, the pork belly wasn’t actually crispy. Perhaps it’s because the big chunks of meat are difficult to render and the dish would be better served as slices so there’s a larger surface area. More likely, there could just be too much hoisin sauce covering everything, which I did find overpowering and would have worked better smeared on the plate so diners can adjust the amount they want on the pork.

The problem with such strong-tasting starters is that the mains feel bland in comparison. A special that evening was the beef rib ($28) that was prepared to tender but not too soft. However, a thick piece of beef needs liberal seasoning to permeate into the meat. When I was having it au natural, it tasted plain. Luckily, the dish did come with a creamy sweet corn bisque and barbeque sauce, two things to dunk the beef into. What impressed me most were the sides, a light creamy potato salad that was bursting with flavours and a crispy and fresh coleslaw.

In the coast to coast ($38), only the scallops were seasoned perfectly, the bit of salt enhancing the beautifully crusted seafood that arrive just cooked through. The salmon was okay, not overly flavourful but at least had a lovely crispy skin. If it was done a touch less it’d be even better since the dish doesn’t come with a sauce and the fish tends to dry out quickly. Meanwhile, the leek and pea barley was too mild and so over powered by the lemon foam that it started having a bitter undertone. Perhaps, it could have been saved with salt.

Maybe I was lucky I didn’t finish the barley as it left me room to share Wild Chicory’s tiramisu ($12), it was delicious… the perfect balance of soaked lady fingers and mascarpone laced cream. Shaving chocolate on top was a nice touch, but I’d still add a touch of cocoa powder as its bitterness would better balance the dessert. Consequently, the tiramisu’s sweetness did go particularly well with an espresso martini ($17), which had a slight bitterness that diluted the sugariness.

Ah… an espresso martini, my go-to drink lately for elongating a meal to make it last a little longer. And time is what you have at Wild Chicory: you’re not being rushed to leave or warned about a two-hour seating limit. That’s how neighbourhood spots should be – walk-in, choose something new or order a favourite, and then just sit back and enjoy.