Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse’s new home at CIBC Square is bright and polished compared to its former digs. The gleaming dining room still includes the signature piano bar, complete with live music nightly from 6 to 11 pm, but the larger footprint sacrifices the intimacy the original space had. Fortunately, Chef Danny, who led the kitchen for 16 years at the previous location, remains at the helm.

After hearing about some early growing pains, I purposely waited before visiting. But when Toronto Life hosted a special TL Insider dinner ($225 per person, inclusive of taxes and gratuities), curiosity won out. The prices listed below reflect the regular menu, though portions at the event were likely smaller than standard service.

The evening began with a beef skewer ($31), featuring cubes of barbecued beef glazed in teriyaki and topped with plenty of chives. Unfortunately, consistency was an issue. Other guests raved about how tender theirs were, while mine arrived overcooked. It wasn’t inedible, but it certainly wasn’t tender.

One of the restaurant’s newer additions is its aged fish program, so I was eager to try the dry-aged salmon ($33). Listed as a “crudo,” I expected delicate slices in a citrusy sauce, but it arrived as another skewer. The texture was undeniably smooth, with the dry aging removing any chewiness, but the salmon also developed a gaminess that lingered unpleasantly. A marinade or thinner slicing might help balance things out.

I’m glad their signature Caesar salad ($24) remains excellent. It’s beautifully balanced with acidity, savouriness, and thoughtful touches like buttery breadcrumbs and bacon bits that aren’t rock hard. It’s still one of the better Caesars in the city, though tableside preparation now costs an additional $10.

Fans of tartare will likely appreciate the beef tartare ($41), which is prepared traditionally with minimally dressed hand-cut beef. Personally, I wanted more contrast in texture or flavour, though tartare has never been my go-to dish. I did appreciate the accompaniments of buttery crostini and gem lettuce leaves, which offered a lighter way to enjoy it.

And for fans like me, don't worry their cheese bread puffs still make an appearance (along with their take home chocolate muffins).

What continues to shine at Jacobs is the steak itself. The 40-day dry aged striploin was cooked beautifully, developing a crust that locked in the juices while maintaining tenderness despite being a leaner cut. The seasoning is more restrained, which allowed the volcanic sea salt and chimichurri on the side to actually enhance the beef rather than overwhelm it.

The pecorino broccolini ($22) had me almost finishing off the plate and is such a nice accompaniment with the rich beef. The only disappointment was the duck fat fries ($21), which arrived lukewarm and slightly stale, likely a casualty of serving a packed dining room.

Dessert ended the evening on a high note. The crème brulee ($21) was fantastic with visible vanilla bean specks throughout the silky custard. The sugar topping was thin and delicate, avoiding that overly sweet crunch some versions suffer from. Served alongside a sizeable chocolate biscotti and a fragrant orange shortbread cookie, it’s easily large enough to share.

With the expanded dining room, the front-of-house team has clearly grown as well. The staff is younger and fresher-faced, so any old-school steakhouse stuffiness has largely disappeared. More importantly, the service remains polished and attentive, and we were well taken care of throughout the evening.

Jacobs & Co.’s new location may have lost some of the cozy charm of the original, but it still nails the things that matter most: great steak and attentive service. Not every dish is a hit just yet, but the restaurant still feels every bit like the Toronto steakhouse people know and love.

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.

Even after dining at Soluna, I’m still not sure how to best describe the restaurant. They call themselves as a “Miami meets Tulum-inspired supper club”. And while the entrance screams Mexican, everything else says they’re inspired by more than Tulum.

Starting with the Toronto Life Insider tasting menu ($120 per person). Sure, there were some Mexican dishes from Chef Ricardo Dominguez’s background, but it also showcased Mediterranean, Thailand, and Latin American dishes as well. Ultimately, it was a collection of dishes with bold flavours. Note: regular menu prices have been included in this post.

The spicy crudo ($29) was one of those powerful dishes. Starting with the rub on the seared tenderloin encompassing smoky and salty flavours, but then it’s combined with a spicy habanero mole sauce as well. It was so overpowering that the dish really needed a neutral ingredient to balance it out. The avocado was a start, but even some lettuce wraps to go with steak would be nice.

Normally labneh ($18) has such a fresh creamy element to it, but the Kalamata olive tapenade and za’atar splashed on top made it so salty that the yoghurt became secondary. A little goes a long way on a piece pita or crostini. More sliced vegetables could help mellow out the saltiness of the dip.

I wish I had the Peruvian ceviche ($25) first as after the other two starters all the delicate flavours of the seafood became lost. Such a shame as the dish had the right elements like fresh pieces of fruit (watermelon and goose berries) as well as Asian inspired flavours from the yuzu and sesame oil. Comparatively, it tasted muted and seemed to need more salt, some of which was supplied by the delicious crispy taro chips.

The refreshing Mediterranean salad ($16) was a welcomed dish to follow. The lettuce, cucumber, and tomato mixture dressed in a vibrant red gazpacho that created a deliciously different take on the typical Greek salad.

That brightness was a good pairing for the Thai shrimp ($25), which seemed out-of-place on the menu. You really can’t go wrong with crispy fried shrimp - it’s something crowds will like - but I can’t say the curry sauce and compressed pineapple complimented it well. If anything, I would have liked a jazzed up pico di gallo or tomatillo salsa with the seafood instead.

It is nice to see all the vegetarian options available on Soluna’s menu. A similar fried plant-based starter would be their cauliflower ($21), encrusted in a gluten-free batter and served with a delicious pumpkin sauce. If they were cut into smaller florets and fried longer (to the crispness of the Thai shrimp), it would have brought the dish up to another level.

Once we got to the mains, Chef Ricardo treated us to an off-menu item - duck tacos. I wouldn’t have called it a taco, may a non-crispy flauta. The flour tortilla was stuffed with a Peking duck-style pulled confit so that every bite was filled with the fowl. While it’s tasty, I would have liked something crunchy and fresh to balance out the roll. Maybe julienned cucumbers, carrots, and scallions (if we’re following the Peking duck flavours) or julienned jicama, scallions, and cactus (for more Mexican flavours).

The striploin was cooked well, topped with melted miso butter with a side of puffed potatoes (a cross between roasted potatoes and chips) and serrano aioli. It’s a solid meat and potatoes dish but doesn’t really feel unique.

Yet, if you’re out for dinner with someone who can’t handle the spice, sharing one of Soluna’s steaks is a good idea. Perhaps paired with the well-roasted broccolini ($11) and uber crispy fingerling potatoes ($11). Together, the dishes can rival what’s found at steakhouses.

For me, I enjoy different flavours and once you slather the adobo sauce onto the branzino ($59), it really wakes up the neutral fish. Only the pineapple salsa wasn’t sitting well, a bit too sweet against the flaky fish. Sub the pineapple for a something savoury and crisp up the branzino’s skin and this would be a great dish.  

Get an order of the tres leche ($15) … it’s heavenly. The soft soaked sponge cake enhanced with an espresso meringue and coffee whipped cream so there’s a tiramisu taste. It’s a shareable dessert, but why would you want to?

Meanwhile, the passion fruit tart ($15) is much harder to divvy up as the crispy shell crumbles causing the custard to leak out. While it’s an impressive looking dessert - served in a smoked filled dome that’s theatrically lifted at the table – it tastes like a run-of-the-mill tart.

Still, that was way better than the Caissis cloud, a dessert I could only have one bite. It’s an acquired taste… perhaps liked by those who enjoy chocolate and fruit combinations. For me, the chocolate raspberry mousse studded with brownie chunks and fruit (something tasting like Brookside dark chocolate covered açai blueberries) was strange.

While the food is a bit of a hit and a miss, Soluna makes up for with its vibe. The dining room is beautiful and there’s a festive feeling to dining there. There are no boring dinners here, even during a Wednesday evening they pushed away tables to host a salsa dancing class. For those who prefer to stay in their seats, they also had two seductively dancing girls performing periodically.

If I had to describe Soluna, it’s like a restaurant you would find at a tropical resort. Not necessarily traditional, but you’ll have fun or at the very least be momentarily transported somewhere else.