There’s no better way to get into the mind of a restaurant than through their chef’s menu. At Richmond Station, every two weeks, their chefs create a tasting menu ($120) with an optional beverage pairing ($75) that tests ideas in progress (some finding a permanent home on the a la carte menu) and others simply showcasing the amazing ingredients available.

Their late July menu started us off with a selection of canapés, a great way to begin so diners have something to nibble on while waiting for the main attractions to arrive. We start with the salmon tart filled with finely chopped salmon, onion, and dill aioli creating a fresh savoury bite. The pastry has a soft crispiness that’s a little unexpected – it tastes like thinly compressed shortbread. The fish was great, but the shell made me ponder.

Luckily, I didn’t have to think for long as my mind was blown by the buttermilk oyster. It is SO good! What a genius idea to use buttermilk and herb oil as the flavouring – the creaminess combines wonderfully with the silky briny oyster, while still having a touch of acid. Ultimately, it allows the oyster to finish sweeter. Move over red onion mignonette, let’s hope buttermilk rains supreme.  

Our server suggests we follow the oyster with the thick tomato bisque, which was fine but not nearly as great as the oyster. Be sure to dig to the bottom of the teacup, that’s where you’ll find pieces of Parmesan crisps that add a salty hit to the soup.

Following orders, we sample the profiterole last as its sweet and salty filling (perhaps a liver mousse with maple syrup?) brings an almost dessert-like finish to the canapés. Personally, I think Richmond Station should consider including one of these with the bill, in lieu of the typical chocolate (the restaurant does put a sweet and salty spin on the mignonettes), as it’s unexpected and ends the meal on a lighter note.

It’s no surprise that the summer menu features a host of seafood: the starter, a scallop crudo, takes a fresh clean scallop and adds bits of radish to enhance the soft shellfish. I love the diced pickled jalapeño that add an unexpected hint of spice, which is calmed by the lime crème fraiche. I’ve always associated Richmond Station with meat (likely because of their famous burger), but this menu shows they do seafood well.

We’re advised the summer squash salad is created from things grown in their garden – barely cooked rounds of zucchini and sweet, peeled tomatoes sitting on a surprisingly rich squash purée that’s spiced with miso. Somehow, they created a feeling of having a “warm” salad without raising the temperature.

The black sea bass was steamed to perfection and the mound of mushroom foam, once mixed with the vermouth cream, creates a comforting cream of mushroom taste – an unexpected and enjoyable twist. While the dish could have become heavy, once you pop one of the Saltspring Island mussels into your mouth, the acidic bite resets the taste buds.

In terms of food, the only slight slip on the menu was the honey-glazed Muscovy duck. While it was cooked well and had great flavours, our piece had a chewy silvery bit running through the meat. Since the duck was left as a larger piece (likely to ensure it stays warmer), that grizzly flaw made it difficult to cut thinly and made for a chewy bite.

My recommendation, if there is a tell-tale silvery sign after cutting into the duck, is for the kitchen to proceed to slice the breast into thin slices… even at the detriment of the meat arriving cooler than normal. In this case, perhaps pour the au jus from a hot vessel tableside to bring heat back into the dish? It’s just a shame when you can’t enjoy the duck to it’s fullest because you have a mound in your mouth that you’re chewing through like Bubblicious.

Cheers to the duck sausage, which was delicious, especially when mixed with a bit of creamed Swiss chard, chanterelle mushrooms, and sour cherry jus.

Richmond Station was smart to serve their pillowy soft bread with the duck, so diners don’t fill-up on the warm milky creation. Normally, I would have devoured both, but by the end of the meal I could only have one. In hindsight, I should have skipped the cup of tomato soup to save room for the roll.

Dessert brought us a custardy vanilla panna cotta topped with tart stewed gooseberries, berry sorbet, and meringue pieces. Like many of the other dishes, Richmond Station seems to always like to feature at least two flavours – in this case sweet and sour – to keep every bite interesting.

The petit fours bring the meal full circle with a fruit tart made with the same crust as the salmon… yes, I still remembered the shortbread like shell by the end of the meal, and it works better for a sweet.  

While the food was a hit, service could improve with two slight adjustments:

• Richmond Station’s cozy upstairs dining room doesn’t make it easy to hear people – especially when they are wearing a mask. I’d recommend having the chef remove their mask when explaining the dish or letting the maskless servers do the talking, as I could only catch every third word of the explanation and didn’t have the heart to keep asking them to repeat themselves.

• If need be, slow down the food service to give the front-of-the-house enough time to do their part. For example, we had to follow-up on our drinks that hadn’t arrived by the time the canapes were presented – champagne goes so well with oysters that it would be a shame not to have them together. And there was an instance where a dish was presented before the cutlery was set – to their credit, the chef noticed right after explaining the dish and went to get the cutlery… at the same time our server arrived to lay it out. I get it, there’s a staffing shortage so these things will happen. Perhaps, slowing down the pace of how quickly dishes are coming out will give servers (especially new and inexperienced ones) more time to complete all their prep work.

At least bill settlements are kept simple. Richmond Station’s prices already includes gratuities, so when you ask for the check, they just add on taxes. The pay machine arrives with the total inputted and ready to tap. So, finalizing the transaction is simply a snap. Don’t worry, I’ll stop doing rhymes now. 

Azhar Kitchen & Bar is one of the many restaurants that forms the Gusto 54 chain, and it is no less inviting and delicious. After attending an event in Ossington, we were peckish and in search for a satisfying dinner before calling it a night. After being turned away from other Ossington establishments, it was Azhar that took us in and welcomed us onto comfortable seats at the bar.

Famished, we opted for shared starters, and I was excited to find zucchini flowers ($15) on the menu. The delicate flora is stuffed with a smooth cheese filling, which the menu describes as feta based but I tasted a faint blue cheese element as well, and deep fried giving the flower petals a light crunchiness, the centre a heat that blends with the creamy cheese, and the stem that zucchini texture and taste. Now these are the kind of flowers I like getting.

The babaganoush ($12) could easily satisfy four people, a huge mound of the roasted eggplant with a tart hit of date and molasses syrup and added crunchiness from a sprinkle of seeds. I appreciate Azhar’s use of vibrant high-quality olive oil that can blend with the eggplant or shine on its own. Either goes so wonderfully with the hot-from-the-oven pita that so soft and chewy. We thought one pita would do but after the first glorious bite, we immediately wanted another. The second arrived in no time and was equally piping hot… like singe your fingertips type of hot.

Being a weekday vegetarian, I appreciate the host of meatless options on Azhar’s menu. Although, I found they are generally a series of dishes (a side, a plant-based protein, etc.) that need to be ordered together, rather than having one dish that works as a complete meal. Accordingly, unless others at the table also want to go meatless it would be too much for one person.

In the end, I thought the Mujadara rice ($21) would be the best bet for a main, albeit a tad heavy for one (there were leftovers to bring home). The fragrant stewed lentils and caramelized combined nicely with the basmati rice studded with raisins and spices to create a flavour-packed dish. Generally, I’m not a fan of fruit with rice, but when combined with the creamy labneh, the raisin’s sweetness helped tone down the yoghurt’s acid. I wish there was the option to add another vegetarian protein to really round out the dish, a handful of roasted mushrooms might be great with the rice.

Service was top notch even sitting at the bar. The bartender was by to make sure we were satisfied and taken care of whenever he had a chance, and despite also having to man the bar was engaging and welcoming. In fact, if I had to describe Azhar with one word it would be ‘welcoming’, from interactions with staff members to the dishes that draw you in for another bite - Azhar would be one big welcome mat.  

As a society, we seem to be a nostalgic bunch. Possibly a by product of living through the pandemic, or just because we crave the “good old days” when things were just simpler. We’re listening to more oldies than current top hits, television reboots are sprouting up, and the excitement around Top Gun Maverick is palpable. Does this bleed into the way we eat as well?

Unfortunately, rising rents and COVID has also claimed several iconic diners across Toronto. For Midtown residents, we’re lucky that Hazel’s Diner is still around. Having been to their Yonge location on numerous occasions, I was invited to visit the newer Mount Pleasant outpost, which serves the same menu.   

While the Yonge location’s dark wooden interior provides a homey rustic feeling, Mount Pleasant’s dining room is full of bright colours and light, a nod to the retro diners of the 50s. I almost expected to find Archie and Jughead lounging around the restaurant, tucking into large frothy milkshakes.

The Mount Pleasant location also has an outdoor patio, hidden by beautiful foliage and a wide sidewalk so that there's more privacy. 

You can certainly find the staple breakfast fare of bacon and eggs at Hazel’s, although I think their signature creations are so much better and love that their menu offers so many meat-free options.

Bonnie’s hash ($17), named after the owner’s wife who is a vegetarian, is a hearty combination of well toasted potatoes mixed with corn, onion, pepper, spinach, garlic, and jalapeno, topped with two eggs done to your liking (my over medium was done perfectly). It’s a satisfying breakfast that’s also refreshing and delicious.

I only wish the rye bread was less crispy – it’s more akin to melba toast – and is great for dipping into eggs but not solo with jam. Sourced from a local bakery, the owner explains the lack of preservatives does mean it can crisp up quickly, so perhaps order it untoasted if you like your bread soft.

The TPA benny ($17) is a healthy choice as the poached eggs are accompanied by a mound of arugula salad, tomato slices, and asparagus. Of course, they are also slathered in a rich buttery hollandaise and sit on a large crispy rosti, but what’s a breakfast without potatoes?

Picture and experience of TPA Benny from Yonge location

Hazel’s rosti is crunchier than the traditional Swiss version; it’s more like deep fried shredded potatoes than a pan-toasted potato pancake. Yet, it starts to soften as the egg yolk and tomato juices begin to meld into the rosti. Everything was so fresh thanks to the owner’s dedication to buying most of the ingredients himself… he’s a touch and see the ingredients kind of person. Oh, and if you’re wondering what TPA stands for, it’s tomato potato arugula.

On the other hand, if you’re craving decadence, the eggs Natasha ($19) places poached eggs on smoked salmon and pancakes topped with hollandaise, sour cream, and black caviar. It’s a savoury, sweet, and smoky concoction, certainly a dish to wake up the taste buds and makes me wonder if it’s too early to have a shot of vodka.

For those who like it sweet, the French toast is made from challah so that it’s extra custardy tasting with a faint cinnamon finish. I particularly love that Hazel’s uses maple syrup instead of the overly thick and plasticky tasting table syrup. When you’re creating such wonderful dishes, go maple!    

After such a filling brunch, I didn’t think we could get through the loaded waffle ($16), but as I took a bite of the fluffy creation with a sweet berry, I wanted another bite and another… needless to say, it did not go to waste. And despite what looks like an insane amount of whipped cream, it was as light as air and seemed to vanish on the tongue.

One thing is for sure, you’ll leave Hazel’s feeling satisfied (if not stuffed) as that’s how diners are supposed to be. I picture a stout smiling women with a slight Southern twang urging me to eat another bite and ending sentences with “sugar”. Imagine my surprise when I find out Hazel is the name of the owner’s car … so, not a person. I guess that’s one thing about nostalgia, we look back with rosier glasses, and in my mind, there will always be a Grandma Hazel.