CAFE DU LAC
2350 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Toronto 416-848-7381
Where else but Quebec can you fill your plate with a truly mouth-watering combination of street food and luxe treats? Etobicoke! That's right. A tiny fragment of La Belle Province has migrated down the St. Lawrence River to the shores of Lake Ontario.
Cafe du Lac, run by a transplanted Quebecer, serves up its own take on the distinct high-low repertoire of our eastern neighbour. You'll find gooey poutine alongside refined duck magret, maple creme brulee competing for your sweet tooth with pouding chomeur -- poor man's pudding. It's an irresistible combination.
Since its summer opening, this bistro has created a substantial menu featuring much Quebec-produced fare, everything from maple syrup to beer. The cheese is from the Charlevoix region, the wild boar for the burgers from Montebello.
To sample the widest variety, our party ordered our first course entirely from the appetizer menu.
The star of the evening's meal was, without a doubt, the all-dressed poutine. Although the decadence of the dish nearly overwhelmed, the plate was almost scraped clean. Golden homemade french fries were layered with a pleasingly thin gravy speckled with bits of beef, a cheese-laden white sauce and several substantial segments of seared foie gras. This poutine was near perfect, save for the cheese-to-fry ratio being a bit out of whack in favour of the curds.
Other items were more understated but still charmed the palate The farmer's pate was a chunky, dense, almost earthy-tasting, mishmash of cold meats. The soup of the day was butternut squash, enlivened by maple and nutmeg.
Salad here is simple but not dull. On one plate, a combination of greens was encircled by rich, buttery slices of sliced duck breast. On another, the mesclun mix provided a fresh counterpoint to tangy discs of warm goat cheese on toast.
Meanwhile, the cherry tomato tart paired the acidity of the fruit with a creamy-salty layer of soft cheese and herb.
Avoiding the main courses left room for dessert, but not much After lengthy debate, a slice of lemon tart was summoned to the table. It was tart and zesty. And although these are admirable qualities in a lemon pastry, it was determined by the last bite that the intensity was almost too much.
All-in-all, Cafe du Lac will make you a little less sad that the trek to Montreal is too damn long to make every weekend. - Dinner for two (includes tax, but not tip): $70. Tell us about your favourite suburban eatery at burbchomp@nationalpost.com.
