Toronto Uncovered

I have mentioned a few times that I am completely in love, and possibly have an unhealthy obsession, with all things food. Luckily, I am active enough to stave off severe weight gain as a result of my never ending quest for delicious delicacies. Last weekend, I discovered a new restaurant on Queen West called Vdara (aka mmmm Vdara).  It has since been added to my ‘must go back and try everything else on the menu’ list.

Before I get too carried away with the details of the actual meal, I want to quickly highlight the ambiance and atmosphere. For a restaurant to be truly successful on Queen West, it needs to meet a few conditions: First, low yuppy appeal. Check. The decorative wall art featuring nude dancers left little to the imagination and should promptly scare away any easily offended,  square types. Second, it needs to appeal to a diverse crowd. Check. Whether you’re looking for drinks, dinner, P. Diddy’s Ciroc cocktails, or a dimly lit corner to rehash the latest pitfalls of your life, you wont be disappointed. Third, it should have a trendy name that new comers aren’t quite sure how to pronounce – think Czehoskis, Noce and Addis Ababa. Check.

Now, onto the meal itself. There was a large group of us for dinner so we ordered six or seven appetizers to share. The herbs and spices fried chicken strips and empenadas stuffed with pulled pork were amazing, but the real show stopper was the breaded and baked mac ‘n’ cheese cakes topped with smoked bacon and home-made ketchup.  I literally dreaded swallowing every bite for fear it would be my last. In short, moanfully good. For my main, I ordered the blackened tilapia with fruit salsa and baked sour cream and chive potatoes.  I’m a huge fan of blackened anything, so this was right up my alley. The poor, unsuspecting guy sitting next to me ordered grilled beef tenderloin (my second choice) which smelled so good I insisted on sampling his more than once.

I’ve been promoting Vdara to everyone who is looking for a really great meal, at a reasonable price (expect to pay approx 60.00-70.00 with wine, tax, and tip). If you’re in the area its well worth stopping in – let me know if you do.