Where to eat lunch this week: Hank’s (redux)

We revisit the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood café to see how it fares in the post-Kennedy era.

The place: No, it’s not déjà vu. Yes, Hank’s has been featured here before. But since then, chef and owner Jamie Kennedy has abandoned ship (along with the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar next door) and kitchen power couple Scott Vivian and Rachelle Cadwell have taken the helm, giving the downtown café their own culinary spin. The most obvious improvement is the interior. The dining area has doubled, with the stunning sepia-toned mural now a commanding backdrop. The rustic look is carried throughout, with old pews for seating, mason jars for water glasses, and chunky wooden tables.

The crowd: Despite the touristy neighbourhood, Hank’s is predominantly the coffee and lunch spot of choice for area office workers. They’re mostly of the grab-and-go variety, giving sit-down diners lots of room to spread out.

The deal: Like Kennedy, Vivian still focuses on local and seasonal ingredients, with gourmet sandwiches (available in half portions), daily soup specials and salads, including couscous with currants and apple cider vinegar ($6.75), and roasted beet with pine nuts and goat cheese ($7.25). Pastry chef Cadwell has improved the previously underwhelming selection of daily baked goods, offering more options, like red velvet cake, mint bars and meringues.

The dish: The half portion of the roasted capon sandwich ($5) with green onion mayo and smoked cheddar features a perfectly moist piece of capon breast between hearty slices of ancient grain and honey bread, but it looks a little sad and unsubstantial on the plate. (We suggest getting the full-size sandwich for a few bucks more.) Good thing we ordered the spicy, satisfying and vibrant cabbage and chorizo stew ($6.50), which comes loaded with carrots and whole mushrooms. A sampling of a friend’s side of fries ($5) reveals that they aren’t as light or crisp as they once were, but they come in a cute little bucket. We can’t leave without giving one of Cadwell’s cookies a try: the buttery, crumbly chocolate chip–walnut cookie ($1.75) with warm and melting chocolate seemed appropriately excessive for Fat Tuesday.

The time: A respectable 50 minutes.

The cost: $20, including tax, tip and a Pop Shoppe cream soda ($1.65).

Hank’s, 9 1/2 Church St., 416-505-2657, hankstoronto.blogspot.com.

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