The Leslieville Guide - Page 21
Image credit: Jessica Darmanin
Edward Levesque’s Kitchen
The place: Many credit this seven-year-old restaurant for kick-starting the Leslieville gastro revolution. Over six weeks in 2002, Edward Levesque transformed what used to be the Queen’s Dinning Room (“They never bothered to fix the typo,” he says) into a country-chic hot spot with yellow ochre walls, a birch trunk entryway and two Group of Seven lithographs in the dining room. Aside from the comfort food menu, what keeps the place crowded each night are the more-than-reasonable food prices and affordable wine list with selections from California, South Africa and Italy. “Customers aren’t spending as much money, and I don’t blame them,” he says. “I’m not going to spend $26 on a piece of chicken.”It items: The better-than-Summerlicious $29 prix fixe menu that includes skirt steak from Cumbrae’s and carrot cake made in-house by pastry chef Jennifer Harrison. Popular à la carte items are the salmon burger and fries ($18) and the roast chicken with tomato, zucchini and focaccia bread salad ($19). Levesque warns that he changes the menu frequently.
The crowd: Locals too tired to cook take over the restaurant on weekdays; gussied up out-of-towners come on the weekend.
Edward Levesque’s Kitchen, 1290 Queen St. E., 416-465-3600, edwardlevesque.ca. Open for lunch Th–F 11:30–2:30; dinner Tu–Sa from 5:30; Sa–Su 9–3.
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Does anyone know where Eye Spy went?
August 24, 2009 | by donnarinoWhat about the Red Rocket? A few of the places in this guide to Leslieville are brand new and haven't even been open for a year.
August 25, 2009 | by dmasottiStop, stop, stop referring to areas of Toronto in reference to New York. Leslieville at one point was referred to Toronto's Lower East Side. That was likely a realtor thing, which served their marketing purposes. Now you're referring to it as Toronto's Brooklyn. STOP IT!!! Leslieville is Leslieville. And Toronto is Toronto, not New York.
August 25, 2009 | by mdasilvaA great list but a lot of omissions. For the best experience of Leslieville, I recommend starting around Coxwell and continue walking west. You'll discover more shops and restaurants on both side of Queen St. E. A personal favourite of mine is Sushi Marché. When I want my sushi fix but I don't want to go downtown for it, I know I can get top quality cuts of fish, rolls and heck, even different flavour Pocky sticks from them.
August 25, 2009 | by Garfield0880The woman who owns eye spy closed the store to focus just on furniture. She is now located on Carlaw between gerrard & dundas.
Shame that the article didn't highlight the best coffee in Toronto, Mercury.
August 25, 2009 | by AllyKeersI totally agree with mdasilva. Do Toronto Life writers wish they lived in NYC or what? It's nauseating.
August 25, 2009 | by donnarinoLove Red Rocket and the Film Buff and the cook's store next door (I forget their name). They are located on Queen just east of Greenwood. If they got as far as Sweet Bliss they would have also noticed these places.
August 25, 2009 | by donnarinoStratengers?? It may not be pretty to look at, but it's got excellent, affordable food and has a great patio.
August 27, 2009 | by BrownesyBrownesy, you're darn right - Strats has been a fixture of Queen Street East forever - for the guys and girls who couldn't play Gorman's, Strats would give you a chance! The restaurant has evolved with the neighbourhood serving a a varied menu of really great food that families on a tight budget can afford. Strats' tandoori is some of the best in town and the pizzas can't be beat. Thanx Brownesy for not letting it get forgot!
September 11, 2009 | by ShowScottThe Curzon, Film Buff, Inspired Chef (cookware), Meating On Queen ( best organic butcher in the area, and killer chicken schnitzel sandwiches and bbq outside in the summer) are among the forgotten in this article, and reasons this area is amazing
January 2, 2010 | by clayI big ommission is TELEGRAMME PRINT(1103 Queen St E). Their rare selection of artwork, including many gig posters, is worth a visit. http://www.telegramme.ca/framing.asp
I also agree with the previous post regarding MEATING ON QUEEN. Their Ecuadorian hot sausages are the best sausage I've had.
March 28, 2010 | by boxset33I agree, Leslieville is a charming neighborhood from Coxwell going west and the stores east of Jones are not included and should be. The Inspired Cook, Any Direct Flight, Film Buff...
Hopefully there will be another issue which includes these locations and some new restaurants which are opening soon.
April 20, 2010 | by ktham