Preview

September 2007

Power of One

An uptown hero reaches for the stars

The right stuffing: baby back rib ravioliwith miso-glazed scallops and pea purée
The right stuffing: baby back rib ravioli
with miso-glazed scallops and pea purée
Image credit: Christopher Stevenson

In other hands, it could be accused of being too stylish by half: a lavish new restaurant from a veritable Food Network star, opulently designed (cowhide walls and all) by local it-firm Yabu Pushelberg and set on the ground floor of what’s being hyped as “Toronto’s first five-star hotel.” It’s also said to be the key schmoozing and star-spotting locale for this year’s TIFF. But with Mark McEwan, the chef behind North 44° and Bymark, in charge, it’s a good bet that One (116 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-9600), as it’s called, will provide some culinary substance to go with all that style. McEwan promises the restaurant will feel distinctly comfortable; he’s planning “decidedly healthy, market-fresh and sincerely done food.” Though it’s still a new idea in Toronto, service will come family style: orders will be set on the table in bowls or on platters, from which diners will serve themselves. And an innovative by-the-glass wine program will see such high-end bottlings as supertuscans and white bordeaux as readily available as the house wines. McEwan’s planning to open by early August—early enough to get there before Blanchett and Clooney take the prime tables.


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