Restaurants › Bistro
Café du Lac
- 2350 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (at Burlington St.) • View on map »
- 416-848-7381
- http://www.cafedulac.ca/
The small restaurant across the boulevard from Mimico Beach purports to offer a “taste of Quebec,” and it does in fact serve up competent and well-priced bistro standards with the odd belle province delicacy. It would be grossly unfair to hold Café du Lac to the standards of Québécois cuisine found in Montreal or Quebec City, but as a friendly neighbourhood restaurant, it holds its own. Even on busy nights, when the 40-seat room is jammed and conversations drown out the twangs of Les Cowboys Fringants on the sound system, owner Kathryn Ashby greets each table and offers effusive explanations of the nightly specials. Charcuterie and pâté make appearances as entrées, but it’s more fun to share the supreme poutine: perfectly crispy frites dressed up with foie gras cream sauce, curds, beef short ribs and chunks of foie gras. A light frisée salad topped with duck confit and an apple-maple vinaigrette marginally staves off impending heart failure. Classic steak frites disappoints—the N.Y. strip loin is badly overcooked—but the frites are perfectly golden and plentiful. Sweet and rich duck breast is excellent: crispy skin covers succulent meat, and rustic mashed potatoes sop up the rich juices. Well-organized diners should also consider the Duck in a Jar. Available by 24-hour pre-order, the foie gras–stuffed magret is bathed in a venison balsamic reduction and served with leeks, potatoes, cabbage and Berkshire pork bacon. All that’s missing from the stick-to-your-ribs fare is tourtière and maple beans. Mains $21–$36.
2350 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (at Burlington St.)
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