North York mall aficionados, desperate for something more than assembly line subs and prefab pizza, swarm Oliver & Bonacini in Bayview Village, especially on weekends, when the restaurant annoyingly does not take reservations. The large, airy room feels like a soundstage set for an après-ski comedy, with birch tree stumps, and a warm flame from the open kitchen’s pizza oven. The herd of hostesses in matronly grey and mauve uniforms, however, undoes any hints of glam. In general, the servers, while smilingly pleasant and legion in number, feel vacuously corporate. Thankfully, the food they deliver has been conceived—if not always executed—with some heart. Yellowfin tartare on perfect guacamole is sprinkled with fiery chipotle-roasted sesame seeds and paired beautifully with a drizzle of ginger-infused soy. Mains don’t live up to the apps. Mac and cheese arrives tepid in both temperature and flavour, delivering bland chicken strips in a watery cheddar and goat cheese sauce. Baby back ribs need another hour of tenderizing and a solid blast of spices to enliven their sweet but otherwise dimensionless barbecue sauce. Desserts include a moist carrot cake with house-made lemon ice cream. Mains $12–$28.