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Restaurants › French

Böhmer ½ [?]

93 Ossington Ave. (at Humbert St.) • View on map »
416-531-3800
http://www.boehmer.ca/

Chef Paul Boehmer’s Ossington room is bigger and slicker than any of the competition along the strip. It’s also more expensive than, say, Delux or Foxley, which serve better food just up the street. But if you’re looking for a beautiful room and more ambiance, Böhmer is the place to go. Housed in a former auto garage, the space is a handsome fusion of farmhouse and warehouse, highlighted by two stunning wooden chandeliers from Toronto design duo the Brothers Dressler. Bisecting the room is a long bar that, on this night, provides a warm-up spot for 40-something lotharios out on the town. The cooking is generally solid, though one would expect more dazzle from a chef who once worked alongside Michael Stadtländer at foodie temple Eigensinn Farm. Red and golden beets are dressed in a tart plum-cranberry vinaigrette, nestled in peppery arugula and topped with massive quenelles of chèvre. It’s good, but the plate cries out for something to distinguish it from every other beet salad in town. On the winter menu, duck breast is flawlessly executed: crisp, salty and bloody. The accompanying ravioli are stuffed with pumpkin and have a beguiling nuttiness. Almond teacakes are moist and buttery, though they get boring by the third cake. The cellar is a gold mine for patriotic tipplers. Service would be sharper if the managers did less scanning of the room and more heavy lifting when the place gets busy. Mains $18–$38.

Bring your own bottle

93 Ossington Ave. (at Humbert St.)

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