Modus

 

Chef Bruce Woods, formerly of Centro, then Brassaii, has returned to the simpler pleasures of refined service and hushed rooms at Modus, his new Bay Street restaurant. One bite of butternut squash agnolotti in a dark pool of marsala with braised duck and truffle pesto, and it’s apparent Woods is back in top form. Pan-roasted diver scallops, done in countless restaurants, are beautifully reimagined: the plump orbs are dotted with salsa made from fennel, bittersweet blood oranges and salty black olives, and sit on a lush streak of parsnip purée. Likewise, he makes an olive oil cake opulent with basil-roasted strawberries and an exquisite lemon-scented olive oil ice cream.