Biff’s
[?]
416-860-0086
w: http://oliverbonacini.com/Biffs-Bistro.aspx
Oliver and Bonacini’s welcoming Front Street standby bears many of the hallmarks of an old-school bistro—belle époque posters, beef bourguignon, waiters in starched white aprons—and after a decade of serving the financial and pre-theatre crowd, it should by all rights have turned a little stale by now. But the feel and service are still fresh and mostly fabulous, and chef Basilio Pesce has smartly embraced locavore and nose-to-tail trends to keep the cooking vital and totally up-to-date. His seared Ontario pickerel, topped with a soft-poached duck egg, has got to be one of the nicest fish dishes in the city; it’s set over an exceptionally well-made smoked-haddock chowder that’s creamy, perfectly seasoned and strewn with just-cooked root vegetables. The roasted bone marrow pudding is a long shin bone, cut horizontally and filled with blessedly fatty marrow that’s tossed with breadcrumbs and crunchy salt and served with good crostini. There’s tongue salad, too: it’s pale, thin-sliced and tender, with crisp mà¢che and whole sour caper berries to keep the fat in check. The frites are well-made and served with red pepper and saffron rouille. Admirable little touches, from the house mustard and cornichons set on the table to the best-of-city baguettes (made by David Wilson, Marc Thuet’s former head baker) to $1 oysters at the bar after 5 p.m. The baked-to-order madeleines and profiteroles are made exceptional. Mains $18—$35.
Description
Category Features
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Bring your own bottle: Yes
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Price Range: Dinner for $90 - $130
Editor's Star Rating: 2.5
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