The Sunday Sun, December 31, 2000

The Annual Waxman Awards

It being that time of the year, let us savour again the highlights of the past 12 months.
Chef of the Year: There is no contest. Patrick Lin, currently Chef at Hemispheres Restaurant (110 Chestnut St.), is humble, modest and brilliant. Let him help plan your menu and you will reach the nirvana reserved for gastronomes.

I Did It My Way Award: Susur Lee opens his new restaurant called Susur (601 King St. W.), thrills us with his pristine, Asian-inspired cuisine, and the glitterati flock to his door — once, maybe twice. Happily, there’s a never-ending supply of glitterati.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match Award: Norman Wolfson, consultant and culinary team builder in the firm Lecours Wolfson, for greasing the wheels of the hospitality industry in Canada. To wit: The team at the Platinum Club, Air Canada Centre.

Not Just a Pretty Place to Sleep Awards: 1) Annona, the new dining room on the main floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel (Bloor St. and Avenue Rd.), does not try to reinvent the wheel, but polishes up the spokes beautifully. 2) Tundra, the sleek new restaurant in the Hilton Toronto, (Richmond St. at University), interprets Canadian cuisine in unique and extraordinary ways — from musk ox to Saskatoon berries.

The What’s For Dessert Awards: 1)The best lemon tart, mouth-puckering and velvety at The Town Grill (243 Carlton St.). 2) Divine sticky toffee pudding made with Wild Turkey bourbon at The Torch Bistro (253 Victoria St.).

French Kisses All Around Awards: 1)Pastis (1158 Yonge St.) for foie gras, braised sweetbreads and divine fish soup. 2) The Torch Bistro (253 Victoria St.)‚ serves duck confit like Grandmère used to make.

Flavour of the Month of April: Tempo (596 College St.). Turning Japanese in Little Italy meant standing room only in this trendy spot. But must they put Daikon radish in everything? Still, it’s worth another visit in 2001.

Sunday in the Country Award: Sunday brunch in the beautiful dining rooms at Langdon Hall Country House Hotel (R.R. 33, Cambridge) is so special, you’ll want to stay for dinner.
Stand Up and Salute the Flag Award: Patriot Restaurant & Brasserie (131 Bloor St. W.). So you think Canadian cuisine is boring? Take another look, because this is the most excitement to hit Bloor since the opening of Chanel, whose second-floor salon is next door.

Restrained Extravagance Award: Accolade, Crowne Plaza Hotel (225 Front St. W.). In a six-course meal, one oyster is a course, one blini with smoked salmon is a course, one lamb-chop is a course. Cookies are the size of buttons. Some call it haute cuisine; we call it chutzpah.

The Essence of Cool Award: The room is almost an illusion, but the food is a masterful gathering of luscious ingredients. Not for everyone, but if you think “cool,” think Zinc (471 Richmond St.)
From the Wood-Burning Oven Award: Pizza. Hot, crisp crust melting with fine mozzarella, fresh porcini mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil, the other half, savoury artichoke purée, sweet red pepper and a swirl of prosciutto. If this is what they’re giving away as an amuse-bouche, imagine what they’re selling at Chanterelle (1640 Bayview Ave).

The Breakfast of Champions; The Champion of Breakfasts Award: Over Easy (208 Bloor St. W.) for the best darn all-day breakfast in town. Way more than bacon and eggs.

Paying Off My Student Loan Award: The pert and perky servers at Hooters of Toronto (280 Adelaide St. W.) know how to serve those wings and shrimp. Women of every age know these moves, they’re in our genetic code.

Present Tense: We’re quackers over duck confit and crazy about big-grained Carnaroli rice. Razor clams are cutting edge, and caviar is making a comeback, big time. Tiramisu has said its final Ciao, joining pasta primavera and a few hundred other victims of Italian cucina overkill. The passion for mashed potatoes is as over as Seinfeld, and our love affair with frites is faltering, but a stack of sturdy Pont Neuf potatoes is an attention-grabber. Riding the crest of popularity, the new Portuguese eateries on College. Soon, cataplana will be a household word.

Future Tense: As I raise a glass of cheer, I whisper a prayer to the kitchen god. Maybe this will be the year that chefs start making real chicken soup again. Have a Happy New Year!

Sara Waxman's restaurant reviews can also be found at www.canoe.ca/TorontoDiningOut and www.fyitoronto.com