The last year was a a busy and exciting one for the Toronto food scene, in which we saw electric openings that ranged from highbrow to low, including modest local joints and grand, attention-grabbing eateries.
To highlight the standout newcomers, we asked chef, Daniele Corona recently awarded a Michelin for Don Alfonso 1890 — an Italian gem situated atop Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle— to tell us what she thought was the best new addition to the city’s dining scene. Read on to find out which exciting spot he selected.
Chef Corona’s pick: Casa Madera
“This restaurant is a beautiful location to have a fun night out with friends and enjoy the good vibes and atmosphere. The kitchen does inventive, bold flavours built on sustainable and organic fare,” chef Corona recently told us. “When I have visiting guests from out of town, I take them for dinner and then to the rooftop bar to show off my new home, the city of Toronto.”
Casa Madera
From the live performances to the theatrical presentation of the dishes and drinks, every element of dining at Casa Madera includes dramatic flair. DJs, dancers and live musicians regularly entertain diners between the dazzling arrival at the table of cocktails set aflame or cloaked in a haze of dry ice. The first Canadian location for Los Angeles–based hospitality group Noble 33, Casa Madera’s menu draws on diverse coastal culinary influences from Mexico to the Mediterranean. The restaurant taps into its setting within eco-friendly luxury property 1 Hotel Toronto for its dedication to sustainably sourced ingredients. With an extensive raw bar menu that includes a trio of seafood towers in varying sizes and entrees like striped bass with fennel citrus salad, fresh-from-the-sea dishes are a high point — although meat-centered mains like a wild mushroom truffle risotto and 32-inch bone-in wagyu tomahawk deliver equally bold flavours and Instagram-worthy plating. Nodding to its name, which means “wood house” in Spanish, Casa Madera’s design exudes 1 Hotel’s swish, back-to-nature esthetic. 550 Wellington St. W.
To find out which new restaurant Michelin chef Eric Chong selected, click here, if you’re curious about what new spot Tobey Nemeth and Michael Cabello of Edulis chose, click here, And you’ll find chef Anthony Rose of Fat Pasha’s favourite new restaurant here.
