The Landwehr Report

Toronto, ON
August 27, 2008

SUITS EVERY TASTE

By Sheldon Landwehr

Boiler House is a welcome restaurant concept, expansively grounded in the cities provincial historic distillery sphere. The tasteful industrial environment incorporates the former distilleries towering ceilings, exposed piping, as well as the timeless bricks and woodworks. Its immense space is outfitted with a lengthy, well-attended bar, a lofty 22 foot high wine rack, roomy booth banquettes and wood block tables flanked by sturdy chairs. Fanciful nooks attended by tables for two, likewise underscores the dining room, while a jazz guitarist serenades patrons from the master distilleries former aerial platform.

The Boiler House kitchen specializes in contemporary Canadian chop house fare, but does not limit itself to them, and changes the menu to fit the season.

The menu can be creative, tempting and international too, with the likes of faultlessly pan-seared, melt-in-the-mouth Quebec Foie Gras, heightened with roasted hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, sensitively drizzled with walnut vinaigrette and a frisee salad. Hand- cut pillow-type nuggets of Yukon potato fries are ideal nibbler with cocktails, and there is a country-spiced Caesar salad tossed with crisp double-smoked bacon, shaved pecorino cheese, crunchy croutons, and roasted aromatic garlic dressing.

Thought is given to such entrees as the appealing Bouillabaisse, floating plump Diver scallops, Gulf shrimp and pristine mussels. A longtime favorite is the crusted Ahi tuna loin, proffered on a bed of pickled cucumber cappellini, red onion and apple marmalade.

The Boiler House occasionally stumbles in its execution -- as in the otherwise tender, well-marbled, grilled rib-eye steak which would have tickled us more minus the superfluous caramelized onions, braised pomme boulangere, and summer berry gastrique or the petit French sticks suffering from a surfeit of garlic. Nevertheless, Boiler House leaves one admiring its predomintly good taste, consistency and spirit, in one of the most unique dining arenas in town.

Boiler House, 55 Mill Street , Building 46, Toronto , Canada . Phone: 416-203-2121. Dinner only Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday brunch 11 to 3. Entrees $23 to $36. Outdoor patio weather permitting. Accepts reservations, major credit cards. WWW.BOILERHOUSE.CA. Street parking.