July 18: Bymark ★★★★

$25 Lunch

In style, Bymark is the dark and plush antithesis of the bright and playful Canoe. The dimly-lit dungeon laced in stone and wood creates a subtly romantic escape from Bay Street. Shy and contentious waiters are too polite to abide by our order to overlap courses in the interest of time. The dessert was almost delivered within twenty minutes of seating but well-trained busboys turned around hastily as not to disturb my enjoyment of my halibut. Despite this, Bymark still wins the quickest lunch contest at just over thirty minutes. And while the servers are shy, there is nothing timid about the food. Generously thick cuts of both the halibut and the striploin (which resembled tenderloin) jut out confidently in truly three dimensional dishes. And while the flavours are not too complicated, they are incredibly pleasing from the fruity sourness of the Ceviche with crunchy taro contrasting the chewy whitefish to the salty pancetta supporting a flaky halibut. The steak unfortunately reminded of the Keg exclusively because of the blue cheese dressing. A tangy berry jam cut through the combination of dark and white chocolate for a well balanced dessert. This restaurant is for patrons who have big appetites and want big flavours. For a bit more complexity, go upstairs to Canoe.

Whitefish Ceviche
grilled corn, peach salsa and taro chips

Pan Seared Pickerel
white bean salad, pancetta, basil and roasted garlic dressing

Double Chocolate Cake
with minted white chocolate mousse