LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2024

CHEF’S DAY OFF

Playing Favourites Looking for the best local spots? Just ask a professional in the hospitality biz for their top tips, personal favourites and off-the-radar places to eat and drink.

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1 RPM Bakehouse, Jordan “When we work at Westcott Vineyards, we’re close by and we’ll go like five times a week. Everything is done in-house, and they use ingredients grown on the farm at Pearl Morissette Winery. Their breads are amazing. We use their sourdough often in our restaurant.” rpmbakehouse.com 2 Allen’s, Toronto “They have an all-Ontario wine list, so every time I go there I discover something new. They have an awesome menu with a huge variety of stuff, but without fail, I’ll always order their chicken wings and Caesar salad. It’s been around forever and it’s a great neighbourhood restaurant.” allens.to 3 The Good Earth Food & Wine Co., Beamsville “I love everything they create here—they do dinner, they have wood-fired pizzas, they have live music every day. The atmosphere is so fun. Their service and hospitality is awesome. It’s one of those spaces that you can recommend to anybody and you know they’ll have a good time.” goodearthfoodandwine.com 4 The Green Door Restaurant & Bakery, Ottawa “It’s a vegetarian restaurant, and every dish they make is so inspiring. My whole family loves it, so we usually get there at least once when I’m home visiting them in Ottawa. It’s one of my favourite lunch spots.” thegreendoor.ca 5 416 Snack Bar, Toronto “This was the first place I tried steak tartare when I was in college. Their version has a lot of bite, and it got me hooked on the dish. It’s always crowded, and they have a cool drink list. They also have a no-cutlery rule, so everything has to be eaten by hand, which is fun.” 416snackbar.com 3

BY JESSICA HURAS

Since 2018, Olivia Simpson has been championing home grown ingredients

alongside her partner in business and life, Ricky Casipe, through their Ricky+Olivia Events pop-ups across Ontario (rickyandolivia.com). Simpson is now bringing her locavore philosophy to the pair’s first bricks and-mortar restaurant in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood. Here’s where she likes to eat on her days off.

Simpson’s go-to drink order when dining out is a Dirty Martini. She recommends order ing one at Evangeline, the rooftop bar in Toronto’s Ace Hotel. “They use aquavit as their base, and it’s a delicious, herbaceous alternative,” she says. evangelinetoronto.com

PORTRAIT: PHOTOGRAPHY: MAYA VISNYEI; PROP STYLING: STACEY SMITHERS; TOP RIGHT: NATASCHIA WIELINK

116 FOOD & DRINK SPRING 2024