EatDrink: The Buzz – Culinary Community Notes

Outstanding restaurant experiences are becoming a rarity in today’s evolving dining landscape unless you are dining in the upper echelons of restaurants that have deep pockets, which are primarily found in larger urban centres (like Toronto’s Nobu) or attached to a vineyard (like the 2 Michelin-starred Restaurant Pearl Morrisette in Jordan, Ontario). It is a luxe style of restaurants not readily found in London, with a few exceptions like the opulent Basha Restobar in Hyde Park, Los Olivos in Riverbend, and reportedly Papi’s Steakhouse “speakeasy” at Kellogg’s Lane. The tenets of “old school” and white-linen fine dining and service continue to erode.

Some of my favourite spots to dine in the Ontario countryside besides Pearl Morrisette are the Elora Mill Restaurant in Elora, Heart’s Tavern in Kimberly, Langdon Hall in Cambridge and The Gate in Flesherton.

I count my work colleagues and I as part of the dwindling number of restaurant professionals who still adhere to time-honoured principles and genuine hospitality, emphasizing unpretentious, personalized service and a sense of shared history with long-standing clientele. We offer a calming, familiar and thoughtful experience for diners, rather than merely a superficially performative exchange or a purely transactional interaction. Nothing is more irritating than the yawning indifference of servers, who have unwarranted expectations due to the presumptuous and standard minimum 20 percent tip line (and higher) on credit card payment terminals, slapping food on the table.

The New York Times has published various articles on restaurant etiquette, with recent guidance suggesting that customers should arrive on time, include children in their party count, and inform staff about any issues during the meal rather than after. The publication also highlights broader dining etiquette, such as being mindful of cultural and newcomer customs, and refraining from using cell phones during meals. The baseline for tips remains at around 20 percent, and communication with servers should be polite, using “please” and “thank you” as benchmarks.

If service is poor or equivocal, a gratuity of less than 20 percent is acceptable despite the prompts on the payment terminal. Some etiquette experts suggest leaving less than 10 percent for unexceptional or unresponsive service, and most recommend speaking with the owner or manager instead of leaving no tip at all.

Serendipitously stumbling into a café or bistro and enjoying a good or exceptional meal at a reasonable price is becoming a thing of the past, partly due to the dramatic increase in food and labour costs since the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, uncertainty around tariffs.

So, how does one navigate this culinary minefield? Here are a few tips to help you unearth the gems.

I look for owner-operated establishments where chefs and cooks use fresh ingredients and menus reflect intelligent creativity, ideally featuring seasonal, local and ethically-sourced ingredients.

I’m not overly concerned about the restaurant’s level of sophistication; I am more interested in its ethos and cooking philosophy, and I can’t stand unnecessary pomposity and mediocrity. I enjoy dining at places where the chefs and cooks are trained and passionate about their craft, taking pride in what they prepare, regardless of how simple the dish may appear.

Not everyone can cook a proper omelette or dish of risotto, or sauce a proper plate of pappardelle. It’s a sad reality that many places serve up the same uninspired and overused dishes that have become ubiquitous in chain restaurants.

NOTEWORTHY
Chef Joseph Tran of Cintro on Wellington, along with business partner Shauna Versloot, is expanding operations into the former Beer Store on Piccadilly Street with a gluten-free café/dessert bar called Lotus and Lime and a dining venue named Lanoa. Earlier this summer during the launch of Londonlicious I took a tour of the proposed restaurant hybrid, which at that time was essentially a concrete shell. The partners are investing between $1.5 million and $2 million in a total renovation of the space, building a patio, resurfacing the parking lot and landscaping. A soft opening is optimistically planned for early 2026.

Tran features Pacific Rim cuisine at Cintro, blending ingredients and cooking methods with influences from Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Eastern Asia. His idiosyncratic, ambitious menu showcases a combination of multicultural and hybrid influences, resulting in unique and flavorful fusion dishes. cintro.ca

Boxcar Donuts has officially opened its third location at 200 Queens Avenue. boxcardonuts.ca

After more than fifteen years as the London Wine & Food Show, the Western Fair District is raising a glass to something new — Taste Ex: The London Food and Drink Experience.

“We’re so excited to bring London an event that’s bigger, bolder, and more inclusive than ever before,” says Rob Lumsden, Food and Beverage Director at Western Fair District. “We’re curating incredible Canadian beverages from coast to coast, and pairing them with great local food and fun new experiences.”

Taste Ex will build on the spirit of the original show while adding fresh energy and expanded flavour. Guests can look forward to hundreds of drink options — from craft wineries, brewers, and distillers across Canada to small-batch and non-alcoholic creations.

“Beyond the social side of it, it’s all about exploration,” Lumsden adds. “You’ll find something new to taste, learn, and love with every visit.”

Taste Ex runs January 9–10, 2026 at the J-AAR Expo Centre (formerly the Agriplex) at Western Fair District. TasteWFD.com

I am delighted and gratified that Blackfriars Bistro has been selected (and is in excellent company) as one of the 29 2025 Food System Champions, who represent both individuals and groups that have demonstrated a positive impact in the Middlesex-London food system community. mlfpc.ca

BRYAN’S TASTING NOTES

I recently discovered Rocky Mountain Pizza + Afghan Kabab in the newly renovated premises of my former restaurant, Murano, at 394 Waterloo Street. The storefront combines Afghan cuisine with pizza — an interesting business concept that started with a popular food truck. Afghan cuisine is a blend of Persian, Central Asian (including Turkish) and Indian influences, reflected in the restaurant’s signature dishes.

We tried the excellent Qabli Palo made with a slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone lamb shank hidden under brown basmati rice with sweet raisins and grated sweet carrots, and ready to be scooped up into warm, steaming naan.

Another of the chef’s mouthwatering signature plates, the Chicken Korma Palo, is made with slow-cooked chicken simmered in a blend of chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, coriander seeds, onions, and served with brown basmati rice and naan bread.
rockymountainpizzaplus.ca

Yasmine’s Authentic Lebanese Cuisine is the genuine article, the place to kick off your meal with a tantalizing trifecta of hummus: beetroot, avocado, and classically creamy with nutty ground sesame paste. There is also mutabbal, a fire-roasted eggplant and tahini dip.

This hospitable, family-owned restaurant offers authentic Lebanese dishes, prepared with fresh ingredients and time-honoured recipes passed down through generations, from savoury, succulent shawarma and perfectly grilled kebabs to flavourful traditional salads such as fattoush and tabouli, and fragrant rice preparations.

Kibbeh nayyeh is a raw beef pâté (they call it pâté, but it’s more like tartare) with basil, onion, mint and bulgur, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Freekeh (roasted green wheat), topped with slow-roasted leg of lamb, sliced almonds, and accompanied by creamy yogurt, is outstanding. The excellent shish tawook features charbroiled skewers of succulent chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon and garlic.

yasminesrestaurant.com

Sagi of Wortley’s menus showcase a pleasing repertoire of elevated global flavours inspired by the owner’s travels and disparate Asian immigrant cultures. A single set of flavours does not define the offerings, but menus showcase a cohesive melting pot of the Asian diaspora. Chef unites the fusion of Asian traditions by emphasizing textures and immaculate, vibrant flavours.

Imperial rolls with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, bean thread noodles, scallions, pickled daikon & carrots, basil, mint, romaine spears and the Vietnamese dipping sauce nước chấm are a hit. Soba dan dan, featuring ground pork shoulder, soba buckwheat noodles, mustard greens, Szechuan chilli, crisp bok choy, roasted sesame paste, cashews, green onion and crispy shallots, remains a knock-out go-to. Grilled octopus with shallot & lemongrass garlic butter is equally impressive. Rougie five-spice duck breast with sweet potato puree and a pear-orange-ginger sauce is a hands-down favourite.

The kitchen prepares one featured dessert daily; on one occasion, a delicious maple-scented panna cotta. The service is friendly, and the servers and owners understand the concept of genuine hospitality.
sagiofwortley.com

Pizzeria Madre on Thames Street continues its virtuous legacy of naturally leavened, bubbly-edged, thin-crust pizza with seasonally inspired toppings, and retains a top spot in my heart.

The chefs continue to mesh with the culinary world’s continuing reverence for all foods, especially pizza and pasta, that are authentically and gastronomically Italian, which, for a city this size, we have in short supply. Madre offers iconoclastic takes on regional Italian classics.

Spaghetti with nduja (a spicy, soft, and spreadable pork salumi characterized by its rich, buttery consistency and vibrant red colour from Calabrian chili peppers) and tomato ragù, pecorino, breadcrumbs and basil is a classic.

Very few restaurants do appetizers as well as Pizzeria Madre. Cavolo Nero with shredded Tuscan kale, pickled currants, toasted hazelnuts, pecorino, lemon and garlic Vinaigrette is outstanding. For pizza, try the Zucca with spiced squash purée, fior di latte, guanciale, bacon confit, garlic, pecorino cheese and toasted pepitas. Madre offers walk-in dining and takeout; they do not take reservations.
pizzeriamadre.com

David’s Bistro was opened in 1998 by David Chapman. After serving as chef and then chef/owner of the former Anthony’s Seafood Bistro for 18 years, David decided to start anew by opening a traditional-style French bistro that emphasizes not just seafood, but all aspects of food. With a regular menu and daily chalkboard prix fixe features, the selection is constantly changing. Natalie Chapman, David’s daughter and long the manager, now fully runs the business.

The restaurant is known for its multi-course “Trust Me” dinners — precursors to today’s chef’s tasting menus. The food and service remain consistently impeccable. A savoury-sweet treatment of honey and rosemary-glazed wild boar tenderloin with cherry compote and sauerkraut rösti was superb. A gorgeous slab of rabbit and sweetbread terrine with pear aioli and pistachio scone is reminiscent of another of David’s terrines, made of delicate sweetbreads and leek, served with fig compote and crunchy cornichons.

Fond memories of exceptional meals at David’s Bistro over the last 25 years include a fragrant Provençal-inspired stew with tender seafood, served with a garlicky rouille-topped crouton, and the pièce de résistance, a cassoulet of bacon, lamb and duck, with white beans adding a delicious intensifying effect to the stew’s earthy flavours. Other signature dishes have included a knock-out choucroute garnie (an Alsatian-inspired mélange of sauerkraut, sausages and charcuterie) and, of course, a superb confit of duck, with lingonberry sauce, rösti potato and asparagus. On one memorable occasion, the confit of duck was served with a delectably robust gorgonzola tart. Desserts are house-made in the classic French tradition. The classic apple tarte tatin is unbelievably good.

With an extensive consignment selection and an accessible priced wine list, as well as interesting chalkboard features, David’s can lay a claim to setting the benchmark as one of the top restaurants of its kind in the city.
davidsbistro.ca