If you’re like us, you may have a bit of confusion as to exactly what borders constitute the Leslieville neighbourhood, it’s relation to Riverdale, and if it’s the same as South Riverdale. From what we could scrounge up, technically Leslieville is a neighbourhood within South Riverdale, and its borders run from Eastern on the south to Gerrard on the north, Empire on the west to Coxwell in the east. Anyone reading this who is a Leslieviller might be able to provide some more insight, and if so feel free to tweet us…we’d like the ‘insider’ perspective. Now, with that out of the way, our favourite restaurants in this week’s Notable Neighbourhood…
Lil’ Baci – 892 Queen Street East
Italian done right. Classic and simple. Lil’ Baci – which will be opening a second location in the months to come – is a favourite amongst the neighbourhood’s comfort food lovers. It’s quaint and quiet, but still has an energy that permeates both the atmosphere and the food.
Queen Margherita Pizza – 1402 Queen Street East
We almost feel like we shouldn’t even take the time to write anything new about QMP. Pretty much anything you could say about this spot has been iterated time and again…but we couldn’t do a rundown of our favourite places in Leslieville without it. Great, amazing, fantastic thin crust pizza. ‘Nuff said.
Swirl Wine Bar – 946 1/2 Queen Street East
The food comes in jars and the cheese and charcuterie platter is a perfect shared experience. Swirl Wine Bar is definitely more of a wine bar than a wine bar/resto, but we like it that way. It’s all about the vino, of which the selection is more than ample…we’d call it downright robust.
Goods & Provisions – 1124 Queen Street East
We love The Comrade, so when the owners opened a more food-centric spot in Goods & Provisions, we thought that was pretty notable. The vibe is chill yet lightly posh, and the food is simple yet refined, with a touch of finesse.
Table 17/Ascari Enoteca – 782 Queen Street East and 1111 Queen Street East
We couldn’t decide between the two. Yes, they’re the same owners. Yes, they both have an Italian focus. But also, they’re both amazing. Table 17 is a favourite for brunch and BYOW dinners, and Ascari is a neighbourhood favourite for wine and the cavatelli. Neither will disappoint.