Anyone who knows me knows it’s near impossible to get me into a fitness club. Sweat + Physical Activity + Running Shoes = Angry Adam. However, were one to toss a restaurant into the mix, I may very well “hit the gym” on a daily basis. No one needs to know what happens behind closed dining room doors…
So when we went to check out Stratus Restaurant at the Toronto Athletic Club, I began to reconsider my visceral aversion to all things that require movement. Well, not really, but at the very least it got me to thinking…
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Stratus Restaurant sits on the 36th floor of the TD Waterhouse Tower down by Wellington. With soaring views of the waterfront cityscape through floor-to-ceiling windows, the dining room is bright and awash with colour interspersed with minimal elegance. (Though, we did hear there were some big changes both aesthetic and otherwise ahead for Stratus in the coming year thanks to a tip by Executive Chef David Ross.)
As someone who dines out often, it wouldn’t occur to me there may be a gem of a power breakfast or lunching spot next to one of the city’s premiere athletic facilities. But after sampling some of Stratus Restaurant’s health-conscious cuisine, I most certainly understand why its dining room had nary a table free on the Thursday mid-day Nicki and I visited.
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The Grilled Maple Arctic Char was a beautiful dish with paper thin green apple slices adding a contrast to the vibrant orange hue of the fish. The Beef Carpaccio was equally beautiful a dish, with light drizzles of basil dressing alongside a fresh mix of cherry tomato salad.
The Signature Crab Cake came alongside a lovely salad held in place by a ribbon of cucumber, and topped with a perfectly grilled jumbo (or rather, massive) shrimp that elicits envy. Luckily, I got a duo of my own atop my spinach linguine.
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Jealousy subsided…
