The Danforth has long been a fickle foodie fairground. Save for Allen’s, few restaurants testing the haute cuisine waters have mustered the maniacal melee necessary to support a sustainable space. Pachuco lost the battle, and they had some of the best ModMex cuisine in the city; 417 was an earnest undertaking that slipped too quickly towards mediocrity after the neighbourhood was less than enthused by its grandiose entry. But The Forth, Executive Chef Chris Kalisperas’ ambitious new restaurant, may very well have found a workable mojo for longevity.
Occupying the 2nd and 3rd floor spaces (and, soon, the rooftop) of an austere building near Danforth and Pape, The Forth passes muster with grace and poise. Thoughtful (if but slightly underwhelming) decor is minimal in nature, juxtaposed with the spacious and airy ambiance afforded the restaurant by way of towering ceilings and a space-enhancing mezzanine. Seating is ample and uncrowded, with some tables a double-arm’s length apart.
The upstairs bar is a booze-hound’s utopia. Cautiously concocted cocktails are shaken, stirred, and strained with elegant technique. The Jamaican Me Crazy (Mount Gay rum, Amaro Lucano, Lilet Rouge, Jamaican #2 bitters) swishes past your palate with too much ease (it’s got depth and balance in spades), while the Mosow Mule (Eristoff, lime juice, ginger beer) is a spicy sipper that warms as it travels down your gullet.
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Attention to detail from the bar to the kitchen is evident, as Chef Kalisperas yields an adept hand. Market-fresh oysters have a light mignonette of cucumber, jalapeno, and preserved lemon, served along side a mesh-covered one (so no seeds find their way onto your bivalves), horseradish, and Tabasco sauce.
The steak tartare is plated art. Housemade potato chips (in four flavours like Szechuan and Thai Chili) and parmigiano shavings stand at attention in a “deviled egg” mousse; they’re playful, crispy, salty counterparts to the succulent chopped tenderloin.
Tender pillows of agnolotti are stuffed with stracciatella (a delicate Italian cheese), topped with crushed pistachio and bitter rapini, and wading in a lemony butter sauce. Be forewarned: Sharing this dish will likely prove itself an exercise in futility – it’s just too damned good.
A 60-day aged Ontario strip loin is cut in medallions and served alongside braised beef shin wrapped in potato string. The strip loin’s outer texture suffers slightly (possibly due to over-aging), however the medium-rare hearts of the medallions are tender and flawless in flavour. Plated alongside a thick soubise sauce, asparagus, and chanterelles, this protein-heavy dish showcases Chef Kalisperas’ technical acuity.
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The Forth’s desserts are decadent denouements. A maple bourbon macaron with tangy ginger gelee is plated alongside a semi-sour buttermilk ice cream, dense almond maple financier, and smooth brown butter panna cotta…
…while a layered chocolate hazelnut ‘cake’ sits next to a sweet yet tart Saskatoon berry compote, chilled creme fraiche with cocoa nib tuille, and chocolate chili truffle.
It’s rare for restaurants in the east end to command the same sort of attention as the west side’s 32-seat eateries. But The Forth is ready for the uphill battle. Certainly, if Chef Kalisperas can convert some of his regular Brassaii patrons then The Forth might very well play into the city’s notable nightlife scene.
The foundational elements for success have been laid; now it’s up to the city’s foraging foodies to migrate to the land of Grecian excess.
Are you ready to try The Forth? Comment below or tweet us @ViewtheVibe.
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