Woodlot’s urban lumberjack fare lights a few sparks

Woodlot Restaurant and Bakery
293 Palmerston Ave | 647-342-6307 | woodlotrestaurant.com

Woodlot has three things I adore — a wood-fired oven with a glowing maw, a communal table and a previous life as an industrial space. I also realize that this trope is a bit overdone in Toronto, with apologetic urbanites seeking absolution for watershed desecration by dining in faux pastoral settings. Our parents went camping in Algonquin Park; now, the commute is killer, so we hunker down in trendy Toronto enclaves and instead dine at restaurants where the staff split wood for the oven, the tables are rough-hewn planks and there’s Ojibwa spirit art on the walls. Never mind — I still feel grounded and in touch with nature.

The restaurant convincingly channels nouveau lumberjack (there’s a woodshed out front, accompanied by a cord of neatly stacked wood) and the space inside is cozy. Most of the seating is on the mezzanine level, which affords an aerial view of the kitchen, harvest table and oven below. The space is so cozy that after a glass or two of wine, I almost believe that I was the one who split and stacked that cord of wood out front.

The offerings are limited and are on two separate menus, one for omnivores and another for herbivores, and emphasize seasonal, local ingredients combined into Canadianesque comfort foods. I start with ember grilled hen-o’-the-woods mushrooms with wild rice, black walnut, mixed greens and balsamic vinegar ($13). The seasoning is perfect and the mushrooms impart a rich woodsy taste to the dish. My dining companions order buffalo mozzarella crostini ($11), which is tasty but unspectacular.

The service is impressively crisp, especially given the rather tight turning radius amidst the tables, and the wine list, though not deep, is well thought out. Our server proves to be knowledgeable and makes sensible pairing suggestions — no easy task when faced with two Alberta carnivores, a committed vegetarian and a vegetarian who “only eats small animals.” We Westerners order the flat iron steak with mushrooms and charred spring onion ($27) and it arrives sliced into luscious medallions and elegantly plated on a cutting board. Cooked medium rare, the steak is magnificent — tender and flavourful, and both of us agree that it is possibly one of the best steaks we’ve ever had. Even the small-animal vegetarian is persuaded to try a bite and is quick to agree.

One of my dining companions orders the russet potato gnocchi with pumpkin veloute, fontina cheese and toasted seeds ($16/23), which is adequate; so too is the sea bass ($28). Both dishes leave us expecting more.

Sides are separate, and I was craving a hearty side of potatoes but there was none. In lieu of actual potatoes, I opt for baked Japanese sweet potatoes with maple, pumpkin seed and mint ($7), a disappointing confusion of flavours that challenge the mains instead of complement them. Brussels sprouts ($7), an underwhelming vegetable for many diners, is done exceedingly well, roasted with bacon and juniper.

Dessert choices are limited, so we opt for the treat board, a selection of small sweets ($16). It arrives and our server takes us on a tour of the tiny macarons, tarts, cakes, meringues and shortbreads arrayed on the board. There is something here for everyone and not surprisingly, my companions and I differ on what is spectacular versus disappointing according to our personal tastes.

Cultured big city lawyers from places or practices in the tradition of bigger-is-better might find Woodlot a bit quaint. On the other hand, frozen out-of-towners seeking hearty fare and a taste of Canadiana will be favourably impressed. Forget about conducting business, though — diners quickly acquire a glassy mesmerized look as they stare vacantly into the belly of the blazing oven and relax over deep dishes of comfort food. To remind clients why you’re there, a red-and-black checked flannel shirt monogrammed with your firm logo might be a fitting parting gift.

Judge Foodie’s verdict

Highs: cozy Canadiana, wood-fired everything

Lows: inconsistent dishes, small space