Queen West, the neighborhood I’ve come to call home, is bursting with quaint, hip, buzz-worthy restaurants – new and old – to try. As humble art galleries and abandoned antique stores begrudgingly greet newcomers like Starbucks and Shoppers, the area is undoubtedly nearing the end of its crossover to this new faze – where ancient homes become modern condos, where Price Chopper is no longer worthy, and where the main drag is just as lively as its southern counterpart. Alongside West Queen West’s staples lies URSA, a small, dark, lightbulb-adorned bar/restaurant with just the right combination of grit and class. In late September, I enjoyed a lovely meal at URSA with a group of friends, for past in a nutshell guest writer, Carry Quigley’s birthday.
The short-but-sweet Fall 2012 menu includes five entree options, and five main courses, each of which are unique and unexpected. The elk tartare was a nice starter, with bitter orange flavours and crunchy crackers called “pine bark”. The hit of the table, though, was the fried tofu paired with watercress, apple, miso, ginger and cider, which made for a mouth-watering entree. The tofu felt like butter on the tongue and the ginger and apple combination kept the dish fresh and flavourful.
From left: Fried tofu / Elk tartare
With main course options that featured beef, partridge, rabbit, lingcod and vegetables, our table was hard-pressed to make that final choice. Ultimately, the partridge attracted most, mainly due to its pairing with quinoa waffles (!), red cabbage and chantrelle mushrooms, which proved to be a stellar combo. Others opted for Ontario grass-fed beef with potato risotto, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and marrow. Stumped, I decided to order our server’s favourite dish (a tip that normally works well,) the lingcod (a white fish) paired with cassava, sundried potato and sage. After tasting each meal at the table (don’t mind if I do..) I concluded that mine was not up to par compared to the others (thanks, dude.) The beef was tasty and well cooked (a favourite among men), while the partridge won out for its scrumptious and unexpected pairing with quinoa waffles.
Clockwise from top left: Ontario grass-fed beef, lingcod, fab URSA atmosphere, partridge
In a nutshell, the vibe at URSA is exceptional; relaxed, moody, cool and tasteful – with that little hint of Queen West attitude. It’s certainly worth a visit for a drink or a meal, and it’s definitely the ideal venue for a date, or a celebration.
Prices range from $20-$30 for mains.
URSA Restaurant
924 Queen Street West (just West of Trinity Bellwoods)
(416) 536-8963
Photos by in a nutshell.
Yummy!! Miss my girls and their fab restaurant choices