The Drake Hotel @ Toronto, Canada ****

Roasted Ontario Pickerel with Braised Red Cabbage, Crushed Celery Root and Kozlik’s Triple Crunch Mustard

From the permanent art installations in the lobby to the bathroom signage playfully exhorting customers to “sleep with Drake,” one can fully imagine this delightful, creative concept in the heart of Manhattan (or in any other fashionable city for that matter). This is not to suggest that it runs the risk of indistinctiveness. Indeed, where Canoe‘s culinary offerings disappointed, The Drake Hotel’s far exceeded expectations. While the Sexy Simmered Beef Brisket with Roasted Fall Vegetables and Horseradish Cream had my mouth watering even as I read the menu description, it was the Roasted Pickerel’s perfectly crisped skin and fragrant cabbage accompaniment that truly captured my affection.

Details: 1150 Queen Street West Toronto, ON M6J1J3, Canada (+1-416-531-5042)