The 38 Essential Toronto Restaurants

"Chef-owner Corinna Mozo’s retro diner, decked out in pastel hues and squeaky vinyl banquettes, pays tribute to the original restaurant her grandfather owned in Cuba in the 1950s. Everything here is made from scratch, including the bread, pastries, and desserts. The serotonin-boosting barbecue beef short ribs are braised for hours and given a lacquer of sweet-savory guava sauce; the dish is served with piquant slaw, speckled rice and beans, and meaty palm-sized tostones. The classic Cubano, meanwhile, gets catapulted into high society with a house-made baguette that’s stuffed with ham, slow-roasted pork shoulder, oozy Gruyere, tangy red onions, and chipotle mayo for a bit of warmth." - Tiffany Leigh