Located just off the busy lobby of the Sheraton Centre Toronto, BnB restaurant dishes up an eclectic menu in a sleek, contemporary room outfitted with leather banquettes and anchored by a large (and busy) bar area.
One evening, the nightly soup features a thick, tomato-based, Southwestern U.S-inflected broth scented with cumin and speckled with corn niblets.
BnB’s bar and dining area.
Cauliflower florets wear a crisp, expertly deep-fried exterior tinged with Buffalo-wing hot sauce and sided with blue cheese dip. Lemon vinaigrette animates generous kale salad loaded with ultra-fresh greens, strips of shaved fennel and tiny, sweet, teardrop-shaped peppers.
And then comes one of the meal’s highlights, herb and asiago cheese meatballs. Moist, deftly seasoned and resting atop a silky and rich roasted red pepper and tomato cream, they are homey and delicious enough to gladden an Italian grandmother’s heart.
Elsewhere, the menu jet-hops to India via tender nuggets of butter chicken partnered with fluffy rice and crunchy papadam cracker. Courtesy of deft grilling, perfectly medium rare 8 oz striploin is tender and carries a good char and deep mineral tang. On the side, crisp ’n’ sweet frites.
Apple and pear tart.
Desserts include apple pear tart anchored by a sturdy crust and accessorized with caramel-drizzled cinnamon-scented apples and raisins. Pleasantly tart curd and flaky crust highlight key lime pie.
Group options include buyouts of the 207-seat restaurant (availability and pricing are based on hotel occupancy and in-house demand), and a back-area space that can host reception-style events for 60 people. In addition, the Sheraton Centre offers 120,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space.
— Don Douloff has been a restaurant critic for over 30 years and, during that time, has critiqued more than 1,400 eateries. In 1988, he studied the fundamentals of French cuisine at Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris, France. During his time in France, he furthered his gastronomic education by visiting the country’s bistros, brasseries and Michelin-starred temples of haute cuisine. He relishes exploring the edible universe in his native Toronto and on his travels throughout Canada and abroad.
