I am not the adventurous type when it comes to restaurants. When I find a place I like where the food is good, the staff friendly and the beer something other than Canadian or Blue, I will usually build a nest and call it home, never venturing far from the safety and warmth of its barstool. I like this, you know the food and they have specials to keep you from growing bored with the menu. And after a couple of visits they begin to call you by name, so even the thought of going to a different establishment sends a twinge of guilt and betrayal shooting up your spine. But every once and a while you must venture forth from the safety of your nest in search of a new adventure. A one night stand. It’s not an easy thing to do but when something entices you out, you must go.

I recently got married and as a wedding present our friends gave us a gift certificate to a restaurant in Roncesvalles Village called Silver Spoon. Now before I continue with my account from that evening, let this be known: If you are ever in need for a gift idea, a gift certificate to a restaurant is a great idea.

It was a cold night as we headed south from Dundas West Station towards the restaurant.
We were on the wrong side of the street when we got our first glance. A warmly lit restaurant with white linen table clothes and candles to set the mood. The staff was dressed in black and white with aprons and a bottle opener in every waistband. Now white linen tablecloths automatically make me nervous; this might just be one of those snooty places where the last thing the want to see is me come through the door. But it is a free meal. I am feeling brave. And the rack of lamb dish is supposedly great. So we cross the street and enter the establishment with no idea of what is to come.

We enter to a friendly greeting, our jackets are taken away and we are shown to our table. Now my hands are sweating, I am not seeing a beer sign anywhere, everything on the table is white and there is not a wine on the list I have ever heard of. My wife looks bravely towards me as if there is going to be some sort of divine intervention before our waitress gets to our table that gives me some sort of knowledge about wine. It never comes, so I suggest white and order the first one on the list. I will let you know that first wine does not always mean cheapest and ended up being a Chardonnay from California which was very tasty. When our waitress arrived at our table my fears began to subside as she was very friendly and was happy when I did not want go through the rigamarole of the wine tasting, pretending I was a wine aficionado when we all know that most people have no real idea what hell they’re doing. The menu was small but I think had something to suit most peoples taste from a soup of the day, various pasta, poultry, seafood and of course Rack of Lamb.

My wife started with the soup of the day, which was a butternut squash soup, which she said, was delicious and filling. I started with the mussels in a white wine-garlic sauce, which were not only plentiful but also full of flavour and fresh. For the main course, April had the risotto, which was bursting with flavour. She enjoyed it very much, though barely mad a dent in it. I on the other hand had no problem cleaning my plate. I as you already know had the rack of lamb, cooked medium, served with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes. I honestly don’t remember what vegetables were served with the lamb except that they were good and the mashed potatoes were tasty, but as for the rack of lamb itself… it was incredible. I asked for it to be cooked medium and it was, with a mustard crust that was so tasty. I savored every bite and was sad when the final bone, void of meat, chimed against my empty plate, and at the end sat back with a satisfied grin on my face, as all my fears of this being a cold and snooty place were vanquished and I realized that this was wonderfully warm neighborhood restaurant that took pride in its appearance and went out of its way to make you feel welcome.

Two appetizers, two meals and a bottle of wine, coffees and dessert will set you back about a hundred dollars or so, but well worth it for a romantic evening. I strongly suggest you make reservations for we saw a lot of people turned away.