12.8.13

Destingo

http://destingo.ca/

Once in a while, we try to get together for breakfast with Ma Cherie before work. Our schedules are not perfectly aligned, so we plan this in advance. What is not usually planned is the place we want to go to. This time we decided to simply walk Queen St. West from Bathurst until we see something worthwhile. Initial idea was Chococrepe, but we soon found out that they do not open until later. Wondering west, we walked to R2 (another café on the strip) - large window opened and some folks inside - looked welcoming. Upon entering, we were not as sure anymore - there were no breakfast items really. When asked for a recommendation, the pointed across the street to a newly opened place. A very honest guy and we thank him for that!

APPEARANCE
massive bottle, chilled
wine is clear, light yellow in color
The large (very large by Queen St. West means) patio was empty at 8 am. Really, the whole place was empty… We enjoyed being the only customers. The place looked exquisite in a modern way. There were rustic decorative elements all inside – purposely exposed concrete combined with large LCD screens and AC pipes in the open. Maybe a touch too modern for Queen St. West with its “hipster-inspired” interiors. Nonetheless, I would personally take exposed concrete over rotting and greased-though wood we encountered in some other spots recently. At any rate, it looked upscale and King-St-West-like.

NOSE
light, citrusy, clean
Our waitress, who we chatted up later, turned out to also be the owner – a very pleasant lady with (I venture a guess here) mixed Italian - Eastern European accent. She mentioned that there is another location in Yorkville, which made sense considering the somewhat upscale look and feel. The menu was printed on beige recycled stock with a typewriter style font – going for a rustic look. The two pages were stapled together and also attached with a mini clothing pin. Items are organized in paragraphs, some aligned left and others right. We were pleasantly surprised with their prices - very down-to-earth and reasonable. The “Farm to the Fork” section of the menu is also very appealing highlighting the socially responsible nature of the restaurant.

SWIRL
citrus disappears, more earthy, herby smells come through
The street was slowly getting busier as we discussed our options on the sharp sunrise-light patio. We were surrounded by flowers and palm trees – it made us feel rather European. Our waitress let us have a bit too much time before checking on us, but when she came over we were definitely pleased with her. We might have also been a bit anxious as we did have a timeframe to keep this experience in. We asked for their Saltimboo eggs dish as well as their Buckweat Pancakes, from the Farm to the Fork section.

PALATE
dry, vibrant mouth-feel, with a sharp herb-veggie smell; noticing a healthy 100cal label
The Saltimboo dish looked beautifully and smelled very herb-heavy for a breakfast. It sure opened Ma Cherie’s eyes for a non-coffee drinker. It consisted of baked frittata style eggs, proscutto, sage, vine tomatoes, basil hollandaise, arugula with choice of salas or fries.
My buckwheat pancakes came with seasonal berries and maple syrup. Ma Cherie didn’t quite like the texture of them – the feel of chewing on fiber. They were super healthy, none-the-less, and came with some fresh antioxidants (berries).

FINISH
pleasant and fairly tangy aftertaste
Atmosphere wise – it is not quite a breakfast place. I’m not too sure why… Despite an oversized patio and a decent choice of morning fare, despite the pleasant quietness of Queen St W in the morning. Even despite this place being one of the only opened eateries in the morning. I think it is better suited for a trendy and upscale lunch or a lounge dinner. Maybe we are just too used to local wood-rotten and grease-covered-walls local breakfast joints and full of life and chattering, and Distinco just did not fit that image. 
We should mention, it took us some time to figure out the name of this restaurant – no sign on the menu, we went back to find "destingo" in dark type, hidden under the eavestrough.

Overall.. a misplaced Sauvignon Blanc with a spirit of its own.
Destingo on Urbanspoon

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