Finger Foods

Kusshi oysters

After the vegan restaurant Calico at Bloor and Brock closed, Bar Neon replaced it last December. This gastro bar is one of a number of trendier businesses that have opened in the Lansdowne area. I dropped by Wednesday for dinner after work.

The decor is typical of new Toronto bistros: bare brick walls, wooden tables, and a bar made from unpainted and untreated wood slats. Two interesting features here: a ceiling made up of riveted squares of metal sheets, and a large painted collage mural. The food is tapas-inspired with tostas, Spanish open-faced sandwich, being the main dish.

Though the East coast St. Simon oysters were $1.50 before 8 pm, I opted to start with B.C. Kusshi oysters ($2.50/each). They were fresh, clean, and tasted great with a pinch of sea salt and freshly grated horse-radish. Next up was the salt cod brandade croquette (3 for $9). These were crisp and not overly oily. They were a bit "too much fish" in that their size made subsequent bites homogeneous; incorporating some herbs or providing a salty dipping sauce would add some novelty.

Brandade croquette

Tosta

For the "main" dish, I chose a vegetarian tosta ($14) from a selection of about 4-5 choices including cured salt ham and duck confit. The bread here was a flat bread, resembling somewhat a cross between Indian paratha and naan. It had a pesto and basil spread that gave it a nice Mediterranean feel. The toppings included cherry tomatoes, arugula, and salty fried shallots. I couldn't taste the espelette pepper but the rest were refreshing and flavourful.

Bar Neon has a back patio. They're only open from 6:30 pm; otherwise, this would also make a good (but a bit pricey) brunch spot.