Acadia Of My Mouth

Rising-star chef Matt Blondin (Colbourne Lane) opened Acadia to fanfare in 2011. It was part of a wave of well-reviewed restaurants setting up in Little Italy, which has long had a reputation for trendiness but not much culinary ambition. Once Blondin was picked by David Chang to head up Shoto, part of his 4-restaurant Momofoku Toronto, Acadia left the spotlight. I never went during the hype, but I wondered how it was now.

On a blustery Tuesday evening, I dropped by for dinner. It's a cozy space with a fetish for numerous paintings of a brown bear wandering through various urban landscapes. The kitchen delivered a complimentary lobster po boy ($6). It was tangy with a slight crunchiness from the fried lobster. A good couple of bites but nothing memorable. To combat the windy night, I ordered the clam chowder ($14). It came out with a foamy coat, but that was the extent of any "molecular gastro" pretension. The soup was rich and fragrant with fennel and sorrel. The root vegetables were soft but had just enough toothsomeness. A great start, but more clams to add a stronger taste would be better.

The main dish comprised of blackened whitefish ($26) with some roasted cauliflower and romanesco. Both seafood and veg were flavourful and had a nice smokiness. The raisins and small bed of pickled vegetables had both sweetness and tanginess. The dish was a perfect balance of texture and taste. The side of collard greens and bacon ($6) added both substantial bulk and richness to the meal. Outside of Ethiopian platters, I'm often disappointed with collard green dishes. They are usually too "green". Acadia cooked them long enough to bring out the flavour without the mushiness. All in all, it was a wonderful meal.