The Way

Breakfast diner Bloordale Pantry at Lansdowne and Bloor branched out with dinner service, a new menu, and a new name. Wednesday night, I dropped by Whippoorwill for dinner. The decorations, eclectic hipster, remained. And the place was as busy as their week-end brunches with every table full and a few couples waiting at the bar.

Although tonight was warmer than the last few nights, it was still nippy and their traditional take on the Portuguese soup Caldo Verde ($9) seemed like a good choice. It was a filling, fragrant soup, full of winter vegetables. The potatoes have been replaced with rutabaga which were generally toothsome except a few raw pieces. The chorizo sausage added rich flavour. Without the cornbread, it was a bit salty on its own. I also ordered the duck liver paté ($13.50).  I would have preferred soft bread instead of the crunchy Melba-esque toast. But otherwise the combination of earthy duck, black sesame and nigella seeds, and a sweet apricot compote was nicely balanced. At the end of the meal, you get a small complimentary bag of popcorn, flavoured with anise and fennel.