Hawthorne Food & Drink (Lunch): Toronto, Ontario

Name: Hawthorne Food & Drink
Address: 60 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1N8, Canada
Website: Website
Instagram: @hawthorne_to
Wifi: No
Tender: Debit,  Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: Financial District, Toronto
Type: Multi-Cuisine

Hawthorne Food & Drink is located in Toronto’s Financial District on Richmond Street East just slightly west of Church Street. With floor to ceiling windows the space is flooded with natural light with warm wood accents and seating for around 40-50 people.

Hawthorne Food & Drink serves up an eclectic menu all with locally sourced ingredients. They also have a training program whereby they provide free training to people in need so that they are able to find employment afterwards. Before even taking a single bite I’ve given them bonus points for being so socially responsible.

My friend and I start out with some appetizers including the Croquettes ($11 CDN + tax) and the Cauliflower ($12 CDN + tax). Both are visually stunning and topped with edible flowers.

The Croquettes are sphere shaped and consist mainly of potato that is topped with a poutine sauce, cheese, and a side of pickles. Clearly a fancier take on poutine it’s a winning combination. The croquettes are fried perfectly and the sauce and pickles are just right as a topping and side.

The Cauliflower is fried raw with puree, black tahini, winter radish, and sumac. The sumac is a nice touch and goes well with the cauliflower which has a unique, but good, taste and texture being fried raw.

For the mains we get the Fish ($24 CDN + tax)  and the Fried Chicken ($20 CDN + tax). A side of Fries + Fancy Sauce rounds out our meals ($6 CDN + tax)

The Fish, like everything else on the menu is sourced locally from the lake and then buttermilk fried with a side of old bay potatoes, fermented jalapeno cornbread, and aioli . The fish is fried perfectly, nice and crisp on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. I do find the potatoes and the cauliflower to be overly spicy and the cornbread to be a little on the dry side. I am also a bit thrown off by the presentation of this dish as well as everything else is exquisitely plated whereas this one seems to have everything tossed into a bowl with some paper foil and checkered parchment like an afterthought.  

The Fries + Fancy sauce are nice and the fries are seasoned and fried well. The “fancy” sauce consists of a chipotle aioli which always makes for a nice pairing with French fries.

The Fried Chicken is coated in frosted flakes and fried with hot sauce and beurre monté. It’s topped with a torn biscuit and southern sides including coleslaw and baked beans. More edible flowers make an appearance here and it’s definitely a beautiful mess. Unfortunately this was my least favorite of the items I tried. I found the flavors to be lack luster and the biscuit was on the dry side. Less sauce and a crispier skin would go a long way to making this dish taste as beautiful as it looks.

 Lastly we finished off with dessert, the Brownie ($8 CDN + tax). Served warm with a beet ganache and brownie crumb it’s once a gain a very pretty dish.  It’s a good brownie, but I get no hint of been in the ganache.  While it’s very tasty perhaps making the beet flavor more prominent or somehow using the beets to infuse a red color would make this dish a little more unique.

While the appetizers were definitely the standouts of the meal the fact that the menu rotates based on seasonal ingredients means there’s always something new to try out. The freshness and creativity of the items was definitely present, even if not always executed to perfection. Still, Hawthorne Food and Drink is an excellent option and the fact that they are socially responsible definitely gives them a leg up in this city.

 

 

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, however the meal/items were complimentary. All opinions expressed are my own. All menu offerings and prices are accurate as of time of posting. Please refer to restaurant/shop for most up to date information.

*All images are copyrighted Allons.Y Styling & Photography. Please do not use or re-post without written consent and provide credit where applicable