Now that we've come to the end of both the year and the decade, it's time for list mania. Here are some of my favourite dining experiences in 2009. Keep in mind that "best" is based on a narrow sample of one.
BEST BARGAINI worked in Leaside for more than a decade, where the takeout options didn't get much more interesting than fish and chips. It's a whole other ball game on the west side of town. At least once a month, my boss rolls in carrying a stack of Styrofoam containers from Mainsha (1671 Keele St., 416-652-2135; two other locations), a wildly popular West Indian chicken joint. For five bucks (or $2.50 on Tuesdays) you get a chicken leg (jerk, BBQ or fried), rice 'n peas and slaw. I find the jerk too bold, but their fried option schools the Colonel and BBQ is the perfect balance of salty, smoky and sweet.BEST VALUEWhile the recession had restaurants out duelling each other with happy hours, bargain prix fixes and a different Licious festival every week, Bistro Camino (2750 Danforth Ave., 416-698-0283) has been offering tremendous value for years. Chef-owner Hiro Hattori's menu includes such old-school bistro classics as pitch perfect duck confit, meltingly tender ox tongue bourguignon and cauliflower bathed in hollandaise sauce. For dessert, don't miss the tempura ice cream.BEST PIZZAIn 2008, Pizzeria Libretto was my favourite slice in the city. Returning three times this year, I've found their Neapolitan pies either too salty, too soggy or too charred. Consistency problems sent me elsewhere and my favourite pizza in 2009 was at Mangia and Bevi (260 King St. E., 416-203-3615, www.mbresto.com), a hard-to-find lunch haunt of Corktown media types. I had the "Guidacia", a delightful disc of crisp, chewy crust smeared with tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella, fresh artichokes, salty pecorino and mint.BEST BURGERTwo thousand and nine was the Year of the Burger, with a new gourmet burger joint opening literally every week. My favourite is still Craft Burger (830 Yonge St., 416-922-8585; one other location, www.craftburger.com), one of the founding fathers of Toronto's all-beef revolution. Not only is a Craft burger juicer than any of the upscale renditions I've enjoyed around town, it is a veritable sprinkler of beefy goodness. This is a six-napkin sandwich.BEST OLD SCHOOL When I was growing up, the Annex was lined with Hungarian restaurants including Little Europe, Korona, Hungarian Castle and our favourite, Continental. My father, brother and I would hit the Continental when dad was in charge of dinner and split the Hunter's Platter for one. Country Style Hungarian Restaurant (450 Bloor St. W., 416-536-5966) is the last dame standing, and pops and I recently split their wooden plate. Spiked with two steak knives, this carnivorous platter was laden with two kinds of schnitzel, smoky sausage, fried potatoes and cabbage rolls. It was a trip down memory lane.