ooking for a cute, new date place? Enter Avant Gout, a tiny bistro in Rosedale packaged in bouncing-ball cuteness, where a couple can eat, drink and tip well and be out the door for under $100.

Avant Gout (the name comes from a French idiom, "come over for a taste") opened last fall, but has been kept hidden as a neighborhood possession - oh, those Rosedale people. On a recent weekday night, the place was packed with a mix of neighborhood types and charming date types scoping out the cozy digs.

Fans of Nothing In Common, the homey café that formerly occupied this tiny storefront on Birch just west of Yonge, will appreciate the tidiness of the takeover. Chef/Owner Kamal Hani added art deco lamps, wallpapered the place with little, framed photos and opened up the second floor - adding another whopping 20 seats to the mix. The low-style, bungalow setting is a perfect match for Hani’s homespun French/Moroccan influences.

Starters include a daily soup; a thick leek and potato purée on one of our visits, and a cream-based wild mushroom on another; a top-notch Salade Lettuce with Lemon Vinaigrette ($6.25), is a salad of romaine hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, pomme allumette. Marinated calamari is grilled and served with Moroccan morozia, in a ginger vinaigrette. For Entrées, we’ll get right to the best; the Moroccan lamb stew is Hani’s forte. This signature stew has tender braised morsels of lamb served atop fragrant saffron rice, sliced leeks and roasted butternut squash.

We didn’t have the same luck with the chicken. A fairly bland breast, grilled and served with a sage butter and green beans. Best on that plate was the mound of balanced garlic mashed potatoes. Back again to lamb; the Australian shank was another winner. One huge slow-braised and succulent shank sautéed with mushrooms, root vegetables and mashed - ask for garlic mashed.

Wine list is limited, but the selection has been nicely chosen, and should grow in due time. All in all, the space is warm and working the cute juju to its utmost. It’s very Rosedale Diner-ish, somehow, with all the knick-kacks, Trivia Pursuit cards and such. And very cozy; like having lunch at Aunt Mary’s, should Mary live in the South of France.

Upshot: Cute, tidy and fast, so you can get in and out quickly on the way to the LCBO.


Review This Place

Readers Reviews

excellent
William Hanson, Toronto
August 16, 2003
We've been there 3 times and never had a bad thing to say. Service is kind and friendly and the food is excellent.


erratic, but attentive
April 5, 2003
Bob Hansen Toronto, ON
The food and service are as excellent as they were on my first visit here shortly after the restaurant opened, and I have returned about four or five times and continue to be greatly impressed. The Moroccan lamb stew was a particular standout. The service was erratic, but attentive and professional.


a nice surprise
April 5, 2003
S Buser Toronto,
This was the first time that I have been to Avant gout. So, I cannot judge what it used to be like as bothing in common. However, I can say that my dinner was a nice surprise. The food was excellent and attention by the by server were perfect.