Restaurants

Quetzal

Name: Quetzal
Address: 419 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1T1, CAN
Telephone: +1 647-347-3663
Price range: Spare no expense

419 College St., Toronto, M5T 1T1, Canada

$$$$ · Mexican

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Quetzal

419 College St., Toronto, M5T 1T1, Canada

$$$$ · Mexican

One Star: High quality cooking

This stylish, boisterous hotspot offers up no shortage of personality. Almost everything on this distinctive menu passes through a battery of roaring wood-burning grills and hearths along the kitchen's 26-foot length, lending a primal smokiness that pervades the food and room alike. At the end of the line is a single cook at an earthenware comal, busily preparing tortillas from heirloom corn that is nixtmalized and ground in-house. Further masa-based items like a sturdy a memela filled with melty quesillo, smoky preserved shiitakes and crunchy chicharron show off the kitchen’s creativity. Grilled meats, like a meltingly tender secreto "al pastor" with charred pineapple, are a particular highlight. Those hard-pressed to make decisions can opt for a tasting menu that pulls highlights from the various options on offer. In tandem, the bar provides a wealth of imaginative (and cleverly named) agave-based cocktails that further add to the excitement.

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