On March 17, as the saying goes, everyone is Irish. Revellers take the celebration as licence to don green clothes and down green beer.
In a similar way, the denizens of T.O.’s Don Vale neighbourhood borrowed the Cabbagetown nickname and Irish working class mythology from their neighbours when Regent Park was built on top of the original Cabbagetown in the 1940s.
Like much of the east side, gentrification has been slower to take hold here, but the Parliament strip is now home to some of T.O.’s best spots for a lively eating tour.
Jet Fuel
Open for 24 years, Jet Fuel has Cabbagetown in its bones and is the iconic and quirky local café. Everything coffee-related starts with the vintage Faema espresso machine. Given owner John Englar’s deep connection to the cycling community, it’s no surprise that they also do fresh-squeezed lemonade for the hotter months. 519 Parliament St., 416-968-9982
The House on Parliament
By the time of the Great Depression, when Cabbagetown was at its most impoverished, its residents were just as likely to be of British descent as Irish. (There goes another myth.) And the House does a great job of recreating a pleasant (if very middle-class) English pub.
Both the Scotch egg and sticky toffee pudding are faithful but updated versions of a classic. Knowledgeable servers can walk you through the beer list (both time honoured and cutting edge) to pick the ideal pint. 454 Parliament St., 416-925-4074
Merryberry Café+Bistro
Its home may be over a hundred years old and have the distinctive peaked roof, but MerryBerry is anything but Victorian. Filled with sunlight and brightly coloured accents, this is the textbook example of a family-friendly ’hood hangout. The menu of cutely named options — from the Lady K sandwich to the Who needs meat anyway? salad — amplifies this message. 559 Parliament St., 647-348-0411
Little Shmiddy’s Hot Meat House
Oh, what a name. Although it sounds like it could be a deli or ironic diner, it’s actually a pocket-sized local bistro in the most translated, North American sense. That is, the menu has grilled flank steak and frites, not “steak frites”; they serve beef cheek braised in red wine, no “daube” to be found. There’s also a very good bacon burger and a delicious, meatless black kale salad.
Be sure to return to Shmiddy’s on a Sunday for their very popular brunch. 584 Parliament St., 416-961-1600
Kanpai Snack Bar
The general theme at Kanpai is bar food from Taiwan. A large percentage of the menu options hail from the wok or the deep fryer and are small plates that fill the gaps between drinks. TFC (Taiwanese fried chicken) is their top dish; deep-fried chicken smothered in Taiwanese spices and available by the bucket. Goldmember is squid that’s been lightly breaded and fried. Opt for the $3 Jameson over beer. 252 Carlton St., 416-968-6888
Zakkushi
The T.O. outpost of this Van City chain offers a grown-up take on the izakaya. It’s the perfect stop for a restorative break based on an eye-opening cucumber salad and selections from the yakitori-style charcoal grill. The quail eggs wrapped with pork and the mochi with pork and melted cheese are particularly excellent. 193 Carlton St., 647-352-9455
