Festive Lunching in Yorkville at W Hotel’s Skylight

‘Tis the season of gifting, lunching, dining and cocktailing with friends. My go-to Toronto restaurants are in my Yorkville neighborhood. I invite a friend to meet for lunch, but I pass by the sights and sounds of mid-Yorkville and take a casual stroll a few blocks East to the “outer banks,”to my choice for entertaining this season: The W Hotel at Bloor and Park Road.

At the W Hotel, the elevator glides silently up to the 9th floor and opens to Skylight Rooftop Restaurant & Bar. Vavavoom! This gorgeous, modern dining room has a curved bar with a skyline view. At our table in the sky, we are aware of the high-rises all around us, growing higher and more dense every season. There are no hard edges in this inviting room. There is no high decibel music. We’re in a space of comfortable curved sofas, dark green velvet, and if you’re thinking it sounds kind of romantic, you would be correct.

I’m just relaxing, admiring the view and sipping a perfect Bloody Mary while awaiting my guest, and the new Executive Chef Olivier Le Calvez stops by to say hello. He remembers me from El Catrin, the glamorous Mexican restaurant he opened all those years ago in the Distillery District. He shares with me that they proudly serve locally sourced artisan ingredients and sustainably certified seafood, teas and coffee, and tells me of some exciting plans.

The Skylight Festive Lunch Menu makes many delicious promises. From the selection, “For the Table” I am tempted by Beef Carpaccio with wild arugula, remoulade, and a dusting of Pecorino cheese, or no, wait, we will share Tuna Tonnato, an arrangement of fresh tuna curls and avocado on tonnato sauce with black garlic and yellow aji. All this luscious elegant flavour cries out for fresh bread. In moments we’re biting into cherry tomato focaccia, still warm from the oven.

Endive Salad offers all my favorite food groups in one bowl: crisp greens topped with Roquefort cheese, candied walnuts, fresh pear and a sprinkle of chives, tossed with blood orange, maple and white balsamic dressing. (This is a recipe to take home for another day). Again, a culinary negotiation. Shall it be salad to share or shall we leave room for dessert? The decision is dessert.

There are five selections in the Entrees section which require an inordinate amount of decision making. I’m thinking I could just close my eyes, point and be perfectly happy. I use my process of elimination here: Steak and Frites with a side salad is a little decadent for lunch when there is still dinner to be eaten later. Will my lactose intolerance act up if I indulge in Ricotta Ravioli with brown butter, crispy pumpkin and olive oil? An outstanding Beef Burger with smoked Gouda, caramelized onion, with a bite of wild arugula and green aioli might be too messy.

For me, two beautifully grilled and seasoned fresh fish filets of Grilled Sea Bream, set on a lush bed of chermoula, share the plate with asparagus and Jerusalem artichoke—a root vegetable that has no kinship with Jerusalem or artichokes. Clearly, this chef understands fish, and has avoided all the pitfalls of overcooking, over-salting and using a grill that’s been set for steak. Call me sentimental, but I am reminded of a luxurious Mediterranean seaside resort where I indulged in a similar lunch.

My friend, a man who dines in the finest establishments around the world, is loving his Ontario Organic Chicken Breast with heirloom carrots, fingerling potatoes and a generosity of Hunter Sauce, which elicits from him many pleasurable comments, like “the best chicken,” and “this sauce is extraordinary.”

Our server, Don, adds to a lovely afternoon by recognizing our enjoyment in our dishes, There are no demands for our comments along the way, no interruptions of our conversation, just pleasing good manners.

The menu highlights Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten, Dairy and Nuts, thereby eliminating the sometimes-difficult negotiations for preferences. I feel secure ordering Coco Passion for dessert when it’s Vegan Coconut Parfait encased in a chocolate ball, hugged by a scoop of passion fruit sorbet.

Two and a half hours have passed. The Promise of the menu has been delivered. Don informs us with apologies that the dining room is closing now. All good things must come to end, and in a few moments, we are outside and blending into the Bloor streetscape. I ask my ritual yes or no question of myself: do I feel better coming out than I did going in? Yes indeedy. I am in such a good mood, that I enjoy walking all the way home.

Skylight Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, W Hotel, 90 Bloor St E, 416-515-2585