A Refined Resto, A Secret Dive Bar & Responsible Sausage

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City Editions: Boston | Chicago | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | San Francisco | more Nov 24, 2011 RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Bravi Ristorante Why? Because don't be over Italian. It's a bad look. Sometimes, Scarpetta aside, it seems like everyone's date-restaurant styles have scattered to the ends of the earth, and there's this strange assumption that Italian is played out, your dad's date cuisine, a tired and predictable mishmash of deep reds, corny low music and heartburn. All we're saying is, if you don't know what's good about sitting down by the Flatiron Building, sharing a well-chosen red and, if not doing the feeding thing (fromage), then at least trading forks laden with wild boar cacciatore, baked portobello with chevre and yellowfin tuna crudo, then you might not know what you're doing. Have fun doing the one-year anniversary at the dosa place though.   ADDRESS: 40 Wellington St. E. PHONE: 416-368-9030 WEB: bravi.ca   STORE OF THE WEEK Sausage Partners Why? Because there are good and bad ways to do the meat thing. We like to think of the A. List as a somewhat refined publication, which is why we don't go in for the low innuendos and double entendres that other publications do. With that said, let us introduce you to this hormone-free sausage partnership which has just established itself in Leslieville. Touting homemade sausage of all varieties, free-range, farm-raised pork and beef, bison bacon and full like of preserves, this an essential stop for both the responsible carnivore and the hedonist. Everything is local, seasonal, artisanal -- all of the somewhat annoying buzzwords than nonetheless mean that you are not eating poisonous food. There. We made it.   ADDRESS: 1378 Queen St. E. PHONE: 416-778-MEAT WEB: sausagepartners.com   BAR OF THE WEEK Cold Tea Why? Because there's something to be said for the thrill of the hunt. We've always said, Toronto is a secrets town. This isn't some lurid Montreal, all spilling out onto whatever those two streets they have are called. In Toronto, you have to look, you have to listen. Case in point? This spot, which is hiding in that Chinese mall you've walked by a million times, and whose existence is only hinted at by strains of music, maybe a loud guy or two shouting about how they "totally f*cking love this song, man!" Sneak in, peruse the Asian-themed cocktails list (we know -- it's a big continent. But that's all we're giving you) and think of everyone who has never found out what you just did. It's very satisfying.   ADDRESS: 58 Kensington Ave.   LAST WEEK'S TOP PICK Elle M'a Dit Why? Because elle m'a dit that this place will do just fine. Cute, right? A sly reference from your new little see-if-it-goes-OK first-date bistro, a tiny bracing hint of translated vulgarity. It's good to have those sorts of things around, we think. It lightens things. Anyhoo: this is rustic, Alsatian French, not Paris-by-way-of-some-lazy-restaurateur's-viewing-of-Amelie French, and the things to note here are the sharp, creamy cheeses, the robust, bacon-topped tarte flambee and the smoky, salty foie gras, which caused us a skipped heartbeat of anticipation before descending like a gasp onto our tongue. P.S? That's what she s...  OK, no. We're better than that.   ADDRESS: 35 Baldwin St. PHONE: 416-532-3829 WEB: ellemadit.com   If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by changing your preferences. To read about our privacy policy, click here. Copyright 2011 IGN Entertainment, 625 2nd Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco CA 94107. All Rights Reserved.