The premise of the column is simple; work with restaurants of all kinds in this amazing city to explore what they have to offer and what makes them unique. In a city like Toronto, the choices are sometimes daunting and the food reviews and critics can be snotty and too complicated for their own good. So why not keep this easy?
Drinks. Appetizer. Main Course. Dessert. All along with a bit of information about what makes them our choice for Daniel’s Dish and why you should try them right away!
Touro Churrascaria, 125 York Boulevard (905)-738-6876
So here’s the thing about this one ladies and gentlemen, Touro is located in Richmond Hill. But do you really think I would take the time to write about a restaurant north of the city if it wasn’t completely worth the trip? C’mon now. You should know better than that!
Touro Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse & Wine Bar is a brave venture into the restaurant world but a group of dedicated restauranteurs, including homegrown talent Glen Peloso (Interior Designer) have made it look easy with exceptional service, stunning decor and an authentic menu that’ll give it longevity.
The venue’s initial impression greets you with a subtle grandeur; full of whimsy, with its sky-high ceilings, star-like lighting and exaggerated features that immolate that of Amazonian rain showers and forests. From entrance way to the back-lit semi-precious stone bar top, no detail has been overlooked. But really, it just has to be seen in person to really understand the feeling of grandios and whimsey. To quote Glen, “The feeling of being in Brasil without being theme-y” is exactly how I would describe my experience. Authentic without the cheesiness, but don’t forget to try the cheeses! The space is over 11,000 square feet and is divided into a lounge style bar, expansive dining room, a private dinning room, a patio for all occasions and my favourite, a wine lounge.
The wine lounge is state of the art – a one of a kind in Ontario; that allows patrons to use an electronic payment system to enjoy 1, 3 or 6 oz pours of wine ranging from simple and clean to the power houses of the wine world. With this electronic elite wine serving system designed by Enomatic (p.s. I’d LOVE one of these for Christmas in case @EnomaticChoice is asking), a bottle of wine will never go bad as it isn’t exposed to oxygen and therefore cannot ‘sour’.
I couldn’t possibly recommend anything other than wine from a Wine Bar, especially when they have such a diverse wine list and the tasting capability found in the wine lounge. When in doubt, ask the knowledgeable staff in order to find the most appealing or perhaps most unique glass of wine offered and make sure to check back often as the selection is ever changing. My recommendation? An earthy glass of Spanish red such as Rioja to play with the big flavours on this menu.
In classic Brazilian Steakhouse style, a to-order feel can be enjoyed as a dinner at the restaurants and is named Rodizio. Essentially what this entails, is to use a coaster which is double-sided; one side is green and signals to the staff that you would like more of the in-house smoked & cooked meats. Red means please stop I’m going to explode. This French style of service that has a constant wait-staff at the ready is quite entertaining and lends to a more satisfactory dining experience. There is always someone at the table taking care of you and your needs. It’s nice to be pampered!
There are also À la Carte menus available for those looking for a more North American style dinning experience with beautiful home-made dishes such as the Carpaccio. It’s a steakhouse after all so I’m going to recommend a meat dish! Plus, who doesn’t like some tasty meat in their mouth?
I haven’t had a chance to try out a lot of the menu but rather partook in the Rodizio traditional Brazilian style of dinning. I encourage you to do the same as finding a restaurant that can pull of this genre of food and caliber of dishes is not an easy task. As I was describing, it is very much driven by you. A beautiful Appetizer Island with fresh sides awaits you when you dive head first into the experience. But my favourite part was the skewers with over a dozen choices of meat that came to the table. From Garlic Steak to Roasted Pineapple, the portions are to your discretion. Slow cooked all day, the selections keep coming until you feel like you could burst. So indulge in this interactive dinning experience and live a little!
The desserts are designed in smaller portions, with an assortment of options, a playful selection of cake pops can also be ordered if you’d like one bite. I had to try a bite from everything, obviously, from the mini banana cream pie to the chocolate cake.
I have so many good things to say about my latest trip to Richmond Hill, but really you should just go out and see for yourself. With hush hush plans in the works to expand this beautiful brand, I insist that you take the trip to Touro Churrascaria and take part in a Brazilian dinning experience like no other.
Take a trip up north, enjoying some delish food and remember to tweet @TouroSteakhouse, @Peleso1 & @DoTheDaniel to tell us what you think! #DanielsDish
Photos: Touro Churrascaria & Daniel Desforges