Alan Bates or Anthony Quinn?
I’m embedded in a Mediterranean fish war. For more than thirty years, the Dalmatian Joso’s at Av/Dav has commanded the Avenue Road strait. But now there’s a challenger. The new Ionian Malena is just a couple of blocks South. It’s the ingredient that counts here.The battle is on for the freshest fish — weapon of choice is the grill.
Let the flames begin.
Malena is a charming clubby makeover of the old Pink Pearl, polished wood with a stunning silver wall and an inviting windowside ar. It is designed by Sam Kalogiros and David Minicucci who also own the neighbouring youthquake L’ Unita. Malena however is for adults, affluent Annex, low music, low lights, friendly service personified by Raffaele, the maitre d’. who’ s dressed down in jeans. The menu is concise if not quite Greek, but it’s the spirit which counts. Oysters from Rodney’s, Stone Crab claw from Florida – and a soft shell crab, $20, the seasonal queen of East coast crustaceans $20.There are several ways to cook these squashy leggy creatures and Chef Doug Niegel goes half-tempura, light crisp crust on wonderfully fresh crab which still has its tasty tomalley (yellow pancreas). Lucky because that’s sometimes removed for health reasons.
And now for an authentic tang of the Med: two little flat barges of marinated fresh sardines $13 carry shredded romaine topped by the crunch of pancetta with a dab of roaste d garlic cream. We are now sipping appreciatively a $45 bottle of lemony alberino (Via Latina). Malena’ s wine list starts very reasonably.
From the daily fish selection, we pick a hefty snapper $33 fragrantly grilled – a squeeze of lemon brings out every cell of taste. We’re not so lucky with Spot Prawn risotto $29, a dish from which taste actually recedes. The advertised cumin is hard to recognize and the spot prawn, demure compared to the big Gulfs with their algae driven iodine, is puzzlingly paired with another shy food, the subtle artichoke.
Dessert (all $8) is showgirl time – an astringent blood orange icecream draped in fennel marshmallow is terrific. The lemon phyllo tart is dazzling and too sweet. A sad shake of the head to walnut bread pudding, much too stodgy to accompany the truffle- infused sheep’s milk cheese.
Overall, we think, this is the kind of elegant metrosexual place that Alan Bates would have loved before he fell into the unbuttoned world of Zorba the Greek aka Anthony Quinn.
Which is what we do next. On a sunny Monday, we saunter over to Joso’s and avoiding the Rabelaisian ribaldry inside, settle for a table on the patio. Joso’ s has an effulgent menu well suited to its flamboyant personality. The classic tomato and mozzarella $14 is so fresh – who said you can’t find a good tomato this time of year? We follow that with Joso’ s famous inky spaghettini made with cuttle fish and squid ($15-24).
The main event. The waitress brings out the Fish Platter, a dozen raw fish from oyster to sea bream. After havering – we should eat Med – we say this is Toronto and order the Dover Sole from Holland. It’ s huge and a mere fifty bucks. A steal, but we know it’s the real thing because Fatima, the chef, shows me how the eyes are placed on the right of its flat head like the top of Herman Munster’s head.
Presentation is splendid, the fish deboned and laid out as two fine filets for us. The sole is burnished, tinctured with olive oil, and has a nicely chewy texture and it even has the hard roe, a treat from my childhood. It isn’ t the fault of the clams, shrimp and mussels that follow in a tomatoey sauce that they seem good but anti- climactic. The Big Fin always wins.
We are replete but our meal is not complete. We have an inspiriting Zorba moment. We’re joined by a wedding party. Happiness invades the patio now basking in sunshine. The couple are toasted with Ouzo, Prosecco is poured, the two waitresses bring out platters of shrimp, ink risotto, giant salads from the kitchen. We wonder when everyone will get up and dance and shall we join in? Slow Fade to Mediterranean sunset on the beach…
2 1/2 ** Malena, 120 Avenue Rd. 416.964.0606.No wheelchair access. Dinner for two: food plus tax $125 *** Joso’s 202 Davenport 416-925-1903. No wheelchair access. Food plus tax $137
