Review: Butler's Pantry

On Friday, a bunch of us went out to celebrate the long weekend, and our friend Jeremy's visit from Edmonton. Our original plan was to hit Sushi on Bloor for dinner but, despite making reservations, there seemed to be a long wait. Add to that an amazingly disorganized and unhelpful hostess, and we were out the door.

After some discussion, we settled on the Butler's Pantry on Markham as a back-up plan. The first thing I noticed as we stepped into the restaurant was its super-cosy atmosphere. Although the space is not small, the prevalence of dark wood and local art on the walls gives it a comfortable, warm character. After we were seated, our delightful waitress promptly brought us a round of surprisingly cheap ($4.50) pints.

The menu at Butler's Pantry is quite extensive and varied, offering bulgogi alongside lasagna and moussaka. Everything is very modestly priced. Eventually, I settled on the Zucchini Pancake, while Dave ordered Khowsway, a Burmese chicken and noodle dish. While we waited for our food, we enjoyed the alt-country and indie-pop playing on the stereo system. And the beer.

My zucchini pancake turned out to be something like a large latke, and was served with a caesar salad. It was hugely comforting and filling, without being greasy, and the soy dipping sauce served with it added a nice salty kick. Dave enjoyed his Khowsway, proclaiming it to have a nice flavour that he hadn't tasted before. Those around the table that received a garden salad also mentioned that the house dressing was fantastic.

Following our meal, Dave and I couldn't resist the Easter chocolate cake in the restaurant's display case, and we ordered a piece to share. The cake was nice and moist, with not-too-sweet chocolate icing or ganache between its layers, and was accompanied by a mound of real whipped cream and a white-chocolate hollow "egg." We fought over the last forkful.

Completely sated, we paid the bill and headed next door to the Victory Cafe to continue our evening. The combination of great service and tasty eats at Butler's Pantry made for a satisfying experience. This is comfort food at its best.

7 Clydesdales out of 10