Nota Bene is the glimmering darling of Toronto’s 2008 restaurant scene. Reviewers and bloggers have been exorbitant in their praises and Chowhound is abuzz with the splendor of Splendido’s street-style sister.

Nobody was more excited about Nota Bene than the Rabbitz. It finally promised a neighbourhood destination suitably gourmand and yet financially restrained. We thought we’d be there every week. We thought we’d know the bartenders on first- name basis. But we don’t. And this is in part because we just don’t think Nota Bene is all that.

We showed up about 8:30 on a Saturday night — generally a Very Bad Plan but with Winter and The Recession working in our favour we had no trouble getting a great seat at the bar. The congenial barkeep was very welcoming and happy to recommend cocktails from their house-list. I opted for the Air Canada, a version of the classic Aviation. After our discussion, Mr. Rabbit was snobbishly satisfied that our barkeep understood classic cocktails so he varied from his standard Manhattan to order a Sidecar. The barkeep started with a good splash of bitters — wrong. The drink that was thus produced was not actually bad. In fact it was kinda nice, but it was a contravention of the classic ‘Car and we felt violated and weird.But then came the crisp duck salad, which easily lived up to NB’s hype. The delicious duck was paired with a green papaya slaw and cashes in a fresh and tangy dressing. It was beautifully plated with several tiny and vibrant blossoms, a distinct pleasure for eye and palate.Next up were the braised beef short ribs with a pickled horseradish salad. The meat was succulent and tender, and the presentation again quite dramatic with a large rib bone garnishing the plate (purely decorative). While the duck was a “begin” according to NB’s menu, the beef was a “follow,” and yet not-quite a main and an à al carte side was really required to round out the meal. We opted for the frites that proved quite delish with a grating of pecorino. The serving was generous and very sitiable for sharingThe brussels sprouts (added pork always helps) were so good that I ate a few myself despite my bad relationship with cruciferous vegetables. For dessert, Mr. Rabbit ordered himself up a bread and butter pudding. It looked very… yellow, but I didn’t sample so I can’t give much of a report. He ate the whole thing, however, which probably says something.Maybe our un-enthusiasm for NB simple comes from its being over-hyped. Really, there was absolutely nothing wrong with our meal. The space is pretty and fun, service was good, there was that sidecar gone wrong, but it was still a nice drink. Food was solid, and yet for me this place still lacks a certain je ne said quoi.

Posted on February 27th, 2009 by rabbit
Filed under: Toronto, Restaurant Reviews