The Central
603 Markham Street
416-913-4586
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $75

Curiouser and curiouser, thought Alice well after falling down the rabbit hole. And as I have thought after several visits to The Central. Fortunately, the food rises above this at Mirvish Village’s Restaurant Makeover participant.

The digs: a two-story Annex house on Markham street, between Honest Ed’s and Southern Accent (its better known eatery neighbour). Upstairs is a pleasant patio for those feline-minded diners who like to be higher than those on the street. (That’s an analogy, there are no cats, not even Cheshire ones.) Inside, upstairs, curiously sits a foosball table surrounded by haphazard tables and a tiny stereo sitting diagonally on the mantle. It’s like a minimalist friend’s rec room set on an aging hardwood floor. If you are the only diner upstairs, it feels like you have walked into someone’s house uninvited.

Downstairs sits a street-side patio and a first floor redesigned by the aforementioned makeover show. There are some interesting brick elements, curves, and sightlines. Why sightlines? At the end of the narrow dining room is a stage booked nightly by local musicians. The vibe here, even during dinner service, is that The Central is a venue. It is, well, a curious place to eat dinner because of this. That feeling is helped by virtually no other customers on a prime summer’s Friday night – other than the band that showed up around 9 pm.

That’s actually why a little review was in order: The Central is a restaurant worthy of being explored, because its food is most often excellent and the prices are like none found in the Annex. The menu is Italian-fusion, boasting organic and local vegetables. In the peak tomato-and-basil season, the “Annex Salad” (just $5) is freshest. Teamed with artichoke hearts and drizzled with balsamic, this dish is an instant hit. The bruschetta ($6) is another one, notable for the restaurant’s own grilled flatbread. The grilled calamari ($7) is well done nearly every time; not too tough, not under-grilled. These appetizers are not what a typical bar venue would be serving.

The menu’s size suggests each dish is carefully considered. It shows… most of the time. Mains include a sirloin, salmon, grilled chicken ($12), eggplant or chicken parmesan ($11-$12), several pastas ($7-$11), lasagna ($11), burgers ($7) and panini ($8). The citrus salmon ($12) is a standout, although it can be hit and miss. Occasionally overcooked, the fish is often done perfectly, flaking off the fork next to crispy herbed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The sirloin has curiously perfect grill marks, yet it too has a fresh taste, perhaps due to a well-seasoned rub. Its $16 tag seems under-priced. The seasonal veggies that accompany many dishes can steal the show, fresh with whatever Ontario is ripening. Asparagus, zucchini and bitter greens have been spotted, always bursting with flavour. Three desserts are a meagre $5 each and suitable (if a bit heavy) meal-enders.

The Central’s food, and its exceptional value, puts it high on the list of non-Harbord Street restaurants in the Annex. Though not always reaching its own standards, it continually delivers a fresh, organic kick. The curious part is that one wouldn’t expect such confident cuisine in such an environment. Despite the makeover, the feeling inside is of a narrow bar.

It’s hard to explain the service, which is friendly and attentive but downright odd sometimes. On slow nights expect over-attentiveness and repetitiveness. On my bill were the names of three waitresses, not one. Slow reaches across the table, frequent apologies, and drinks mysteriously removed from the bill (because they assumed we weren’t satisfied with their mixing abilities) all ramp up The Central’s curious factor. Still, overall, the servers are harmless and champion the menu’s selections.

This is a place for an off-beat meal, in an immensely unpretentious restaurant. Its curious characteristics are best viewed in person, so let curiosity drive you there. It’s worth it and the one good part of it all is that the food is curiously far better than anticipated.