As noted in Amy Pataki’s end-of-year list of restaurant trends in the Star this past Saturday, 2007 has been big year for steak in Toronto. In the past 12 months, new steakhouses Prime and Jacobs & Co have had well-received openings; the moderately priced and tourist-friendly Le Bifthèque at the Sheraton Centre Hotel has transformed into the high-end Steak Restaurant & Bar, and big hunks of beef appear proudly on the menus of newcomers like Cowbell and One.

Even so, just because a trend is hot doesn’t mean instant success for every restaurant that follows it. Take Lola Steak Bistro (2070 Yonge Street), for example. Despite - or maybe because of? - their naughty looking web address (lolastrips.com), cheeky slogan (”Hot Steaks & Sexy Wines”), and “pick your own steak size” gimmick, Lola couldn’t hack it as a straight-on steakhouse. So they’ve taken the frankly bizarre move of cutting back the steak and grill menu to a few essentials, and adding a selection of Thai dishes to the card. Because nothing goes better with a rare and juicy sirloin than some red curry shrimp and spicy eggplant.

Culinary crossovers of a more appetising sort have been the hallmark at Senses Restaurant (328 Wellington Street West) in the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, especially under executive chef Patrick Lin. After running the kitchen there for almost a year, Lin will be getting a break in January as the restaurant will be closing for renovations. They’ll be going out in style with a $208 per person New Year’s Eve dinner, and will reopen just in time for Winterlicious, complete with a new menu to match the new decor, and perhaps some new help for Lin in the kitchen, assuming this recent Craigslist want ad is legit:

Join Senses Bakery & Restaurant ever expending award winning culinary team. We are looking for a talented cook specialized in Regional Haute French cuisine. You must have a culinary or hospitality management degree, be fluent in french & english, and have worked in at least 2 restaurants with a minimum of 2 Star Michelin. If you feel you have the talent required, then feel free to send us your resume

Wait a minute: “at least 2 restaurants with a minimum of 2 Star Michelin”?!? Hell, even Chef Lin doesn’t have that on his c.v. - although given the number of other awards he’s scored, that can probably be chalked up simply to his never having worked in Europe. Still, this will likely be a tough prerequisite for most Toronto chefs to meet, so best of luck to Senses in filling that position any time soon…

If you have a scoop to share about the local food & restaurant scene, please let us know so we can include it in a future edition of T.O. Tidbits.