We’ll see you in there.
Connect to customize your food & drink discovery.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Stefano's
If you like this, you’ll also like:
Jenny Coburn knows food. Just ask Dan Levy, who dubbed her vegan chicken sandwich the best he’s ever had. Or just ask anybody sitting in GIA, her iconic Dundas Street restaurant that seems attract crowds virtually all the time. So it’s no surprise that Stefano’s Diner, her newest plant-forward venture, has generated all kinds of buzz. Relaxed and casual, Stefano’s aims to be a place where people come together to enjoy casual comfort fare that’s made with supreme detail, innovative recipes, and a ton of skill.
Inspired by her late dog Stefano, Coburn created a space that’s designed to take classic recipes and make them plant-forward without compromising on the things that make them classic and serving them in a sun-drenched, cozy atmosphere. It started as a monthly sandwich out pop-up out of GIA - and it quickly took off, with Stefano’s and GIA both staying busy. And then, when the space across from GIA became available, Coburn says it felt like a slam dunk. “We can, of course, bring some items from GIA over to Stefano’s, and do that whole thing,” she says, “and that idea became the inception of Stefano’s.”
“I had to trial and error with different blocks of cheese, because I was really trying to go for that texture of a real mozzarella stick, where you get that cheese pull, that ooziness,” says Chef Degen Habtemariam. “I went through a couple of trial and errors, but then settled on this.” Stefano’s version is double-coated with a mixture of polenta and flour, and served with a side of sugo that’s been slow-cooked for 12 hours.
Chef Habtemariam describes Stefano’s Smash Burger as “very, very scary” - but in a good way, of course - for its uncanny resemblance in flavour and texture to beef. “It's made with Impossible meat and farro, which is an ancient grain,” he explains. “It's a great binder. So the flax seeds and the farro is what gives us the binding texture of the smash burger so you get that meaty feel. It's topped with our Russian dressing, which is a mixture of all the three condiments - ketchup, mustard and relish - and different seasonal spices and then topped with the vegan, mature-aged cheddar.”
Crafted by Chef Matthew Ravenscroft of GIA fame, The crispy maitake mushroom burger represents the first of many collaborations with local chefs Coburn and the Stefano’s team hopes to have in the future. Chef Ravenscroft’s masterpiece is made with lightly breaded maitake mushrooms, pickles, cabbage slaw, garlic mayonnaise, all served between a sesame brioche bun. It’s designed to replicate a chicken thigh.
The mac n cheese, Chef Habtemariam says, often makes guests believe its real cheese. The secret, he says, is a potato bechamel sauce made with cashews that are soaked overnight, a blend of potatoes that includes sweet potatoes, olive oil and turmeric, all slow-cooked to achieve the creamy texture. It’s slathered on housemade pasta and topped panko bread crumbs and herbs.
“My all-star is the steak frites,. We serve something very similar at GIA but, at GIA, it's a lion's mane steak. Here we use a portobello steak,” Chef Habtemariam says. “It's more diner vibes. It fills up the plate a little bit more, and it pairs really well with the fries. I marinate the steak for almost 48 hours with red miso, beet juice, red wine, thyme, paprika, and so many different spices to get the juices, the aromatics coated in there.” The jus it’s served with is also made using an hours-long process, but the result, authentic in the jus’ texture and the portobello steak’s pink colouring, is more than worth the process.
“We were trying to replicate a McCain cake. Everyone loves a McCain cake,” Chef Habtemariam says of the chocolate orange cake. The Stefano’s version is soaked with an orange and chocolate syrup that’s poured over the cake after it comes out of the oven, then topped with a vegan chocolate buttercream, and finished off with chocolate crumbs.
The Cafetini, of course, is a play on the drink of the moment: the espresso martini. Stefano’s version is made with Vodka, Kahlua, Cointreau, espresso, and a bit of chocolate and orange bitters for some added flare.
“I think a mocktail program is important anywhere but nowadays especially, because we have a fairly long opening schedule as well,” Coburn says. “Obviously, people aren’t coming by to get litty at 2:00 in the afternoon, so I am thoughtful with the mocktail program.” The hibiscus lemonade, crafted with juices made in-house, is one of the spirit-free options available.
The Canadese, named because it’s both Canadian and Italian, is a take on a classic, made with Bourbon, maple syrup, and aromatic bitters.
Stefano’s Mylkshake uses Coburn’s housemade cashew almond milk, which is mixed with dates, vanilla beans and vanilla non-dairy ice cream to create a thick, creamy version of a diner favourite. The sweetest part? The picture of Stefano, the restaurant’s namesake, that comes inside it.
Recommended For You
