Linny's recreates the classic American Jewish steakhouse with modern elegance

Following the success of his Chinese restaurants, Sunnys Chinese and Mimi Chinese, David Schwartz turned his attention to elegantly recreating the classic American Jewish steakhouse. Linny's is named after his mother, Linda, and the bar features framed recipes for Rocky Road Fudgies and other delicacies.

The dining room, with a capacity for 80 people, offers a different kind of nostalgia: mid-century modern elegance, with comfortable benches, white linen tablecloths and soft, golden light.

Meat takes center stage on the menu, with steaks of various cuts and sizes sourced from the finest farms in Ontario and Prince Edward Island. They are seared to perfection over a high-heat grill and then basted with pastrami suet butter. The pastrami is made from the navel cut, and the lamb neck is roasted whole, resulting in juicy, tender meat that falls off the bone.

The starters range from a lavish caviar platter with crispy chicken skin and smoked white fish to a homemade version of "kasha and bow ties": bow-tie pasta with buckwheat, a brunoise of butternut squash, and chicken fat emulsified in butter. Chicken liver appears as a creamy mousse on thick slices of dark rye toast, topped with chopped egg, fried onion, and delicate strands of salt-cured yolk. Pickles of all kinds are ubiquitous to balance the richness.

The dishes are well-conceived and executed with precision, and the service is very attentive and professional. The wine list features Burgundy, along with star wines from Piedmont, Spain, and the Rhône, ideal for pairing with meat dishes. The eight-seat bar has a lively atmosphere and cocktails that cleverly incorporate charcuterie ingredients.