I tried Delica Kitchen on Yonge and St. Clair, one of the growing number of gourmet “mid-food” (not “fast food,” but not “sit down service” either) eateries around Toronto.  The philosophy of the restaurant, according to the website is “not to create trends” but to stick with things they find good.  While the food isn’t too trendy, they definitely fall into the “modern classic” category.  The grilled cheese sandwich is made with shaved gala apples and cheddar and drizzled with honey on a toasted multigrain pullman and the salmon niçoise is served on potato bread (all sandwich breads are from the Ace Bakery).  Delica Kitchen is also known for its delicious baked goods, ranging from their “jammies” (baked doughnuts) to their homemade “oreos” as well as classics like cornbread and banana bread.  They also have a catering menu.

Salmon niçoise combo with rapini and corn salad

For my lunch, I had the salmon niçoise sandwich with one of the two daily side salads – made with rapini, corn and cucumbers the day I was there.  The sandwich was pretty good.  It was warmed up, but not hot and definitely not overly crunchy.  It was a good size, too – not too big or small.  The salad could have been a little more tangy, but wasn’t bad.  I’m not normally a fan of larger portion sizes, but I did like it in this case.  The more leafy green veggies, the better, after all.  I would have preferred that it wasn’t put in a take-out box, however.  Pastry-wise, I’ve only tried the mini banana bread (Hyancinth’s Best Banana Bread), which I bought to go.  Made with bran, cinnamon and chocolate chips, these mini loaves are delicious, especially warmed up in the microwave, accompanied with a glass of milk.

Hyancinth’s Best Banana Bread

The eatery’s decor is a little bit rustic, with wooden floors and tables and pipes visible on the ceiling.  Chairs are all bar stools.   Also, unlike much of its competition, diners aren’t given numbers so staff can remember where the diner is sitting.  However, since dining-in space isn’t very big, it isn’t hard to know.

Price-wise, my lunch came to a little over $16 with a bottle of water (but before the pastry and coffee).  More sit-down restaurant-y in price than order-at-the-counter, but it is well worth it.  I am definitely returning next time, perhaps on a Wednesday or Friday to try their sloppy joe or meatball sub (served only on those days).

Delica Kitchen is located on 1440 Yonge Street, just south of St. Clair.  They are open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 7 pm and Saturdays from 9 until 5.