French onion soup 
Beef tartar 
CBD burger with aiole + fries 
Rib-eye steak
We head to Trinity Bellwoods. Tucked behind an old-fashioned storefront on Ossington Avenue near Dundas Avenue is a restaurant called Côte de Boeuf, which translates to “sides of beef”. It is a French-inspired butchershop with French-inspired cuisine such as oysters, charcuterie, steak frites, wine, cheese, much more.
And of course, we come here for the beef, and their infamous signature dish, Côte de Boeuf. Côte de Boeuf is French, translates literally to “side of beef”, for a cowboy rib-eye steak with the bone Frenched and kept long. In addition to the signature dish, I would recommend their CBD burger, French onion soup, and beef tartar.
Let’s talk about the presentation of the Côte de Boeuf. Resting on a bed of duck fat potatoes was a 40cm length of rib bone, and on the side was the ribeye sliced in small bite-sized morsels. The meat came a delicate medium rare, a tanned char wrapped around a healthy pink, with thin sections of intermittent fat. Layered beneath the monstrosity was a layer of duck fat house potatoes. The potatoes were glistening from the drippings from the beef juices above and the duck fat. Probably the best part was holding up the bone at the Frenched end (like a stone-age barbarian), and chomping down on the residual meat on the bone. Let me enjoy this meal as all the tables around us stare in envy (or disgust, depends on how you see it).
The CBD burger was also a highlight, and a must-try. I’d say it is one of the best burgers I’ve had. The simplicity of the combination of truffle aioli, comté cheese, lettuce, and a medium rare, aged patty is enough to put me into a trance. The French onion soup was made with an in-house made beef broth as a base, giving the soup a very rich beef and onion flavor.
It is an understatement in every way to call this restaurant a “side of beef”. It is the main course, and, like the Statue of Liberty, a true gift from Paris.
Eat, Eat and [ ] 