Mildred's Temple Kitchen



Photo by Claire Chackowicz.

 A few weeks ago I bought a Groupon for Mildred’s Temple Kitchen ($30 for $60 worth of food and drinks) and I decided to take my mom out for a nice dinner. She loves good food and appreciates smart décor and lighting, so Mildred’s seemed to be a wise choice for our girls’ night out.






It only took us five minutes to find the restaurant concealed in the Good Life Fitness building in Liberty Village. I have heard horror stories about how hard it is to find the restaurant before; in fact, someone I know even gave up and left to have dinner elsewhere. Well, maybe it was my great sense of direction or Google Maps but we found the place quickly and were welcomed by a young hostess.  I must say that most of Mildred’s staff is very young, unlike other upscale Toronto restaurants which employ more mature servers and hosts.

Mildred’s is spacious and airy, with an open kitchen and a bar in the middle of the space. The tables are comfortably spaced out, so you are not touching your neighbour’s elbows when dining. Futher, the light fixtures are nice enough to become a conversation point. The washrooms are a completely different story: they are designed to resemble airplane washrooms complete with announcements. I recall that last year Mildred’s was encouraging its patrons to have sex in the washrooms… Hmmm, this sounds interesting - a safe, almost legal way to join the Mile High Club.

Our wine arrived promptly and was followed closely by the appetizer. We decided to share a charcuterie platter with cheese ($28). We spent twenty delicious minutes trying different meats and preserved vegetables, but the cheese was a definite winner.  The platter came with a selection of breads and toasted sourdough and some homemade mustard that were better than Kozlik’s.

I decided to order a salad for my main ($18), and did not regret it! The salad is called “Eat Shoots and Leaves” on the menu –  somewhat misleading, as aside from shoots and leaves it also had smoked salmon, popcorn and various types of sprouts and spelt. It was delicious, crispy and moist at the same time and I tasted many different, complementing flavors in it with every bite.

Mom chose the special: fish and scallops in a mustardy souse ($32).  She loved it and she only wished for a side order of veggies to go with it. The scallops were golden on top and cloudy inside and the fish melted perfectly in the mouth My mom and I shared dishes, naturally; we almost had a tasting menu dinner.

We decided to skip the dessert and opted for another glass of wine. The dinner was satisfying without being too heavy or rich – a balance that’s hard to find.  The meal cost us $150 with taxes and gratuity, and it was worth every penny. We will go back to Mildred’s soon, without hesitation.

F.