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Pan Review: Danforth-licious

Photo by Jude Khan

It’s Winterlicious time! Citizens of Toronto rejoice – especially all you students and young professionals pinching pennies in order to afford rent. Bring your significant other, your parents, or your besties like I did, and come to Pan on the Danforth for a gourmet meal, a steal at only $25.

The Atmosphere

My lovely dinner dates and I were seated in the front section of the restaurant near a large window looking out on the hustle and bustle of the Danforth in the evening. The restaurant has such a warm feel with exposed brick, wooden tables with a rich brown finish, and candles in red holders sprinkled throughout. It’s a truly beautiful space to enjoy a relaxing dinner.

The Menu

Pan’s menu is rather extensive for a Winterlicious event. This was, on one hand, unnecessarily overwhelming and almost like reviewing the regular menu, hunting for the ideal meal. On the other hand, having so many options was a nice treat. My one friend positively squealed with excitement at all the delicious sounding Greek dishes available for tasting.

The Meal

After musing over the menu, I settled on Kolokithokeftedes to start, though I had a heck of a time trying to order it! (I’m still now sure how to pronounce it.) These zucchini croquets were stuffed with feta and kefalograviera cheese making them oh so soft and creamy on the inside, like eating a deep fried cloud. Delicious. They were served with tzatziki for dipping and a small green salad with vinaigrette. The salad greens were a refreshing side, paired with the rich croquets.

For my entrée, after much deliberation, I chose Caria Lemon Roasted Chicken, and it did not disappoint! It was served stacked on the most tender, moist, and perfectly seasoned potatoes I have ever had the privilege to consume. Piled on top of the delicious lemony chicken were homemade onion rings – thin, crunchy, and not at all oily – and on top of those were grilled veggies. The whole meal was cooked to perfection, filling, and most delicious.

The vegetables were cool compared to the rest of the dinner (whether intentional or not is hard to say) which I wasn’t a big fan of. Had they been piping hot like the incredible potato, this dish would have been perfect.

And finally, dessert. Being lactose intolerant has practically ruined my life and my love of dessert. All things delicious seem to be served with ice cream, whipped cream, or custard cream, which, don’t get me wrong, are delicious toppings, yet utterly destructive to poor souls like me. Pan on the Danforth proved me and my jaded dessert misconceptions wrong. I had Ravani, a traditional Greek cake, smothered in honey and almonds – no cream in sight! The cake was moist and dense but lovely with such light honey flavours.

We finished off the evening with sweet Greek red wine, and a toast to a wonderful Danforth Winterlicious night out.

Pan
Mediterranean Cuisine
3-course dinner, $25
516 Danforth Ave.
Closest subway station: Chester
www.panonthedanforth.com

4 Comments

  • Kait

    I went to Pan in December and took advantage of their price-fixed menu – nearly identical to the Winterlicious menu. Even outside of Winterlicious, Pan makes sure starving students like myself are able to enjoy the deliciousness of their meals. We had floured calamari (perfectly battered, seasoned, and cooked) and the trilogy of spreads for starters. The owner brought us more amazingly fresh pitas when we devoured the first batch, free of charge. For the main course, I had Arni Fournou – basically lamb stew. It was incredible. So incredible that I barely finished my Baileys crème brûlée.

    Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Owner normally on the floor and talkative. Delicious food.

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