Nota Bene

Nota Bene opened on Toronto's Queen Street West in 2008 to much fanfare. Executive chef/owner David Lee, and co-owners Franco Prevedello and Yannick Bigourdan are longtime veterans of the city's fine dining scene, so local dining fans knew that they'd be able to count on Nota Bene for the creative menus and exceptional service the trio had become known for. Chef Lee's menus change with what's fresh and in season, with many ingredients sourced from producers within an hour's drive of the city. And his wide array of culinary influences - including Mexican, Japanese and Italian - show up in dishes ranging from salmon sashimi with fennel and avocado to rabbit and porcini soffrito on papardelle pasta. The restaurant's beef brisket burger never leaves the menu, and the chef's private stock of aged local beef cuts is reason to splurge.