SOCO Kitchen and Bar http://www.socokitchenandbar.ca/

Where: Lower Simcoe & Bremner, inside the new Delta Hotel Toronto

The Food: the kitchen is led by Chef Daniel Craig (Chefs to watch in 2012), an Ontario fella who honed his craft out west in BC. Emphasis is on good food that jumps off the plate, flavourful and made with local, seasonal ingredients. This isn’t hotel food!

I attended the launch party of SOCO (short for south of downtown core) last week and marveled at the stylish, clever plating by Chef and the SOCO staff. The evening was filled with waves of appetizers that featured many elements and flavours of its current menus.

SOCO is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snacks and dessert offerings. Ambitious but necessary in Toronto’s competitive food scene.

The Drinks: A vast selection of local and international wines, housemade cocktails to rival any in the King West strip, boozie coffee cocktails, local and international beers. Ask for the cucumber and vodka cocktail…yeah it’s been done before but they do it better (guests were drinking it like lemonade).

The Setting: Located in the just opened Delta Hotel at Lower Simcoe and Bremner. Within walking distance of Union Station and Air Canada Centre, in full view of the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium, a short cab ride from the Island Airport. Location, location, location!