Last night, I finally made it to Cava, the restaurant opened up by chef Chris McDonald after he closed Avalon last winter. This review has turned out a bit long, so if you want the short version: it's crazy good. For those that want the details, please continue.

Like just about every other buzzy Toronto restaurant these days, the menu features an array of small plates, here touched with Latin influences. In the words of my dining companion, "It's like a pan-Latin Spring Rolls only not, because it's good." I hope that clears it up for you. To start, a cocktail: I chose the cava cocktail topped with dark rum and bitters because really, sparkling wine always makes everything better. My companion got the Brazilian Daiquiri, which was an incredibly boozy concoction of multiple dark rums topped with fruit juice. It was terrific, but incredibly alcoholic. It came with a pineapple skewer that was so boozed up that she couldn't even eat it. I kept nibbling on it to amuse myself with the fiery wallop that hit with every bite. Possibly the most alcoholic thing I've ever come across, and an indicator of the bold flavours to follow.

Meat is taken very seriously here--I mean, the logo is a salami. We knew that the charcuterie plate was a must. Along came an awesome tray of four selections: a just-rich-enough pork paté to spread on warm rye bread, plus chorizo, salami and thin slices of buffalo bresaola, all made in house. This is what the dreams of meat lovers are made of.

Also fantastic were the pinchos, which would seem to be the Spanish word for bruschetta--we had the version with white bean puree, rapini and manchego cheese. Although the dishes are small, they're very rich, but being the gluttons we are, we kept ordering. Following was a wild mushroom and corn tamal, which was the disappointment of the night. Which is to say, it was only good, not mind-blowing (although the ancho chile sauce it came with had a delicious mellow dark heat that made everything ok). A tamal, for those who don't know, is a cornmeal dumpling--you put the filling inside some soft cornmeal, then wrap it in a husk and steam it. I have a fondness for these, but have yet to find one in Toronto that blows my mind. Cava's version was good, but I think I prefer the traditional ones, made with chicken and lots of Mexican coriander.

By now we needed more drink, so we ordered a half-litre of sangria, to pretend we were in sunny Spain and not grey Toronto. Next were the 48-hour beef cheeks. Marinated for two days and then pan-fried, these super soft slices of beef came on top of an absolutely delectable puree of white beans, sided with fresh, tangy chimichurri sauce that was just as good as anything I had in Argentina. My companion just about lost her mind over these: I think she saw God. Not quite done yet, we finished off with the most tender grilled octopus I have ever had, which came with perfect little potatoes. At the point, we were forced to put the menu down: though our eyes were still hungry, our stomachs finally said no more.

This whole extravaganza put us back $114 before tip, completely a steal for such delicious, thoughtful food. I must say that I was a bit surprised at the location, sort of tucked away in a strip mall at Yonge and St. Clair. It's a very small place, about 50 seats, comfortable and casual, neither ugly nor pretty. There's a cool sort of sculpture on the ceiling, but otherwise, the decor is fairly unremarkable. Which makes sense--while Avalon was a $300 special occasion kind of restaurant, Cava is meant to be more of a nice neighbourhood place. And it is. I will be back at Cava, soon.

Cava
1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9918