Toronto loves Jamie Kennedy. And Jamie Kennedy, it seems, has an unconditional love for Toronto. What's more, with his highly anticipated new restaurant poised to open (along with his establishment in the Gardiner Museum in 2006), he's about to take the wooing to another level.

Despite being intrigued by his recent advancements, I decided that a first date would be appropriate before advancing to that stage of commitment. So I approached a meal at the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar with girlish glee, hoping secretly to be swept off my feet. And swept off my feet I was.

In between singing his praises, Kennedy admirers warn that he's also the type of man who makes you wait (read: the Wine Bar doesn't take reservations). The host, however, will take your cell number and give you a ring when there's room. But we arrived shortly after 5:30 and were able to take our pick of seats, securing a great spot at the bar overlooking the open kitchen. We then turned to the daily menu to see what tapas Kennedy (who loomed over the bar for the duration of our dinner) had chosen for the day, and prepared ourselves for a feast of small plates.

The meal was exactly what I'd hoped for. We lingered, ordering one or two plates at a time, savouring a wide sampling of small (but not too small) plates. The food was consistently delicious, and at times truly spectacular. With a tempting variety of choices (all very well-priced), compounded with seats that allowed us to watch and interact with those skillfully preparing our food, it was difficult to keep ourselves from ordering more, more, and more. (In fact, my intention to snap photos of the dishes was overshadowed by my own greedy excitement over the plates in front of me - I only remembered my camera after the dishes were half-devoured!)

Particularly exquisite dishes included melt-in-your-mouth, super-fresh grilled Portugese sardines with marinated potatoes; a mouthwatering warm cherry tomato salad with goat cheese toasts that was surprisingly delicious and memorable; and pork rillettes (a rare but classic French bistro treat that is decadent and richly satisfying) with sweet walnut tuiles.

The only disappointment, should you be so fickle as to call it that, was the artisnal cheese curd poutine - absolutely tasty and rich, but I'd been hoping for something a little more exciting, such as his famous poutine with lamb.

The menu's wine pairings - at least, the ones we tried - were extraordinary. If you want to learn how wine and food can compliment each other, consider this your education. We also had our waiter recommend something from the separate wine list, and were delighted with the medium-bodied red that was both easy-drinking and interestingly flavoured.

The Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar is not a secret - it's a staple. And it's not off-limits for those who aren't already hip to the food circuit: the atmosphere is relaxed (not stuffy), the food is accessible (it's not pretentious, it's just really, really good), and the price is shockingly affordable for fine dining (we paid under $150 including tax and tip for a very filling meal complete with plenty of good wine and dessert).

You could hold off until the Thursday the 18th for the opening of his new place - but then, why resist his current charms? One taste, and you'll be head over heels.