Fans of La Bodega will be pleased that physically, the place has changed little. It seems almost the same as when I used to eat there as a student in the early 1980s — a rare treat. It took a while to save up enough to cover the $30 bill for dinner for two and a half-litre of house wine.

"There's a good hominess to it," my companion remarks as she admires the surroundings from our bay-window table, describing them as a welcome change from the minimalist chill of industrial chic. "I'm all for places that make me feel comfortable."

Says Biggs: "I love to eat. I love good food. I love good wine. I love good company."

Bistro staple Beef Bourguignon ($18) is a good example of his philosophy. Tender hunks of braised beef in a robust red-brown sauce flavoured with a shot of red wine and hints of sweet carrot and smoky bacon come sandwiched between two flaky chunks of puff pastry. It is exactly what bourguignon should be.

Confit of Duck Legs ($22) is also just right. Two meaty legs are lovingly prepared, the final sautéing leaving the skin crispy and salty over the succulent, sweet flesh. The sour cherry sauce doesn't intrude. The starch served on the side may be called "wild mushroom bread pudding," but it tastes like good old-fashioned sage-spiked bread stuffing to us. It's delicious. Tiny, tender-crisp haricots verts and spinach finish the plate.

French Onion Soup ($8) is a satisfying bowl of rich, beefy broth and soft onions, topped with a generous handful of melted cheese.

As long as we're eating the bistro menu classics, we can't skip steak-frites with Madeira sauce ($29), one of three steaks on the menu (there's also a buffalo flank steak, $22, and a filet, $32). There are no surprises here. The plump strip loin comes exactly as ordered and we all help devour the sinful fries.

Wild Mushroom Risotto ($20), a dish that can vex a chef because it requires careful timing and can't be made ahead, is tasty enough thanks to the generous swirl of truffle oil, but nothing special. The rice is properly al dente, but it lacks the ideal creaminess.

The Herb-Crusted Lamb Rack ($33) arrives medium rare, as ordered, three well-trimmed plump chops crusted with rosemary. The root vegetable gratin and Duchesse potatoes shaped into a pear match well with the fragrant lamb and port sauce.

Grilled Rainbow Trout ($18) is a good-sized serving of flaky fish perched on roasted tomato risotto. The beurre blanc drizzled around the plate is rich, maybe a bit too much for the delicate fish, but still tasty. But the dollop of chopped olive and tomato topping the trout just doesn't work. My dining companion improvises her own approach, scooping the antipasto-like mix off the fish and piling it on a hunk of the fragrant, warm rustic bread that comes with the meals. She pronounces it delicious.


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Seafood Bouillabaisse ($23) doesn't live up to other dishes. The saffron-scented broth was timid and the scallops and shrimp were slightly overdone. It would have fared much better with a few mussels and clams thrown in and a bolder hand with the garlic.

The server, who was otherwise attentive and knowledgeable, slipped up by not reminding my dining companion that since he started with the Shrimp and Lobster Bisque ($12), he might want to rethink his choice of another fish soup for the main course.

The bisque was disappointing. The soup lacked the rich velvety creaminess and depth of lobster (and in this case, shrimp) flavour that's a hallmark of this classic. And instead of finishing the soup with a few chunks of plain cooked lobster or shrimp, there's an odd seafood salad floating on top, complete with what tastes like chopped celery.

While French bistro staples are Bodega's signature, chef Kennedy puts his own stamp on some dishes with success, including an appetizer of very tender escargots ($9) in a silken green peppercorn-studded Stilton and brandy sauce, piled onto a buttery chunk of brioche.

The chili-spiced Shrimp and Ginger Ravioli ($11) appetizer is cooled by a julienne of jicama and mango salad. But it would work better without the oddly sweet scallion mayonnaise on the side. It doesn't need the competition.

The Baked Brie and Walnuts appetizer ($10) features timid Brie in a phyllo pastry purse with an undercooked bottom that could have used another minute or two in the oven.

The Warm Goat Cheese Salad with frisée ($9) stumbles on the first visit. The breaded slice of chevre is far too thin, leaving the diner with only a small bit of cheese in the deep-fried shell. But on another visit, the salad is delicious, thanks to a considerably thicker disc of silken, melted goat cheese.

A generous appetizer portion of two slices of buttery homemade Terrine du Foie Gras ($18) with toast rounds is silken and well-spiced. The menu suggests pairing it with a small glass of Cave Spring Late Harvest Riesling ($9).

Homemade desserts are good, especially the white chocolate mousse cake ($7.95) and the warm bourbon pecan tart ($7.95.) The winner is a generous rectangle of lemon cheesecake ($7.95) wrapped in butter-brushed phyllo and baked in a hot oven until the pastry browns and the cheesecake inside melts slightly.

We scrape the last of the cheesecake off the plate, sit back with espressos and think that there's something to be said for dining in a place run by a guy who loves food — and was willing to take a leap of faith to prove it.

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