I’ve been to a racetrack only once before for kicks but never really thought it was a place for good food. But it makes sense. Horse racing is traditionally a past-time of the rich and famous – and those who love horses of course – so a good dining room would only make the experience that much more enjoyable.
My flight to Toronto landed just as my friend Grant was heading to the Woodbine Racetrack to meet his parents. That’s right by the airport, so the timing was perfect to join them for dinner. I had no idea what to expect.
An elevator run by a nice lady took us up to the fourth floor of the racetrack. The private Woodbine Club is all dark panelling and colonial oil paintings. No jeans are allowed. Oops. The stern but nice manager gave us a warning but let us stay.
The club has a good-looking buffet but we all ordered off the menu. Grant’s prosciutto appetizer was stunning in terms of presentation but also in taste: beautiful fresh Mission figs, paper-thin prosciutto de parma, fresh bread sticks and some other stuff I forgot to make note of.
The heirloom tomato salad had a strong acidity balanced off nicely by goat cheese and cubes of watermelon.
The mains were all lovely – black cod and lobster tail, free-range roasted chicken – but the 8 oz. Alberta Sterling Silver beef tenderloin was the big winner. Luckily, I bet on that one.
The beef was cooked perfectly on a bed of generous veggies – green beans, cubes of squash, arugula and onions. But what I couldn’t get enough of was the one piece of ravioli stuffed with braised oxtail. It was a side but I’ll be dreaming of it as an entree for a while.
According to what I could find on google, the chef here is Michael Mortensen. He’s originally from Denmark and helped create the sumptous food in Babette’s Feast.
The dining room overlooks the track so we enjoyed dinner while also watching the night’s races. It also offers a great view of Toronto’s skyline.
There’s a betting counter right in the club so you don’t have to go far to place your bet. All of my horses came in last. Maybe I shouldn’t base my picks on cute names anymore. Miss Truffles and Luv a Marine had so much promise.
The Woodbine Club is for members only, so you’ll need an invite or a membership. And don’t wear jeans.
Woodbine Club, Woodbine Racetrack, 555 Rexdale Blvd., Toronto, Ontario (Highway 427 and Rexdale Blvd.), 1-888-675-RACE.
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