milagro

it is pretty evident that toronto foodies love their mexican food. it seems to be something we’re always striving to find. the next best taco, guacamole, or mole. but it seems as though toronto has not yet discovered the greatness of one restaurant which truly is a hidden gem. i’m here to share the secret of milagro cantina mexicana (5 mercer st) with you.

arturo anhalt (head chef and co-owner) opened milagro in 2006 with his brother. born and raised in mexico city, they grew up enjoying mexican cuisine at home, in the streets and in the restaurants and cantinas of mexico city. when they came to toronto, they wanted to bring those flavours to our streets, which can be found in their three locations across the city along queen street (783 queen st w) and yonge (3187 yonge st).

upon arriving at the restaurant, you are greeted with service that is beyond complimentary. delicious corn chips with salsa are left on the table while you peruse the menu. there is an adorable little warning on the menu that tells diners to keep in mind that items will be spicy and they are not wrong. everything from the rimming on the margarita to theguacamoleis spicy, so be prepared – this food is not for the faint of heart.

we started our foray into the menu with a refreshing 2.5 oz oaxaquena margarita. shaken and poured over ice with mezcal, triple sec and agave , the drink paired wonderfully the two ceviches we indulged in: pescado tropical (marinated snapper, sweet mango, tomato, cilantro & onion) and veulve a la vida (mixed octopus, shrimp & crab with tomato, cilantro and serrano pepper). the ceviches were wonderfully executed. photographer yuli and i are huge seafood fans and could not get enough of the beautiful colours and flavours on the ceviches that were presented.

next up, we were treated to the equivalent of the mexican caesar, the michelada. a combination of the mexican beer, negra modelo, tomato juice, fresh lime and salt & pepper rim – it would be perfect for a hot summer day. paired alongside our al pastor tacos, which consisted of adobo pork, grilled pineapple and salsa verde, it was a winning combo that really had me yearning for a patio.

arturo came alongside to the table to chat with yuli and i about the origins of some of mexico’s favourite street food and brought with him a dish he remembers eating on the streets of mexico city. the dish, tostaditas dona flora, is crisp tostadas, chicken, refried beans, avocado and creama. the flavours were complex yet so incredibly simple. paired with a shot of beautiful tequila, arturo walked us through the proper way of drinking, “bite at the lime, sip the tequila and then sip at the chaser.” he told us. the chaser consisted of a tomato and orange juice mix, which cut down on some of the acidity. the tostada and tequila combo had me feeling like we were on the streets of mexico city.

milagro cantina offers up some spectacular food with an array of cocktails. for those looking for authentic mexican in the heart of the city, look no further than milagro.

the craze in the food industry in the past year or two seems to be all about tacos. it could get a bit repetitive, but the milagro cantinas offer traditional mexican e ateries inspired by mexico city - so you're looking at the good old authentic stuff here! we were invited to a dinner at their toronto flagship on mercer st., opened by mexican city-born brothers, autoru and andres anhalt, and it was unlike any other mexican food we had in toronto. upon arrival, cocteles - a selection of mixed libations from the cantina were placed in our hand - can't complain as it was a long day at work ;)  the restaurant space on mercer pretty big with lots of seatings along the window as well as bigger tables for groups.  the staff were super friend, fun and lively - it felt like we were at a friend's party... a friend who knew how to make some damn good mexican food, that is! after being seated, the food began to emerge from the kitchen - glorious sight, of course!  guacamolecon totopos ($12.00) -

the craze in the food industry in the past year or two seems to be all about tacos. it could get a bit repetitive, but the milagro cantinas offer traditional mexican eateries inspired by mexico city - so you're looking at the good old authentic stuff here! we were invited to a dinner at their toronto flagship on mercer st., opened by mexican city-born brothers, arturo and andres anhalt, and it was unlike any other mexican food we had in toronto.

upon arrival, cocteles - a selection of mixed libations from the cantina were placed in our hand - can't complain as it was a long day at work ;) the restaurant space on mercer pretty big with lots of seatings along the window as well as bigger tables for groups. the staff were super friend, fun and lively - it felt like we were at a friend's party... a friend who knew how to make some damn good mexican food, that is!
after being seated, the food began to emerge from the kitchen - glorious sight, of course!

guacamolecon totopos ($12.00) - tortilla chips with house-madeguacamole(aguacate, cilantro, serrano chiles, tomato, onion & lime)
salsas de la casa - three of milagro's famous salsas: mile, medium and spicy
milagrito 'ven a mi' mezcal reposado, warm syrupy with a smoky mezcal

ensalada cesar ($9.00) - romaine, egg, anchovy, parmesan & garlic vinaigrette

tostadita de pulpo ($8.50) - crisp tortilla with octopus & chipotle ceviche
sope plazero ($9.00) - corn masa base, pork carnitas, warm tomatillo-serrano salsa & crema
michelada - negra modelo, fresh lime and salt rim
conchinita pibil ($21.00) - anchiote marinated pulled pork, pickled habanero onions & fried plantains
pierna de cordero ($19.50) - braised lamb shank in chile guajillo & mezcal sauce

mole poblano ($18.50) - roasted chicken with poblano style red mole

natilla de cajeta ($) - creamy custard with goat's milk cajeta & brûléed sugar - fell in love with this!
glan de queso al caramelo ($) - homestyle cheese flan with burnt sugar sauce
i did had high expectations as this is actually one of my friend' favourite restaurants in all of toronto - now i see why! the food is spectacular with an abundance of cocktails and wine to pair them with. add the lively environment and staff and i am in mexican heaven. milagro cantina definitely became one of my top 3 mexican restaurants in the city and i can't wait to go back for more.

ps. please make sure you try the dessert we had!

went on a date here over the weekend, always a fun spot. the margaritas are huge and so so so good. the tacos were good, some were a bit over cooked. theguacamolewas on point.

had dinner at milagro on a saturday night. the p k ace was busy but we were able to get a table. we ordered theguacamoleand chips to start. its slightly spicy and good. three of us shared a patter with pork carnitas, albondigas and chicken tinga. the pork and chicken were perfectly seasoned. the albondigas were very spicy. the food is very authentic, not tex mex style. the music gets louder and lighting gets lower as late sat night approaches. nice place to hang with friends. high top chairs a bit uncomfortable for shrties like me though. get a regular table if you can

this place truly takes me back to my childhood when i was a gringo in mexico. even though i'm not actually mexican nor have i ever been there for more than a week at a resort, this place makes me feel like i was mexican in a past life. the food was absolutely incredible and the atmosphere was exactly what you'd want when eating at an authentic mexican restaurant. the service was great, the waitress was cute...the only thing i was disappointed in was that i filled up on there amazingguacamoleand also that the waitress didn't have a spanish accent.
besides that this place is hands down the best mexican food i've eaten.

great mexican joint in downtown toronto. if the weather is great, you could opt to sit at a nice patio on john street. the decor is excellent and we had a really great time here. theguacamoleis very tasty and one of the best i have had in toronto. for the main course try the mole poblano. it is awesome.

amazingguacamoleand unlimited tortilla chips. has a commercial vibe but the food makes up for it. red sangria is pretty good. once went for the happy hour taco special and wasn't disappointed!

this is one of my staple mexican restaurant to frequent. the staff is very attentive and prompt. theguacamoleis a great starter to order. the tropical de pescado is yummy with the right amount of zing to it. lastly, the sauces that most things on the menu come with add a different layer of flavor to the whole food experience.

been here a few times... food was very good. had theguacamoleand the tinga burrito. service is a bit slow and a bit pricey. i would definitely go back for the food

milagro is an authentic, cozy restaurant filled with beautiful mexican culture and décor. the restaurant is located in the middle of toronto between the financial and fashion districts. you’ll find that milagro is more than a restaurant that serves tacos, burritos and enchiladas. the family of milagro is passionate to bring together food, drink and good company.  we started of with cocktails,guacamoleand a shot of tequila. fresh and addicting. i found myself snacking on this throughout the entire dinner. there were three dishes of appetizers. the first was a fresh cesar, the romaine was crisp and the vinaigrette was creamy and zesty. the next two items were served together. tostadita de pulpo and sope plazero. the octopus was poached to perfection, tossed in a beautifully seasoned crunchy salsa. it was fresh and light compared to the next savoury and creamy snack. the sope plazero had an interesting corn masa base and it soaked up all the delicious juices from the pork and salsa. the sweetness from the pork and the creaminess from the cheese balanced the heat from the tomatilla-serrano salsa. i could eat this all day, yum! and the food just kept coming, next were the entrees. all three dishes were served with steaming corn tortillas. first up was marinated pulled pork with pickled habanero onions, refried beans and fried plantain. the pulled pork was savoury and full of spices, the plantains were sweet and the onions were very spicy! three or four strands of those onions were more than enough in my tortilla, i couldn’t handle the heat! i was most excited about the lamb shank. it’s braised in chile guajillo, mezcal sauce with carrots and potatoes. my favourite dishes are usually braised meats with tons of spices and herbs. the meat always turns out tender and the flavours have a lot of time to mingle together to form something spectacular. the lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and insanely flavourful. the next item that i got to dump over my corn tortilla was chicken mole. before this meal, i’ve never heard, seen or tasted mole. chef arturo informed us that mole is traditionally made with 20+ ingredients and it’s finished with cocoa at the end. although the sauce wasn’t sweet, i could taste the cocoa. i was really unfamiliar with the taste and texture of this sauce, so it didn’t stand out like some of the other dishes. i was afraid of not having enough room to eat dessert because i was stuffing my face with all the other dishes. no worries, i was able to consume the final dish of the night. the cheese flan was rich, creamy, slightly heavy with a slight bitter after-taste. i enjoyed the smooth creaminess of it though. the other dessert was a creamy custard that taste like melted caramel, yum.  

it was a true mexican dining experience at the vip menu tasting of milagro cantina . starting off with 3 special cocktails made for the night, one of them a not-your-regular margarita with a stronger, smokier flavour really quenched my thirst; followed by a multi-course tasting, each dish paired with a spirit or wine, chef arturo anhalt sure knows what he’s doing. sope plazero and tostadita de pulpo paired with micheladaguacamolecon totopos was served with three of milagro ’s famous salsas. the milagrito ‘ven a mi’ reposado mezcal (or mescal) rimmed with “sal de gusano” and chased with orange juice was a nice way to reset our palate for the next round. cut the bacon crap, the ensalada césar (caesar salad) was served simple with a slice of lime and a nice, rich anchovy garlic vinaigrette. sope plazero (pork carnitas with tortilla) and tostadita de pulpo (crispy tortilla with octopus ceviche) were well complemented by michelada , a mexican drink mixed with

horrible service. i asked for more chips andguacamoleand got an eye roll. server never came back after taking our order to see if we needed anything or were enjoying our meal. food was bizarre - the cheese in my enchilada was a cold, hard brick - sauce was okay, but nothing memorable. margaritas had no tang and are served in thimbles. won't be going back.