Restaurant Review: Proper – Italian-American Comfort Food Finds a Home on Roncesvalles

On Roncesvalles Avenue, where Toronto’s streetcars glide past bakeries, cafés and the lingering traces of the neighborhood’s Polish heritage, Proper occupies a dining room that already has a story to tell. Until recently the space belonged to La Cubana, the cheerful Cuban restaurant whose pressed sandwiches and rum cocktails helped animate the block. When Proper opened its doors on January 7, 2026, it inherited more than just an address. The bright teal tiles that remain along the walls—preserved intentionally— now serve as a subtle homage to the restaurant that came before.

Proper’s arrival was framed, at least in local restaurant chatter, as an attempt to inject a little nightlife into a stretch of Roncesvalles better known for strollers and school pickups than for late-night tables and cocktails. The restaurant is the work of an unlikely partnership: Michael Edwards, a Roncesvalles resident and entrepreneur stepping into the restaurant world for the first time, and chef-partner Julien Cawagas, whose résumé includes time associated with Eataly Toronto and Giulietta.

Their concept is described as “New York Italian… made Proper” , an idea that borrows freely from Italian-American restaurant culture: big pastas, red-sauce bravado, and plates meant for sharing, all served in a room designed to feel cinematic rather than nostalgic. There are even whispers of expansion. Local reporting has hinted at daytime coffee service, snacks, and perhaps a takeout window dispensing soft-serve in the warmer months…ambitions that, for now, remain promises rather than guarantees.

Inside, the room leans into understated drama. Soft lighting pools over wood tables, while those preserved teal tiles glow against otherwise neutral tones. The space feels deliberate but relaxed, designed for long dinners rather than quick meals. By 8 p.m., the dining room hums with conversation, and the energy begins to resemble exactly what the owners hoped to create: a neighborhood restaurant that feels a little like a night out.

The menu follows the logic of modern Italian-American comfort food, polished for contemporary Toronto tastes. The kitchen shows technical confidence throughout, though the results occasionally feel more reassuring and predictable than thrilling.

A baby gem Caesar salad arrives first. The tight leaves of baby gem lettuce are lacquered with a creamy dressing rich in parmesan and anchovy. White anchovies drape across the leaves like silver ribbons, their briny sweetness balanced by smoky bacon, crunchy crouton crumbs and bursts of salinity from capers. It’s a composed, satisfying Caesar—polished, if not particularly daring.

More playful are the mozzarella sticks, a dish that feels like a wink toward diner nostalgia. Their golden crust cracks audibly when bitten, revealing molten cheese that stretches in theatrical strands. The marinara is bright and tomato-forward, while a truffle aioli adds a whisper of indulgent earthiness. It is comfort food, elevated just enough to justify its place on a modern menu.

Pastas form the heart of the kitchen’s ambitions. The tagliatelle ai funghi arrives coated in a luxurious truffle cream sauce that clings to wide ribbons of pasta. Wild mushrooms lend deep, woodland richness while onion and garlic build a warm aromatic base. The dish leans unapologetically toward decadence. It’s the kind of pasta that encourages diners to slow down and savor each forkful.

The shrimp fra diavolo takes a bolder turn. Plump shrimp rest atop spaghetti glossed with a sauce that balances chili heat with the buttery sweetness of lobster stock. Garlic and parsley brighten the dish, creating a lively interplay between spice and richness. The result is satisfying and assertive, though the sauce occasionally threatens to steal the spotlight from the shrimp themselves.

Among the mains, the chicken parmigiana delivers exactly the sort of comfort the menu promises. A broad breaded cutlet arrives crisp beneath a generous blanket of marinara and bubbling mozzarella, finished with fragrant basil. It is deeply familiar and unapologetically indulgent.

The branzino shows the kitchen reaching toward refinement. The crisp-skinned fillet rests atop a thoughtful composition of fennel, apple and carrot, anchored by a silky carrot purée. A bright hot pepper relish sparks the plate with gentle heat. The fish itself is beautifully cooked, delicate and flaky beneath crackling skin, and the dish feels balanced, elegant and quietly confident.

Side dishes maintain the restaurant’s indulgent tone. Crispy fingerling potatoes, fragrant with fried rosemary and finished with pecorino, arrive deeply golden and impossible to stop eating.

The Brussels sprouts lean toward richness, their charred leaves tossed with pancetta, aged balsamic and Parmigiano Reggiano. Sweet, salty and smoky flavors collide in a way that is satisfying if slightly excessive.

Dessert returns to Italian comfort. The tiramisu is airy and gently bittersweet, its espresso-soaked layers balanced by delicate mascarpone cream. A seasonal panna cotta offers a softer finish, its silky texture brightened by fruit that shifts with the market. Nothing mind-blowing.

Proper’s beverage program quietly strengthens the experience. The wine list is concise but thoughtfully assembled, leaning toward approachable European bottles suited to the menu’s flavors. Cocktails focus on balance rather than spectacle.

Service throughout the evening strikes the right tone, however, my guests and I were waiting for quite awhile after entering the restaurant, and encouraged to grab a beverage at the bar, which felt a bit crammed and awkward as it was right at the front door.

Taken as a whole, Proper is a restaurant that clearly understands its ambition. It seeks to bring a little nightlife to Roncesvalles while honoring the space’s past—those bright teal tiles standing as a reminder of La Cubana’s lively presence. The cooking is thoughtful, the room inviting, and the concept appealing. What the restaurant occasionally lacks is that je ne sais quoi to elevate the experience beyond the the predictable.

For now, Proper settles comfortably into the middle ground: a polished neighborhood restaurant with flashes of ambition and a clear sense of place.Bisous,

Mme M. xoxo

3/5 étoiles

La rubrique de Madame Marie
1 étoile – Run. Before you get the runs.
2 étoiles – Mediocre, but nothing you couldn’t make at home.
3 étoiles – C’est bon, with some standout qualities.
4 étoiles – Many memorable qualities and excellent execution. Compliments to the chef.
5 étoiles – Formidable! Michelin Star quality. Book a reservation immediately.