Don’t be fooled by the rooster adorning the sign of Riverside’s newest hot boîte, Table 17. No, Monsieur Thuet hasn’t spread his wings eastward as of yet. But like so many other restaurateurs, the culinary team of Erik Joyal and John Sinopoli (Izakaya), along with new partner John Dawson, have made the perilous journey across the Don and settled in safely gentrified Leslieville.

Gone are the dingy booths and rickety swivel stools of antediluvian diner Newel’s, where down-on-their-luck locals once whiled the days away over $2 bottles of domestic brew and fried-egg sandwiches. In  place is a dining hall in country-chateau chic, cozied with old woods, cushioned high-back chairs and service stations mounded high with loaves of irresistible Fred’s bread to chew on while deliberating between the locally farmed strip-loin ($27) or the house-made tagliatelle ($16).

A whiff of freshly chopped herbs wafting through the air is enough to make you drool like a hungry mutt. But it’s the well-thought-out fusion-focused menu that really impresses, even if the first dish out is barely lukewarm.

A pair of wickedly seared diver scallops ($15), wonderfully paired with a creamy Béarnaise, fresh peas and a slab of charred salty guanciale (think thick-cut bacon) could’ve been divine if they hadn’t spent too long on the pass. The soffrito-braised rabbit ($25) suffers from a similar affliction. Slow-roasted for 24 hours, it’s full of gamey flavour, but the tender meat is tepid at the bone, and the side of tagliatelle comes in a butter sauce that screams for some added savoury to make it sing.

Thankfully, heat issues don’t affect the polenta ($12), served “family style” on a wooden board with the daily sugo (sauce), a tomato-pea ragout, ladled atop tableside. Despite a mountain of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the gruel beneath is in dire need of, at the very least, a dash of salt and pepper. And though the inventive use of a cutting board as a plate is something to admire, it shouldn’t have a crack in it that allows for seepage onto the table.

Chili beef ribs ($15) also fail to spice up our lives, with a rank, musky essence that manages to punch through their candy-sweet, heat-lacking glaze. Given the popularity of this dish at Izakaya, perhaps it’s just an off day in the kitchen?

Steak frites ($19) finally deliver a caveat-free, two-thumbs-and-both-big-toes up, featuring moist and tender morsels of smoky, medium-rare beef-lover heaven sided with crispy, golden fries good enough to stand all on their own. The pickerel ($19) approaches the same setting-a-standard culinary heights. The subtle scent of anise from the grilled fennel mixes wonderfully with the spicy chorizo and rosemary-tomato jus, a sophisticated blend of flavours that layer beautifully with the gorgeous freshwater fish. So what’s the problem? Ice, ice, baby.

Luckily, room-temperature desserts don’t pose problems, so the meal ends on a happy note. A lemon tart ($5) skips merrily across the taste buds with a silky-smooth, tangy curd in a rustic, country-fair style crust. A ramekin of custardy clotted cream topped with a delightful strawberry-rhubarb compote ($7) strikes the perfect seasonal chord.

Table 17 doesn’t garner top marks, but it ain’t Stalag 17 either — and getting dishes hot is a minor tweak we hope will be remedied post-haste. Only about a month out, we’re confident that Table 17 will be a neighbourhood mainstay.