Like the film after which it was named, Mildred Pierce restaurant was a classic. The opulent, famously hard-to-find eatery on Sudbury Street that changed our perception of what brunch could be over close to two decades closed its doors some time ago.

After a (too) long hiatus, it’s no surprise that the sequel, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, directed by Donna Dooher and Kevin Gallagher, was one of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings of 2008. And unlike many Hollywood follow-ups, the second coming of Mildred doesn’t disappoint. Set in the hipsterized Liberty Village compound — tucked away in the Capitol One building just under the Good Life Fitness — this culinary place of worship is just as hard to find as the original was. And like the original, snagging a meal is worth the hunt.

A roasted vegetable puff pastry tart ($10) gets the show rolling with a buttery, almost quiche-like rimless crust loaded with the holy trinity of eggplant, zucchini and roasted red peppers, finished with the gorgeously creamy Stracchino that the first Mildred’s built its reputation on. Though the hand-rolled ricotta gnudi ($13) with caramelized onions, soft braised Berkshire pork belly bits and brown butter drizzle is too salty, the rapid heart palpitations are worth the flavour wallop. And smoked wild Georgian Bay whitefish fritters with pickled spruce tip remoulade ($10) show a finesse in execution that elevates your standard fish with tartar sauce to another level altogether.

The first of our mains keeps the choir singing. A bowl of vegetarian stew ($16) of firm chickpeas and green lentils gets ramped up with a curry-stewed tomato gravy topped with a dollop of cool goat’s milk yogurt. But what makes this a standout from any other Indian restaurant is the impressive celery root bhaji with citrus tamarind purée that sides our channa masala.

A tongue-tender Asian eggplant ($18) doesn’t boast much smokiness from being “barbecued,” but this delirious mess of black beans, tiny wild mushrooms and silken tofu is a worthwhile pilgrimage for any vegan, refreshingly well-balanced with a glop-free ginger-soy reduction. Wicked carnivores can also rejoice with a burger ($15) served on the most perfect egg-washed brioche bun, and a flavourful cheddar and subtly sweet red onion relish providing extra bang for the buck.

Most chefs would agree that the most important seasoning is salt. But a homemade linguine with clams ($20) takes its importance a bit too seriously. Al dente strands of egg-rich pasta with freshly popped baby clams and caviar in a glossy butter sauce would, if not for an unbearable truckload of salt, be stellar. Sure, seafood has a built-in saltiness but even after a second try, apparently with no salt added, it remains a showcase of sodium overload. We’re told that the brine is the cause, but we think it might be salted butter or the dollop of roe that puts this one over the edge.

Even a pleasant-tasting fig bread pudding ($9) has issues from swimming in a pool of too-thin custard, which turns this meal finale into more of an undercooked French toast. Thankfully, as expected, few words can describe a hand-moulded apple tart ($9), served with a scoop of tamarind ripple ice-cream.

Misfires aside, Temple Kitchen is an outstanding choice for the hip dining elite. The room is design nirvana. Its grand open kitchen lends much of the warmth missing in most modern eateries. Not to mention the almost elevated altar-like experience for those who’ve come to “worship flavour.”

It’s sacred ground for chef Dooher and her team of white-coats who plan to expand their brand of worship beyond Temple in the New Year. Only a few weeks in, Toronto should say a prayer of hope and thanks for the coming of chapter three of this food franchise.