Mayor Rob Ford was off the wagon at an Etobicoke steak joint this week, impaired and rambling, associating with accused video extortionist Alexander “Sandro” Lisi and hurling profane, expletive-laden insults at Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.

It was all caught on video while Ford — who admitted Tuesday he was back to drinking — was out with people he calls “friends.”

“F---ing Chief Blair,” Ford says in a videotape made at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday. “They chase me around for five months … you know how much that costs?”

Ford is incoherent during portions of the video. In other parts he clearly uses Jamaican expletives that members of the local community say are “highly offensive” to women.

The video was posted to YouTube on Tuesday afternoon. Two men tried to sell it to the Star and other media for $7,500 earlier in the day. The men told a Star reporter the late-night antics of the mayor at Steak Queen in Rexdale was evidence Ford still hung out with Lisi; that Ford was not true to his claim of having stopped drinking; and that he had driven intoxicated to the restaurant.

Ford admitted Tuesday to drinking but denied driving to the Steak Queen. He did not say how he got to the fast food steak restaurant. A witness to the night’s activities told the Star Ford’s black Cadillac Escalade was parked out front.

Lisi is important to the story because he is the Ford friend who faces charges of extortion for aggressive attempts to retrieve the original crack cocaine video (showing Ford smoking crack and making racist and homophobic remarks). Lisi has a previous conviction for threatening to kill a woman and also currently faces drug charges as part of the ongoing Project Brazen 2, a probe of the mayor by top Toronto detectives. Lisi’s bail conditions do not prevent him from seeing Ford, though in Lisi’s upcoming criminal case the mayor may be called to testify.

In another section of the new video Ford brags that during the police investigation he ran “counter-surveillance” on the undercover detectives that were watching him.

“‘Bro, we’re counter-surveilling you, guy.’ You know what I mean? He’s hiding here, I’ma hide here. I’ma hide…”

Ford also says “c---sucker” before ranting about Chief Blair, then follows up with Jamaican expletives.

In a second video released Tuesday, Lisi, wearing a Canada Goose winter coat, is seen chatting with Ford at the Steak Queen the same evening. During Ford’s drunken rant later in the evening, Lisi is off camera.

Someone answered Lisi’s cellphone when the Star called for comment Tuesday afternoon, appeared to listen to the reporter, then hung up. Lisi’s lawyer, Seth Weinstein, said he could not comment on questions about Lisi and Ford because the matter is before the courts and Lisi “is not a public figure and will not be drawn into discussing his personal life.”

Extensive police surveillance of Ford and Lisi last summer revealed the two meeting each other frequently and exchanging packages, text messages and phone calls, often during business hours. Police allege Lisi tried to retrieve the crack video but have not named a person, if one exists, who asked him to do so.

Toronto and the world had a Christmas break from the Ford saga after Toronto’s top politician, stripped by council of his powers, went on an exercise kick and publicly vowed he was done with substance abuse.

As recently as early last week, Ford was continuing to maintain that his drinking days were over. On Jan. 13, after a well tweeted visit to Muzik nightclub, a reporter asked the mayor if he’d been drinking and Ford responded angrily: “You know what, I’m not even gonna answer that question. Were you drinking this weekend? Were you drinking this weekend? Well then? No I wasn’t drinking. I don’t drink.”

In November, after admitting to smoking crack cocaine, Ford told several news outlets he was done drinking. “Finished” was what he said to the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge. To CP24’s Stephen LeDrew, Ford said he was “100 per cent” done with alcohol. The host pressed him: “So you have no personal issues? The people of Toronto aren’t going to see you in a state of inebriation?” Ford told both outlets he’d had a “come to Jesus moment.”

“I’ll guarantee that,” Ford replied.

When the Steak Queen video surfaced, Ford’s brother Doug, a councillor, quickly suggested it was from earlier days. Soon after, Mayor Ford admitted the video was current but he had an explanation for the event.

“I was with some friends and what I do in my personal life and (with) my personal friends, that’s up to me. This really has nothing to do with, has nothing to do with you guys,” he said. “It’s my own time. It’s my own time.”

In the video, Ford stands with his back to the counter and speaks to someone off camera. Ford clicks his tongue and sucks his teeth and uses Jamaican expletives.

A prominent member of the Jamaican-Canadian community, Donette Chin-Loy, told the Star’s Royson James the words are “offensive to women.” In brief comments to reporters Tuesday Ford said his remarks were not “discriminative.”

“If I speak that way, that’s how I speak with some of my friends. Okay?” Ford said.

At City Hall, councillors said they had indications recently that Ford was abusing substances again, but hoped they were wrong.

One former supporter of Ford’s, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, said “there’s a profound disappointment and sadness that it looks like he’s fallen off the wagon.”

Councillors, he said, had been rooting for Ford to succeed. He said they believe Ford should seek the “appropriate help” he needs.

“When someone fails in that way, it’s a disappointment for all of us,” Minnan-Wong said.

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Councillor Michael Thompson, who is the only black member of council and is of Jamaican descent, said he found Ford’s behaviour “offensive.” He said Tuesday was a “real sad day.”

Thompson was a staunch Ford ally for much of the term. On Tuesday, he said Ford is not “fit” to continue in office.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly said the video is further proof Ford needs “professional help.” He said Ford’s lack of public “self-control” puts the reputation of the city at risk.

A lawsuit alleges that this video showing Mayor Rob Ford in a drunken rant is about Scott MacIntyre, the former common-law spouse of the mayor?s sister Kathy.

The Steak Queen is east of Highway 427 and south of Finch Ave. W. Ford and Lisi have been there before, according to information the Star gathered over the past year.

According to the people who recorded the video, Ford made disparaging comments off camera at the restaurant about Toronto city councillors, along with his recorded verbal attack on Chief Blair. The man who recorded one of the two videos known to have been taken early Tuesday morning said Ford grew more animated and sounded more impaired as his time at the Steak Queen wore on. The Star was also approached Tuesday by a man who saw and videotaped Ford at a local Tim Hortons at 11 p.m., before the Steak Queen visit. The man said Ford was incoherent and rambling at that location as well.

The Steak Queen did a brisk business after news surfaced that it was ground zero for the latest controversial video.

Journalists lined the booths at the Steak Queen restaurant Tuesday evening.

Yvon Romano, a 39-year-old Etobicoke electrician, was less than enthusiastic about the mayor. While eating at the restaurant, Romano said he appreciates how Ford “acknowledges the little guy” but added that he’s surprised by his recent behaviour, particularly the news that Ford was videotaped at the eatery with Lisi.

“If this continues, I probably wouldn’t vote for him again,” he said.

Penny Morrison, a Rexdale resident who identified herself as an unflinching Ford supporter, entered the restaurant to express her views to the media.

“He was just horsing around with his friends . . . People overreact to everything he does,” she said, waving a red and blue “Ford Nation” flag.

“The entire world laughed at Jesus too . . . I want Rob to know that come Oct. 27, he’s the boss and he will win.”

Wednesday is a big day at City Hall as Ford and the executive committee meet to cast their final vote on the city budget.

The Steak Queen video concludes with Ford referring to himself as a “straight-up guy.” A restaurant employee tells him he “deserves to be even better than Prime Minister Harper.”

Kevin Donovan can be reached at kdonovan@thestar.ca or 416-312-3503