Not so long ago, Jacob Richler made black bear chili — that is, chili containing black bear meat — but not so much that he couldn’t also cook black bear tourtière and black bear civet, all of which he sort of had to make, considering that he had 29 kilograms of bear meat on his hands.

That’s how much you get when you’ve shot and gutted and skinned a black bear, apparently. Or how much Richler got, anyway.

This isn’t merely evidence of Richler’s commitment to rich and esoteric food. Those ursine delicacies were the product of an August hunting trip with Marc Thuet, the Alsatian chef who bestrides the Toronto dining scene like . . . well, like a bear.

Richler, a long-time food writer, is friends with what seems like just about every superstar chef in the city, from Mark McEwan to Susur Lee. (He’s written books with both.)

That star-studded Rolodex came in handy during Richler’s most recent project: a ranking of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

Dedicated though he is to eating out — he was the National Post’s restaurant critic for years — his preferences don’t count toward the list. Instead, Richler called on dozens of food experts from across the country: chefs, restaurateurs and people who just like a good meal.

The list will be included as a special insert in Sunday’s Star for those in the GTA who subscribe to the New York Times supplement. The magazine can also be purchased at newsstands beginning in mid-March, with the list viewable at canadas100best.com.

There’s good news in there for Toronto foodies: six of the Top 10 restaurants are Hogtown fixtures, as are 28 of the top 100, more than any other city.

The city’s best dining establishments, according to Richler’s panel, are Buca (3), Splendido (5), Canoe (6), Edulis (7), Bar Isabel (8) and Nota Bene (9).

It’s the consistency and quality of the city’s mid-range restaurants, however, that Richler finds most impressive.

“The real value of a city in terms of going out is in its affordable restaurants,” he said. “Now I think it’s our strong point.”

Poll

The multicultural range of the city’s cuisine is another defining trait. He and a few food-savvy friends visited the Harbord St. institution Splendido in September for an “extraordinary” 22-course tasting menu prepared by chef Victor Barry.

“It wasn’t fusion, but he waved the flag of many places,” Richler said. “Nobody batted an eye. That’s the way we eat now.”

Toronto has had to earn its place atop the country’s culinary hierarchy.

“There was a time when Montreal was the only place to dine out,” Richler said. No longer: while the city scored Canada’s top restaurant, Toqué!, it had just 19 in the top 100.

Between them, the two big central Canadian cities and Vancouver dominate the list.

“I will predict today that people in the Prairies and Maritimes will be disappointed,” Richler said.

To level the playing field slightly, judges were apportioned according to region and population size. Seventy judges from across Canada were selected, and each submitted a ranked list of their 10 top restaurants; they were prohibited from choosing places in which they had a financial stake. Finally, all the picks were tallied to form the master list of 100.

Richler is aspiring to something definitive, which is why he benched himself when he was picking the judges.

“We have so many restaurant critics offering up opinions,” he said over Marc Thuet croissants in Cabbagetown, where he lives. “Opinions are a dime a dozen.”

Working with chefs had its pitfalls, too. Among the tasks he found them reluctant to perform were: following instructions, answering phone calls and “reading anything.”

Deadlines also proved mystifying to these kings of the kitchen, so proficient at nightly bursts of skill and industry, but often utterly lost when a work prospectus stretches beyond the dinner service.

“That’s their idea of future planning: five seconds,” Richler said.

He is thinking longer term. Richler expects the list to become an annual standby, with chefs jockeying for position and restaurants rising and sliding in the rankings.

His commitment to the project is a testament to Richler’s seriousness about food. He only eats out about once a week now, he said, but cooks elaborately at home. A recent French bistro night featured steak frites with truffled butter.

“We don’t have sandwiches,” he quipped.

Asked if his many friendships in the country’s food establishment might colour his judgment, Richler smiled.

“They know just how disloyal a friend I am when quality is at stake.”

Canada’s Top 25

The upper quarter of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants ranking

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1. Toqué!, Montreal

2. Hawksworth, Vancouver

3.Buca, Toronto

4. Raymonds, St. John’s

5.Splendido, Toronto

6. Canoe, Toronto

7.Edulis, Toronto

8.Bar Isabel, Toronto

9.Nota Bene, Toronto

10. Joe Beef, Montreal

11. Maison Publique, Montreal

12. Model Milk, Calgary

13. Park, Montreal

14.Scaramouche, Toronto

15. Hôtel Herman, Montreal

16. Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ont.

17. l’Abbatoir, Vancouver

18. Cioppino’s, Vancouver

19. Atelier, Ottawa

20. Initiale, Quebec City

21. Cabane à Sucre au Pied de Cochon, St-Benoit de Mirabel, Que.

22. Fleur de Sel, Lunenberg, N.S.

23. Bouillon Bilk, Montreal

24. Le Club Chasse et Pêche, Montreal

25.Sushi Kaji, Toronto