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| - Bannock's approachable manner certainly makes sense considering it occupies the main floor of the Bay's flagship store on prime real estate on Queen St. at Bay. This seems super convenient for those long Christmas shopping days where getting home at a decent hour to cook supper means a few shopping-short cuts where your significant other just going to be getting another tie this year. And the demographics in the dining room likely reflects their location, as well. There's a pretty vast collection of parties throughout the nearly packed room on a Friday night at 8 PM. There are young couples out for date night, suits likely gathering for a bite after work, mixed age families recouping from their shopping spree, and some likely tourists, as well. Totally my dining style, Bannock is casual and inclusive, so dress however you happen to be and no one will bat an eye.
Speaking of casual, back at my last visit to Bannock, I recall how the dining room reminded me of their neighbour's cargo-pant-shopping experience. I remember peering through the dining room wall window into the department store, and being somewhat reminded of the old school Zellers cafeteria my mom used to take us for grilled cheese when we were kids. Thankfully, since then they've apparently rethought that ambiance-killer, and with their windows covered with light blinds, I can appreciate Bannock's rustic Canadiana décor. The 68 seat dining room features a bright and tidy open kitchen, pine paneled walls, marble tables, sleek wooden chairs, and modern molded-wire light fixtures above the long communal table. On the other side of the open kitchen, there's a grab and go take out seating area offering pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads, and treats in the daytime, as well as cocktails and lounge nibbles after 4:30 PM. While we did have the luxury of a corner banquette table, I found the tables in general to be adequately spaced throughout the room. The music and noise level were both at an appropriate level so that I didn't have to struggle to hear my father who was farthest away. Likewise, the temperature from our back corner booth was tepid and comfortable for us all. Mind you, it might have been a tad cooler near the front of the house, but considering that the revolving door is a good 10 feet from any tables, it's likely that even I would have been fine.
Service was also warm and inviting. The staff played along with my surprise, changing the reservation at the front after we had sat down to a different name and a party for "two". Our server was friendly, young and energetic, yet professional with a casual style. Our cutlery were replenished between courses, water glasses were consistently refilled, and the meal was neither rushed or slow (1 1/2 hours). She also made sure our birthday girl got a candle in her dessert. I really can't ask for more from a service point of view in a casual dining environment.
Bannock's cocktail menu is comprised of familiar classics treated to a benign transformation with Canadiana ingredients. There's a heck of lot of maple going on, which is A-OK by me- but if you're not a fan, you may want to peruse the wine or beer lists instead. All with very reasonably prices, Bannock offers 4 different local draught beers in 12 oz ($5.50-6) or 20 oz ($8-8.50) pours, and another 5 or so local and international bottles ($6.5-9). In continuing with the local theme, Bannock's 21 wine offerings are nearly all Canadian-made, and are each available by the glass ($8-13) or by the bottle ($36-60). While some of the table went with wine or beer, over the course of the night I sampled both the Maple Sour (Maple Crown Royal, Maple Simple Syrup, Lime, $9) and the Bannock Caesar (Vodka, Canadian Imperial, sherry, Clamato, Salsa, Maple Bacon, $9). While the bacon on the latter was a delicious little appy, and the pepper rim was completely addictive, I found the drink itself a little watered down. In contrast, the Maple Sour was really my style. It didn't just taste sweet (though it certainly was a sweeter cocktail by the time I got to the maple sugar candy at the bottom), but rather, it had a deliciously distinct aromatic maple flavour. Definitely a drink I would go for again.
Like the cocktails, on first glance, Bannock's food menu reads of simple, familiar comfort classics, but with a little further interrogation, you see the Canadiana theme portrayed. Poutine pizzas, bannock BLTs, venison chili, dinosaur kale Caesar salad- these items really say it all. Like Canadian cuisine in general, Bannock's menu garners inspiration from a myriad of cultures, presents them in familiar but playful ways, throws in a few distinctively "Canadian" ingredients like bacon, game meat, bannock or cheese curds, and yields Toronto-wide appeal....
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