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| - This has gotta be one of the HOTTEST restos in Toronto right now...they're booking rezzies weeks in advance and when we arrived without one on a Saturday night at 11:30pm, the place was rammed and there was a steady stream of walk-ins. (Tip: they always accept walk-ins if you don't mind dining at the bar...just expect a wait-list.)
Having said all that, the two of us got lucky and scored a table within 10 minutes.
I've wanted to try this joint from notable chef Grant Van Gameren for awhile now.
Unfortunately, the experience missed the mark for me!
We tried:
Cheese Plate - the cheese was yummy (when is cheese not yummy??) but the selection was not varied at all...no soft or creamy cheeses, no blue. All tasted similar. Also, they literally just handed us a small plate of cheese...no crackers/crostini, no dollops of honeys or jams, no nuts or accoutrement. Just cheese slices. For $16 at a hot resto, I expected more. (Try the cheese plate at Skin & Bones as a reference point).
Fried Chicken - (FYI they only serve this after midnight!) the batter is amazing...it's impossibly crunchy and very well seasoned. For $13 you get 3 good-sized pieces. But the cook on the chicken was just okay....I wouldn't say it's my favourite fried bird in the city (try Harlem or Stockyards).
Tuna Tiradito - thinly sliced tuna with asian pear, celery, jalapeno, fried rosemary. This was very light and tasty, but for me, nothing mind-blowing.
Chorizo - one big-ass sliced sausage made with marinated escarole. Fine. Nothing too special.
I will say, the portions here are generous! Not at all like some similarly priced tapas joints (Torito, Patria). The above order was too much food for two! We couldn't finish it all. Although we did enjoy a few slices of homemade sourdough with olive oil and salt before the meal, so maybe that's what did it :)
Overall I'd rate my experience a solid 3/5. Onto the next hot resto!
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