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| - 'Canadian comfort food' is the tagline for Bannock, and I confess that I was both intrigued and seriously sceptical. Was I about to discover my Canadianness through my gullet? Would I experience colonizer's guilt while doing so?
Since I've eaten at Canteen at the Lightbox and I know the reputation of Oliver and Bonacini, I was certain the food I would be good quality without being excessively highbrow (because I like being able to order without a French dictionary) - but I had no idea what would be on this menu.
The ambiance:
-Bright windows facing Queen near Nathan Phillip Square make the tables nearby grand spots for people-watching. We knew right away where we wanted to be seated. The interior is adorably minimalist, using raw plank textures to conjure the idea of log cabins and rustic charm without resorting to deer heads and table saws (ahem Montana's). The touches are subtle. Birchbark-themed salt and pepper shakers, jarred preserves and chestnuts as decoration, no-nonsense simple white tables, warm wood touches here and there. Nice, and not too pretentious, though a step up from Canteen where the servers are clad in blue plaid. Great for dates or for a nice conversation-starter sort of dinner with pals.
The food:
-First off, I mixed up 'bannock' with 'pemmican'. I was hoping that the Canadian cuisine on offer might hat-tip to some First Nation influence - but it was not to be. A little sad about that, but that's the academic in me. The food here is richly steeped in our history as settlers (colonizers yes, all of the above) and offers creative twists on blue-collar staples from pea soup, chili, mac and cheese, poutine and neat gamey meats.
-We ordered the bread basket appetizer, because if I was going to Bannock I was darn well going to eat some. The server informed me their bakery was upstairs and it tasted like it. The bannock was a cross between roti and a soft taco, dense and delicious. The artisan breads were unbuttered and fresh, served with a simple red pepper hummus.
-We ordered the pineapple sangria because the people next to us did. It looked so fresh and summery we couldn't resist. It was fresh and cold. At first blush it tasted like juice but the wine taste followed, nice and smooth. It was gone too fast, despite the large wineglass serving size.
-I ordered the pork shoulder ($18) recommended by our server, because frankly I found the menu options slightly difficult to visualize. Pickles? Goat cheese feta? Toasted taro sticks? What would that salad look like? No idea. Good thing too because it was fantastic - melt in your mouth tender with amazing carmelized onions and apples on top, resting on a small bed of onion-infused bannock pieces. Slightly sweet with a faint spice.
The portion was larger than my normal meat intake but you bet I ate all of it and was sad when it was gone. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys pulled pork sandwiches, or any carnivores who don't want steak. My only wish would be to have some steamed veggies on the side - come on people, some other food group besides meat would have been nice.
-My after-dinner cappuccino was $4 and was not as large as I would have hoped, but it was still delicious and completely necessary to wash down all that tasty pork.
-The girls next to us were having a great time with a steaming plate of poutine bannock pizza, which, despite being a heart-clogger, smelled fantastic. They ordered it because the people next to *them* ordered it, and if we weren't so full we probably would have too.
The service:
-Our server was cheerful and genuine and very attentive. She had great recommendations on the menu and made us feel quite at home.
Convenience:
-Extremely close (2 minutes max!) to the Eaton Centre and Queen subway stop, so even the directionally challenged will be able to find it.
Overall, I'd go again sometime, because the menu is interesting, the food and service were both very good, and because any place that serves fancy 'Canadian comfort food' is bound to start a conversation.
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