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| - Monday is one of my days off and I usually eat out, whether by myself or with some company. I had no specific plans today and had to go to Union station to run an errand. Since it was around 6:30 pm when I was done, I thought I would walk up Spadina avenue and decide on something. Would it be Swatow? Jules? Pho Hung? Fresh? And then I saw Tavern at 147 Spadina. Trevor was on my resto hit list but I had read that he opened this other location, and there it was. So, I decided to go in. It was about 7:30 pm and just a few customers were in, so I decided to sit at the bar.
First of all, the three young women on staff tonight were all very nice and friendly. The bartender on duty (her name is Angela and as a side note is one of the loveliest, most agreeable and knowledgeable restaurant professionals I have met lately) took both my drink and food orders and knew the menu very well and could answer any question I had about the dishes. I felt like having a fancy drink and was expecting, like in most places to have to explain my drink. But no, Angela was awesome and actually could make me an Alabama highball! Orange juice, gin, vermouth, with a hint of amaretto. It was delicious, not too sweet, with just a hint of bitterness and surprisingly a great accompaniment to the food I ordered.
The bison and pork tourtiere, even though it comes in an out of the box shape( a round folded pie crust which looks slightly like a cornish pasty) is definitely worthy of the name and is as good if not better than a lot of tourtieres I had in Quebec. Lots of meat, very well seasoned and the crust being very firm and well done, not too crumbly. Very often, tourtiere can be very fatty. Most recipes use only pork. Some add beef but it can still have a high fat content. And if you use only beef, well, it is just not the same. In this case, by blending equal parts bison and pork, you cut drastically the fattiness of the dish while definitely improving on the flavour and subtleness of the dish, with every mouthful delivering a satisfying helping of meaty, pie-crusty goodness. The presentation is flawless, served on a white plate with apple chipotle sauce(great flavour combo) and shaved pickled beets on top. For 13 dollars, it is very reasonably priced for a dish of this quality. As a side, I had a very refreshing kale and jicama salad (5$). I was tempted by the frites (I am a potato monster) but it definitely would have been too much. Next time.
Angela suggested I have dessert (not only she is a great bartender and a very attractive young woman but she is a psychic, how did she know I have a sweet tooth?) and the deep fried Snickers bar seemed tempting but I opted on skipping sugar and opting for another of my favourite food groups, alcohol, instead. I asked Angela for a Tanqueray gin and tonic, which was also very well mixed.
Tavern by Trevor is not a pub. They only have 3 draft beers. But their strength is cocktails and they have a limited but pretty decent wine list. The food is awesome and it is very difficult to choose something as everything looks so good, which will justify further visits. Actually, the bartender told me that the owners also have Wide Open on Spadina a few doors down, another great place I enjoy.
My bill came around 42.00 which is reasonable, considering I had 2 great stiff drinks and that the food was of high quality. The service was wonderful, decor and atmosphere warm and cosy.
Overall, a great addition to the Richmond and Spadina/Chinatown area. Go, you will not regret it!
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