Rating: NNNNN
With its connection to Coco Lezzone (602 College, at Clinton, 416-535-1489) and Sugar Club (57 Duncan, at Richmond West, 416-597-0202), Butt’r (587 College, at Clinton, 416-516-4756) has automatic cachet amongst the Cosmo-swilling fashion set. We’ve heard talk of wall-to-wall weekend clubbers wiggling to retro house here, but on a frigid Tuesday evening there’s no velvet rope to prevent the likes of Convertible and me from entering a near-empty bar.
Past a billowing white curtain that recalls the one that almost trapped us permanently at Inspire, we take our seats on low banquettes that make ideal preening perches. Convertible rejects my suggestion to go-go dance on the lit-from-below platform next to us. Across the way, a high communal table remains unoccupied, very Xacutti or Rain. Still, it’s a cool room, and thee servers seem friendly enough.
Since opening soft just before Christmas, Butt’r’s prices have risen significantly. Once seven bucks, escargot now go for $10, a bit pricey for six tiny nubbins of Asiago-crusted snail, even if they are in wonderful roasted-garlic-infused lemon sauce.
Convertible’s impressively presented near-raw sushi-style tuna ($31) over wild rice and a tangle of asparagi arrives at room temperature, something more suited for a summer heat wave than a winter cold snap. At its previous damage of $21 it was already overpriced. Nice isn’t generally a complement, but that’s the only way to describe a Cal-Ital handful of mussels, shrimp and scallops tossed with angel-hair ($18 now/$14 then).
After slightly more than an hour, we head back into the frozen tundra. We doubt we’ll be coming back to eat, but we’ll definitely return to boogie on Butt’r’s bar. stevend@nowtoronto.com
