Although it only opened quietly last week, the tres-chic Samuel J. Moore bistro in the historic Great Hall (1087 Queen West, at Dovercourt, 416-897-8348) looks like it’s been there forever.
“That was the idea,” says executive chef Alexandra Feswick. “We wanted something timeless and not trendy.”
A joint venture between the Lakeview‘s Fadi Hakim and Alex Sengupta, Wrongbar and the Riverside’s Nav Sangha and first-timer Sean Singh, the gorgeous 90-seat room sports white ceramic tile on the floor, black laquered paneling on the walls, a pressed tin ceiling overhead and a bar topped with a slab of marble. Call it La Societe for the downtown crowd. The carte, however, is anything but French.
“I’d call it eclectic Canadian and as locally sourced and seasonable as possible,” says the ex-Brockton General chef. “It fits the neighbourhood.”
You’ll find $12 burgers made from hand-chopped sirloin laced with bone marrow on brioche buns dressed with Stilton cheese and $9 salads of kale layered with prosciutto, apples and walnuts. Buck-a-shuck oysters from Rodney’s daily from 5 to 7 pm and weekend brunch from 9 am, too. They’re also open everyday from 6 am till 2 am, 4 am Thursday to Saturday. Why not just open 24-7?
“That’s what I said!” laughs Feswick.
