Celiac Disease

Evaluated by Eye Magazine as ‘outstanding’, but getting mixed reviews from Toronto Life who finally rated it one of Toronto’s Best New Restaurants in 2007, Quince falls into the group of a must-try – a Mediterranean-inspired place with reasonable prices and a reputation for fresh, innovative flavours. Placed just a few blocks south of the busy intersection at Yonge and Eglinton, this new midtown digs was started in fall of 2006 by the husband and wife team consisting of Jennifer Gittins and Michael van den Winkel, former members of the high-valued Stork on the Roof.

Do you know where the infamous nudie bar Cheaters used to be? Well, Quince is just across the street from there, enclosed by a pretty patio decorated with teak furniture and plenty of cushions in bright, primary colours. Two doors down, next to the famous restaurant Coquine, a neon sign proclaims “Adult Video & Novelties”, a bit of a surprise in a neighbourhood touted for its blossoming business district and family-friendly parks. But if you can remember, at least in the last 25 years, this stretch of Yonge Street between Eglinton and Davisville has always offered a wide selection of shops. A quick search of the neighbourhood reveals everything from clothing boutiques to bead and paper stores, home décor, and adult places.

We are kindly greeted at Quince’s door by the hostess, who offers us a spot near the bar on low, cushioned banquettes. Even on a Saturday night and in this busy neighbourhood, we are offered a choice of tables, pleading excessive height. “What’s downstairs?” I ask. “Oh, that’s our private dining room,” our hostess answers. You can have lunch or dinner there. The space offers its own bar and lounge and all is nicely decorated, though the tile floor reveals it’s in the basement. It’s off limits to couples tonight; the space is reserved for corporate or private groups of diners up to 40 people and cocktail receptions of up to 70 people, where recommended menus are paired with matching wines so that all the details are taken care of.

We choose our table and almost instantly, our waiter appears with a short list of specials. Make that a brief list of specials with a long description of ingredients, preparation methods, and how they’re going to work together. The waiter definitely has a really good knowledge of his field, explaining to us what is a garnish compared to a side dish. Neat, friendly and efficient – that is how I would describe him. He gives me a moment to decide if ordering a whole sea bream is such a good idea, just cautions apologetically: “Most people order a side with it, it’s just the fish.” And in the meanwhile, we can take a look around. Enhanced by clever lighting that adds nice warmth to the airy dining room, the space is deceptively large whereas keeping a pleasant level of intimacy. Another nice thing is the volume level – even though the place is almost completely full, we can still easily have a conversation or listen to the background music (probably D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder). The interior is decorated with modern art in earthy colours, gracing the loft-style brick walls and adding balance to the exposed ductwork, painted in chocolate brown to remove all traces of sterility. Perfect for voyeurs, a semi-open kitchen offers a glimpse of the wood-fired oven behind the bar. If you wish to see the rest of our review, see the full Quince restaurant review.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!