Wine Bar
9 Church St. | 416.504.9463 | 9church.com
Until recently, the Wine Bar was the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, but when Kennedy moved on, he not unreasonably took his name with him. After a shuffle of owners and chefs, and some recent renovations, the Wine Bar now finds itself reinvented and ready to lure the condo-buying young professionals now moving into the rapidly gentrifying Church and Front area.
Located within walking distance of the financial district, the Wine Bar provides a pleasant respite from the ubiquitous blue suits of Bay Street. Popular with theatregoers because of its proximity to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, it has a mixed upscale crowd.
My dining companion and I arrive after work for drinks and dinner. The dining room is cozy, with walls of wine and house preserves, both current design staples in the Toronto restaurant esthetic. Exposed brick walls combine with new floors, ’70s-inspired wallpaper and light fixtures that recall the Sputnik-era Soviet space domination to make the place retro-hip.
We start with the Muscovy Duck Duo appetizer plate with house-made duck prosciutto, maple and red wine duck breast, crostini and pickled vegetables ($10). The portions are small and look lonely on the expanse of white dish — the plating here could use some work. As for the food itself, the duck breast is sensational — both tart and sweet with the barest hint of maple. The duck prosciutto is less sensational; thick cut and fatty, it doesn’t seem right to compare it to the more familiar paper thin pork version.
The two of us, non-beer drinkers, attempt to pre-order a beer for our third companion but it quickly becomes apparent to us and our server we have no idea what we are talking about. When the third member of our party arrives, our server Marco materializes by her side, takes her coat, and immediately rhymes off the available beers without prompting. Later, when I order wine for the table and express interest in an unusual Australian wine, Marco summons the sommelier and I’m offered a taste. When the couple next to us gets up to leave, Marco has gleaned from overheard conversation that it’s the woman’s 30th birthday and he wishes her a happy birthday. In other words, the service here is truly exceptional.
The restaurant features a tapas-style selection of small plates that change regularly and feature local fresh ingredients. We choose a variety, starting with cheddar and apple salad ($8). The sharp cheddar and crispy tart apple coupled with the spiced cashews is a perfect combination. My dining companion raves about the spiced cashews and Marco obliges with a small bowl of them just for her. The fries ($5) are a bargain, and come with house-made ketchup that could put a significant dent in the Heinz market share if the chef ever decides to scale up production. Grilled rosemary flatbread ($8) with a creamy eggplant and pickled mushroom spread is ordinary. Korean ribs ($15) are sweet and tangy with such a depth of flavour that we upsize our tasting plate into a full order.
Each of the menu items has a suggested wine pairing, which makes it easy for those who flounder on these things. And the Wine Bar, being a wine bar, really does have an excellent wine list with a broad selection that won’t disappoint fans of particular regions, grapes or styles.
The dessert menu is short — three items — and my dining companions opt for sticky date pudding ($5) with maple caramel and candied walnuts. This pudding is full of caramel flavour and sweetness without being too heavy or cloying. I pass on dessert but order port, and Marco is astute enough to recommend a port flight consisting of three different varieties — a white port, a late bottled vintage port and an Ontario port. It’s an interesting array and well-chosen, featuring wines I probably wouldn’t encounter otherwise.
The Wine Bar is a great place to get together with colleagues after work — especially wine-drinking colleagues (the multitude of faux Irish/Scottish/English pubs in the downtown core offer a great selection for the beer drinking crowd but wine drinkers such as myself suffer in such establishments). Longstanding clients tired of the formality of financial district restaurants would also find the Wine Bar welcoming, and its intimate feel encourages conversation. It’s also an excellent choice if you’ve also managed to convince your firm that tickets afterwards to a performance at the Sony Centre are great for business development.
Judge Foodie’s verdict:
Highs: superlative service, excellent wine list, great selection of menu items
Lows: the food is great but there’s no clear home run
Kirsten Thompson is a Toronto-based research lawyer and commercial litigator. Since her call to the bar in 2000, she estimates that her restaurant to courtroom ratio has been approximately 14:1. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas for a review? Email her. Follow Judge Foodie on Twitter: @Judge_Foodie