It’s always exciting when a new restaurant opens in Toronto, as it doesn’t seem to happen as often as in other major cities. This past May 2024, the former Woodlot restaurant at 293 Palmerston Avenue, just south of College Street, was transformed under the ownership of the acclaimed team of Grant van Gameren and Hailey Burke, who also own Bar Isabel, Michelin starred Quetzal, and Bar Raval. Luke Haines serves as the chef de cuisine at Martine’s Wine Bar.
The restaurant, just steps from Bar Raval, features a white facade with an inviting outdoor patio. Inside, the space is split level, with dark mahogany wood furnishings, vintage lighting, and artwork. For those who enjoy the ambiance of a bustling kitchen, there is seating around the open kitchen and wood-burning oven, though be prepared for the smoky scent. Alternatively, guests can opt for seats upstairs overlooking the kitchen or as we did, downstairs at the bar. If you’re lucky, the bartender may even offer a sample of one of their cocktails.
The atmosphere is intimate, casual, and welcoming, radiating genuine hospitality. As a wine bar, it boasts a vast curated wine list full of unique bottles, though surprisingly, there aren’t many choices available by the glass. We opted for cocktails instead, which leaned toward more of a classic selection. Their Aperol Spritz and my lemon spritz were both refreshing, and you had a nice selection of mocktails.
The menu rotates seasonally, featuring produce sourced from Chef Gameren’s farm. The restaurant retained the wood-burning oven from its predecessor, using it to roast vegetables, whole birds, and flatbreads. The offerings include both, cold and warm appetizers, and I was particularly impressed by the spicy beef tartare with dill, thinly sliced raw mushrooms, and grilled sourdough. It was my favourite dish of the evening—the gnochetti with P.E.I. Lobster was also delicious. Larger dishes included vegetable-forward plates, scallops, duck hearts, woodfire chicken, and peppercorn steak. While the scallops in an aqua pazza broth with breadcrumb topping were pleasant, they weren’t particularly memorable. Unfortunately, the woodfired chicken was a bit of a letdown- the meat was dry, and the paprika sauce wasn’t anything to write home about. However, the accompanying fries were excellent.
For dessert, we tried the off-menu chocolate layer cake, which hit the spot, and we ordered one of the 2 offerings on the menu, a seasonal Ontario peach and corn trifle. The restaurant is a cozy neighborhood spot, but it comes with a price. Our bill exceeded $300 for 2 cocktails, an appetizer, a pasta dish, scallops, and half a chicken. That said, the portions were generous, and you could easily share an appetizer and a main course to keep costs down. Overall, the food was well executed, making it a solid option for dining in the area.
Happy dining,
Shanea
10/05/2024