The Kitchen

It’s true what they say; the party always ends up in The Kitchen! So grab your cleanest bib and head over to Queen West where The Kitchen is conveniently sandwiched between The Drake and Gladstone.

The restaurant/bar occupies a spacious re-designed corner spot on this now up-and-come strip. The building itself started out as a movie theatre around 70 years ago. When the construction crew came in to do their thang, and started knocking down walls, they found metal tins full of condoms!

The décor is minimal and modern but the space manages to maintain a cozy, welcoming feel. The first floor is spacious, warmly lit, and the ceilings – cavernous. The basement is smaller and more intimate with the chef’s table front and center. Seating here is limited to around the bar and a couple of small tables in the back.

The bathrooms at The Kitchen happen to be concealed by a giant mural/collage in the basement and the doors open inwards (no door handles).One of my favourite pastimes has become watching crunk patrons try to find their way in. Normally this wouldn’t be so entertaining, yet I did make a point of sitting across from the bathroom to watch the hilarity unfold. The mural also serves as a time capsule for the joint’s three owners, as imbedded in it are objects like pics of family members, a tie, and an old guitar.

The Kitchen isn’t just a place to go to for drinks - though they are fab - but it’s a great place to enjoy an innovative and sophisticated dinner. In time, Chef Olivia Bolano hopes to start catering to a brunch crowd too – she’s already fantasizing about the menu.

The food in general is divine and the concept behind the menu – truly unique. Olivia Bolano, originally from the Philippines has had many culinary loves in her life. From rediscovering her mom’s cooking as an adult, to living in “bad-ass” neighborhoods with every crazy food joint imaginable.

Bolano is one of only five female executive chefs who run their own kitchens in the Toronto area. She waves off these accolades like its no big accomplishment and goes on to giddily talk about her food. She’s done it all, from attending the prestigious Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, to bartending at Filthy McNasties, and overseeing the kitchen at Bistro North. To add to that, she has somehow managed to squeeze in a psych degree and hopes to one day pen her book “You Like Your Eggs Runny Because…”

Bolana took a potluck approach to the menu, and there are no conventional entrée-side dish pairings here. Everything stands on its own. For the appetizers, we had an assortment of dips (roast garlic puree, roast red pepper salsa, and feta with spinach) which came with a deep fried, seasoned cracker. The heavenly trio was followed by the equally delicious garden maki. Made with asparagus, bell peppers, and contained within a crispy breaded crust with wasabi yoghurt - the maki did not disappoint.

Then came the entrée – BBQ beef ribs, delicate, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth ribs. These were paired with three sides including garlic roasted green beans, sesame asparagus, and blue potato mash with cardamom cream. I could be persuaded to kill for those mashed potatoes.

If all this wasn’t enough, we ended the night right on a Redbull sorbet with frozen lime zest. YUM! A fittingly personalized dessert on a menu with a lot of character.