The Eye Magazine rated this place as extraordinary, but the Toronto Life used to give it mixed reviews, before ultimately rating it one of Toronto’s Best New Restaurants in 2007. So Quince is one of the must-try places, being a Mediterranean-inspired bistro where prices are reasonable and meals are fresh and innovative. The founders of Quince are Jennifer Gittins and Michael van den Winkel, a husband and wife formerly known from the high-valued Stork on the Roof. Their new place, opened in fall of 2006, is located just a few blocks south of the busy intersection at Yonge and Eglinton.
Do you know where the infamous nudie bar Cheaters used to be? Well, Quince is just across the street from there, surrounded by a pretty patio graced with teak furniture and plenty of cushions in bright, primary colours. Don’t be alarmed by the neon sign proclaiming “Adult video & Novelties” just two doors down from Quince and next to the famous restaurant Coquine, however inappropriate it may look in a neighbourhood touted for its thriving business district and family-friendly parks. But in the last twenty-five years, there has always been an disparate mix of stores on this stretch of Yonge Street between Eglinton and Davisville. You can find pretty much anything, starting from clothing boutiques to bead and paper stores, home decor to adult places.
A hostess kindly greets us at Quince’s door and offers us a spot near the bar on low, cushioned banquettes. Even though it’s a Saturday night and we are in this busy neighbourhood, we can still pick a table, pleading excessive height. I ask: “What’s downstairs?” We get an answer from our hostess: “Oh, that’s our private dining room.” It is available for lunches and dinners and it has its own bar and lounge, all nicely decorated (though the tile floor will tell you it’s located in the basement). Tonight it’s off limits to couples, being available for corporate or private groups of maximum 40 people or cocktail receptions of 70 people at most. For these occassions, the staff offers you a menu along with matching wines, so that you don’t have to care about all the details yourself.
We pick our table and almost immediately, our waiter comes 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 very good knowledge of his field, explaining to us what is a garnish compared to a side dish. The waiter could be best described as personable, friendly and efficient. Left alone to decide whether a whole sea bream (“Most people take a side with it, it’s just the fish,” our waiter cautions apologetically) is a good idea, we take a look around. The space of the dining room is airy and deceptively large, while clever lighting enhances its depth while adding a nice warmth and maintaining at least some level of intimacy. I also appreciate the comfortable volume level – although nearly all the tables around us are full, we can still talk easily and listen to the ambient music – probably D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder. Modern art in earthy hues graces the loft-style exposed brick walls and adds balance to the exposed ductwork, which has been painted in chocolate browns to remove any trace of sterility. Amazing for voyeurs, a semi-open kitchen offers a glimpse of the wood-fired oven behind the bar. Check our article for more details.